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Abuja–Kaduna Train Derailment: Reps Give Transport Minister 48 Hours to Appear

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has given the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, 48 hours to appear before it following the recent derailment of an Abuja–Kaduna train carrying 618 passengers.

The Committee was visibly angered on Tuesday when the Minister failed to attend its investigative hearing into the incident.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Blessing Onuh, described the Minister’s absence as an insult to Nigerians and an abdication of responsibility at a critical moment.

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She said: “A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. We are currently on recess, yet many of us cut our break and travelled from Lagos to attend this important sitting, only for the Minister to ignore parliament. We take serious exception to this. The lives of our brothers and sisters were at stake — this is no laughing matter. We are suspending this meeting and mandating the Minister to appear in person within 48 hours.”

Deputy House Spokesman, Rep. Philip Agbese, went further, branding the Minister’s conduct a sign of incompetence and disregard for the Nigerian people.

In his words: “This action clearly shows he is not fit to handle the responsibility entrusted to him by the President. It signals that he neither values Nigerian lives nor the reputation of this government. The President has warned that no Minister or agency head should treat parliament with contempt, yet this Minister has chosen exactly that path. Should he fail to appear, Nigerians must understand they effectively have no Minister of Transportation.”

Similarly, Rep. Cyril Hart expressed dismay that Alkali, himself a former parliamentarian, would choose to dishonour the House.

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“Over 618 lives were put in danger. This incident raises serious questions about the safety and integrity of our rail system. For a former lawmaker to disregard this committee at such a time is a betrayal. Even the Railway MD once sought to join this parliament and knows the respect it commands. We cannot permit anyone to gamble with Nigerian lives,” he said.

The Committee unanimously resolved to suspend its hearing until the Minister presents himself, warning that any further display of contempt would be reported directly to the President.

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2027 election: We’ll all battle to the finishing point, I won’t just surrender -Tinubu tells Atiku, others

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President Bola Tinubu has said 2027 presidential election is going to be a battle he is ready to fight till the end.

He warned opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that they must defeat him through the ballot box if they hope to unseat him.

The President made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, Tinubu said he was prepared for a fair democratic contest and insisted that politics is a competitive process where every contestant has an equal opportunity.

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“Those who would take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and there is equal opportunity. I won’t offer them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me at home. No, we will wrestle each other to the finishing point. That’s the truth.

That is fair in politics,” the President said. Tinubu also rejected allegations that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is biased, maintaining that the electoral body has remained impartial.

According to him, political opponents questioning the commission’s neutrality are merely expressing fears over their own political prospects.Politics “INEC is neutral. It has never, ever intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolf, then they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the company they keep,” he stated.

The President used the meeting to defend the economic reforms introduced by his administration, saying they were beginning to produce positive results despite the initial hardship experienced by Nigerians.

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He cited the uninterrupted academic calendar in public universities as one of the administration’s notable achievements, pointing out that the absence of strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had brought relief to students and their families. “None of your children in university today—and I would say they are all your children because you are Reverend Fathers—can say a four-year course is not four years.

ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to your homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? To me, that’s an answer,” Tinubu said. The President acknowledged that his administration inherited significant economic challenges from the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari but insisted that the country had now achieved stability and was on the path to economic recovery. “This government has stabilized, and there is prosperity on the horizon. The quality of life is improving,” he said. “I inherited it. I didn’t run away. I asked for this job. I’m in it.”

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Civil War Row: Plateau Govt Insists Mutfwang Spoke in Spirit of Reconciliation Engagement

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The Plateau State Government has defended Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang over the controversy surrounding his recent remarks during an engagement with leaders of the Igbo community, insisting that his comments have been misrepresented and taken out of context.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Dr. Gyang Bere, the government said Mutfwang’s remarks were made in the spirit of reconciliation, appreciation and national unity, contrary to interpretations suggesting otherwise.

The clarification follows mixed reactions to comments made by the governor during a courtesy visit by leaders of the Igbo community to the Government House in Jos, with critics alleging that he apologised over the role of Plateau indigenes during the Nigerian Civil War.
Responding to the criticism, the government said the governor neither sought to diminish the experiences of any ethnic group nor distort the historical realities of the civil war.

It maintained that Mutfwang’s remarks were intended to acknowledge the resilience, enterprise and contributions of the Igbo community to the economic and social development of Plateau State while encouraging peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

“The scars of that period remain part of our national history and deserve to be remembered with empathy, honesty and sensitivity,” the statement said, adding that the lessons of the civil war should strengthen national unity rather than reopen old wounds.
The government also highlighted Plateau’s long history of accommodating people from different parts of the country, describing the state as one of Nigeria’s foremost examples of peaceful coexistence.
According to the statement, successive administrations, beginning with Joseph Dechi Gomwalk and later Solomon Lar, laid the foundation for an inclusive society in which the Igbo community has thrived and contributed significantly to commerce, education, healthcare and industry.

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The statement further aligned the state’s inclusive tradition with former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s post-war “No Victor, No Vanquished” policy and the programme of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, describing the approach as a globally recognised model for post-conflict healing.

The government said Governor Mutfwang remained committed to preserving that legacy through policies that promote dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

It urged Nigerians to disregard what it described as distorted interpretations of the governor’s remarks, warning that such narratives could inflame ethnic divisions and distract from the broader message of unity and national cohesion.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, the government said Mutfwang believes every Nigerian, regardless of ethnicity, religion or place of origin, deserves dignity, equal opportunity and a sense of belonging, adding that those principles will continue to guide his leadership of Plateau State.

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Mabushi bus terminal kick-starts(Watch)

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Yes this Mabushi bus terminal in Abuja has kick started for passengers to use.

Watch below:

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