The Nation Newspaper

Tag: TRAIN

  • Firm to train students on ICT

    Firm to train students on ICT

    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) consultancy firm BSO Mega System Computer, is set to organise ICT trainings for secondary school students in Lagos State.

    The training is meant to acquaint the students with in-depth knowledge of ICT beyond the popular social interactive sites such as facebook, whasapp and others which many of the students have become addicted to at the detriment of the core ICT knowledge which they can master for their self-development.

    The trainings, which will begin at the resumption of the third term, will be purely practical as against the theory many schools are used to.

    The firm’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bello Dada Obashua, said the exercise is imperative because ICT has become an integral part of human existence in the contemporary world.

    He noted that with the introduction of computer-based examinations by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other professional bodies as well as the demand for ICT knowledge for prospective job seekers, the workshop would be able to equip the students for the challenges ahead.

    “We want to ensure that no student fails because of his/ her deficiency in computers knowledge. ICT has impacted on nearly every aspect of our lives; from working to socialising, learning to playing. In fact, ICT has become even embedded in our culture, so we must provide the students with relevant and contemporary experiences that will engage them successfully,” he said.

    He identified some of the programmes to include: computer-based examination technology, data processing, networking, web designing, internet technology, video and picture editing among others, adding that participants would be issued certificates at the of the workshops.

    He added that the exercise which is being organised in partnership with Vienie Communications, a media and branding firm, would be so flexible that the duration would be determined by each participating school.

    “Since the workshops would be taking place from one school to another, each school may determine how long they want their students to be trained. This is even an opportunity for ICT teachers in the schools to upgrade their knowledge of computer because as experts , we intend to give the participants the best of the best trainings,” Obashua concluded.

  • ‘How to train growing, healthy pastors’

    ‘How to train growing, healthy pastors’

    Church Growth expert, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, speaks with Sunday Oguntola on the imperatives of training for pastors ahead of a conference. Excerpts: 

    How did you conceive the idea of WATPRICO?

    I was in a conference in Thailand for pastoral trainers when the idea came that we need to do West Africa Pastoral Trainers Congress (WAPTRICO) where we can bring people training pastors or have the vision of training pastors.

    I discovered, with due respect to our bible colleges, seminaries, and schools of ministries, that we are not producing healthy pastors.

    How?

    The bible colleges and seminaries seem to give them too many theological issues that render them almost useless by the time they graduate and come to pastoral ministries.

    On their part, the informal sector has too many shallow, imbalanced and ephemeral teachings with nothing to do with preparing somebody to pastor a healthy church by the time they graduate.

    Sometimes those trainings are one-month or three-month such that by the time they graduate, they come hurting eternal souls. Leading the church becomes a big problem. So, the idea came that we should bring people from formal and informal set ups for standard procedures and arrive at some resources and materials that will equip anybody God calls to pastoral ministry.

     

    When he/she passes through those trainings, at least we can say that we have given them the basic and get them ready for a lifelong effective ministry.

    What is the kind of training that any pastor planning to be healthy should undergo?

    Healthy pastors should be trained on biblical interpretations, pulpit mannerism and pulpit delivery and communication. They should go through training on social media and internet. They should go through training on church planting, leadership, relationship, dispute resolution, crises management and the likes.

    Those are things that we have discovered if you want to make pastoral training relevant, they must undergo. Pastors planning to be healthy should go through trainings that will develop his character, knowledge, personality, communication, relationship and congregation.

    The health of the pastor is the health of the church and the health of the church is the health of the society. If the pastor is not healthy, the church will never be healthy. And if the church is not healthy, the society will never be healthy. Those are issues we want to deal with at WAPTRICO.

    Can we have perfect pastors?

    No, but we can have growing pastors. There are no perfect pastors because all of us are in the making but you can be properly trained, equipped, grounded, moulded in a way that you can help others without losing your life. Pastors are dealing with souls and destinies. They have many pressures and challenges. Being perfect is not possible but we can have holy, effective pastors.

    You can be a model and good example to others. You can make mistakes sometimes because you are human but you must be growing in character, measure and capacity.

    You can minister in such a way you get people ready for heaven. You be a good example for them. Unfortunately, almost 90% of pastors of today don’t fall into the picture.

    They are not healthy?

    They are not healthy because many of them didn’t go through trainings. They just wake up, say God has called them and open a church. You can only see that in the church. In major professions, can someone just wake up and say I am a pilot without being trained and certified?

    I have been reading a lot about aviation lately. Pilots go through training every three months. Like doctors, they go for training while practicing. Doctors read medical journals and attend medical conferences. They keep upgrading even years after graduation. It is the same with engineers.

    But when some pastors manage to graduate, they don’t go for training again. Yet, they are dealing with eternal souls. Those who embrace training don’t also get the best from the trainers. So, we want to build the bridge for this.

    Are healthy pastors made or born?

    They are made. Even if they were born, they must still go through training because pastoral work is a continuous learning process. You go for training for updating to interpret the scriptures, do the right things, handle issues, crises and souls.  Jesus says ‘I will make you fishers of men.’ He makes them by training them for three and half years.

    But the biggest pastors in the country didn’t go through pastoral training. How do you relate this to what you are saying?

    That is why we have lots of issues in our churches. That is why we have lot of issues with bible misinterpretations and misapplication. That is why we have a lot of errors being peddled about.

    The truth is we don’t need to copy bad examples and in the last 30 years there have been a lot of errors in the Nigerian church, especially by our so-called big pastors.  It is because we don’t go through trainings. If we don’t want these things to continue, we need to be properly trained on how the church should be run.

    We need to go through trainings. We need to check our trainings, and go for retraining in scriptures, in handling churches, in administering churches, in leading churches and sundry issues.

    We need to retrain on how to avoid issues, scandals, rumours and certain unpalatable issues in the ministry. So, for me, the key is we need to go back to basic fundamental trainings. Enough of people running ministries and jumping into church planting without passing through solid, sound trainings.

    For too long a time, the church in Nigeria has taken trainings for granted. You can’t be functional in the military if you don’t go for trainings and each promotion comes because you pass through a course. Pastors are also into spiritual military work. If you are not trained for it, you will be gunned down quickly.

    You’d become a casualty and that is why a lot of pastors are becoming casualties. They are falling by the way side because it is a spiritual battle.

    Does personal development make up for training?

    Of course personal development is good but it is not the final. Whoever wants to do this work must go for trainings. Pastoral and ministerial works require lot of trainings because we have issues with people and money. Most members you are handling are hurtful and injured. They have lost hope in life and it requires proper trainings for you to know how to handle them.

    What would be your advice to trained pastors who appear not to be doing so well compared to their untrained counterparts?

    Those ones should update their training. You might be properly trained, doing a good job but lack strategies to win your society. You may be concentrating inside your church to win the community. There are things you should do but which you are not doing.

    Those who seem to be doing well with crowd and money, they too should go and update their training because having a crowd does not say you are pleasing God. Crowd is not church. You can draw a crowd and yet you don’t draw people for heaven. You can have people that are in church yet they are not in Christ. So, everyone should ask himself: this crowd and money, are we taking them to heaven?

    You are targeting one million healthy local churches in ten years. Is that realisable?

    It is realisable if you have 500 pastoral trainers and each trains at least four, it is achievable. I am not saying I am going to do this alone. That is why we are calling this.

    We want to partner with formal and informal trainers to draw up standard trainings for pastors and each should run with the vision. If I can have 500 pastoral trainers who can take the resources and run with it, it is achievable.

  • AFA, Imo State to train young filmmakers

    AFA, Imo State to train young filmmakers

    Mother company to Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA), the Africa Film Academy (AFA), is partnering the government of Imo State to train youths from the Eastern Nigerian state who desire a career in filmmaking.

    AFA said in a statement on Wednesday that the training which will be intensive, is scheduled to run from April 25 to May 10, 2017 in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    In the statement signed by founder of AFA, Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, facilitators will include Segun Arinze, Paul Obazele, Tony Anih among others.

    “At the end of the training which will cover script-writing, photography, editing, acting, cinematography, sound, lighting etc, the students are expected to produce short films that will give practical expression to what they will learn during the programme,” she said.

    According to Anyiam-Osigwe, the training is meant “to introduce the prospective youths to how they can start a career in the film industry and technical production and open them to the possibilities that exist.”

    Continuing, she said: “At the end of it, we expect participating students to take their interests to the next level through further education in higher institutions and other institutes where they can acquire more and in-depth knowledge. We want to say that the Imo State Government has been kind enough to sponsor 100 students apart from providing venue and other logistics for the training and this is because of the interest of Governor Rochas Okorocha to empower the youths and create job opportunities for them. Diamond Bank as part of its CSR initiative is also sponsoring 10 students to the training while Africa Magic is also a strategic partner to make this a very successful one,” she said.

  • Troops to train in Sambisa forest, says Buratai 

    Troops to train in Sambisa forest, says Buratai 

    The conquered Sambisa forest will serve as training ground for troops from next year, Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday.
    Gen. Buratai stated this in Damasak, Borno state, while celebrating Christmas with troops of 145 Battalion after the road leading to the town was reopened by Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima. The road was closed three years ago at the height of insurgency.
    He said troops were already conducting a mop up operation in the forest after the last strong hold of the Boko Haram terrorists was captured.
    “We are also opening up roads to Sambisa and Alagarno forest. Sambisa forest is going to be one of our training grounds.
    “I have already directed that we should conduct Nigerian Army small arms championship in that forest next year.
    “And we are going to use it also to test fire our fighting vehicles, other key equipment and weapons that requires testing whenever we want to induct new weapon and equipment into the Nigerian army inventory.
    “It will afford us very good ground for basic tactics and indeed advance tactics, including but not limited to tactics at the Platoon, company, battalion, Brigade and even division levels.
    “We are going to make it more robust to make sure that these criminals do not come back to that forest again.

  • Fed Govt to train 120 on fabrication of agro-machines

    The Federal Government is planning to train 120 persons in the country on the fabrication of agro-processing machines, it has been  learnt.

    The aim is to give a boost to agricultural revolution in the country.

    The Acting Executive Director of the NCAM, Dr Yomi Kasali who spoke during the graduation ceremony of the male batch of the trainees in Ilorin, Kwara State assured that the Federal Government was committed to encouraging the growth of the agric sector.

    He said the scheme was also aimed at spreading the skills so acquired and imparting same to other interested Nigerians, just as starter packs have been coupled to be freely distributed to the trainees at the end of the rigorous programme.

    No fewer than 60 of the male trainees yesterday completed their theoretical and practical courses on fabrication of the relevant machines at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) Ilorin, Kwara State.

    It was gathered that their female counterparts drawn across the 36 states of the federation will next month, commence their own version of the training at the NCAM.

    Represented by the Director, and Head of Department (HoD) of Farm Power and Machinery Department of the centre, AbdulGafar Kamaldeen, Dr. Kasali said the skills so acquired should serve as a security against youth unemployment in the country.

  • Fed Govt trains 5,000 graduates in Anambra

    Over 5,000 graduates have been trained in Anambra State under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

    Before the training in Awka, the state capital, about five groups of 50 graduates each had been trained, with additional five groups taking their turn next.

    Speaking at Geo-Gold Hotels in Awka, the project Director, Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), at career development and entrepreneurship skills said the federal government was trying its best in making sure that the youth are employed.

    He was represented by Mr. Fola Jimoh, who said that the FG’s scheme had given hope to thousands of youths in the country.

    Jimoh said, “The federal government is not ready to fail on this exercise; rather the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is doing everything possible to fight graduate unemployment.

    The era of unemployment is over in this country with this (GIS) programme, but whatever stipend being owed to anybody will soon be paid by the government”.

    Jimoh was in Anambra State with Mr. Johnson Iyiola, project implementation unit (GIS), Garba Shehu, Principal Officer Ministry of Finance and Jamey Yakubu of Nansel selzing-N-Miz International Limited for the programme.

    He said the initial plan by the previous administration was to recruit 50,000 which according to him did not work until the present administration came in and raised the stake.

    “However as long as thousands of graduates still remain unemployed, we will continue to improve the capacity of the scheme to absorb more applicants”

  • Standard train reality

    History was made last Tuesday with President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurating the first standard gauge train service for passengers and freight in the country. Nigerians, over the years were used to the narrow gauge passenger trains, which were mostly grounded due to lack of maintenance, among other factors.

    Under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the standard gauge rail line was completed for the steel industry to move goods between Ajaokuta in Kogi State and Aladja in Delta State. The portion of the new project completed under Buhari and ready for commercial activities is the Abuja (Idu) – Kaduna segment of the Lagos – Kano railways, which moved from the realm of vision to reality last Tuesday.

    President Buhari and his team did not fail to commend the past administrations that conceived and commenced the project. Because it fell within the administration’s vision for Nigeria, the Buhari administration wasted no time to continue with the project as soon as it came on board.

    Also because of Buhari’s love for Nigerians, he didn’t follow the footsteps of some past leaders who abandoned laudable projects just because they didn’t want to share credit for the projects with past administrations. For their selfish interests, many of them had either looked away from projects at almost 100 percent completion or kill the project under the guise of going for newest technology that will bear their names alone.

    The past leaders never bothered if the nation will lose the billions of naira already invested in the projects they were abandoning. Rather than look away from the standard gauge rail project, and pursue after speed trains powered by electricity that will take many more years and huge investments to realize, President Buhari gave directives for the stations, the signaling, the communications and part of the tracks to be completed to make the standard gauge trains on Abuja-Kaduna route operational.

    While the locomotive and coaches for the route arrived in May, the administration commenced trial runs between June and July.

    The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed that the trial runs conveyed over 500 passengers per trip twice a day for a month and two weeks, free of charge.

    The inaugurated Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge train service, which is expected to be safe, comfortable, affordable, fast and reliable, would provide an alternative transport link between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State.

    It will further serve as a major catalyst for industrialization and employment generation. While boosting rapid socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of Nigerians, it is expected to promote social and regional integration.

    Buhari at the inauguration said: “I am delighted to be here today to commission the Abuja – Kaduna railway track and flag-off the Abuja-Kaduna train services (Passengers & Freight) on Nigeria’s first ever Standard Gauge Rail track to go into operation.

    “This project was conceived by a previous administration, started by the last government and I am pleased to complete and commission it,” he added

    Commending Buhari, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said: “It is a milestone in the history of our great country. Today as a country, we have shown our seriousness and determination to put in place a modern, efficient railway and by so doing, advance the stage of modern and developed economy.

    “On behalf of the National Assembly, I must commend the President and the Minister and his team for ceasing the initiative early in the life of this regime to complete this project,” he stated

    Determined to bring rapid socio-economic development and improve the quality of life of Nigerians in every part of the country and to promote social and regional integration,  Buhari has promised to implement the 25-Year Strategic Railway Master Plan and link most State capitals and major commercial and production centres with railway system.

    Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the completion of this alternative means of cheap, safe and fast transportation across the country. It is also hoped that in the long run, the cheap transportation to be offered by the rail will assist in reducing the prices of goods and services in Nigeria, which skyrocketed due to the high road transportation costs.

    The Buhari administration should also go a step further and look at what has been put in place for the smooth running and maintenance of the project, especially the operational Abuja-Kaduna train service.

    Unlike the past, everything should be done to protect the trains, rails and other facilities. The trains, for any reason, should never be allowed to degenerate to the experiences recorded with the narrow gauge trains where passengers not only hang on the doors and body of the train, but also climbed and stay on the trains while in motion.

    Also allowing the facilities in the trains like the air conditioning system, televisions, seats, windows, to be vandalized will amount to taking one step forwards and ten steps backward.

     

    Killing corruption in football

    It is no longer news that the anti-graft battle being fought by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in other sectors is now coming to football administrations in the country.

    Before now, corrupt practices have been massive in the administration of football in Nigeria, which have adversely affected its full development and tapping of its abundant potentials and opportunities.

    There have been many cases in the past where players’ match bonuses were either not paid or reviewed downward by the officials in charge after getting allocation for a higher rate.

    It has also been reported in the past that some players were made to bear the cost of their air tickets when invited for camps towards an international competition while the government has actually made provision for them.

    Also many cases have also been heard of some government officials reaching gentleman agreement to share the final bonus and other largess from a football competition at a percentage ratio with some players they smuggled into the final list of a championship.

    Team managers and coaches were not left out of the problem as some of them, especially local coaches, had their salaries and entitlements diverted and delayed while the money for them have been released by the government. All these and many other practices have discouraged players and coaches from giving their best to the round-leather game in Nigeria over the years.

    But Buhari last week Monday has now promised to pay keen interest to accountability and transparency to fast-track football development in Nigeria.

    “We will take the development of football very seriously and I encourage the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to behave itself and organize effective competitions for the good of the game,’’ he warned.

    This is seen by some sports analysts in the country as a right step in the right direction. If the new move will not beam searchlight on past happenings in the sports sector, those who have skeletons in their cupboards should urgently turn a new leaf now in order not to get theirs hands burnt.

     

  • The change train: One year later

    The change train: One year later

    One year ago, the Change train left Aversion station. That station was notorious for its numerous undesirables- governance impunity, fantastic corruption, depressed economy, high rate unemployment, gross indiscipline, and generalised moral degeneration. Captained by Engineer Progress, the train, with its over 140 million enthusiastic passengers, headed for Desire station.Draped in banners of hope and clamorous chants of change,they embarked on a four-year ride.

    The Change train targeted Desire station because of its promise of increased prosperity. Engineer Progress had vowed that the prosperity he had in mind for them would be deliveredthrough moral probity in governance, party discipline, compassionate policy choices, diversified economy, and a strong determination to battle wrong, and fight the war against corruption to its logical conclusion.

    In short, captain and passengers saw Desire station as the unparalleled destination for maximum desire- satisfaction. One year into the four-year journey, it makes sense to pause and ask, what has been the experience of the passengers on the Change train? And what is the prospect for the train’s safe arrival and success in realising its goal?

    We must,however, avoid the illusion that everyone on board the Change train had the same motivation or purpose. Indeed, there are good reasons to believe that, as strange as it may sound, not everyone was averse to Aversion station. In the first place, despite its dreaded condition of existence, quite a good number of folks found it appealing because they benefitted from chaos. The Yoruba refer to this group as arijenimadaru, literally “those who feed off of chaos.”For this lot, then, getting on the Change train was a source of apprehension and resentment, especially because of their egoistic reasoning “what can possibly be on this train for me?”

    Second, even for some of those who were not particularly favored at Aversion station, the fear of change could be overwhelming. As they say, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. With that mentality, some who should favor change and get on the train were the most reluctant. Recall the story of the reluctant Hebrews getting out of the land of Egypt. An objective assessment of the performance of the Change train in its journey to Desire station must therefore take cognizance of its reluctant passengers, including some of its technicians, conductors, and makers of its rules.

    This has been a major setback and an ongoing concern for Engineer Progress. It is bearable and manageable if passengers are the issue. They can be reassured through good performance. But if technicians and conductors on the train, who are supposed to be facilitators of the smooth ride, are less than fully engaged, or worse, engaged in activities antithetical to the smoothness of the ride, there is a big deal of a problem.

    It was in the context of such an absence of synergy between the various groups of facilitators that a major derailment occurred just as the train was pulling out of Aversion station.

    The Change train has five cars. EngineerProgress and his navigation experts occupy one. The second car is occupied by those responsible for making rules for the smooth operation of the train and the welfare of passengers. In the third car are the folks responsible for ensuring that the rules are kept and for apportioning punishment in case of infraction.

    The fourth car has the group that facilitates the emergence of the captain and the Change train in the first place. As stakeholders in the success of the journey, they are to provide direction and roadmap for the captain and his team, as well as for the occupants of the second car. The fifth car is occupied by passengers who rely on the expertise and selfless collaboration of the first three and the direction of the fourth to get them to their destination safely.

    Where expertise is in place, but selflessness is missing, ego shows up in a jiffy and takes over, to the detriment of the collective task. That is the reality of our humanity.And this was what caused the derailment, as some of the occupants of the second car prioritized self-interest above collective interest. Sadly, though the cars survived the derailment with little reparable damage to their integrity, the damaged rail lines are still being repaired, almost one year after the onset of its journey, and the train has had to be diverted to a longer route.

    Naturally, passengers are unimpressed and upset. They have goods and services that they have to get to the market at Desire station. They need the supply of raw materials for their businesses. And most importantly, they need the peace of mind that this train is capable of reaching Desire station in one piece.

    On the whole, however, the passengers appear to have confidence in the captain.They chose him over other contestants for the positionbecause of his character, which they admire. But it is human nature to doubt and despair, and when the pocket is in jeopardy of losing its content, it is hard to blame them. They rightly worry about when and how they will get there.

    There is good reason for apprehension. In the train, the innocent passengers are experiencing a lot of hardship. Supplies are getting scarce and expensive. While the captain is methodical and stoical, the passengers feel the pinch of scarce resources and are very unhappy about what they perceive as slow efforts to find them alternative sources to replenish their supplies.They should have been warned that Hardship is a temporary stop on the road to Desire station.

    In his wisdom, the captain once tried to fire the greedy contractors that supply energy to the train so as to save valuable resources. He also promised alternative sources of energy. But despair appears to have set in so much that the passengers do not believe any promises will be fulfilled. There was a semblance of a protest which was quickly put down with the assistance of some of the captain’s co-investors in the Change train.

    In a situation of generalised uncertainty, with everyone struggling for survival, it is natural for there to be suspicion of everyone’s moves. Thomas Hobbes got that right. On board the Change train, passengers are becoming paranoid about each other’s moves. A war of all against all nearly ensued. Passengers are afraid to leave their car in case someone decides to appropriate what is not his. This was especially the case when some found their cubicles in the car less appealing and attempted to help themselves to thespace of other passengers. It nearly got out of hand, but reason prevailed as the rule-making occupants of the second car reassured all passengers.

    The one thing that almost all the passengers trust the captain to do well is fight their cause against those who cheat on board and those who take undue advantage of the chaos in Aversion station to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Even while they moan their hardship, almost all the passengers hail the captain for standing firm on this one issue. For they know that if those stolen resources are recovered and managed well to their advantage, there will be an improvement in their condition and the journey to Desire station will be less arduous, and they can expect to exhale at the end of the ride.

    Of course, this warm feeling and this enthusiastic support for the war the captain has sworn to fight and win is not universal. Again, it is to be expected that those at the other side of the war and their supporters, including those who benefitted from their action, will be against the war.

    But that war is ongoing and the captain is unrelenting. The reason it is important is not just because there must be restitution and recovery of looted funds;it will also serve as deterrence against future occurrence. This is the position of the captain and the stakeholders on the Change train. And with the captain’s determination,the passengers on the Change train can still enthusiastically keep hope alive.

  • Train derailment claims four lives in Kwara

    Train derailment claims four lives in Kwara

    An 11-coach train with one cargo coach at the weekend derailed in Jebba, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. Four people died and three were injured.

    An eyewitness said yesterday that the train derailed on Saturday night.

    Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation Mr. Sabiu Zakari said yesterday that families of two of the victims had been identified. He went on an inspection of the scene, representing Minister Chibuike Amaechi.

    “We were informed when the accident happened and we swung into action immediately, but it is unfortunate that we lost four people, while three others sustained injuries. The three injured have been treated and discharged. The Federal Government picked up their bills.

    “For the dead, we have been able to identify two of them at the mortuary and we have contacted their families. We will continue to look for the families of the remaining two. Once we get them, government will take responsibility of their burial and we will also facilitate the transportation of the bodies to their relations,” he said.

    Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Fidet Okhiria said: “No time for blame game but to reflect on what happened, mourn those who died and commiserate with their families.”

    But he said those in the coach were illegal passengers who hid in the loads packed by the coach.

    “There are 12 coaches going to Kano from Lagos and 11 of them are already in Kano. The last one was the one that was involved in the accident. The train that was involved in the accident is not a passenger coach but a carrier one. So those people who died there are illegal passengers who hide in the loads.”

    Mr. Okhiria said there is life insurance for drivers being managed by the Industrial and General Insurance (IGI).

    He confirmed that the government is working to change the narrow gauge to standard ones, saying work is going on at Abuja-Kaduna rail line, Lagos-Calabar rail line and many others, which will be changed from narrow gauge to standard one.

    The father of one of the victims whose severed body was seen, Mallam Muhammed Usman, said he was on the scene to appeal to the government to release the half body in the mortuary to them for burial.

    He lamented that he didn’t understand why his son, Aliyu Usman, was involved in the accident because he was an employee of the NRC working between Mokwa and Minna.

    He added that his deceased son allegedly travelled to Offa in Offa Local Government Area of the state.

    Residents of Jebba where the accident happened urged the Federal Government to assist them to find a solution to railway problems in the country, saying the accident was about the fourth they would witness within a few years.

  • Train derailment claims four lives in Kwara

    An eleven coach train with one cargo coach at the weekend derailed in Jebba, Moro local government area of Kwara state claiming four lives and injuring three others.
    An eyewitness at the scene of the incident on Sunday said that the accident happened on Saturday night, adding that nothing could be done to rescue the victims.
    Speaking during the inspection of the scene, Transport Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,Mr. Sabiu Zakari who confirmed the incident said the families of two of the victims have been identified.
    “We were informed when the accident happened and we swung into action immediately but it is unfortunate that we lost four people while three others sustained injuries. The three injured have been treated and discharged immediate and federal government already pick up their bills.”
    ” For the dead, we have been able to identify two of them at the mortuary and we have contacted their families. We will continue to look for the families of the remaining two corpses. Once we get them, government will take responsibility of their burial and we will also ensure how their corpses would be transferred to their relations.”
    He commiserated with the families of the dead and wished those injured quick recovery.
    Also speaking on the accident, the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engineer Fidet Okhira, said “no time for blame game but to reflect on what happened, mourn those who died and commiserate with their families.”
    He however said those in the coach were illegal passenger who hide in the loads packed by the coach.
    “There are twelve of coaches going to Kano from Lagos and eleven of them are already in Kano. The last one was the one that was involved in the accident. The train that was involved in the accident is not a passenger coach but a carrier one, so those people who died there are illegal passengers who hide in the loads.”
    Mr. Okhiria denied the rumor by some locomotive driver who said there is no life insurance for them saying all their staff are insurance covered which being manage by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI).