FG to tackle flood-prone areas on Lagos-Ibadan rail line, Amaechi says – Newstrends
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FG to tackle flood-prone areas on Lagos-Ibadan rail line, Amaechi says

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4 years ago

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The Federal Government will go the whole distance to put measures in place to address flooding on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has assured.
Addressing journalists in Ibadan during the inspection of the project, Amaechi said the Ministry is keeping its eyes on possible areas of flooding along the line with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted running of train services which flooding can disrupt. This came against the backdrop of compliant by residents of communities along the route of incessant flooding of their environment due to upsurge in rainfall. According to the Minister, “the technical committee will resolve the case of overpass, the problem now is the flooding challenge which we asked the committee to address. Ajegunle community is complaining of the need to build overpass and we cannot build overpass everywhere.

“During the raining season, we will observe where the construction has led to flooding as the citizens that have given us land must enjoy the sacrifice they made and when it happens, we will correct those mistake.” He called on the Ministry of Works and Housing to expidite action on the processes of obtaining approval to construct access roads to the sub-stations along the corridor. “The rains are coming, so you must hasten up with the approval or the construction will linger till after September,” he advised. With work along the route almost completed, lack of access roads to the stations especially in Ogun and Oyo states remain a cause of worry. Nevertheless, Amaechi assured that a date for commissioning of the project is on the verge of approval by President Muhammadu Buhari. “If you look at level of work now, we cannot ask the president to commission this, but once we give the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC definite time, I know they will speed up. “There are some minor things they still need to put in place but it’s taking them time to do that. Some of those things should not take more than a day or two to put in place. So I am not so worried. “On port, I have asked the permanent Secretary to discuss with the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, as tanker drivers disrupted the movement of train into the port recently and we have to stop them now, or we stop the owner of that terminal,” he added. On the slow pace of work, Amaechi said at this point “we can say to ourselves that we have tried from coverting a bush into usage that will grow the Nigerian economy. For CCECC, I am sick and tired of them and that is why I asked them to see us on Wednesday. Although, most of the things remaining are minor and cannot delay the movement of goods. They have promised to finish up by the end of the month.” The Minister was accompanied on the inspection tour by Dr Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation; Engr Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC; Eric Ojiekwe, Director, Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry and top officials of the NRC.
-Vanguard

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We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

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25 mins ago

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November 15, 2024

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Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Hamdiyya Sidi

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

The Sokoto Police Command has refuted claims circulated by an online platform alleging that Hamdiyya Sidi was arrested and detained for criticizing Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

Labeling the reports as baseless, police officials clarified that Sidi was detained following a complaint lodged against her for allegedly inciting public unrest.

In a statement issued by the Sokoto State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufai, the police detailed that Sidi allegedly admitted to inciting residents to violence during questioning.

According to the statement, Sidi allegedly presented herself as a humanitarian seeking to assist local residents with donations, but later used the platform to incite them, prompting law enforcement action.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto Command, has been drawn to the ongoing falsehood and misinformation circulated by social media handles on the purported story that the Nigeria Police, Sokoto Command, secretly arrested and arraigned a woman who lamented on the recent rise in killings in Sokoto for embarrassing Governor Aliyu Ahmed Sokoto. This is false and misleading.”

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The statement continued to clarify the situation, explaining: “On the 3rd of November 2024 at 1700hrs, Marafa Yakubu, the village head of Sabon Birnin Daji village in Wurno Local Government Area, reported to the police that a woman, later identified as Hamdiyya Sidi from Munki village in the same local government, had visited the area, claiming to represent a charity aimed at assisting women and youth. She reportedly requested to address women in the community, intending to distribute aid to those in need.

“However, instead of distributing relief items as promised, she began encouraging the women to forcibly seize government properties in Wammako Local Government Area, claiming ownership rights over them.”

Yakubu observed the rising tension among community members and alerted local guards, who detained Sidi and subsequently handed her over to the police. “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the offence and was charged to court within 24 hours for the offence of inciting disturbance,” the statement added.

The Sokoto Police emphasized, “One of our constitutional responsibilities is to investigate crimes, both minor and major, and the case of Hamdiyya is no exception.”

The Commissioner of Police advised residents to carefully consider the information they share publicly, warning against the spread of misinformation that could disrupt the state’s peace.

“Sokoto State Police Command remains committed to protecting fundamental human rights while carrying out its duties,” the statement concluded.

We didn’t arrest Hamdiyya Sidi for criticising Sokoto governor – Police

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Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

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39 mins ago

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November 15, 2024

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Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

In a significant development, the Governing Council of Federal University Lokoja has approved the dismissal of four lecturers over allegations of examination malpractices and sexual misconduct.

According to reports, the decision was made during the council’s Second Meeting on Thursday, following a thorough investigation into the accusations that surfaced last year.

Led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the council commended the university’s management for adhering to due process in investigating the claims of examination misconduct and sexual harassment against the lecturers involved.

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Ndoma-Egba stated, “The council will not tolerate any unethical conduct in the university” and called for prompt resolution of other pending misconduct cases, particularly one within the Faculty of Science that has gained media attention.

In a caution to staff and lecturers, the council emphasized its commitment to addressing any form of student molestation and urged students to report incidents of misconduct without fear.

 

Four varsity lecturers dismissed for sexual misconduct

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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15 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

 

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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