₦airaland Forum

Over 1000 workers will be employed for the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge rail corridor, Mr Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said.

“It’s about 320km, about 12 stations and we have to engage people that will maintain the tracks, people that will work in the stations and sell tickets.

“Also, technicians that will examine the train. So, we are going to engage close to over 1000 to maintain about 320km track, both junior and senior.
“New employees can’t just be sent there; they must be trained.

“In order for them to be trained, we will be moving people from the existing staff, but we have to replace them. So we have to fill up those positions before the new people will be trained and certify to be part of the train operations,” he said.

NAN reports that NRC operates one year training programme for graduate staff and three months for the junior staff.

According to Okhiria, the 12 stations for the train service are still under construction, adding that temporary stations would be used pending completion.
He, however, assured that the stations would be completed by the first quarter of 2019, noting that some of the houses at the railway village were renovated recently for workers.

Okhiria said that a lot has been achieved, especially in the rail system under the current administration, with the purchase of more rolling stock and wagons.

It's not long before the catfish begin to bite. Four men approach me online and they all claim to be US soldiers''Athar said

As the conversation between them continues, Paul professed his undying love for Katryn and wished he could marry her immediately. He also started asking her to send him money.
A breakthough in unmasking his identity came when he accidentally leaves a name tag - Dan Coolman - on one of his WhatsApp pictures.
Laura carried out a search on all the Dan Coolmans in Nigeria and was alble to narrow her search down to one who runs a barbershop in Ibadan, Oyo state. A more detailed search on the number showed it was registered to one Daniel Joseph Okechkwu.
With this information, Athar and his team visited Ibadan to confront Okechukwu. However, before they got to his barbing shop, he had fled. When contacted, Okechukwu confessed to the crime, saying it was his first time of venturing into online dating scam. According to him, he was forced to close down his barbing shop because it wasn't making money as it used to. He asked for forgiveness and also pleaded with Athar and his team to give him money so he would stop scamming people online.

“You are a leader of the past, of now and of the future; you will rise again; I wish you the best you wish yourself, ” Buhari said

He called on Nigerians to see elections as contests, which should be done in a free, fair and peaceful environment.

He said Nigerians should relinquish bitterness, bigotry, hate speech and “promote Nigeria for us and generation yet unborn.”

Party leaders from the Southeast and Southwest are worried over the tenure framework in the document tagged People’s Policy” of the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The policy is for launch on Monday less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari launched his, Next Level.

The policy plan of the 72-year-old Abubakar extended beyond four years, an indication that he is planning for a second term in office.

This has caused anxiety in the party because the policy plan extended to six years instead of four.

Instead of planning for a single term of four years, Atiku’s targets have a six-year timeline, fueling speculations that he might be hoping for two terms in office, the Nation reports.

According to a PDP governor, who spoke in confidence with The Nation, the “policy is causing some disquiet because it does not give a ray of hope that power will shift from the North to the South in 2023 if Atiku is elected as the nation’s president in 2019.

“Some of us were expecting a timeline of 2019 to 2023 but the policy plan is mostly made up of a six-year plan.
“The people of the South-East, South-West and South-South want a commitment from Atiku on whether or not he will spend one term in office in order to complete the slot of the North.

“We are suspecting that those who drafted the policy have a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku.”
“I think our candidate is planning for the future for the country. It may not be a matter of second term ambition,’’ a member of the National Working Committee of the party said.

“Atiku has not really been categorical on whether or not he will spend one term in office. So, those raising dust on 2025 policy plan are getting agitated to know where he stands.”

If 2 years into PMBs next administration,Nigeria does not begin to experience an economic boom the likes of which no African nation has experienced ever before, then call me a bastard. Lol PMB & PYO in 4yrs have laid a perfect foundation. Our success, as a nation, is inevitable

A chieftain of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress APC in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Pastor Benjamin Imeogu, has been murdered by unknown gunmen.

According to reports, Imeogu who was the Chairman of the APC panel on the conduct of the National Assembly primaries in the FCT, was attacked along the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport road in Abuja last Thursday November 16th. He was reportedly shot five times on the chest at close range.

The deceased, his wife and three children were reportedly returning back from church, The Transforming Church, Galadimawa, when they were attacked. His wife and one of his sons are currently battling for their lives as bullets passed through their stomach while the remaining two children escaped with minor wounds,
It is yet to be ascertained if the attack was connected to the Abuja Municipal Area Council elections in which the deceased actively participated as the Chairman of the electoral committee.

His remains has since been deposited at the National Hospital’s morgue, while his wife and son are battling for their lives at an undisclosed hospital.

President @MBuhari today received a delegation of leaders from the South East: Engr. Emeka Okwuosa, Chief Chekwas Okorie, Hon. Azuka Okwuosa, Sadeeq Massala, Dr Stanley Uzochukwu and others #AsoVillaToday

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, adjourned till November 20, 2018 for Muhammed Dele Belgore, SAN, and Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, a former Minister For National Planning, to open their defence in a N450m fraud trial.

Belgore, a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2011 Kwara State gubernatorial election, and Sulaiman are standing trial for allegedly receiving the sum of N450, 000, 000 ( Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only on March 27, 2015 out of the $115,010,000 ( One Hunfred and Fifteen Million and Ten Thousand Dollars) paid into Fidelity Bank Plc by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezanni Allison-Madueke.

At the sitting on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, counsel to the first defendant, Ebun Shofunde, SAN, had sought an adjournment of the trial in order to serve the subpoena issued by the court on the Manager, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ilorin Branch, in preparation for opening of defence by the defendant.

However, the prosecution, in its response, had objected to the adjournment sought by the defence, stressing that it was a ploy to stall the ongoing trial. The prosecution had also undertaken to serve the subpoena on the branch manager so that the trial could continue today without further delay.

At the resumed hearing today, the prosecution counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, informed the court that the Bank Manager had been served with the subpoena. Omewa further told the court that the manager was present in court with the videotapes, adding that a means of playing the videotape had also been provided in line with a request by the defendants to open their defence.

However, Shofunde told the court that although the prosecution had provided the video tape as well as a means of playing it, the manager was not with the certificate required before the tape could be used. He, therefore, sought an adjournment of the trial.

In view of this, the prosecution counsel requested for a stand down to enable the parties go to the headquarters of Fidelity Bank to get the required certificate rather than taking for an adjournment. Counsel to the second defendant also asked for an adjournment on the grounds that the document was generated from a computer in Ilorin, Kara State.

"My Lord, it is only from that branch where it was generated that the certification could emanate from," he added. He, therefore, urged the court to adjourn the case so that the certification could be in the documents of the court.

Consequently, Justice Aikawa adjourned the case to November 20, 2018 for the defence to open its case

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a rights group on Wednesday commended the Lagos State Government for approving the use of Hijab for female Muslim students in all public schools.

The Director, MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, gave the commendation in Lagos while reacting to a circular released by the state government on 13th Nov, in which the approval was given.

Akintola described the step as a monumental decision, and commended the patience and steadfastness of Muslim residents and associations in Lagos State.

“The wind of change is sweeping across the South-West and no state government wants to be caught within the camp of reactionaries.

“We call on all government agencies and employers of labour to note this development. It is a monumental decision. The patience exhibited by Lagos Muslims has paid off.

“A quiet and peaceful revolution is ongoing and it is in the best interest of all men and women of goodwill to join the train before it leaves the station so that they may not be left behind.

“Reports reaching MURIC headquarters say the Tutor-General Permanent Secretary (TGPS) of District 6 has also issued a circular directing all school principals within the jurisdiction to allow female Muslim students who wish to use the Hijab to do so.

“We are yet to hear anything from Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. We are therefore calling on the remaining five TGPS to follow suit. Delay will simply mean insubordination and sabotage of government’s good intention.

“We congratulate the Lagos State chapters of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), the Muslim Congress (TMC), the Muslim Teachers Association of Nigeria (MUTAN) and the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN).

“We commend them for their steadfastness, patience and forbearance.

“In conclusion, we charge all the Islamic organisations in the state to immediately set up monitoring units for the successful implementation of the state government’s directive.

“Muslim parents should be mobilised to visit schools for the purpose of ensuring compliance, while we warn that nobody should take the law into his or her hands.

“Defaulting principals and recalcitrant teachers should be reported to the nearest office of Islamic organisations,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an appeal court in 2016 overturned the judgement of a Lagos State High Court which banned the use of Hijab in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

NAN also reports that the Lagos State Government is currently at the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the appellate court.

The opening of the 13th Chinese Community and Police Co-Operation Center in South Africa last week has sparked concerns about China’s growing influence in various institutions across the continent of Africa.

Many top South African dignataries gathered in Port Elizabeth to celebrate the opening of the new center, which was established to improve relation and communication between South African police and the local Chinese community. The 3rd Term opening of the Chinese Language Training Program, which teaches law enforcement officers to speak Mandarin, was also celebrated.

Twitter celebrity, Julius Malema authored a post suggesting the Chinese were taking over by opening their own police stations. “Now Chinese are opening their own police stations in South Africa. They have already opened 13 & this one was opened yesterday in PE” Malema tweeted.

'I'm so happy, it's just like yesterday when you said yes to #roroking biabii you are the best and last of your kind, I pray for more understanding, wisdom, wealth, love, long life, strength, patients, peace, joy and properties to US. 3years already nawaho I can't believe this everywhere stew with you. Thank God for blessing me with you. Happy 3years anniversary to us' the comedian and father of three wrote.

At a press conference in Osogbo on Friday, Karlsen said though no perfect election in the world, vote-buying is as fraudulent as rigging.
Flanked by his counterparts from the United States embassy in Abuja and the United Kingdom, he said the EU wants to see free fair and credible election on Saturday.
Ketil added that the union wants to see the participation of people with disability in the election.
“We are not here to promote any party or candidate. We are here to promote democracy which is the only way to promote stability in Nigeria. What we expect to see here is free, fair and peaceful election,” he said.
“INEC is doing an impressive piece of work. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect. There is no perfect election in the world, but we are here to commend them. We want to keep our eyes on core issues like vote-buying as it was in Ekiti. Vote-buying is as fraudulent as rigging. We hope INEC would curb it.
“Then, the privacy of voters. There should be access to voting by people with disabilities. We want to see the political participation of vulnerable groups. Since 1999, we have spent about one hundred million euros on the electoral process in Nigeria.

Nigga when you die, the only memory of you I will have is greed! greed!! and greed!!! None of the homies around you made a living off you.No one got in equal strength what they put in and sacrificed.

Only people who stick around you are those who steal from you.
When you die we will only tell stories of the sadness you brought to us. NONE of your DAY 1s! is still riding with you.

If you die, I will sit in the bar and tell stories, sad stories of how ungrateful and disloyal you were to everyone who helped you build your dream.