The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has said that the Federal government is looking at securing multi-billion dollar loans from financial institutions in China, Portugal and Turkey to fund the completion of the ongoing rail projects across the country.

Sambo stated this when he appeared before the joint National Assembly Committee on Land and Marine Transport, chaired by Senator Danjuma Goje.

He explained that the ministry was committed to the implementation of the Nigeria Railway Modernisation project.

According to him, the railway network was being progressively expanded through yearly budgetary appropriations since the federal government was facing challenges in securing counterpart funding through loans.

“Currently, the implementation of the Kaduna-Kano, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Kano – Maradi Segments of the Railway Modernisation is ongoing with the federal government counterpart funding in the 2022 appropriation.

The ministry hopes that the Federal Ministry of Finance concludes negotiation of the loans with infrastructure development finance institutions of the Chinese, Portuguese and Turkish origin to implement the projects.

To ensure finalising and signing of the loan agreements, evidence of source of funding of the balance of the advance payment and other aspects of work to be financed directly by the federal government has to be made available to these financial institutions through adequate budgetary provisions in the year 2023 budget and subsequent budgets.”

He also said the Lagos – Ibadan segment of the Lagos – Kano and Itakpe to Warri railway projects were fully operational and receiving patronage from the general public.

To reach practical completion on the projects, the minister said some aspects of works, including construction of overpass bridges, connection to the national grid and other ancillary provisions had to be completed.

The minister lamented the sad occurrence on the Abuja – Kaduna Rail incident earlier in the year and said plans were ongoing to resume service there. “With the release of those abducted, the Ministry plans to commence operation on the line, but not without taking proper precaution.”

He explained that necessary security gadgets would be installed to monitor the line and forestall a reoccurrence.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq has reacted to claims made by elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, on flooding in South-South states.

Clark had implored the Federal Government to act quickly and save flood victims in the Niger Delta.

Reacting to the plea, Sadiya said an assessment carried out by the ministry, showed that Bayelsa State is not among the top ten most affected states by the recent floods.

She also revealed that the criteria used to arrive at the conclusion are based on the following indices: the number of deaths recorded and displaced persons per state, number of injuries, partially damaged, houses totally damaged, farmlands partially and totally damaged.

Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, has asked the federal government to allow Nigerians carry arms if insecurity in the country persists.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the lawmaker representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, lamented that even after some members of the National Assembly issued an ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity few months ago, the situation has deteriorated rather than improved.

Okechukwu said;

“The idea of you being a citizen is that you will give up your right to carry arms in so doing you give it to the and the state is to protect you.

When they are not able to do that it is a serious situation and the only thing that can avert it is for us to have good leadership. If we continue this way, Nigerians should be allowed to defend themselves.”

When asked if Nigerians defending themselves means they should be allowed to carry arm, he said; “Why not? You want to leave yourself to be killed? By so doing such a call is meant for the state to wake up.

“Security situation has not improved until I am able to go from Abuja to Kaduna the way I used to. In my state the other day they kidnapped a former SSG and some students going back to the university, how can I say it has improved?”

Abdulkareem Abdulsalam Zaura (popularly known as AA Zaura), the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano central has been declared missing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during a recent court outing.

AA Zaura who was accused of defrauding a Kuwaiti national of $1.3million, refused to show up for arraignment on Monday, October 31, after the Court of Appeal quashed the earlier discharge and acquittal judgment and ordered his retrial.

The prosecution counsel and EFCC’s Head of Legal, Aisha Habib, noted that the defendant who was also absent on October 14, is nowhere to be found and his absence in court was a total disregard to the court.

Zaura’s counsel, Ibrahim Waru, however told the court that because they have filed an interlocutory application challenging the jurisdiction of the court, his client does not have to be physically present in court.

He added that his client is not physically fit to stand trial and that a medical report had been obtained.

Before adjourning the case to November 10, Justice Mohammad Nasiru Yinusa directed that a written application on whether or not the defendant should be present in court be filed by Zaura’s counsel.