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Aisha Buhari Never Travelled To USA, APC Scammers Should Stop The Lies — Ekiti PDP Fires Back

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has described the comments by the State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), on the visit of the Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari to the United States of America (USA), as a function of total ignorance and mischief, saying, “Even the Presidency has not told anyone that wife of the President travelled to the USA and in official communications, only ignorant and mischief makers in the APC will belief that a trip to the USA will be made by Mrs Buhari and Nigerians will only get to know about it through online media.”

The PDP, which said it would have ignored the APC and allowed those in the party to continue to wallop in their self-deceit, added that “it is only in the world of the APC that wife of the President of Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world would travel to the USA, ostensibly to debunk her involvement in a major scam and no television station will report her departure and arrival.

The question is, did she travel to USA or Qatar?”

In a statement issued on Monday by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Jackson Adebayo, the party said, “If the Presidency has not been bold enough to tell Nigerians that Mrs Aisha Buhari travelled to the USA on official visit, only a party of scammers like the APC will go on the rooftops to celebrate photoshoped pictures as evidence of visit to USA.”

The party said “it is strange that wife of the President of Nigeria could travel to the USA and purportedly attended events there without international television stations like CNN, Al jazeera, BBC, Sky News etc and local stations like Channels TV, NTA, AIT and others reporting it.

Or are they still ‘editing’ the video clips?”

While casting doubt at the purported trip, the PDP said: “Even if Mrs Aisha Buhari actually travelled to the USA, does that erase the fact that in the judgment delivered by the United State District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209, that indicted the USA Congressman, Williams Jefferson, it was mentioned that $170,000 was transferred from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying William Jefferson as beneficiary?”

The statement read further; “As a party of responsible and discerning minds, the PDP in Ekiti State would have elected to ignore the APC and allow the party the freedom to advertise it idiocy.

This is more so that the matter is now a subject of litigation and the no one has denied the existence of the judgment that indicted Williams Jefferson and featured conspicuously at page 22, the name of Aisha Buhari as having transferred $170,000 from account in Nigeria to William Jefferson.

“Most importantly, Nigerians have witnessed more heinous forgeries from the APC, one of them being pictorial claim that President Buhari (as APC presidential candidate then) had an interview with Kemi Fadojutimi on ‘All Eyes on Africa’ TV show in London, whereas the interview was held in Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

“However, it is important to point out that from all evidences, the pictures circulated as arrival of President Buhari’s wife at Dulles International Airport, Washington DC could have been taken at the Doha International Airport, Qatar.

Even on the official website of George Mason University and US Institute of Peace, USA where the president’s was said to have attended events, there is nothing to show that she attended any event in the two institutions.

“We have seen pictures of Wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki with President Barrack Obama’s wife, Michelle. We also saw pictures of Mrs Patience Jonathan with Michelle Obama when she visited the USA.

“Where are Aisha Buhari’s pictures with the First Lady of USA and major government officials from the country?

Or could she have arrived and departed from the USA like a spirit? “It is even more important that nothing official has been said about the purported trip. Not from the President’s spokespersons,” argued the Ekiti PDP.

 

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Lagos State Government To Concession Red And Blue Line Rails For Sustainability, Loan Repayment

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The Lagos State Government has announced plans to concession the operations of the Red and Blue Line rail systems to the private sector in order to ensure their sustainability and repay loans taken for the rail projects.

This announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a recent TVC News interview, where he discussed the measures being implemented to ensure the continued viability of the state’s rail systems.

Osiyemi explained that the concessioning process would involve transferring the operations of the rail systems to private sector players for a defined period. This approach is intended to ensure the continued operation and effective management of the rail projects.

“The ultimate game is for all our rail systems we’ve done—that is, the Red Line and Blue Line—there is going to be some concessionairing with the private sector for a period of time to ensure sustainability and continuity,” he stated.

He added, “The concessioning would help pay back the loans taken for the rail projects.”

The commissioner emphasized that the concessioning strategy aims to ensure efficient operations and long-term financial sustainability, in line with the state’s vision for a world-class transportation network.

  • More Insight

Osiyemi further highlighted the substantial financial and technical challenges involved in operating rail systems, describing them as capital-intensive projects that require significant resources and specialized expertise.

To tackle these challenges and build local capacity, he noted that the Lagos State Government has enlisted foreign partners to temporarily manage the operations of the trains.

These partners are expected to not only ensure smooth operations during their tenure but also transfer critical skills to Nigerian personnel. The plan includes a structured training program lasting one to two years, after which the management of the rail systems will be fully handed over to local operators.

“What we have done is we have consulted foreign partners who, of course, would run these trains for a particular period of time and train our people—that is, transfer of skills.”

“They will train our people for one to two years, then hand over for our own management,” Osiyemi explained.

  • Things You Should Know

The Lagos State Government, under its Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan, has set out an ambitious vision to develop a network of rail systems across the state.

Currently, only the first phases of the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems have been completed, with passenger services already in operation.

The Blue Line is a 27km electric rail line designed for sustainable operations. Its first phase, covering 13km from Lagos Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and began commercial operations in September, carrying over 2 million passengers to date.

The Red Line, spanning 37km from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, operates on diesel. Its first phase, a 27km stretch, includes eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

The construction of the second phases of both the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems is being managed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also oversees the operation of the trains.

Beyond the Red and Blue Lines, the state has plans for additional rail systems, including the 68km Green Line (Lekki Free Trade Zone to Marina), the 85.7km Purple Line (Redemption Camp to Ojo), the 48km Orange Line (Ikeja CBD to Agbowa), and the Yellow Line, all aimed at enhancing the state’s transportation network.

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Lagos Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab Condoles With Families Of Epe Accident Victims

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Condolence Message from the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred in our community, Epe, claiming the lives of two promising young adults, a dedicated tricycle driver, and leaving several other people injured. This heartbreaking accident has left our hearts heavy, as we mourn the loss of these young souls who were full of hope and dreams, and an industrious individual who worked tirelessly for his livelihood.

As a member of this community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends affected by this terrible loss. I can only imagine the pain you must feel, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this moment of grief.

Let us honor the memories of these individuals by advocating for safety and awareness on our roads. As we move forward, may we find comfort in community and strength in one another. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find solace and healing in the days to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Monday Okpebholo Sworn In As Edo State Governor

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Monday Okpebholo, a serving senator, has been sworn in as the governor of Edo State.

Okpebholo took his oath of office at about 1pm on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony in Benin, the state capital.

As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo won the September 21 off-cycle governorship election in the state.

He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came third with 22,763 votes.

Dennis Idahosa was also sworn in as the deputy governor of Edo.

Dignitaries, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, chair of the governors’ forum; Philip Shaibu, reinstated deputy governor of Edo; and other governors from the party, were present as Okpebholo took the oath of office.

The new governor later rode in an open-top van around the stadium, acknowledging cheers from supporters.

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