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.

Its 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 cant 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.

Source: NAN

By Lucy Nwachukwu

Mr Ben Ujoatuonu, Managing Director, Universal Insurance Plc, on Thursday said with increased public awareness and prompt settlement of claims by policy holders, Nigerias Insurance sector would thrive.

Ujoatuonu, said this at the inauguration of the Retail Insured Family Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), with a theme Enhancing Insurance Confidence in Nigeria: The Role of Policy Holders in Abuja.

According to him, Nigerias insurance sector has great potential due to its huge population but is best be described as struggling, with less than one million adults having a form of insurance.

He said: Beyond restoring insurance industry confidence, there is need to further deepen insurance penetration in Nigeria.

The insurance industry must rise up to exploit Nigerias huge population to advantage; for a meaningful result, there should be coordinated approach in creating awareness in the grass root.

On a broader perspective, synergies should be created between the regulator, operators and aggregators also, schools awareness campaign is another major way to `catch them young.

Mr Lawrence Dafiode, Managing Partner, Carmel and Associates, Risk and Management Consultant, who chaired the event, commended the players in the insurance sector, while urging them to do more to drive the sector.

He said: We can all testify to the facts that the insurance industry in Nigeria has been performing below its potential and expectation.

While many, at different times, have identified the challenges facing the industry, not much has been done to address them.

It is for this purpose that I am happy to be part of this occasion as we inaugurate an organisation that aim at improving the performance of the industry by focusing on its retail end.

Mr Akin Bello, National Chairman, RIFAN, in his address, expressed the associations continued desire to partner stakeholders in the sector to increase insurance awareness at the grassroots and enhance overall public confidence in insurance.

Bello said: RIFAN commends the efforts of the insurance industry at various levels, to improve the image of the insurance sector in Nigeria.

We wish to identify with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for being proactive in seeking partnership with the various states through the new State Insurance Producers (SIP) model.

RIFAN hereby pledges her commitment to continue to support NAICOM in this direction, he said.

According to him, RIFAN is registered under the laws of Nigeria as a free association of insurance policyholders in Nigeria with a mission to create awareness, increase public confidence and ensure prompt claims payment.

He said the association was working at having members in all the 36 states of the federation and would leverage a robust information technology platform to guarantee protection of members interest.

Mr Rotimi Ayeola, a representative of NAIC, urged the association to also reach out to farmers in the country while carrying out its mandate of public awareness of insurance.

He also expressed NAICs desire to support RIFAN in taking care of the policy holders, adding that NAIC would play the role expected of it to drive insurance penetration.

Representatives of Leadway Assuarance Plc, GNI and Veritas insurance all commended the management of RIFAN for taking the bold initiatives and pledged their commitment to support the association in every way possible.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Police Force has pointedly told Senate President Bukola Saraki not to entertain any sense of relief over the death of Michael Adikwu, a major suspect arrested in connection with the deadly multiple robberies in Offa last April.

Police said the five suspects arraigned in court in Ilorin, Kwara State, had already given them enough clues about Sarakis involvement in the robberies and they were determined to prosecute him.

Police gave this position in a response to the statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Senate President Bukola Sarakis spokesman.

Olaniyonu called for a probe of Adikwus death.

But the police appeared to have ruled out a probe of the death, saying that the the 30 year-old suspect slumped and died in detention.

There is a post-mortem examination result in respect of the death of Michael Adikwu, police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said.

In any case, he went further, Adikwus death did not exculpate the Senate President, who was allegedly indicted by the five suspects now on trial in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Adikwu was a dismissed policeman, who in the course of interrogation admitted killing 22 persons, including pregnant women and nine policemen, police claimed. He was also the man who led the police to the other suspects and the recovery of 22 AK 47 Rifles carted away from the police.

The law must take its course, the police said, as they insisted that the arraigned suspects will provide enough testimony to prosecute the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

The Police also dismissed political motive in the case they have against Saraki and explained why they were determined to prosecute Saraki for the crime committed.

It should be of serious concern to all, that human life is sacrosanct and where investigation has been concluded and suspects arraigned in Court, judicial process must be exhausted and not hindered for the law to take its course in ensuring justice for the families of more than 33 innocent persons including pregnant women that were gruesomely murdered in cold blood.

Here is the edited version of the police statement:

The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the innuendo in the media on the death of a sectional gang leader Michael Adikwu M 30Yrs, a dismissed policeman and an ex- convict, who confessed to have killed Twenty Two (22) persons including pregnant women and Nine Police personnel and carted away of 22 AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery on the 5th April, 2018. It is therefore imperative that the Nigeria Police Force respond to the publication and set the record straight.

The Nigeria Police Force is conversant and mindful of contempt of Court in commenting on cases already before the Court of competent jurisdiction.

However, the Force is constrained and compelled to respond to the statement from Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and not on the Court processes and proceedings on the case of Offa Bank Robbery for which Five principal suspects are now standing trial in a State High court in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The police insisted that the five suspects now in courtAyoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons, indicted the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

The Five suspects admitted in their confessional statements to the Police investigators that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.

The Five (5) gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a Good Boys they also admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles, such as a Lexus RX 300 Jeep with Reg. KWARA, KWA 143 RM with inscription SARAKI on a sticker attached to the vehicle and Mercedes Benz Compressor Reg. LAGOS, LT 496 KJA.

These two Vehicles were used for the Offa Bank Robbery by the five gang Leaders. The first vehicle was later registered after the Offa Bank Robbery to divert attention while the suspects were in detention.

These confessions were made before the media and the public on the 3rd of June, 2018. It is therefore, evidently clear that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer in the whole matter.

It was also discovered during investigations that three gang leaders who participated actively in the Offa Bank Robbery, Viz: Ayoade Akinnibosun aka AY, Ibukunle Ogunleye aka Arrow and Adeola Abraham followed the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to Olofas Palace when the Senate President paid a condolence visit to Offa after the bank robbery.

Further investigation into the matter revealed that all the Five gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran have direct connection to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki as a picture of one of the five gang leaders when paraded by the Police was in Aso Ebi (trouser) used during the Senate President daughters wedding.

The Five gang leaders further admitted that they attended the Senate President daughters wedding held in Abuja.

Consequent on all the above, a thorough and discreet investigation was concluded by the Police into the matter and all the five gang leaders arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery that indicted and implicated Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President in the Offa Bank Robbery are alive and now in Court.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Election Debate Group has fixed Jan.19, as date forpresidential debate that will see candidates of different political parties unveil their plan for country ahead of the 2019 general election.

The groups chairman, Mr John Momoh who disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference said thevice presidential candidates would slug it out on Dec. 14, 2019.

Momoh who is also the chairman of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), noted that the debates would hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and would be broadcast live by all BON member stations.

NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with Mr Peter Obi as his running mate.

Source: NAN

U.S. Presidenthas dismissed as feelings the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Princehad ordered a journalist killed last month at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

They didnt conclude,told reporters at his Florida resort, taking a break for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

I am sorry. No, they didnt conclude. They did not come to a conclusion. They have feelings certain ways. They have not concluded, I dont know if anyones going to be able to conclude the crown prince did it.

s remarks echoed his controversial statement Tuesday saying of the conclusionordered the killing of journalist, maybe he did and maybe he didnt

, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, weeks later the Saudi administration admitted he was killed there, blaming a rogue group of Saudi operatives.

told reporters the Saudi crown prince denies the killing vehemently.

His father denies it, the king [], vehemently. The CIA doesnt say they did it, they do point out certain things and in pointing out those things you can conclude that maybe he did or maybe he didnt, said the president.

Read More at

Source: NAN

Samsung Electronics apologised Friday to workers who developed cancer after working at some of its factories, finally ending a decade-long dispute at the worlds top chipmaker.

Campaign groups said that about 240 people have suffered from work-related illnesses after being employed at Samsung semiconductor and display factories, with around 80 of them many of them young women dying.

The father of a dead 22-year-old worker and the companys co-president Kim Ki-nam signed a formal settlement agreement in Seoul as other disabled ex-employees looked on.

We sincerely apologise to the workers who suffered from illness and their families, said the firms co-president Kim Ki-nam. We have failed to properly manage health risks at our semiconductor and LCD factories.

Samsung Electronics is the worlds biggest mobile phone manufacturer and chipmaker and the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group, by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate the Souths economy.

Samsung currently operates vast semiconductor production compounds in Suwon as well as the cities of Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as well as Xian in China.

Under a deal announced earlier this month, Samsung Electronics will pay the groups employees compensation of up to 150 million won ($133,000) per case.

It covers 16 types of cancer, some other rare illnesses, miscarriages and congenital diseases suffered by the workers children. Claimants can have worked at plants as far back as 1984.

The scandal emerged in 2007 when former workers at its semiconductor and display factories in Suwon, south of Seoul, and their families said that staff had been diagnosed or died of various forms of cancer.

A series of rulings and decisions by courts, Seouls state labour welfare agency and a mediation committee followed over more than 10 years, culminating in Fridays announcement.

Hwang Sang-ki, who signed the agreement on behalf of the workers and their families, told reporters he was glad to have fulfilled his promise to his daughter, who died of leukaemia in 2007, to prove Samsung was to blame for her death.

But he went on: The apology honestly was not enough for the families of the victims but we will accept it.

No amount of apology will be enough to heal all the insults, the pain of industrial injuries and the suffering of losing ones family.

I cannot forget the pain she and our family went through. Too many people have suffered the same fate.

Little is known about possible connections between the production process in the factories and the workers illnesses, as Samsung has refused to disclose what specific chemical substances it uses, describing the information as a trade secret.

Hwang and other relatives have sought a court order to compel it to release the details.

Compensation for industrial injury is important, but whats more important is prevention, said Hwang, whose story was made into a movie in 2013.

Samsung has played a key part in the Souths rise to become the worlds 11th-largest economy, but it is also the focus of resentment over the power and influence of the chaebols and has faced accusations of murky political connections.

Its de facto leader Lee Jae-yong was found guilty of bribing former president Park Geun-hye as part of the corruption scandal that brought her down, and he spent almost a year in prison before most of his convictions were overturned on appeal and he was released.

The cancer scandal is one of the worst instances of industrial injuries in the South, where safety standards sometimes belie its advanced technological status.

Two months ago, two subcontractors were killed in a carbon dioxide leak at Samsung Electronics Suwon chip plant.

In January, four workers suffocated due to a gas leak at a steel factory owned by Posco the countrys top steelmaker in the southern city of Pohang.

Source: NAN

By Solomon Asowata

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it will divert all flights operations from the D Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to the E Wing of the airport on Saturday.

FAAN made the announcement in a statement signed by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu in Lagos on Friday.

According to a statement signed by the general manager, Corporate Affairs Yakubu Henrietta, the diversion is due to routine maintenance schedule at the MMIA.

Yakubu said, FAAN hereby notifies airlines, passengers and the general public that between 10 a.m. and noon on Nov. 24, that we will embark on a routine maintenance at the D Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Consequently, all flight operations at the Wing will be diverted to E Wing while the maintenance work would last.

She said that the maintenance was in the best interest of the flying public, stressing that FAAN remained committed to its core values of safety, security and comfort. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Ikenna Uwadileke

Stakeholders have engaged in conversation to fashion out ways to facilitate the development of sexual offenders register in the country.

The stakeholders consultation held in Abuja was facilitated by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme of the British Council and funded by the European Union.

Mrs Amina Salihu, consultant to RoLAC, said the development of sexual offenders register was crucial in advancing the implementation of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015.

Salihu, who expressed worry over incidences of sexual assault in the country, said the register would serve as a measure to stop and prevent sexual offences as it intends to name and shame offenders.

According to her, it will serve as a source to verify profiles of would be employees in sensitive positions such as child care.

She explained that the register would provide biometric database that would share verifiable information of offenders in order to prevent repeat offending.

On her part, the Component Manager of RoLAC, Mrs Priscilla Ankut, said that while the register would go a long way to assist in tracking offenders, it would also protect victims of violence.

The reason we are here is to make sure that National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Act should maintain and display publicly sex offenders register.

This is to name and shame offenders and to create database for different agencies to track offenders and to deter those who practice sexual assault in our society.

What we have today is a template of what sexual offenders register should look like and what we will do with the information that are contained in it, she said.

Ankut further explained that information contained in the register would provide victims the needed guide to know where to go for succour.

What that register seeks to do is to ensure we collate data of all the relevant agencies, put it out in the public so that people will know where they need to go if there is violation.

And if they go there, they are treated in confidence, they get the kind of treatment they need and resources are available to provide them the needed assistance.

There are those that are confident enough to pursue a legal track and there are those who need legal help so this register will help victims to know where they go to get such help.

Representative of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Mrs Ezinwa Obiajunwa, canvassed for the establishment of a special court for speedy dispensation of justice on cases of violence against persons in the country.

The VAPP Act 2015 prohibits all forms of violence against persons in private and public life, and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.

Development of sexual offenders register is a provision of the VAPP Act designed to aid in preventing some violence against persons, including rape, willfully placing a person in fear of physical injury, coercion and harmful widowhood practice.

Others are stalking, abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents without sustenance, among others.

Source: NAN

By Raji Rasak

The Nigeria Police in Badagry, said it had arrested seven customs officers over the killing one Mrs Patience Oni and injuring an innocent man at Forte Oil Filling Station near popular Badagry Roundabout in Lagos state.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Badagry Police Station, Mr Samson Akhiromen, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry that the men of customs were arrested for indiscriminately shooting and killing of innocent people.

According to the DPO, the customs officers, under the code name Anti-flying, were raiding an illegal rice depot near a filling station around 12 noon on Tuesday, when they started shooting.

They started shooting indiscriminately to scare away traders and residents from the area.

During the shooting, the bullets from one of the officers hit two people, one died immediately, while the other one is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

The husband of the woman killed is a police inspector serving in Area K Police Station, Morogbo, he said.

The DPO said that he arrested the officers with his team of officers when the situation was getting out of hand.

He, however, said the arrested officers had been handed over to the SCIID Panti for further investigation and prosecution.

Source: NAN

By Naomi Sharang

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it had relocated itsData Centre tothe commissions headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, following Mondays fire at its Wuse office.

Also relocated to Jabi, according to acting Head, Media and Publicity of the commission, MrTony Orilade, is the Inter-Agency Task Force.

He made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

It would be recalled that officials of Federal Fire Service battled to put out the inferno that almost razed the building.

It was learnt that the fire started in a room serving as storage for ICT equipment and consumables that were retrieved from the commissions former offices in Abuja.

Orilade said that the value of the damaged items, mostly Information Communication Technology (ICT) consumables, is in a few millions of naira.

However, a detailed analysis is being awaited.

Source: NAN