Kano market fire not our fault - Electricity firm

The Kano Electricity Distribution Company, KEDCO has rejected the suggestion by an official of the state fire service that the inferno which destroyed the famous Sabon Gari market during the weekend was caused by an electrical spark.

In a statement signed by its Chief Customer Relations Officer, Malam Abubakar Yusuf, KEDCO said that the feeder line supplying electricity to the market was not on at the time of the fire outbreak, and had indeed been switched off since Friday evening because of load shedding.

“We wish to put the records straight that the fire incidence at Sabon-Gari market never emanated from power spark.

“It is also on record that the two dedicated transformers supplying the market are still intact and had no sign of any power surge after the incidence.”

The statement lamented the attempt by the fire service to link the disaster to power surge.

“The fire service never called us to alert us of the incidence as they normally do when there is a fire outbreak, but unfortunately for us they just went ahead to blame us.”

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Why foreign airlines will sack 2000 Nigerian workers

The National Union of Air Transport Employees,NUATE, is lamenting the plan by foreign airlines plan to sack over two thousand Nigerian workers  because of a new Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN policy on forex and fund transfer which has restrained them from transferring their earnings to their home countries to meet operational costs in line with international regulations.

In a Save Our Souls, SOS letter  to the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Acting General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye said that the affected workers have been destabilized.

He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and prevent the impending huge job loss.

In the words of the NUATE scribe; “The reason being adduced for this danger is that their earnings in the past year is under lock with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , as they are unable to transfer these earnings to their respective home countries to meet operational costs in accordance with international rules.

“Following concerns raised recently by leaders of these workers and other stakeholders and in appreciation of the good intent of the government’s fiscal policy, we humbly make this clarion call for your (Minister)  intervention to grant foreign airlines concession to repatriate their proceeds to their home countries.

“We hasten to place on the front burner an emerging threat confronting over 2, 000 private sector aviation workers in Nigeria which requires your intervention to forestall imminent loss of jobs of these number of workers."

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Buhari to scrutinize 2016 budget before appending signature

Buhari will assent to the 2016 budget after scrutinizing the details - Garba Shehu http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/buhari-will-assent-to-2016-budget-after.html

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Super Eagles training hard for the Pharaohs (Photos)

Photos of Super Eagles players training ahead of match against Egypt on Tuesday http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/photos-of-super-eagles-players-training.html

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See female soldier allegedly beheaded by Boko Haram

Sad! See photos of a Nigerian Female soldier allegedly beheaded by Boko Haram http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/sad-see-photos-of-nigerian-female.html

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Presidency to start townhall meetings with Nigerians

The Presidency has disclosed that it plans to begin townhall meetings with Nigerians across the geopolitical zones in the nearest future.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that the meetings would avail government of the opportunity to interact with the grassroots.

“I know that there is a plan that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would start town hall meetings in zones.

“It would then be broken down to the states and so on.

“Government realises that there is a need to take information to the people and there are steps that are being taken in order to ensure that is done,” he said.

He hinted that the failure of the National Orientation Agency, NOA to embrace the change mantra of the present administration may have informed government's decision to hold townhall meetings.

“We have an agency like NOA with 773 offices nationwide.

“Each has not less than 5 to 7 staff and well-equipped, but you know also, sometimes democracy has its own dark side.

“The President came and he wanted to really be fair to every Chief Executive. If he wanted to fire people on assumption (of office), he would have done it and he would not have violated any rule.

“He decided to give everyone a chance to see whether they would imbibe the change mantra, to see whether they were prepared to go along (with him).

“I will say with all sincerity that NOA was a source of worry for us in government; the people and the leadership never believed in what we are doing.

“They never believed in change. They just folded their arms and watched us for the period of 8 to 9 months that they were there.

“I believe the new leadership would begin to formulate things for agencies like that,” he said.

NAN

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Borno hunters ready to join fight against Boko Haram

Hunters in Borno State have renewed their call to be allowed to fight alongside soldiers against Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest.

The Chief Hunter of Borno, Mallam Maigana Maidurma,made the call in Maiduguri on Sunday during a chat with News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

He said that the farmers apart from knowing the Sambisa forest terrain also have supernatural powers.

“We are renewing out call on the military authorities to allow us join the search for Boko Haram elements in their Sambisa forest hideout.

“We are ready to pursue the terrorists because we know the terrain in and out,” he said

Maidurma said that the hunters were not afraid of any danger as their supernatural powers would come in handy.

“We know that it is true that the Boko Haram terrorists are in the habit of burying landmines to prevent encroachment into their hideout.

“But we believe that we can work in collaboration with Local Vigilantes, called Civilian JTF, to overrun them.

“Hunters from all the 27 Borno LGAs are all in Maiduguri with our leaders doing nothing at present because of Boko Haram.

“Rather than idling away, we will want to assist the military in crushing Boko Haram terrorists,” he said.

Recall that the hunters had made a similar call in January but were ignored

NAN

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