Headline

FCTA to partner Nasarawa Gov’t on rail line, road infrastructure – Wike

Published

6 days ago

September 15, 2023

(Photo: From L-R Gov Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike and Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, during a visit by the Nasarawa governor on Friday)

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will partner with the Nasarawa State Government on the development of rail line and road transportation networks.

Wike stated this when the Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa visited him in his office in Abuja on Friday.

Acknowledging the closeness of the Nasarawa State to the FCT, the minister stressed the need for working in synergy for the development of the two entities.

He said that the FCTA would open discussion with the Nasarawa Government on the development of the metro rail line from Apo to Keffi, and the completion of the road network from Abacha Barracks to Masaka.

According to him, the metro line is key but very expensive.

He added that efforts were on top gear to rehabilitate the metro line as directed by President Bola Tinubu, which he said would be completed in the next seven months.

He attributed the key challenge affecting the development efforts of the FCT to shortage of funds, adding that many projects and contracts had been awarded but without execution due to insufficient funds.

Wike said that the FCT Administration was identifying major projects with high impact that can stimulate development to be financed and completed.

He, however, said that Abuja could not grow if it did not do anything that would equally impact positively on Nasarawa state.

On the development of land for a clean city, as proposed by the Nasarawa Government, Wike said that he could not make a commitment for now due to shortage of funds.

He also emphasised the need for stronger partnership with the Nasarawa government to tackle insecurity.

Earlier, Sule said that the visit was to congratulate Wike for the well-deserved appointment as the Minister of the FCT and to also discuss the issue of development for mutual benefits.

The governor pointed out that more than 40 per cent of people working in Abuja were residing in Nasarawa State, stressing the need for partnership for development.

“This is why we have this road from Abacha Barracks down to the border that is so difficult to define in Nyanya.

“We have challenges on transportation. But thanks to the FCT for the road network from Abacha to the border. We understand that the road will continue all the way to Masaka.

“The FCT has a part to play, and the state government will do its parts, ” he said.

He explained that based on the agreement, the Nasarawa Government was to provide the needed security, collapse the 22 motor parks causing traffic on the road and build a terminal in their place.

The governor said that a terminal that could accommodate 900 vehicles had been built on seven hectares of land and already in use.

“So, we have met our part of the bargain in order to see that the project is concluded.

“I am hoping that Mr Project (Wike), without any doubt in my mind, will meet the other side of the bargain so that we will have the clean city we are looking for,” he said.

On the metro train rail line, Sule said that his government wanted to tap from the FCT additional metro line development.

“We discussed with the previous minister that whatever it is, we don’t want free meal, Nasarawa state will bring its own part of the bargain for the rail line development from Apo going all the way to Keffi.

“We have even initiated a discussion with CCECC Nig. Ltd and a Russian company that are willing to construct. With this, we can say we are more than happy to work jointly with the FCT to develop that.

Sule said that the development of the rail transport linking Abuja city with Nasarawa would open another area of development for housing, not only for Nasarawa residents but also for the FCT.

The governor added that at the border, just about five km from Maitama 2, the government had about 13,000 hectares of land at Garku-Kubusu for housing development.

He explained that it was the initiative of the previous governor of the state that was sold to the FCT for joint development.

“That is an area we sold to the FCT, that we can jointly build another Kigali and build another Dubai. We cannot do it alone, but with the help of the FCT, we can build a clean city,” the governor said.

Headline

LUTH denies late doctor worked 72-hour call duty

Published

37 mins ago

September 21, 2023

Alero Danjuma

The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, has denied allegations that one of its house officers, Dr Michael Umoh, died after a 72-hour call.

This is contained in a statement issued by LUTH management team in Lagos on Thursday.

“LUTH management understands the fact that the family of Dr Umoh is presently mourning the death of their beloved son and requested the foreclosure of any media engagement regarding the death of their son. It is important for us as a management to make clarifications regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Dr Umoh died on Sept 17 while in church with his parents. The management was informed, and the death was later confirmed by one of the Consultants in his unit (Neurosurgery).

“The death of Dr Umoh is unfortunate but the narrative of a 72 hours non-stop shift is false.

“The record from Neurosurgery unit shows that the last time he was on call was 13th and 14th September, 2023.

“He was not on call on the 15th, 16th and 17th (the day he died), contrary to the insinuations on social media. He was at home with his parents on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17,” the management said.

Prior to this time, the management said, he was on call on the Sept. 7 and Sept. 8.

”This shows that Dr Umoh was on call for a total number of four days in September, 2023.

“A delegation from LUTH visited the family on Wednesday to commiserate with the family and to get more details of the circumstances surrounding his death.

“The parents gave the details of what they thought must have contributed to his death but pleaded that the wish of the family be respected and that the narrative is not for public consumption,” it said.

The management described Dr Umoh as a hardworking and diligent house-officer, and a very promising young man.

It said he will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues.

“May his soul rest in peace, and may the Almighty give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss” LUTH said.

Headline

Gov Sule charges real sector conference to proffer practical solutions to economy

Published

41 mins ago

September 21, 2023

Olakunle Adeniyi

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has charged participants at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) 1st International Real Sector Conference to proffer practical solutions to rejuvenate the economy.

He gave the charge on the first day of the two days conference on real sector productivity held at the University in Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

The theme of the conference is “Rejuvenating the sector productivity in Nigeria”.

Sule challenged participants to get real and proffer workable and practical solutions that would rejuvenate the real sector in Nigeria for optimal productivity which in turn would impact on the economy of the country positively.

“The question we should be asking ourselves here is that why are we not getting it right in the real sector in Nigeria?

“So let us proffer practical solutions so that we don’t just end up having an event and having all the communique and all that and then they end up in our offices. Let us ask ourselves what is that is possible and how do we contribute,” he said.

He said their recommendations should also be useful in shaping a better future for the real sector in Nigeria so that future Nigerians could build on that.

“So we must sit down and deliberate on what exactly is our problems in this sector. Are we ready to make sacrifices? And we must make sacrifices because that is the only way we can move forward.

“I want to assure you that in Nigeria we can change the narratives but it will take all of you here to convince the rest,” he said.

Prof. Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, Vice Chancellor, NSUK, commended the university’s Department of Business Administration for organizing the conference and urged the department to sustain it as it would be a platform for cross fertilisation of ideas and wider conversations on local and international issues.

He also urged participants to brainstorm and come up with policy recommendations on how to rejuvenate the real sector in Nigeria.

Mr John Mamman, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, however, told NAN that he expected the outcome of the conference would change the narratives because the real sector, according to him, is the driver of the economy.

“The manufacturing, construction, engineering and others are the real movers of the economy. Once we get it right from the drivers of the economy, other sectors will also be impacted positively,” he said.