Page 22 News

Page 22 News

Pg 22 News

Railway: 405,048 travellers recorded in 2months

From Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos

At least 405, 048 passengers travelled by trains in January and February, 2016, document from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has shown.

The figure obtained by Daily Trust indicates that while 207, 286 used the rail transportation in January; 197, 762 Nigerians travelled by trains in the second month of the year.

These comprise of passenger movement on all the NRC trains including the Lagos-Kano passenger train, Lagos-Ilorin intercity passenger train, Offa-Kano intercity passenger train, Minna-Kaduna Mass Transit Train (MTT), Kano-Portharcourt Intercity passenger train, Abba-Portharcourt MTT and the MTT operating between Lagos and Ogun states.

Already, the state government of Osun partnered with the NRC to provide free train ride for indigenes of the state from Lagos to Osun while the passenger traffic also rose during the season.

The corporation also expects a boost in the passenger movement with the planned commencement of standard gauge service from Kaduna to Abuja in May. The coaches for the planned operation have been brought in.

Spokesman of the NRC, Abdulraouf Akinwoye yesterday told our corrspsondent that the corporation had put in place ample security at all the train stations to stave off any attack.

These include the Railway Police Command, the Private Security guards and the Man-O-War personnel jointly providing security in the system.

He said, “Security on our train is guaranteed. We’ve not gotten any negative report in terms of security. We’ve a whole command of police providing security on train and they are within the length and breadth of rail network in Nigeria.”

Electricity workers decry exploitation by firms

From Hir Joseph, Jos

The national leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has decried an alleged exploitation of Nigerians by the electricity Distribution Companies (Discos), insisting on an end to the estimated billing without commensurate power supply.

The National Secretary, Joe Ajaero who led his team to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Corporation (Nigeria) Limited (NESCO) in Bukuru, Jos, Plateau State recently said, “They should come and learn the NESCO model and apply same so they can efficiently meet customers’ needs and end the era of serving their customers estimated billing without services rendered.”

NESCO has been in operation since 1922. It contributes 30 megawatts (mw) to the national electricity grid.

The Managing Director of NESCO, Mr. Christopher de-Krestser urged the NUEE members to continue giving their best to lift the company higher.

Ondo, Kingline to commence work on 550mw power June

By Simon Echewofun Sunday

Handlers of the 550megawatts (mw) Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Ondo state said the construction activities will begin by June this year as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a licence for it.

The plant will be built and operated by the Ondo State Government and its partners, Kingline Development Company, a South Korean Company.

Kingline Head of Nigeria Operations, Engr. Akinnola Fola who disclosed this in Abuja said the construction of the plant would commence by June. “The project is in the final stage before achieving finance close,” he stressed.

The State last year sealed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with POSCO E & C of South Korea for the first phase of the proposed 1,100mw IPP project

The gas-fired open cycle plant on completion, will sell its 550mw generation to the national grid while it expects another 550mw in the phase 2.

The construction is expected to take about 26 months from commencement and date of issuing the Notice To Proceed (NTP). While POSCO will supply the turbine and other engineering works,

“The EPC contract between POSCO E & C of South Korea and Kingline Ondo IPP Ltd is considered a crucial milestone. The contract covers the turnkey delivery of the power plant,” officials said.

Technology transfer, my main interest? – DG DICON

From ?Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna

Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Major General Bamidele Ogunkale has said that technology transfer is the main interest of the industry with special emphasis on reverse engineering?.

Speaking when the Turkish Defence Attache to Nigeria, Colonel Sadik Gok paid him a courtesy visit at DICON Headquarters, Kaduna recenlty, Ogunkale disclosed plans to upgrade its factories to compact machines that are multifunctional, adding that, most of the machines on ground presently are now obsolete having been installed since 1964.

He expressed interest in partnering with Turkey on fabrication and remodelling of military products to meet the ordnance need of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies., saying that people had developed interest in Turkey over time because of their high quality standard products and their maintenance culture.

“Technology Transfer is our main interest with special emphasis on reverse engineering and we intend having in our factories compact machines that can perform many functions at a time, most of the ones installed since 1964 are obsolete,” he said.

Earlier the Turkish Defence Attache, Col Sadik noted that there are quite a number of companies from Turkey that are ready to partner with DICON to product of military equipment

On how his country’s Defence Industries had been able to mitigate initial challenge at the early stage, he said “Turkish political leaders exercised the right political will, which ranged from import restriction to other measures aimed at encouraging local production.”

Dangote Group at Enugu fair, offers low prices

From Kayode Ogunwale, Lagos

To driver expansion, companies under the Dangote Group are participating in the Enugu International Trade Fair which kicked off last week at the Trade Fair Complex, Golf Estate Enugu.

The companies which are introducing either new and repackaged products include Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Agrosacks, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (Dangote Salt), and Dangote Rice Ltd.

A statement from the Corporate Communications Unit, said the fair has become a veritable venue for introduction of new innovations to Dangote products and that visitors to the group pavilion at both fairs will have the opportunity of buying products of these companies at reduced prices.

It has a unique offering at fair, the Dangote Combo pack. It contains products from its different companies and is offered to participants at the fair at a discounted price.

The statement indicated that, the economy pack which contains household products like Dangote sugar packets, Salts, Dangote seasoning, Dansa Fruit juice products range would are combined in a pack at a giveaway price.

Customers willing to be distributors of any of the products have the opportunity of meeting the staff members to take them through the process.

Chamber seeks fresh investment for South-south

By Daniel Adugbo

The Coalition of South-South Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (FOSSCCIMA) said it plans to create strategic partnerships with both the federal and state governments to boost and attract fresh investments in the south-south region of the country.

President of FOSSCCIMA, Mr. Billy Harry, said the move will encourage more companies to make investment in the region, engage the youths gainfully, and provide platform for continued dialogue towards reduced youth restiveness.

To this end, the chamber is planning the first south-south international trade fair which is billed to come up from the 10th-30th April 2016 at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt.

Harry in a statement in Abuja said, “We believe that the chains of poverty, environmental degradation, and absence of visible economic investment in the South-South needs to be severed through investment in infrastructure, improved youth empowerment and engagement, sustained growth of SMEs and new opportunities.”

He added that trade fair would showcase products from the manufacturing industries, ranging from food and beverages, textiles and fashion accessories, footwear, gifts and decorative items, toys, health and beauty products and other household items.