RAIL-BUS CRASH: A DEVELOPING STORY
Six persons died and dozens more were injured when a train ran into and dragged a passenger bus in the early hours of Thursday morning. This unfortunate incident occurred in the Shogunle area, Ikeja, Lagos State. The bus was said to contain mostly Government workers who were on their way to work. Because there isn’t much information at the moment, the real cause of the disaster is yet to be confirmed. Although eyewitnesses have given their accounts of what actually happened.
A passerby named Babs said she was there when it all happened. She confirmed that the driver was trying to cross, with the moving train closing in. The train hits the bus and dragged it from PWD Bus Stop to Shogunle, where it stopped.
“When officials of NRC stationed at that level crossing tried to stop the bus driver because of the incoming train, he refused” Babs continued. “He thought he could pass before the train arrived.” She ended.
At the scene of the incident was South-West Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye. He said the State Government staff bus was trying to cross the PWD/Shogunle rail crossing, while the train coming into Lagos from Abeokuta trapped the bus on its rail.
“The operations are ongoing with search and rescue concluded. Removal of the carcass of the bus is ongoing,” Farinloye added.
UPDATE ON RAIL-BUS CRASH
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed shock over the accident on Thursday, involving a train and a Lagos State Government Staff bus, which happened between Shogunle and Ikeja, axis of the state. In a quick reaction to the incident, the Governor expressed sadness. He also registered his sincere condolences to the families of those that lost their lives in the accident. The Governor prayed that God would grant them eternal rest.
CASH POLICY
Rejection of old notes is disobedience to law, weakens economy – Akeredolu
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has called the rejection of old naira notes as flagrant disobedience to law. He noted that rejecting the old currency notes will weaken the economy. The governor disclosed this in a statewide broadcast on Thursday.
He urged residents of the state to accept the old notes alongside the new notes as stipulated by law. “I hereby use this opportunity to appeal to you all, my good people of Ondo state, to embrace and accept the old notes alongside the new notes as stipulated by law. Let us not create needless tension over the matter. Please collect, spend and exchange the old notes without let or hindrance,” he added.
Recall that the Supreme Court had ordered that the old currency notes must remain as legal tender in exchange of goods and services in the nation.
2023 ELECTIONS: GUBERNATORIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has postponed the Governorship and National Assemblies elections till next week. The National Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye made this known to the public on Wednesday.
Moreover, all activities pertaining to the exercise are rescheduled. Most especially the states inspection of sensitive materials at the Central Bank of Nigeria. INEC’s decision was due to the commission’s inability to earnestly commence reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines utilised during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections to enable their use in the state elections.
COURT REFUSES PETER OBI’S REQUEST
The Federal Court of Appeal has turned down the request of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party. The request was to restrain INEC from reconfiguring the BVAS machines ahead of the governorship and state assembly elections.
In the ruling delivered on Wednesday, a three-member panel of the court of appeal led by Joseph Ikyegh, held that restraining the electoral commission would constrain INEC from conducting the March 11 elections.
In an application, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, had sought an order of the court “restraining the 1st respondent (INEC) from tampering with the information embedded in the BVAS machines until the due inspection is conducted and certified true copies (CTC) of them issued.”
2023 ELECTIONS: LAGOS BATTLE
Public sector experience not criteria to perform as governor – GRV
The Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, has continued campaigning all over the streets of Lagos. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has said the current government has run unaccountably for over two decades. They’ve empowered ‘agberos’, touts and thugs with so much violence. He also said the postponement of the governorship elections has not dampened his momentum to become the next governor of Lagos.
“It is not about rushing an election, it is about getting it right and that is why we got the injunction to ensure that INEC actually follows its processes,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour said the people of Lagos want good governance regardless of the language a leader speaks or the tribe he belongs to. He noted that because he is a proper cosmopolitan Lagosian having roots with the Yoruba people and having been trained in best institutions in the world.
Besides the incumbent governor, who is seeking re-election under the banner of the APC, Rhodes-Vivour has his PDP counterpart, Jandor (Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran) to contend with.
A former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, has urged the people of Igbo extraction resident in Lagos State not to turn the state’s governorship election to “an ethnic issue”.
Recall that things changed when the candidate of the Labour Party defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress in Lagos during the presidential election. There has been intense heat of ethnic nationalism, which has increased among some of the state’s Yoruba and Igbo residents. The trend has been heated up on Social media with ethnic slurs as residents count down to the governorship election.
ENTERTAINMENT
Nollywood star Fadeyi Oloro has died at the age of 66. He rose to prominence during the late 90s because of his trademarked herbalist character.
Confirming his death via his verified Instagram, Bayegun Oluwatoyin a.k.a Woli Arole, stated: “So happy I reached out to you sir, so happy we played our part, so happy we laughed together, so happy we were able to show our support.”
“Rest in Peace the Legend “Fadeyi Oloro”. Let’s check up on people when dey are alive, let’s show love when people can feel, let’s help when it can be seen”. The star concluded.
FOREIGN
TURKEY AND SYRIA EARTHQUAKES
Desperate conditions of the southern Turkish provinces hit by the earthquakes and the lack of relatives in other provinces. These are among the pull factors that have encouraged some Syrians to make the journey to northern Syria.
“Things are very bad in the camp [in Turkey]. There is a serious shortage of aid” A survivor said. “Turkey is now part of the past, and I won’t be able to go back again.” He ended.
SPORT
FOCUS ON UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Chelsea have advanced into the quarter finals of this season’s champions league. Trailing 0-1 from the first leg, nothing other than a two goals win margin would make them qualify. The London side completed this task when Kai Havertz doubled their lead from the penalty spot.
They will now await the draw for the next phase to discover who they will play in the quarter finals. The blues might be having a terrible season domestically but as two times champions, you can’t rule them out of winning this season’s champions league title.
In other results from this week’s matches, German side Bayern Munich knocked out Mbappe, Messi and Paris St. Germain 3-0 on aggregate after defeating them 2-0 at the Allianz Arena last night courtesy of goals from Mouting and Gnabry.
The loss makes it two consecutive years that the French side fail to make it past this stage.
Thanks for reading.
