The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Umar

  • Settle in the interest of Taraba – APC

    Settle in the interest of Taraba – APC

    Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya, on Monday advised Governor Danbaba Suntai and his deputy Alhaji Garba Umar to settle their political differences in the interest of Taraba people, for the state to move forward.

    Ikenya was governorship candidate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the April 2011 general election.

    He spoke to The Nation on Monday, while reacting to the political impasse in the state.

    Suntai returned into the state penultimate Sunday, after spending 10 months in Germany and the United States treating the injuries he sustained when a plane he flew crashed near Yola, Adamawa State on October 25 last year.

    His return to work polarised the state when he dissolved cabinet and his deputy countered it.

    Ikenya said the state is in crisis because those behind Suntai and Umar do not consider themselves as functionaries of one government.

    “If they consider themselves as one government, they would have settled their problem in the state quietly instead of dancing naked in the market square”, he said.

    He said Umar wants to take over so that he would secure an automatic ticket in the Peoples Democratic Party to contest the 2015 governorship election. While Suntai’s people particularly from the southern zone want him to continue so that he will relinquish power to them in 2015.

    He described players in the ensuing crisis as “desperate politicians who forget that power comes from God.”

     

  • Umar: 200 new locomotives coming by December

    Umar: 200 new locomotives coming by December

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) would take delivery of 200 new wagons come December, the Minister of Transportation, Senator Idris Umar, has said.

    The minister disclosed at the week while inaugurating four new locomotives and two telescopic cranes at Apapa Port, Lagos.

    Umar, who was represented by the NRC’s Board Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, said the corporation was set to reclaim its lost glory as a catalyst for safe, reliable and cheap means of transportation.

    He added the NRC would collaborate with the customs and other security agents to ensure efficient business activities at the port.

    Umar said the completion of the rehabilitation work on the Western line had made it possible for the corporation to introduce freight services to the regular passenger trains’ service on the route.

    According to him: “About one month ago, the third weekly Lagos-Kano intercity passenger train service was introduced to increase our carriage capacity along the route to 5,500 weekly.

    “Today the corporation is flagging off a container train service from Lagos to Kaduna and Kano. It is also inaugurating two newly acquired telescopic cranes and four 1800HP locomotive engines.”

    NRC’s Managing Director, Prince Adeseyi Sijuwade, described the event as a significant milestone in the annals of the corporation.

    He recalled that container train services in Nigeria were suspended 17 years ago due to poor infrastructure.

    Sijuwade said the acquisition of the facilities was part of the federal government’s commitment to modernise the railway service and transform the nation’s socio-economic development.

    He said the four locomotives were known as class 23 locomotives.

    “The four new locomotives being inaugurated are self loading engines with on-board computer, double drivers’ panel and fully air-conditioned cabins.

    “The engine in each of the locomotives is caterpillar’s 1800 model 3512B engine with capability of a designed speed of 100kmph,” Sijuwade said.

    He noted that the NRC is now better equipped to deal with emergencies with the two new 100 tons railway cranes.

    The Comptroller of Customs at the port, Charles Edike, said the inauguration of the container traffic train would help to stop the activities of miscreants and other port rats as well as enhance transaction of goods and services.

  • League defeat won’t count in Cup — Umar

    League defeat won’t count in Cup — Umar

    Kano Pillars forward Kabiru Umar has said his side’s Glo Premier League defeat at Bayelsa United will count for nothing against Gombe United in the 2013 Federation Cup round of 16 at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos today.

    Pillars defeated El-Kanemi Warriors 2-1 in the round of 32 in Lafia, Nasarawa State while the Desert Scorpions caged the Nigeria National League (NNL) side, FC Taraba 2-0 at same venue to prepare the ground for a fight for a spot in the last eight.

    Umar said his side have shown dominance over their fellow northern side in the league and will extend the superiority when both sides clash today in Jos.

    “The league defeat at Bayelsa United is history we’re focused on the Federation Cup clash against Gombe United on Wednesday in Jos.

    “We take each match as it comes, Pillars and Gombe United know each other inside out, we won 4-0 in the first league fixture this season and we’ll like to take the massive win to the Federation Cup.

    “Pillars are the side to beat both in the league and Federation Cup, we understand the sentiment to be common among any side at the top and that’s why we’ve resolved to be at our best in any challenge we’re involved.

    “Everybody’s eye is on us, it may not make headlines if on Wednesday we defeat Gombe United but the reverse will definitely be the case should they win. We’re not bothered not getting the headlines but to secure the result that will see us through to the next round of the competition.

    “We’re going into the game to win, the Federation Cup is a leveller and no respecter of names. Gombe United are a Premier League side, we’ll surely accord them due respect but will go ahead to win on the pitch,” said the former Heartland forward to supersport.com.

    Umar has scored five goals in the ongoing season but he wants to up his goals starting today against Gombe United.

    “I’ve scored five goals so far and I’m not yet done. I hope to start scoring more goals in the Federation Cup tie against Gombe United in Jos,” he said.

    The Pyramid City side were third place match losers to Prime FC in last year’s Federation Cup at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

  • Gombe Utd to sting Bussdor — Umar

    Gombe Utd to sting Bussdor — Umar

    2008 FA Cup runners-up, Gombe Utd say they will deploy all their arsenals against ‘giant-killers’, Bussdor FC in today’s round 64 clash in Abuja.

    Tanimuu Umar, the Savannah Scorpions manager media said: “We are not taking them with kid gloves rather as Scorpions we intend to sting them as many times as possible with the view of making it to the next round.

    “The coaches and players know what is at stake as they are bubbling with confidence as they intend to maintain the tempo following last Sunday’s resounding 4-1 victory against Akwa United in the last game of the Glo League’s first stanza.

    “This am sure will boost the morale of the team as they will be in high spirit when they lock horns against the Imo State side.”

    However, ““We’re wary of Bussdor’s threat so we intend to play them as if they are a topflight team.”

  • Umar to Boko Haram: Forget Sharia if ….

    Umar to Boko Haram: Forget Sharia if ….

    Former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd) has told leaders and members of the Boko Haram sect to forget their demand for the institutionalization Sharia law for states in northern Nigeria if they are serious about dialoguing with the Federal Government.

    On the other hand, Umar also charged the Federal Government to show commitment in the fight against corruption and unemployment if indeed the government is sincere in its quest to end the spate of insecurity in the land.

    In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday, Umar blamed both the Federal Government and Boko Haram for the number of deaths and destruction of property brought about by bombings across many states in the north, particularly in the north east.

    According to the radical former military governor, it would be futile and unreasonable for Boko Haram to insist on Islamisation of any part of the north as the sect had often demanded as one of the conditions for peace.

    He reminded the sect members on the secularity of the Nigerian state as enshrined in the Constitution, stressing that there is no state in northern Nigeria that does not have its own fair share of indigenous Christian and Moslem population.

    Umar said, “They should not forget that the Constitution says Nigeria is a secular state. That means we cannot run the country as a theocracy, otherwise we cannot remain as one.

    “They should also know that the north is neither a purely Islamic territory nor a Christian territory. So if they are seeking to impose Sharia on any part of the country as a condition for dialogue, it will never work.

    “Let them imagine what Nigeria will be like if every religious organisation seeks to impose its own doctrine on any party of the country. If that happens, then we can no longer remain as one country. Northern Nigeria cannot be cut off from the rest.

    “So if the institutionalization of Sharia in the north is one of the conditions the leaders of Boko Haram are projecting for dialogue, then they should perish the thought because that is not achievable.”