Uyeye:



I really wanna know why Nigeria is building railway in Niger Republic with borrowed money

Nigerian railway to Maradi in Niger Republic? No way!

UROWAYINO WARAMI 
8 JAN 2018

By chereome Nnanna

For some reasons unknown to me, Nigerians are no longer paying attention to things that matter about the way they are being ruled. They no longer pay attention to some of the things their rulers say. Otherwise, a strange item in President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year Day speech should have brought millions of Nigerians to the streets in angry protests.

When first I listened to the President making that speech I could not believe my ears. So I had to wait until the mainstream media published the full text of the speech, and there it was in cold print: “Negotiations are also advanced for the construction of other railway lines, firstly from Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic passing through Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibia to Maradi”.



Maradi is the third largest city in Niger Republic with a predominant Hausa/Fulani population. It is about an hour’s drive through a bumpy road from Jibia, the border town near Buhari’s hometown, Daura, in Katsina State. When I went to cover the 2007 presidential election in which Buhari ran on the All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP, in 2007 and the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, I had joined a team of journalists that went to Daura to visit Buhari for an interview. We also monitored the election in Jibia, which is a border town with Niger.

I realised how easy it was for people from the two countries to cross the rickety border post manned by a man dressed virtually in rags. He only smiled when we decided to set foot on Niger Republic soil. Indeed, it may interest Nigerians to know that Daura Emirate stretches deep into Maradi and Zinder Departments in Niger Republic. During the 2015 election, there were reports of thousands of people from Niger Republic crossing the porous borders to vote in an election that was none of the business of their country. In the far North Nigerian electoral officials hardly ask questions about the eligibility of voters. That is why you see millions of under-aged voters voting, and at the end the polls are declared “free and fair”.

Once Buhari achieved his life’s ambition of matching Olusegun Obasanjo’s feat as a former military ruler who became an elected President of Nigeria, his visit to Niger Republic became the first of the 22 foreign trips he made within 11 months before he was slowed down by ill-health. He was received by the President and people of Niger like a triumphant son back from the battlefield. Niger Republic President, Mahamadou Issoufou, gave him a white horse and a golden sword. In fact, Issoufou, in 2016, emblazoned Buhari’s photograph beside his own on vehicles during political campaigns.

I went into all this to let you know that the planned new Nigerian railway network from Kano through Daura and Jibia to Maradi in Niger Republic is a selfish project that has nothing to do with other Nigerians like you and me. Even though a president’s oath of office indicates: “….that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conducts or my official decisions…”, Nigerian presidents and governors brazenly disregard their oaths of office and oaths of allegiance and divert the state’s or nation’s resources to their pockets, and after that, to massively develop the infrastructures of their hometowns no matter how remote such places are.

For me, if Buhari had merely sought to connect his hometown, Daura, and even Jibia to the new national railway network, I would not have minded it too much, though it violates the principle of economic viability and bankability, which the largely borrowed funds will emphasise in order that we repay the debts in good time. The same logic that led the British colonialists to pass the Eastern rail line through Eha Amufu in today’s Enugu State and terminate it at Nguru in today’s Yobe State and pass the Western line through Kaura Namoda in today’s Zamfara State can also be adduced to extend the new rail network through Daura to Jibia, even if a president did not hail from there.

The offensive aspect is extending the railway 55 kilometres into a foreign land just because the President considers the region as part of his hometown.

When the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, was called upon by critics of this unviable extension of our railway to defend it, his response was vacuous and of very little use as a justification. By the way, the proposed new rail addition from Kano through Kazaure, Daura and Jibia to Maradi covers a whopping distance of 806 kilometres, which is more than the distance from Lagos to Abuja (779km) and Lagos to Calabar (770km). It is important for Nigerians to know the scale of the rail line and the amount of borrowed and oil money we are going to dump on this aspect of the project just to gratify the personal whims of the President.

Hear the Minister: “We realised that we had competitors for our landlocked neighbours, competitors like Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic. Our landlocked neighbours are importing through these countries because we don’t have rail lines that go to them. So, to address the situation Mr President approved a rail line that will go to Maradi in Niger. But that rail line which will come from Kano to Maradi in Niger must pass through some cities. So the rail line passes through Kazaure, and then Daura before proceeding to Jibia and then Maradi”.

The questions the President and the Minister should answer are: Did “our competitors” like Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic build rail lines into Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali and thus stole the “competition” from Nigeria? The answer, obviously, is no. Secondly, why don’t we also extend the favour to Chad and Burkina Faso if indeed we need their patronage? Thirdly, what “competition” is Amaechi referring to? How much do Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic make from imports that our landlocked neighbours route through their countries that makes it enviable which Nigeria should scramble to snatch?

It would be a different ball game if Nigeria and Niger Republic signed a memorandum of understanding to share the cost of the rail line, each country taking the financial responsibility to build the lines that run through their respective territorial jurisdictions.

One thing Nigerians must never forget is that we are borrowing heavily from China, Europe and the Breton-Wood institutions to build our standard gauge railway network. Repayment for the loans which outlay is not available to me at this moment will span decades. Most of us will be gone from the surface of the earth while the repayment will devolve to our children and possibly their children.

This is why we must never keep silent when the ruling party and leaders so brazenly violate the nation’s interests and abuse their offices by throwing projects from these loans into unviable remote hamlets, including hamlets in a foreign country that happens to be a part of their hometown.

I am very sure that our National Assembly, especially the very responsive Senate, will thoroughly examine this railway plan and its funding and protect the interests of all Nigerians, including those of their future generations. Sanitising the implementation of this railway plan will be a prime opportunity to prove that this country belongs to all of us. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to take what belongs to all of us for himself and his kinsmen alone.

We are in a democracy, not a military autocracy. Even if we must accommodate Daura and Jibia to make Buhari happy, the rail line must NEVER be extended an inch into a foreign soil.

shervydman:

Oga, this is a metro line, commonly called light-rail. High speed trains are for interstate while this metro line is intrastate. U can't expect an intrastate rail to be high speed.

Secondly, Morocco is the only African country with high speed train. Thanks.

Abdul3391:
Amen and amen my brother thank u very much, I really appreciate and I also wish u same

Abdul3391:
I luv success stories

ayourbamie:
You are born again, just that u r still living in sin.

MhizzAJ:
You are simply confused

I guess Fornication is your major stumbling block

tayooluwole:
I don't know if any body here is in my shoe... Since I was born I have attended many crusade and church services. During any of the services, any time the instruction is prescribed that all who wish to denounce sin and become born again should come out to receive prayers, me no they carry last to follow go out to be born again at that moment. The issue is, my being born again at any point in time doesn't take much time before it expires. Just at the moment I decide to be born again the holyholy will be there but by the time the holyholy run into 2 to 3 days it begins to desolve till I go back to the status quo. The logic behind this is that, if Jesus is to come withing the shortest time that follows the moment of my being born again that means heaven sure me die but if na after it has expired OYO is my case but Jesus will surely consider my seriousness by looking at the number of times I have come to him...

Pls how can someone be permanently born again without much sin ?

Note: he get some things wey Christians go count as sin and wey if ah no do na hunger go kill me...

Christian brothers over to you...

BrainnewsNg:
In the Christian community all over the world there have been an age long argument among some denominations over the covering of “head” or “hair” by women when in church or when praying or performing any spiritual activity.

The anchor scripture in the Holy Bible Christians used for this law as written by Apostle Paul is 1 Corinthians 11 : 2 – 16.


Now, let us look at this portions of the bible with KJV and NIV to see if the Bible really restricted women from going to church or performing any spiritual activities with their “head” or “hair” uncovered.


1 Corinthians 11 : 5 -6 "5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. " - (KJV).


“5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head." – (NIV)

Again let's look at verses 13 – 15 of the scripture.


“13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." – (KJV)


“13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.” – (NIV)


From the above scriptures, the Bible made it clear that a woman who performs any spiritual activity with her “head” uncovered have dishonored her head therefore dishonor her creator. Also the hair of a woman is the woman’s glory and the Bible have made it clear that her “hair” is for the covering of her “head”.


My question now is; did the Bible command women to cover their “hair” while praying? NO.


There’s no place in the Bible that says a woman should cover her “hair” while praying. Please note the two English words “Head” and “Hair”. In the scriptures above, the Holy Bible has repeatedly made it clear that a woman should cover her “head” and not “hair”.


The Bible also in verse 16 of the scripture stated clearly that the long hair of a woman is her glory and for the covering of her HEAD.


Therefore, I stronger oppose the believe that it’s wrong for a woman to go to church or pray with her hair uncovered because the Bible never say so.


A Woman can pray to God with her hair open as long her head is covered with her hairs.

Source: http://brainnewsng.com/what-holy-bible-really-says-about-women-covering-their-head-to-church/

lalasticlala:



Source: https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/guardian.ng/news/silence-from-buharis-aides-as-he-recuperates/amp

Elbizzcklinz:
If God truly exist, why do the innocent suffer, why are bad things happening to people that dnt deserve it. Bill gate, mark zuckerberg and many rich people are atheist and very rich and succesful. As for me, am very much ok, but if my expectation dnt turn around within 1week then there is no God and i seize to be a christain, i seize to pray, go the church or knw God.

Mekanus:
Please participants from Benue, cross rivers and kogi should come and tell us if they have been deployed.

Tastemoney:
This morning while I was going through my Bible, I came across some Bible verses that seem to contradict each other. One verse warns against calling somebody A FOOL, while the other supports it. See below

Math 5:22
"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou FOOL, shall be in danger of hell fire"

meanwhile.
Ecclesiastes 10:2-3
"A wise person chooses the right road; A FOOL takes the wrong one . You can identify FOOLS just by the way they walk down the street"


Christians in tha house should pls clarify these bible verses for me..

Lalasticala, seun abeg do something.

shobam1410:
They are all soft copies sent directly to ur phone, tablets etc

Anas09:

Lets start with you posting the Bible verse which enjoines women not to WEAR TROUSERS.

Ameekas:
. Good morning,pls any news about the posting?

daviddext:
JESUS HIMSELF SAID

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24)


The feeling I am having now about women wearing trouser is the like the feeling I had toward Donald Trump during his campaigns. I was like "hey, this man's speech is not cool but I wonder why I tremble whenever I imaging him losing." I literally shook when the Spirit of God kept telling me that Donald Trump would win. When I told my uncle I feel Trump would win, he gave me wonderful reasons why Hillary would become America's first female president. Following his cool points, I planned to support Hillary on the day of election, but I ended up praying to the Lord that night saying "Lord let your will be done in this election". What I thought to be feelings were not mere feelings. It was God speaking to my heart, and I heated Him through faith. What was the result? It still a huge shock to the world today; how wrong the majority can be. Some one said it is the power of " The silent voices"
This is not the first time God has dealt with me in such manner, making me know what would come. He doesn't owe any explanation or more details. He just drops His word and allow me agree to it by faith through a sanctified heart. I don't consider myself to be a prophet but I know every child of God can see the future through His Holy Spirit jus has Jesus promised in John 16. That is grace and mercy at work.
Men ate mostly moved by what they see that is why the women would dress colourfully and as attractive as they can to get the men's attention. This is why I talk about them in this post.

Back to what I want to share with you.

Answer this question. WHAT SHALL IT TAKE A LOVING GOD TO CAST EVERY HUMAN BEING TO HELL IF THEY ALL REFUSE TO OBEY HIM? The story of Noah and the Hark is our clue of why God can cast a whole church denomination for choosing the deception of Satan.

I often want to pretend and just accept that there is nothing wrong with women wearing trousers but deep inside me I know something had gone wrong for pastors to close their mouth about this.
Few minutes ago, I just figured out why it does not seem wrong for women to wear trousers in the sight of many people. Remember, God told us that where sin abounds God's grace abounds more. It means that the christian spirit filled male will not lust after the filthily dressed 'sister-in-Christ' not because he has grown strong in faith but because of God's grace. In that seductive woman's sin the grace of God in the man is increased. Sinners are sent deeper to hell by the so called careless female 'christian' because they do not enjoy this benefit of great grace. The men too should also watch their dress.

My summary
"Do not drink beer"
"Do not smoke cigarette"
" Do not masturbate"
"Do not become a lesbian"

These commands are not boldly written in the Bible but the Holy Spirit testifies to God's genuine children that they are worthy to be obeyed.
I may want to assume that some Christian boys and girls, men and women, dress the way they dress because God's conviction concerning it is still fresh. But for those who have 'silenced' the Holy Spirit in this matter, be ready for what may come before you in the day of our reward.
I am very careful not to say that you will go to eternal fire for wearing your trousers as a female. YOU WILL SURELY GO THERE FOR WILLFUL SIN AS A CHRISTIAN. "STIFF -NECKED" IS THE NAME GOD SHALL CALL YOU.

I refuse to yield to the rebellion of Satan through worldly women after world war 1; when women started wearing their husband's trousers because it makes them look like men enough to work in factories for a living. Total compromise and lack of faith towards God!

Be Sanctified (set apart) for God's glory alone and it won't be long before you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit tell you if what you have read is true or not. Thank you.

prospero5:
fayose is only having fun. he seems a flamboyant guy to me. he is lively, I think.


the writer of this piece truly deserves my respect. they simply remind me of Funke Egbemode (not sure of this last name) of the Nation newspaper.

Ameekas:
. No,I was at the localgovt yest and was told a text will be sent to us as per the day of verification.

Sasuwa:
i am a graduate of physics
unimaid
waiting for nysc posting
my hobby is reading
my passion is research and imparting knowledge, fellow aspirant let us meet and share our knowledge for the journey ahead

Tyviv:
I don't understand, you for Lokoja local govt, you didn't receive text and you didn't go for verification?

Tyviv:
sister not brother .... I have been texted

Tyviv:
Did anybody from kogi get a text msg or call?

broseme:
Community Development: Fayose present cheques to communities

Governor Ayodele Fayose on Friday presented cheques worth N50m through Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (ESCSDA) to representatives of 6 Ekiti Communities for various self help projects already embarked upon in the selected communities.

Amongst communities to benefit in this first batch of ESCSDA fund are Ilamoji Community, Ado-Ekiti, Odo Ikoro Community, Ikoro Ekiti, Ikoyi Community, Ikere Ekiti, Afao Community, Afao Ekiti, Ilupeju Community, Ado-Ekiti and Igbede Kota Community, Ikota Ekiti.

According to the ESCSDA general manager, Mr. Bamisaye, 30 other communities scattered around the 16 local government areas of the state will benefit from second batch of the funding before the end of first quarter of 2017.

Governor Fayose who admonished the benefitting communities to ensure quality work is done said he will continue to do his best at moving the state forward.


Source: http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2016/11/community-development-fayose-present.html

OLAADEGBU:
If we are saved by faith alone, why do we have to endure to the end to be saved?

OLAADEGBU:
If we are saved by faith alone, why do we have to endure to the end to be saved?