News

$15bn Rail Project To Connect N’Delta States Not Started Yet, Says NDDC

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2023

The Niger Delta Development Commission has reiterated that the Memorandum of Understanding with a US-based firm, Atlanta Global Resources Inc., to build a railway network that will connect the nine states of the Niger Delta region is to commence the preliminary processes of feasibility and viability of the rail project.

This is coming on the heels of the position of the Chairman of the NDDC’s Governing Board, Lauretta Onochie, that the MoU with the US firm is “shady and illegal.”

She had alleged that the deal was signed “without her knowledge and without the authorisation or consent of the board.”

Onochie, who listed reasons the MoU was declared illegal, said the Act establishing the NDDC (Act No 6, of 2000), states that the chairman of the board is solely vested with the power to sign MoUs with any organisation.

However, the statement signed by the Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr Ibitoye Abosede, made available to The PUNCH on Friday, partly read, “At the Public-Private Partnerships Summit which we organised in Lagos on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a United States-based firm.

“This foundational process may have been misconstrued by some persons to mean that the NDDC has signed the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract.

“We have been inundated with enquiries over what is ordinarily one of the preliminary steps necessary for the actualisation of a partnership arrangement with the private sector.

“All we signed at the PPP Summit was a basic MoU to commence the preliminary processes of feasibility and viability of the rail project. It did not include any agreement on details.

“It is only after the preliminary studies, that the finance appraisals will be done and then the civil engineering procurements and the locomotive hardware will be considered.

“For those who may not know, Atlanta Global Resources Inc deals with financing for Industrial products, infrastructure projects, agriculture equipment, capital equipment financing etc. They came recommended by a reliable US financial institution, especially for the deployment of US-produced locomotives,” the statement added.

The NDDC added that it was aware that a partnership agreement for a massive project such as a railway network involves many international and national financial protocols.

“Obviously, many things will be involved and it comes in the mould of the NLNG train 7. Again, the ICRC and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, as well as the Ministry of Transport will be part of the negotiations. In addition, EPC contractors and hundreds of other international consultants will be involved.

“The prospects of realising the rail network are very good and we are confident that we will succeed ultimately.

“The current Board and Management of the NDDC have resolved to do things differently so as to effectively drive sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.

“To give effect to this, we decided to use the PPP model to provide alternative sources of funding for key development projects and programmes,” it further read.

The Commission urged stakeholders to give them the necessary support to ensure that they succeed in the venture.

News

DSS Issues Warning, Arrests Man For Circulating Fake Recruitment Materials

Published

10 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) has disclosed the arrest of one Mr. Eze Ezenwa Benard, who was recently apprehended for circulating fake DSS recruitment past questions and answers on Facebook.

The agency, while warning the public in a statement on Saturday, said the suspect operated through a page known as “Jobs and Education”, where he advertised the fraudulent materials and charged unsuspecting members of the public one thousand naira (N1,000) for access.

“The public is hereby cautioned to disregard any materials, as the DSS does not sell or distribute recruitment questions, answers, or examination guides through private individuals or social media pages. Recruitment into the Service, when necessary, follows specialised procedure in accordance with extant laws and due process,” the statement reads.

News

‘Na Only People You Gave Work Love You,’ Singer Speed Darlington Tells Tinubu

Published

10 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Singer Speed Darlington has told President Bola Tinubu that public admiration cannot be bought, warning that only those who received appointments or jobs from the government truly support him.

In a video posted on Saturday, August 23, the singer said, “Everything isn’t about the economy! There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you.”

Darlington, an Igbo man, urged Tinubu to focus on police reform and respect for human rights. “The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate. Please, before you leave office, please speak to your Yoruba brother IGP man,” he added.

News

Before You Leave Office, Reform The Police — Speed Darlington Urges Tinubu

Published

10 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Popular controversial singer Speed Darlington has called on President Bola Tinubu to reform the Nigerian Police Force, urging the government to prioritise citizens’ rights alongside economic growth.

In a video posted on Saturday, the entertainer criticised what he described as the police’s systemic human rights violations and oppressive practices.

“Mr President, before you leave office, whether you secure a second term or not, try your best to improve Nigeria. Everything isn’t about the economy!

“There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you,” he said.

The singer, who identifies as Igbo, urged Tinubu to engage with the Inspector-General of Police and implement reforms.

“As an Igbo man, the advice I can give you so people will know your name and remember you for something good is to reform the police. Reform the police.

“The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate,” he added.

Darlington also recounted his personal ordeal with law enforcement, highlighting the system’s abuse of power.

“I was held for two months after the judge had ordered my release. FID held me for two months. According to my lawyer, the Nigerian law gives only 28 days for investigation.

“They held me for two months. What is the extra month for? Because they can. If you give them money, they oppress your enemy. I have experienced it,” he said.