Uncategorized
Updated: FG extends resumption of Abuja-Kaduna train operations to next week
The Abuja-Kaduna rail service will not return to operations this week as earlier announced as the Federal Government has extended the resumption date.
Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, disclosed this to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday during an inspection tour to assess the readiness of the rail line for operations.
He said the standard guage train would resume next week, adding that it was about 90 per cent ready and assured riders of adequate safety/security measures.
He said, “I think we are 90 per cent ready as far as what we are set out to do is concerned. The remaining 10 per cent I am sure would be achieved in the next couple of days for full resumption of train services.
“My assurance to Nigerians is that even I myself will be using the train, and other of my counterparts who have homes in Kaduna, in fact from next week they will start using this train so I am giving Nigerians full assurance that a human being can give that this train is safe for them to be used.
“There is absolutely nothing to fear. We have learnt from what has happened and life is about learning lessons and adopting measures with the lessons. As a responsible government, we have seen those lessons and we have devised appropriate measures to counter them. And like I said, I was not going to allow this train to resume until everybody in captivity was released and to the glory of God, I have achieved that.”
According to the minister, the FG has introduced a new system of purchasing tickets, which he considers as the beginning of security checks that will enable the government to ascertain who boards the train at every point in time.
The minister last week announced that the Abuja-Kaduna rail services would resume operations by the end of November.
The Abuja-Kaduna train service was temporarily halted eight months ago when terrorists planted explosives that derailed the AK-9 train while on its last lap from Abuja to Kaduna.
The terrorists also killed nine and abducted over 60 passengers, all of who were later released in batches.
Sensors needed to detect explosives on rail tracks were said to have been installed.
A contractor was at the Idu rail station to install the tracker, it was learnt.
Uncategorized
BREAKING: Adeleke finally pardons ‘fowl thief’ Segun Olowookere
BREAKING: Adeleke Finally Pardons ‘Fowl Thief’ Segun Olowookere
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has granted the prerogative of mercy to Segun Olowookere, a young man convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to death by an Ogun State High Court in 2014.
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Olowookere was pardoned alongside Sunday Morakinyo and 51 others convicted of simple and serious offences on Thursday.
Uncategorized
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
The Federal Government plans to begin constructing train tracks on Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in 2025.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this announcement during an inspection of Sections I and II of the project, which are located within Lagos and being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd, on Friday, December 20, 2024.
The details of the announcement were published in a statement on the ministry’s official website on Saturday.
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“The President has given very serious attention to road infrastructure. Don’t forget that this Coastal Highway and, of course, the four Legacy Projects all have the train track incorporated. The construction of the train track for this section I is going to take off in 2025,” Umahi stated.
The Works Minister outlined plans to enhance the Lagos-Calabar Highway in Sections I and II of Phase 1, including solar-powered CCTV cameras, lay-bys every 5-15 kilometers, and security posts for improved safety and monitoring.
He announced that 20 kilometers of Section 1 are scheduled for commissioning by May 2025. The Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Olukorede Kashia, noted challenges such as large refuse dumps and unsuitable soil conditions requiring extensive remediation during the project.
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
Entertainment
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
A Brazilian court has ordered the removal of Adele’s 2015 song Million Years Ago from radio and streaming platforms worldwide following a copyright lawsuit filed by local composer Toninho Geraes.
The ruling, delivered by Judge Victor Torres, comes after Geraes accused the British singer of copying his 1996 classic Mulheres, originally performed by Brazilian artist Martinho da Vila.
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Geraes claims the track from Adele’s album 25 closely mirrors his 1995 composition, demanding recognition and compensation for the alleged infringement.
In the lawsuit, Geraes is seeking $160,000 in moral damages, lost royalties, and a songwriting credit on Adele’s track.
The court has also imposed a fine of $8,000 per act of non-compliance on the Brazilian subsidiaries of Sony Music and Universal Music Group.
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
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