Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC ) has declared a free train ride from Thursday on all its passenger services.

This followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu who also approved a 50 per cent reduction in interstate bus fares to enable the people to travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The NRC in a statement said following the President’s directive, it would commence free train service on its entire passengers’ services from Thursday, December 21, 2023 to Thursday January 4, 2024, both days inclusive.

The statement added, “Passengers are advised to obtain their free tickets via the online e-ticketing platforms only. Tickets will not be issued at any of the corporation’s train stations. Please note that no commuter will be allowed to board the train without a ticket.

“We enjoin commuters to be orderly, obey security personnel and the laid down boarding instructions of the NRC and those of its officials while at the station and on board the trains. We wish all our esteemed customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance.”

The President had approved the intervention of the Federal Government in reducing the cost of transportation for the Christmas and New Year festivities to 50 per cent on all inter-state routes.

The Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr Dele Alake, who disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja, said logistics for the Federal Government subsidised transport fare had been concluded.

He said this was part of the President’s resolve to reduce the hardship faced by many Nigerians who wish to travel to see their family and friends during the Yuletide.

Alake stated, “In the spirit of Christmas and the end of year festivities, President Bola Tinubu, in another demonstration of his love for Nigerians, has approved that the Federal Government should intervene to bring down the cost of public transportation.

“This is to allow our compatriots who want to travel to visit their loved ones and hometowns to do so without stress and the extra burden imposed by the high cost of transport around this period. The President is well aware of the recent increase in cost of inter-state transportation and even for air travels.

“Traditionally, our people love to travel during Christmas and end of year to be with families and friends and this has been the practice for ages.”

The minister explained that the Federal Government would be working through the Ministry of Transportation to reach out to transporters, road transport unions, Nigerian Railway Corporation to seamlessly deliver on the special presidential initiative.

He added, “It is in this wise that the Federal Government is announcing, beginning from Thursday, a special discounted holiday season fare on road transport and zero-fare by rail across Nigeria.

“What this means is that from Thursday, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via minibuses, luxury buses at 50 per cent discount of current cost and all our train services on the routes the trains currently serve at zero cost to and fro on their travels this holiday season.”

Alake said this reduction would affect routes like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Ibadan, Akure, Maiduguri, Sokoto and other major inter-state transportation hubs.

He also said Tinubu directed the police, Department of State Services, the military and other security agencies to collaborate to ensure safety of lives and property during the festive period.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also explained that the measure was not a one-off thing by the Federal Government, adding, “This is part of efforts President Bola Tinubu intends to be doing. It is not a one-off thing, and even though it is targeted at Christmas, the President would continue to review situations especially national holidays like this and see what kind of intervention can come going forward.”

The Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Saidu Alkali, disclosed that the Federal Government already met with the leadership of the transport companies toward a successful and efficient reduction cost.

He said the ministry would maintain all the train routes in order to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed the maximum benefits of these special presidential intervention.

In line with its commitment to provide lifestyle banking solutions and memorable experiences for its customers, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, recently hosted customers to two fun-filled days in commemoration of the Yuletide.

Tagged the Fidelity Family Weekend (FFW), the event saw the bank host over 10,000 guests at the Fidelity Grounds, Oniru, Lagos to a carnival-like atmosphere on Saturday, 16 and Sunday, 17 December 2023. A special feature of the morning event on both days, which were hosted for young children, parents and grandparents; was the loyalty prize presentation ceremony for the bank’s SWEETA and FPSS accountholders. The event saw several FPSS and SWEETA customers each go home with N500,000 and N150,000 respectively.

Speaking at the loyalty prize presentation ceremony, the chief host and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON said, “2023 has been an eventful year for us as a bank and we are indeed grateful for the success we recorded this year. We typically host an end-of-year party to cap the year and this year, we decided to try another approach and bring together the entire family in celebration of the Yuletide. We are happy to host you and have put in place lots of exciting activities to keep everyone engaged over the next two days.”

Day 1 of the event climaxed with a ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree by Dr Onyeali-Ikpe during the rave which featured breathtaking musical performances by Alternate Sound and Sean Tizzle amongst a host of entertaining performances put together to delight young adults and adults.

Just like the previous day, Sunday’s activities at the Fidelity Grounds featured several games and a visit to Santa’s grotto by the children who all received goodie bags comprising several functional and educational gift items.

Guests at the rave of the second day of the FFW were treated to musical performances by Peruzzi and queen of house music, Niniola; amongst a plethora of entertaining activities directed by the Master Compere and comedian -Funny Bone.

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued guidelines on how to identify adulterated, fake wines, soft drinks and consumables.

NAFDAC has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, especially during the yuletide season, and emphasized the “4 Ps” for purchasing alcohol: Place, Price, Packaging and Product. Below are some of the guides:

Only buy NAFDAC-registered drinks
Only Buy drinks from reputable and licenced retailers, bars and supermarkets.
If the product is being sold well below its normal price, it is probably fake.

If it does not seem to include normal taxes on liquors, then it could be fake.

Check for poor-quality packaging, spelling mistakes and unusually shaped bottles.

If the contact information and address of the manufacturer is missing, the alcohol is fake.
Inspect the seal on the bottle. If the bottle seal is broken or damaged, it is a red flag.

Check for fake bar codes to verify the authenticity of the product.
Look out for bad smells that resemble paint stripper or nail polish remover– it may be a counterfeit concoction.

Following weeks of intelligence gathering and collaboration with security agencies, NAFDAC Director-General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye announced on Monday that the agency had discovered a clandestine network operating at Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State.

According to NAFDAC, the counterfeiters were a formidable cartel responsible for producing a wide array of adulterated products, mimicking popular brands such as Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel, and others.

The illegal operation also included date revalidation for expired products like Peak milk, Powdered milk, Ketchups, Yoghurt, Coca Cola products, as well as the packaging of false and substandard items, posing a serious hazard to public health.

The agency revealed the deplorable conditions of the makeshift factories, stating, “The shops-turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles, and cloned packaging materials of other brands.”

NAFDAC executed a comprehensive raid, targeting over 240 shops-turned-factories.

Over 1500 cartons of fake and substandard products, valued at over seven hundred and fifty million naira (N750,000,000), were destroyed during the operation. Ten individuals were apprehended at the scene and are set to face charges following a thorough investigation.

Due to the severity of the illegal activities, NAFDAC temporarily shut down Eziukwu Market for regulatory activities. It was only reopened after stakeholders committed to preventing the resurgence of such illicit operations.

Highlighting the health risks associated with consuming adulterated alcohol, NAFDAC warned, “Drinking adulterated alcohol can cause nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and dizziness, blue tinged or pale skin, irregular or slow breathing, low body temperature, unconsciousness or passing out. It can also lead to kidney and liver failure or even death.”

According to the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, more than 3 million people died worldwide as a result of alcohol poisoning.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also determined that alcohol is responsible for one out of every ten cancer cases in Nigeria, and that 4.7 percent of all cancer cases in Nigeria in 2019 can be related to the intake of contaminated alcohol.

NAFDAC advised consumers to, “Only buy NAFDAC registered drinks from reputable and licenced retailers, bars and supermarkets.

“If the product is being sold well below its normal price, or doesn’t seem to include normal taxes on liquors, then it is probably fake.

“Check for poor quality packaging, spelling mistakes and unusually shaped bottles. Look for the contact information and address of the manufacturer. If it is missing, the alcohol is fake. Inspect the seal on the bottle. If the seal is broken or damaged, then the contents might have been interfered with and are not safe to drink. Check for fake bar codes. If you have an app on your mobile that scans bar codes, scan it and see if it’s listed as the correct product.”

Highlighting product clues, the DG said, “Beware of bad smells! If it resembles paint stripper or nail polish remover, exercise extreme caution – it may be a counterfeit concoction.”

Encouraging the public to report any suspicious activities relating to illegal production of adulterated products to the nearest NAFDAC office nationwide, it assured that,

“We remain dedicated to our mandate, actively pursuing illegal producers. We urge the public to report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office, ensuring the safety of our citizens.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that there is no shortcut for the 25 former lawmakers who lost their seats after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This comes despite a recent directive from President Bola Tinubu seeking their reinstatement.

In a statement issued after an emergency meeting, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) declared that the former lawmakers can only return to the Rivers State House of Assembly through fresh elections.

Recall that Tinubu on Monday directed Governor Fubara to recognise Martin Amaewhule as Speaker and pay the salaries of the defected lawmakers.

However, the PDP said such a move isn’t legal.

“The only option available for the former lawmakers is to seek fresh nomination and re-election on the platform of any political party of their choice,” the statement said. “They freely vacated their seats, being fully aware of the consequences of defection without justification.”

The PDP further clarified that the Rivers State House of Assembly, having declared the seats vacant, cannot re-admit the former members without a fresh election. They also dismissed claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can be prevented from conducting elections in the affected constituencies.

“Section 84 (15) of the Electoral Act, 2022 is clear,” the statement noted. “No court has the power to stop INEC from conducting elections wherever a vacancy occurs.”

The PDP, therefore, urged INEC to proceed with fixing a date for fresh elections in the 25 constituencies, while assuring their party members to remain united and resolute in upholding the rule of law.

The development is the latest chapter in the ongoing political saga in Rivers State, fueled by the power struggle between Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The defection of 27 lawmakers, allegedly loyal to Wike, and the counter-declaration of their seats as vacant by Fubara’s camp had plunged the state assembly into turmoil.

Twenty persons, including a police officer, have been kidnapped in Pupuple town, Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State by terrorists.

The victims were abducted by the gunmen who invaded the village at about 2 am earlier today.

Eye-witnesses say the gunmen shot sporadically in different directions and took away victims, including a Chief identified as Umaru Nyala, his Police orderly, religious leaders, and a pregnant woman.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Taraba State Police Command, Abdullahi Usman, noted that the command was investigating to gain more facts before issuing an official statement.

Earlier this month, residents of the community decried the rate of kidnapping in the community following the abduction of six persons yesterday in October.

The abduction came a few days after a Police Inspector was abducted from his farm in the Kurmi Local Council of the state.

The residents, who said they could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed, called on the state government to deploy more security operatives to the area.

They also called on the state government to support the security agencies with logistics that would enable them to stamp out kidnappers, armed bandits and other hoodlums that have been making life difficult for the people of the council and the state as a whole.

Social Media was set buzzing on Monday evening after Nigerians took to their various social media platforms to humorously express their opinions about the high level of fake products which has proliferated the Nigerian market.

While sharing their thoughts about these products, some of these users expressed their fears about these anomaly as they shared various samples of products on the markets and their variations against the original product samples.

They also lamented the effects of these products which are all highly consumed by Nigerians.

Recall that popular Nigerian artiste, Buju Benson, on the 17th of December, 2023, voiced his concerns regarding the prevalence of adulterated and fake alcoholic beverages being sold in clubs, shedding light on the potential health hazards and financial losses faced by patrons.

The singer expressed his frustration with the situation, emphasising the substantial amounts spent on what he referred to as “overpriced drinks.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission has directed MTN Nigeria, Airtel and other telecommunications firms to fully bar phone lines without National Identity Numbers and those whose NINs have not been verified.

This was disclosed in a corporate notice that MTN Nigeria filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited revealing the directive from NCC and the attached deadlines for the barring.

In the statement signed by its Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, MTN Nigeria said, “This is part of an industry-wide directive that requires phone lines for which the subscribers have not submitted their NINs to be barred on or before 28 February 2024. With regard to NINs that have been submitted but not verified, such lines are to be barred on or before 29 March 2024, where five or more lines are linked to an unverified NIN.

Similarly, where less than five lines are linked to an unverified NIN, such lines are to be barred on or before 15 April 2024. All affected subscribers must be verified (biometrics and biodata) before their lines are unbarred.”

The current directive is a follow-up to the NCC’s directive of April 2022 requiring operators to restrict outgoing calls (one-way barring) for subscribers whose lines are not associated with NINs.

MTN encouraged affected subscribers to submit their NINs for verification.

“As part of these efforts, we are enhancing the capacity of our various service outlets to make the process smoother and more efficient. We are committed to ensuring that our subscribers comply with the NCC directive and will continue to work with the National Identity Management Commission to accelerate the NIN verification process,” MTN added.

The company also expressed a willingness to work with the Federal Government in ensuring compliance with the industry-wide directive from NCC.

“As a law-abiding corporate citizen and in line with our operating licence requirements, we are committed to complying with the industry-wide directive from the NCC and will provide further updates to investors on progress and potential impact with the release of FY 2023 results,” the firm said.

The Pastor-in-charge of Region 12 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Richard Adeboye, has called for more prayers for the leadership of the country to overcome its array of woes and challenges.

Adeboye said rather than protesting and cursing them as done in the past with no reprieve in sight, Nigerians should rather rely on the instrument of prayer for a desired turnaround for the good of the country.

The cleric disclosed this while speaking with newsmen at this year’s Halleluyah Mega Praise Night, Season 2 with the theme, ‘Dominion’, held at the Shimawa High School, Ogun State.

Adeboye said, “There is no nation like Nigeria. The fact that we are still surviving is a symbol that God has created this nation in a very unique way and very soon, we shall shout victory at last.