BusinessDay 28 Feb 2018

16
A National Youth
Service Corps Batch
‘B’ Stream II member,
John Luke,
clearing the drainage
at Our Lady of
Loreter on Fadaman
Mada Road in
Bauchi on Monday.
NAN
BUSINESS DAY
CITYFile
FCTA moves to reclaim
railway right of way
Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) says it is taking
steps to reclaim obstructed right of
way of the railway corridors across
Abuja.
Muhammad Bello, minister of the FCT,
who disclosed this, said that relevant agencies
have been directed to move and clear all
illegal structures along the railway corridors.
Bello, during a test-ride of the train service
and inspection of the rail stations, on Monday,
preparatory to the opening of test-run
to the public, said the move was to ensure
that passengers gain unhindered access to
the train stations.
The minister along with staff of the Federal
Capital Development Authority (FCDA)
was led on the inspection by officials of
CCECC Nigeria Limited – the rail construction
company. He directed the FCDA to
speed up works on the opening of access
Police mop up illegal arms in Ondo
The police in Ondo have given
residents of the state a 21-day
ultimatum to submit all illegal fire
arms to the nearest police station.
Gbenga Adeyanju, the Commissioner
of Police in the state, gave the ultimatum
while briefing newsmen in Akure, on the
arrest of some robbery suspects.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim
Idris, recently directed commissioners
of police in states to commence the
recovery of prohibited firearms across
the country.
Adeyanju said the directive was in compliance
with the order to mop up illegal
arms and ammunition in the country.
According to the police boss, anyone
caught with illegal fire arms after the ultimatum
would be sanctioned.
“We wish to inform members of the
public that in compliance with the directive
of the Inspector-General of Police,
we are mopping up illegal fire arms and
roads to the 12 railway stations.
The test-ride took the minister and his
entourage round the 12 railway stations
spread across the scenic landscape of the rail
network. The view gave the riders a preview
of what commuters should expect upon the
commencement of the train services.
Bello, who expressed satisfaction with
the work done on the railway project, commended
the contractor.
“We are satisfied with the quality of works
done. What remains now is to recover the
railway boundaries, clear the corridors and
provide access ways to the stations. This we
hope will be done in the next few weeks to
enable us commence the test services.
“We hope to open the stations for operations
in the next few weeks and we don’t
want a situation where the train would be
competing for space with illegal structures
and settlements,” he said.
… set up joint task force in Enugu
ammunition.
“All illegal fire arms are to be submitted
to the nearest police office in their domain;
anyone caught with illegal fire arm will be
sanctioned after the ultimatum,” he said.
In Enugu State, the police have also constituted
a joint departmental task force to
mop up illegal fire arms and ammunition.
Mohammed Danmallam, the Commissioner
of Police in the state, said on
Monday named Frank Idu, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police in charge of operations,
to head the task force.
The task force comprised personnel
from State and Federal Special Anti-Robbery
Squad (SARS), Criminal Intelligence
and Investigation Department and mobile
police units.
“The task force will ensure the mopping
up of all illegal fire arms and ammunition
in the state as well as stop all militia groups.
The task force will ensure that everybody
holding illegal fire arms and ammunition
Bello directed the coordinator, Abuja
Metropolitan Management Council, Shuaibu
Umar, to commence sensitisation
meetings with the stakeholders in the various
railway corridors over illegal settlements.
The illegal settlements included those
around Kukwaba, Dei Dei, Gwagwa, Kuchigoro
and others, with a view to giving them
enough time to vacate the railways corridors
and station access ways.
Kayode Opeifa, the FCTA transport secretary,
stated that the stadium station would be
serviced by an underpass tunnel. He added
that the tunnel was designed to provide traffic
relief for the city during sporting and other
social events in the stadium.
The 12 completed stations included the
Metro, Stadium, Wupa, Kukwaba 1 and 2,
Gwagwa and Dei-Dei train stations. Others
are the Idu, Bassanjiwa, Airport, Kagini,
Bazango stations.
will be prosecuted,’’ he said.
Danmallam urged all persons with fire
arms and ammunition to re-verify and
revalidate them in the command within
14 days.
He said that anyone caught with illegal
fire arms and ammunition would henceforth
be prosecuted according to relevant
laws of the country.
“If you have fire arms and ammunition
with expired licence or not duly registered,
you must revalidate at the command now,’’
he said.
He said that the enforcement would be
total and urged members of the public to
give information on people holding such
illegal fire arms and ammunition to the
police.
“Everybody should assist the police and
command on this issue; members of the
public and especially journalists will do
well to give us intelligence information,”
he said.
He said that the state had no militia
group and had remained very peaceful for
over two years.
Wednesday 28 February 2018
Youths want Mobil to
create job opportunities
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
Youths in Akwa Ibom under the aegis
of Nigeria Youth Initiative Forum
have urged Mobil Producing Nigeria,
a major oil company operating in the state
to provide employment opportunities and
ensure that those from the catchment area
are given priority.
In a letter addressed to the chairman and
managing director of the company, the youths
alleged that some 400 qualified seafarers and
cadet officers from the catchment area had
been denied employment by 42 marine and
services companies working for Mobil.
The youths in the letter signed by
Sammy Bassey and Godwin Edwards, their
president and secretary, respectively, specifically
called on the oil company to direct
its contractors to source their workforce
from seafarers and crewmen from the
catchment area.
They also urged the oil company to commence
the immediate rebuilding of Qua
Iboe Terminal (QIT) jetty and the review of
its community relations guidelines of 2007.
They alleged that oil servicing companies
had not executed any community development
projects in the catchment area since 2007.
Idahosa dedicates
new church building
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, Benin
Margaret Idahosa, an archbishop
of Church of God Mission, has
commissioned an ultra-modern
provincial headquarters in Ugbegun community,
Esan Central local government
area of Edo State.
Idahosa, while commissioning the
church building, last weekend, said it was
to propagate the gospel to the nooks and
crannies of the world. The archbishop,
who also visited the traditional ruler of
the community, Samuel Iwuno Obade
11, in his palace, prayed for God’s blessings,
wisdom and protection upon the
community.
Responding, the traditional ruler of
Ugbegun, Iwuno Obade II, commended
the cleric for being a role model.
“In all ramifications, you have taught
your followers the good character because
this is an example of good leadership
in the Church of God Mission.
Police recover 39 stolen
vehicles in Osun
BOLA BAMIGBOLA, Osogbo
Osun State police command said it
recovered 39 vehicles believed to
have been snatched from owners
across the southwest region.
Fimihan Adeoye, the Commissioner of
Police in Osun, said 19 of the stolen vehicles
were recovered on January 20, 2018, and
currently on display at the headquarters of
the state police command. He said another
20 vehicles were also later recovered.
He said that a team of investigators from
Special Anti Robbery Squad working with
the command discovered that the vehicles
were stolen after checking their chassis
numbers.
“We discovered that some of the vehicles
were snatched at gun point. We have
prepared the details of the vehicles for the
owners to come and claim,” said Adeoye.