Nigeria launches Lagos-Kano train service

The Federal Government on Friday in Lagos inaugurated the Nigeria Railway Corporation’s Lagos-Kano intercity passenger train services and haulage of petroleum products.
The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, said at the event that the government was still committed to revamping the transport sector, particularly railway services, because of its importance to Nigeria’s economic development.
The revitalised Lagos-Kano intercity train services will complement the existing Lagos- Ilorin and Minna-Kano intercity train services.
Umar said: “This segment holds the key to the development of the economy of the nation from the commercial port city of Lagos to the commercial hub of northern Nigeria in Kano.
“ This is vital to the start-off of the transformation of the Nigerian economy.
Umar said that the Federal Government had also awarded contracts for feasibility studies to open up other railway routes.
He explained that the government was also rehabilitating the Eastern Railway Line from Port Harcourt –Maiduguri with spur lines from Kuru-Kafanchan –Kaduna and Kuru-Jos.
The Minister also said that government was repairing the Zaria-Gusau-Kauran Namoda Rail Line.
He added that the government was modernising the Project Phase I, Addendum 1, Abuja-Kaduna (Idu) Standard Gauge Rail Line (187km)
The minister further said that the government was repairing the existing 254km and completing the remaining 22km Standard Gauge Rail Line of the Central Rail Line from Ajaokuta-Warri with station buildings.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, said that Lagos-Kano Route covered a stretch of 1,126km.
Sijuade said that the rehabilitation was much awaited, and hoped that train services on the route would improve Nigeria’s economy.
He said that NRC transported 450,000 litres of diesel on Friday from Lagos to Offa, through the route, to mark its inauguration.
“Today, we celebrate a successful completion of track and signalling rehabilitation of the Western Rail Line and the re-commencement of passenger and freight rail services on the Lagos-Kano corridor,’’ he said.
He hoped that the re-commencement of train services on the route would provide employment opportunities and enhance trade and commerce, as well as reduce accidents on the roads.
He urged the Federal Government to adequately fund the corporation for the maintenance and operation of the newly rehabilitated rail lines to ensure that the NRC did not relapse into dilapidation.
Naijaurban

CAF Awards Live From Accra Ghana- Yaya Toure Is "Africa Player of The Year"

Ivorian midfielder, Yaya Toure

By SR Sports

The year 2012 CAF Awards held today in Accra the capital of Ghana, it was attended by stakeholders in African football industry including the President of Nigerian football federation, Aminu Maigari.
There was no Nigerian amongst the winner of tonight's presentation; meanwhile Yaya Toure is a midfielder, who currently plays for the English side, Manchester City Football Cluband and the national team of Cote D'ivoire  won the award. He also won last year.
Yaya Toure was given the award based on his consistency both at home and at his club side
Below is the list of other winners of several categories CAF 2012 Awards.
-African Player of the Year is Yaya Toure of Cote Divoire
African Based player of the year: First - Mohamed aboutrika of Egypt Second -Stopila Tzunzu (Zambia) Third - Kalaba (Zambia)
-African club of the year is Al-Ahly Football club of Egypt
-CAF's African coach of the year: Coach Herve Renard of Zambia
-Most promising African Talent of the Year: Mohammed Saleh of Egypt
African Female Footballer of the Year: Winner is Genovova Anonma (Equatorial Guinea)
-Legendary Awards: Mahmoud El-Gohary The Egyptian Coach that passed on in September 2012
-Legendary Awards 2: Rigobert Song most capped African player of the year with over 100 CAPS for Cameroun
-African Referee of the year Jamel Alhamoni

One Year-Old Child Dies After Being Given ‘Anointed Oil’ By Prophet

Self styled prophet and prophetess who allegedly caused the death of a one-year-old baby after giving him a harmful concoction have been freed on $30 bail each.

Prophet Mutsvene Makaya (36) and his wife Prophetess Ndakaziva Mawire (39), on Tuesday appeared before magistrate Anita Tshuma facing culpable homicide charges. According to State Papers, the self styled Prophet Makaya and his wife Prophetess Mawire are married.
The court heard that the deceased child was taken to prophet Makaya and prophetess Mawire’s home by his parents for spiritual healing last month. It is alleged that the two ‘man and woman of God’ prepared a mixture of salt, lemon, vinegar, cooking oil and honey which they gave the child to drink.
According to State papers, the child’s health deteriorated and he was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The minor, according to the medical report, died of asphyxia due to aspiration gastric contents. It was later discovered that the boy died as a result of taking the ‘anointed mixture’ which he was given by the prophet and prophetess.
Magistrate Tshuma released the ‘spiritual healers’ on US$30 bail each. As part of their bail conditions, they should report to police every Friday and desist from prescribing ‘anointed mixtures’ of any nature. The Prophet and Prophetess will be back in court on 31 December.
InformationNigeria.org

More than ever before in our history, Nigeria’s unity is questionable – Musdapher

Immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Dahiru Musdapher, has warned that the Boko Haram insurgency and other social upheavals are threatening the survival of the country.
Justice Musdapher was speaking at the second anniversary lecture and book presentation of National Mirror in Lagos on Thursday. He expressed worry about the scourge of terrorism overwhelming the security establishment and the disintegration of the nation’s moral fabric. According to him, “More than ever before in the history of Nigeria, the scourge of terrorism poses great challenges to the Nigerian state.
“Our slide into anarchy has assumed dangerous dimensions perhaps beyond the capacity of our security agencies to deal with the menace effectively… Boko Haram insurgency, political violence, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, indiscipline, abduction and kidnappings, armed robbery, murder and extortion, bombings of places of worship and innocent Nigerians are all indicators of a failing state.
“These social upheavals clearly threaten the survival of the Nigerian nation and we all have a duty to rise and stem the tide… Our capacity to investigate, arrest, prosecute and convict those found guilty of contravening our laws is evidently weak and compromised; yet no one is held responsible.
InformationNigeria.org

Kukah Cautions New Kaduna Governor: “Be Careful Of Religious Bigots”

Bishop Hassan Kukah

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, this morning at the funeral of late Kaduna State Governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, warned Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, his successor, to be mindful of religious bigots.
“Do not be tempted to think that the Muslims have taken what the wicked have presented as a prize for only Muslims,” he cautioned.
The Bishop’s audience included President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.
He told the governor the world looks up to him not to be seduced by the whispers of the wicked whose devilish and selfish hold on power has held society down.
“You have taken over the steering wheel and must obey and respect all road signs so that we can arrive at the destination that we have set out to. Balancing our dreams together can make ours one of the greatest states in Nigeria. Let us reverse the divisive, ugly and pernicious past which was constructed by men who had the hearts for apartheid. By pursuing the politics of exclusion, these men and women merely destroyed both the noble faith of Islam and the North that its founders dreamt of.
“I want to assure you that there are millions of Yakowa’s outside the Muslim community and that the monopoly of power by one section or even one gender or generation denies our people a future. This is what South Africa realised.  It is what the Americans have now realised. Other nations have achieved greatness by managing diversity. Diversity should generate appreciation and love and when properly managed, it can be a source of beauty and strength. This is why Joseph’s coat of many colours is presented as the best garment in the Bible. We wish you well and as you saw from the way our people have received this tragedy, we are a peaceful, God fearing and trusting community. I can assure you, we shall stand by you. And to you President Jonathan, when it mattered, you allowed God to use you to change history. Those whose selfishness sowed the seeds of exclusion leading to violence have abandoned the state and fled to Abuja where they continue to pursue an unproductive lifestyle of feeding off the state by pretending to represent Islam and the North.
“Sir, this state is ours to build now that the members of the nefarious Mafia whose selfishness hindered the development of Kaduna in particular and the north in general have either died or fled the state. Mr. Yakowa’s ascent to power broke this jinx. You cannot attempt to put this genie back without breaking the bottle. Before Yakowa, Kaduna state had been surviving on one lung. Now that political surgery has corrected this anomaly, it is hoped that now, we shall lay a foundation for a successful transition and succession to power in the most honest way. If we fail to do that, we shall be attempting to clap with one hand or flying a plane with only one wing. With youth on your side, we all assure you of our prayers. Despite its troubles and doubts, Nigeria is on the threshold of hope and opportunity. We shall arrive our destination quicker because we have the likes of our dear Governor Yakowa praying for us. May God bless our dear country. Amen.

Fun times are over: Lagos blacklists 244 leisure centers including Nicon Hotels- See Full List

by Chi Ibe

244 leisure centres in Lagos have failed to comply with the Licensing Law thereby receiving a blacklist from the government.
They include hotels, event centres and restaurants that did not seek necessary registration from the authority and to comply with annual payments.
The Lagos State Government of Nigeria has also concluded plans to sue the defaulting facilities while ordering government ministries, departments and agencies not to do any form of business with the 244 hotels, event centres and restaurants henceforth.
Section 4, sub-section 1, 2 and 4 of the Hotel Licensing Law, Cap H6, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003 amended in 2010 says: “No person shall carry or keep a hotel in any premises in Lagos State without a license granted by the authority in respect of that premises under this law.”
Adesegun Ogunlewe, Head of Service, said: “It  was observed with utmost dismay that a number of such establishments in the state have refused to comply with the provisions of the law, thereby depriving the state government of its revenue that could have been used in providing essential amenities to her teeming population.”
“In order to ensure enforcement and compliance with the Hotels Licensing Law, the state government has concluded all arrangements to charge defaulting hospitality establishments to court.”
Secretary, Lagos State Hotel Licensing Authority,  Aduke Gomez, said in line with government’s resolve to sanitise the tourism industry, government will prosecute the defaulting facilities.
According to her, suits have been filed against identified non-compliant hospitality and tourism establishments in courts within the various magisterial divisions across the state. She added that legal proceedings against the proprietors of such establishments will soon commence.
Gomez also disclosed that legal proceedings against such defaulting establishments was ongoing, stressing that a second list of names will soon be submitted to the courts.
“The registration of hotels and tourism -related outfits is an internationally accepted control mechanism evolved by the World Tourism Organisation. “Therefore, it is mandatory that all hospitality and tourism establishments operating within Lagos State be registered. The registration of all hospitality and tourism establishments will provide a database for planning, marketing and research,” she stated. Gomez, who spoke in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria urged those that were yet to fully comply with the state government’s registration requirements to do so immediately. “Hotel registration will provide accurate information to protect hotel clientele and will also provide information to users on the quality of facilities available in the establishments while the publication of such data has the potential to increase customer traffic to accredited hotels and tourism establishments,” she said.
A document from the office of the Lagos Head of Service identified the defaulting facilities as A.Y. Hotel, Country Guest House, D Rock Hotel, De Boss Garden Hotels and Suites, Embassy Court Hotel, De Next Hotel, Edge Water Hotel and Resorts, Fantasy Land, Garden View, Georges Chinese Cuisine, Lekki, and Grand Roses Continental Hotel.
Others include Hotel Tropicana, La Scala Restaurant, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Lekki Suites, Nicon Hotels Limited, Peninsular Hotel and Towers, Prime Chinese Restaurant, Regency Hall, Rochester Gardens, Precious Garden Hotel, Rex Hotel, Omission Crown Prince Hotel and Sabitex Hotel Limited.
YNaija.com

Okorocha Under Fire For Declaring Two Weeks Public Holiday

Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha appears to have courted the ire of opposition parties and rights groups in the state following his declaration of two weeks Christmas holiday for civil servants. The opposition parties agree that it was wrong for the governor to simply grind the state to a halt in the name of celebrating Christmas not minding its attendant effect on the state’s economy.

Reacting to the declaration, the State Chairman of the All Nigeria National Party (ANPP), Dr. Vitalis Orikaeze Ajumbe, said it was an indication that the government had no plans and vision for the state.
“This is to show that this government has no vision” he started.
“There is nowhere in the world where the government declares two weeks Christmas holiday for civil servants which meant that the state would be practically shut down which also means huge revenue loss to the state, adding that the government did not also consider those coming from abroad that might require the services of the civil servants, so it simply shows that both the government and the civil servants are idle.”
In its own reaction, the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who used to control the state from 1999 until 2011 when the incumbent defeated the party’s candidate , Ikedi Ohakim at the polls, throught its state publicity secretary, Chief Byleden Amajirionwu, described the holiday as reckless and irresponsible, adding that the government was obviously “naive” to the economic implications of its action. “The governor appears to be naive on the economic implications of such notorious holiday, this action goes further to explain our stand that this administration that this Administration is ruthlessly disorganized and deceitful”.
Similarly, the acting National President of the Civil Liberties Organization, Comrade Uche Durueke, a legal practitioner described it as nonsense wondering how the government could ever conceive of such an idea, noting that it would have a far reaching effect on the people and economy. “As far as I am concerned it is nonsense because as a lawyer, I cannot go to the court now because of the holidays.”
InformationNigeria