The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA on Thursday flagged off the construction of access road and car park for the Kagini Light Rail station.

The project estimated to cost about N1,830,392,695.00 and financed from the Green Bond fund domiciled in the Ministry of Environment, was said to have been awarded to an indigenous contractor and  expected to be completed within twelve months.

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello,  said the project was approved earlier this year by President Muhammadu Buhari, as part of efforts towards accelerating infrastructural development in the nation’s capital.

Bello noted that Kagini rail station was designed to enable residents within the area and other adjoining Districts enjoy the benefits of a modern rail transportation system, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions that destroy the environment.

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohmood Abubakar, who was the special guest and also performed the ceremony said the project was funded from the proceeds of the second issuance of the Sovereign Green Bond of the Federal government.

He also pledged that his Ministry would partner with FCT in solving the protracted poor traffic lights management through the Green Bond initiative.

Menace of Climate Change
Abubakar noted that government was using the Green Bond project in tackling the menace of climate change in the country.

FCT Minister of State, Dr.  Ramatu Aliyu,  disclosed that the project was in line with the Administration’s commitment to improving and providing services that have direct impact on the citizens.

Aliyu further added that the administration was mobilizing private sector stakeholders and resources for more people oriented projects that enriches lives.

“We are convinced of the need to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and reduce the cost of doing business. 

” we have adopted strategies that will help to build and aggregate stakeholders competencies and commitments needed to mobilize public and private resources for developing the nation’s capital and enriching the lives of every residents ,” she added.

Confidence Okwuchi

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has urged successful entrepreneurs, scholars, opinion moulders and other key stakeholders to offer support and mentorship to young people.

According ho him, this will help in raising a new generation of great leaders.

Governor AbdulRazaq says ”the future of our society rests on the quality of young people we are able to raise.”

He therefore advised all Nigerians to offer mentorship and whatever support they can mobilise to raise a new generation of great leaders, stressing that ”this is in realisation of the fact that the brighter the future of these young people, the brighter the future of Nigeria.”

Governor AbdulRazaq made these remarks at the Peace and Youths Development Summit/TheWriteUp 2021 Grand Finale held at Kwara State University Malete.

The event, organised on Wednesday by the Torchbearers Impact Network, coincided with the commemoration of the International Youths Day.

Represented by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, the Governor said; ”his administration is biased in favour of raising quality Kwara youths who would stand shoulder to shoulder with their contemporaries worldwide.”

According to him, ”this begins with offering quality basic education to give the Kwara child a fair opportunity to compete.”

“Our administration is leading the charge in this regard. We have not only recently given interest-free loan to young people to run their own businesses and be successful at it, we also provided them with mentorship from solid backgrounds,” the Governor stated.

New skills
He explained that huge investments in the innovation hub were targeted at giving new skills to young people and the target of his administration is to make Kwara the go-to place for young techies, innovators, and solution providers.

”When it is completed, it will be the largest of such facility anywhere in Nigeria,” Governor AbdulRazaq said.

The Governor also congratulated the young people on the International Youth Day, appealing to the youths to reflect on the present and the future and then make the best decisions for posterity.

“I believe strongly that the way to manage youth bulge and engender peace in our society is to create an atmosphere for young people to thrive. This is what we are trying to do in our state. From agriculture to innovation, sports and creative industry, we are steadily creating a veritable market for our young people to hone their skills, sell their ideas, and lead a fulfilling life,” he stressed.

He disclosed that this contest, which is titled TheWriteUp, will help to motivate our young people to further hone their literary skills.

Governor AbdulRazaq also commended the management and the entire KWASU community for providing the right environment for such initiative.

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu urged the youths to harness their energies efficiently and positively to contribute to the development of the country by assuming leadership positions in all aspects of human endeavours.

Salihu said; “What we are witnessing now is a generational change. Youths have both positive and negative impacts on this country. But I believe youths are positively contributing to the development of this country in different fields. Youth should use their numerical strength to take up leadership positions, think positively and proffer solutions to current challenges facing the country.”

Shun violence
The State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Senior Ibrahim urged Nigerian youths to shun violence, cultism, banditry and kidnapping and other forms of societal ills, to enable them realise their full potentials in life.

KWASU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mustapha Akanbi (SAN) commended TIN for providing a platform for promoting arts and literature at a time that the art of writing has been bastardised by the advent of social media.

He called for more of such initiatives.

Winners
A 500-level law student of Adekunle Ajasin University (Ondo State), Miss Oluwadamilola Akintewe emerged the winner of the contest and went home with N200,000. The first runner-up, who got N100,000, is Enobong Enobong of University of Lagos; while Oyewopo Ibrahim of the Federal University of Technology Minna emerged third and got the sum of N50,000.

Founder of the Torchbearers Impact Network, TIN, Ibraheem Abdullateef said they set out to encourage young people to aspire to be the best they could, asserting that capacity building and skills acquisitions would open the doors of opportunities.

“What we set to achieve is to let youths know that it is time to prioritise academic excellence. Now, we have been able to identify young people across the nation who have passion and talents for writing and we will mobilise resources and support them in whatever way we can,” Abdullateef stated.

He said; “I also want to pass a message across that everyone out there is a torchbearer. You don’t need to be a member of Torchbearers Impact Network before they can be torchbearers themselves. As young people, we need to have it in mind that we are representing our communities, our schools, our states and the country wherever we are and we must try to make impact.

”On behalf of our team, I thank the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Gbenga Hashim, KWASU authorities, the Hook Creative Agency, all the facilitators and everyone who has contributed to make this programme a success. We are truly grateful.”

The Directorate of Defence Media Operations says troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have witness mass surrender of terrorists in Borno State.

This comes as the troops continue in their unrelenting efforts at restoring peace in trouble zones of the country.

The Director, Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuku stated this at the bi-weekly briefing on the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s operational activities across all theatre commands.

In the briefing covering between 29 July to 12 August 2021, General Onyeuku said ”the troops of OPERATION HADIN KAI during Operations at Kayamri and Mairari villages as well as Monguno and Kukawa Towns, all in Borno State neutralised a total of 27 Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (BHT/ISWAP) fighters, and arrested 51 of the terrorists while 3 terrorists’ collaborators were also arrested.”

The troops recovered “35 assorted arms and 1,051 round of ammunition including AK-47 and FN rifles, Dushka anti-aircraft guns, GPMG, PKT guns, 60mm mortar tubes, Makarov pistol and other machine guns, amongst other items.

Twenty-nine abducted civilians were rescued, no fewer than 1,000 terrorists and their families comprising adult females and children surrendered to own troops at different locations in the North East. Notable among them are the notorious BHT bomb expert named, Musa Adamu aka Mala Musa Abuja and his deputy, Usman Adamu aka Abu Darda which has depleted the BHT fighting force” General Onyeuku said.

Response to distress calls
Also the troops of OPERATION HADARIN DAJI in response to distress calls on various criminal activities in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina States repelled the criminals, rescued farmers and kidnapped victims as well as recovered arms, ammunition and some livestock, as well as carried out arrest of some criminal elements.

According to the Acting Director, ”a total of 89 livestock, 5 AK-47 rifles, 3 rounds of 9mm ball and 48 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition were recovered and 4 kidnap victims rescued.”

He said; “Also 2 notorious cattle rustlers named, Mallam Buda Umar from Niger Republic and Mai Hatsi Ibrahim from Gada LGA of Sokoto State as well as 4 armed bandits and drug peddlers were arrested.

”Furthermore, between 2 and 6 August 2021, the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI, carried out intensive air strikes on bandits’ hideouts at the South of Dansadau Town; North of Kwiambana Forest Reserves as well as North of Sububu Forest and Dudufi village under Faru District in Maradun LGA, all in Zamfara State. The air strikes resulted in the destruction of bandits’ structures including the residence of one of their leaders, Halilu Tubali, in which the armed bandits converged for a meeting. The air strikes in conjunction with ground troops’ assaults resulted in the neutralization of no fewer than 123 armed bandits and destruction of their logistics facilities in the process.”

The troops of OPERATION SAFE HAVEN rescued 2 Fulani herdsmen at Mararaban Tifa Town, as well as 2 kidnapped victims at Ungwan Ayaba District in Nasarawa State.

Troops of OPERATION WHIRL STROKE during operations at Nwokporo Agbagedo Community in Ado LGA, Zaki Biam in Ukum LGA of Benue State and Lau – Jalingo Road, Taraba State destroyed bandits’ hideouts, arrested 8 armed bandits including their informants and rescued kidnap victims.

The troops during the operations recovered 6 AK-47 rifles, one SMG, 2 pistols, 66 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition among other items.

Similarly, Troops of OPERATION THUNDER STRIKE/WHIRL PUNCH while carrying out various operations in Kaduna and Niger States arrested one Zubairu Shehu at Toll Gate Area in Kakau village as well as one Shehu Yahaya, who runs errands for and provides logistics supplies to bandits at Sabon Gayan village in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.

Also the troops of OPERATION DELTA SAFE during conduct of series of anti-illegal oil operations in the South-South Zone of the Country “at Orutoru area in Bayelsa State; Olutoro and Adamakiri villages in Bonny LGA, Udeyeada Community in Andoni LGA of Rivers State; and Opuebubor Creek in Warri South LGA of Delta State, discovered and deactivation of several illegal refining sites with a total of 21 ovens, 12 dugout pits and 58 metal storage tanks laden with a total of 2.329 million litres of illegally refined AGO and 2.19 million litres of stolen crude oils as well as 2 boilers and 750 bags of illegally refined oil products.

During the operations, own troops also recovered one speed boat, one AK-47 rifle, one FN rifle, 3 Smoke gun rifles, 12 fabricated RPGs, 263 live cartridges, 20 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 7.62mm special ammunition among other items.

Secessionists activities
General Onyeuku said that Security forces within the period under review ambushed and neutralised 6 IPOB/ESN members, who were involved in the killing of a District Police Officer (DPO) at Omuma Town in Orlu East LGA of Imo State and arrested 3.

”While following up on intelligence report, the troops arrested “one notorious IPOB/ESN member named Obumneke Gabriel at Umueli Amaraku Town in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State. The criminal was in possession of arms and ammunition during the arrest. Relatedly, troops raided IPOB/ESN members’ hideout at Amaechi Idodo community in Nkanu LGA of Enugu State and Nguzu Edda in Afikpo South LGA of Ebonyi State.

During the operations one ESN commander was neutralised and another apprehended. Cumulatively, a total of 6 IPOB/ESN members were neutralised and 13 criminal elements arrested by own troops and other security forces operating in the Zone within the period. Troops also recovered a total of 19 AK-47 rifles, 2 single barrel Dane guns, one G3 assault rifle and 3 locally-made pistols. Other items recovered were 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 3 daggers, and one locally-made double barrel pistol loaded with 10 rounds of cartridges were recovered in the course of the operations,” General Onyeuku explained,

The Defence headquarters assured the public that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have and will continued to remain committed to fight all forms of criminality until sustainable peace is achieved in the Country.

The Military High Command expressed appreciation to the troops for their enormous sacrifices in the various theatres of operations across the Country.

It called for more support from the general public to provide credible and timely information that will facilitate proactive engagements in all the theaters of operation.

Mercy Chukwudiebere