President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to commission the Abuja-Kaduna rail line on Tuesday next week.
Ahead of the commissioning, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi went on an inspection tour of the facility. He was accompanied by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
See photos.
Following his inspection tour of the sprawling Gbagyi Villa, a suburb of Kaduna city on Thursday, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared that all buildings without Certificate of Occupancy will be demolished, not minding that the lawsuit instituted by the community is yet to be determined.
Gbagyi Villa is said to have no less than 3,000 fully developed modern housing units, 40 churches, 12 schools and about 35,000 inhabitants.
The land is however being claimed by Kaduna Polytechnic which insists that 70 per cent of the land allocated to it has been illegally taken over by settlers in Gbagyi Villa.
El-Rufai who was accompanied on the inspection by the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Mohammed Bello Ibrahim said that it was unfortunate that thousands were going to lose their life savings for breaking the law.
Operatives of the Police Special Intelligence Response Team have arrested the taxi driver who absconded with his passenger's N1.8m and other belongings in Abuja.
The 38 year-old Muritala Olagunju, a native of Ogun State was said to have been hired by one Mohammed, at Wuse Zone 6 area of Abuja to convey him to a destination for shopping, before taking him to the hotel where he intended to lodge.
Olagunju allegedly absconded with Mohammed's belongings while he was inside the hotel booking his accommodation.
The suspect who was trailed by the police and arrested a few weeks later has owned up to the offense. He told the police how he spent the money, begging his victim for forgiveness.
“ I gave N200,000 to my girl friend and I also gave my sister N80,000. Then I bought a car for myself which I intended to use for my business, but before I knew what was happening, I was arrested. I regret doing this and I hope my passenger will forgive me,” he said.
21 July 2016 | STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
FG IN TALKS WITH NIGER DELTA MILITANTS - PRESIDENT BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said that his administration is talking to Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the region.
Speaking at a farewell audience with Mr. Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the State House, President Buhari said that government is studying the instruments of the Amnesty Programme inherited from the previous administration with a view to carrying out commitments made that were undelivered.
“We understand their feelings,” the President said. “We are studying the instruments. We have to secure the environment, otherwise investment will not come. We will do our best for the country," he affirmed.
The President used the opportunity to thank the government of Germany for its continuing support to Nigeria in the efforts to tackle insecurity and the on-going rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced citizens in crisis areas in the North-Eastern parts of the country.
President Buhari also thanked Nigeria’s neighbours for their firm and unflinching support in the war against terror.
The outgoing German Ambassador noted that bilateral relations between Nigeria and Germany “had improved very much in the last 12 months of this administration.”
He expressed the readiness of Germany to assist Nigeria in the rehabilitation process in the North East to help displaced persons return to their villages. He also expressed the eagerness of German businesses to invest in the country, now that “conditions for investment have been put in place”.
The German Ambassador reiterated the standing invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel to President Buhari to visit Germany.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 21, 2016
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