Month: April 2024

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has approved emergency work on Dogon Gida box culvert which is on the verge of collapse.

Mr Felix Abuah, the Coordinator Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

NAN reports that the FCT Emergency Management Department had on April 7, barricaded the box culvert, to avert loss of lives.

The culvert was on the access road that linked over 3,000 residents of Lokogoma village, popularly known as Dogon Gida community to Ring Road II.

Also, the community members lose their loved ones to flooding while trying to cross the culvert during the rainy season, due to the low elevation of the culvert.

Abuah explained that the minister’s approval was in response to the call to renew the hope of the affected commuters in line with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.

‘I assure you, work will soon commence in that particular area,’ he said.

NAN further reports
that Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FEMD, who barricaded the culvert, described its condition as a disaster waiting to happen.

She described the culvert as one of the vulnerable locations in the FCT, particularly to flooding during the rainy season.

Similarly, the Ward Head of Lokogoma Village, Mr Irimiya Kanpani, had appealed to the Federal Government, the FCT Minister and the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council to come to their aid.

Kanpani explained that the culvert was constructed in 2016 through community efforts, adding that every year, the community members mobilised resources to maintain the culvert until it finally gave way.

According to him, there is no year that a community member does not lose a brother, a friend, a father, a mother, or a sister to flooding, while trying to cross the culvert during the rainy season.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration, has handed over to the police, a staff of Parks and Recreation Department for allegedly cutting down trees illegally within the capital city.

The Coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Obuah said that the staff, simply identified as Abubakar, was caught in the act.

He said that the incident happened on Sunday when he was going round the city.

‘We were going round to see exactly what was happening in the city when we caught Abubakar who incidentally happens to be one of our staff at Parks and Recreation Department.

‘He was caught cutting down trees that beautify the city and are important for mitigating the impact of climate change, among other valuable functions,’ he said.

He said that the staff had cut down many of the fully-grown trees before he was caught.

The coordinator said that a staff of the department illegally cutting
down trees planted by the department years ago was abhorrable.

‘We have handed him over to the police for prosecution.

‘This will serve as a deterrent to all the people who would want to sabotage the efforts of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu in giving Nigerians a befitting capital city.

‘We will maintain the beauty of the city,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian Navy (NN) says personnel of Naval Security Station (NSS) 023, deployed along Cawthorne Channel in Rivers, have rescued more than 250 passengers on-board a capsised passenger boat.

The Director of Naval Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, in a statement on Tuesday, said the passengers were rescued at about 10.00 p.m. on Sunday.

Adams-Aliu explained that the ill-fated boat, MV Precious Emmanuel, took off from a local market in Sangana area of Bayelsa.

He said the boat was making its way to Rivers when it encountered stormy waters and hit a wreck which damaged its hull causing it to capsise.

According to him, the locally made, 3-deck wooden vessel, popularly known as ‘Large Cotonou Boat,’ was overturned and had no lifesaving equipment on-board and none of its passengers wore a lifejacket.

‘It was the vigilant eyes and professional response of NN personnel who swiftly undertook a rescue mission that ensured no life was lost.

‘This rescue effort is in line with the Strategic Directive of
the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla which states that ‘the strategic end state of NN operations is a safe and secure maritime environment in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.’

‘Additionally, the NN wishes to reiterate the importance of lifejackets, life buoys and other life-saving equipment to local maritime operators,’ he said.

According to him, provision and proper utilisation of such equipment is imperative to safety of lives at sea.

‘The NN, wishes to assure the general public that it remains committed to securing Nigeria’s maritime space from the backwaters to the outermost limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone for legitimate businesses to thrive,’ he empathised.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta) has called on the Federal Government to enforce a nationwide ban on movement of heavy-duty vehicles during the daytime.

Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said this in view of the alarming surge in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs), resulting in a staggering annual death toll exceeding 40,000 individuals, as reported by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Nwoko also said that the statistics revealed a concerning trend, with a 6.01 per cent increase in road traffic crashes in the fourth quarter of 2022.

He said the figure escalated further by 6.16 per cent compared to the same period in 2021, as documented by the FRSC.

The senator noted that the distressing figures persisted into the third quarter of 2023, with Nigeria recording 2,187 road accidents.

This, he said was verified by the FRSC and substantiated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its latest NBS Roa
d Transport Data for Q4 2023.

He further said that the FRSC had elucidated that articulated vehicles, tankers and trailers were responsible for the death of 3,200 persons in road accidents between 2015 and 2018.

He added that the corps said that this was with Nigeria incurring a staggering loss exceeding N39 billion to tanker and trailer-related road crashes in 2018 alone.

The lawmaker said that with the staggering statistics, it was very imperative to enforce a nationwide ban on movement of heavy-duty vehicles during the daytime across the country, and the time to do that was now.

He disclosed that his motion on the subject matter, titled ‘Compelling Need to Enforce Nationwide Ban on Movement of Heavy-Duty Vehicles in Daytime’ was already before the Senate.

Nwoko noted that states like Lagos and Abia have implemented prohibitions on the daytime movement of trucks and trailers on state roads.

He said that the confinement of the trucks and their operations to nocturnal hours as a proactive measure to mit
igate the escalating carnage on daytime roads, there is the need for others to do same.

He said that recent weeks have shown succession of tragic incidents involving fuel-laden tankers, trailers and cement trucks, precipitating ghastly accidents with alarming casualty rates.

‘I was informed about the grievous incident that happened in Rivers on April 26, wherein a fuel-laden tanker erupted in flames, claiming the lives of four individuals and engulfing approximately 100 vehicles at the Eleme section of the East-West Road.

‘This followed a collision with another vehicle, catalysing a catastrophic explosion that rapidly spread to adjacent tankers and vehicles ensnared in the ensuing traffic impasse.

‘I was also informed about another harrowing incident that occurred at Okene bypass on the Okene-Lokoja expressway in Kogi on April 28, involving a cement truck which tragically claimed the lives of no fewer than 19 individuals, epitomising the perils posed by heavy-duty vehicles.

‘I am concerned that it has be
come all too commonplace to encounter fuel-laden tankers, heavily laden cement trucks, and articulated vehicles hauling perilous cargo jostling for space alongside passenger vehicles during daylight hours and early evenings.

‘This exacerbate the risk of collisions and calamities on the nation’s roadways.

‘I therefore call on the Federal Ministry of Transportation to collaborate with the FRSC to incorporate a nationwide ban on daytime movement of heavy-duty vehicles into its Safety Requirements/Guidelines for Articulated Lorries (Tankers/Trailers) Operations in Nigeria.

‘They should be permitted to carry out their operations only between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 a.m.

‘I equally call upon the FRSC to exercise greater diligence in their operations, upgrade traffic and vehicle standard regulations where necessary, and ensure strict enforcement.’

Nwoko noted that failure to uniformly enforce such regulations nationwide portends a continuation of road accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles, characterise
d by an alarming fatality rate and the sustained hemorrhaging of billions of naira in economic losses.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Yiaga Africa, an NGO, has called for a four-year tenure for elective positions in Local governments to ensure uniformity in terms of office at states and federal levels in Nigeria.

Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programmes, Yiaga Africa, made the call at an Advocacy Roundtable tagged: ‘Legislative Reforms for Enhancing Local Government Elections’, in Lagos on Tuesday.

‘We want government to create a form of uniformity across every states to ensure local government elective positions would be for a four-year tenure like the president as well as governors.

‘This will also ensure that state governors do not have the right to decide whether to hold elections or not.

‘Aside Lagos State and few others that hold periodic local government elections, some states have not had elections for over 10 to 15 years.

‘They’d rather have caretaker committees and no elected officials at the local government level which should not be encouraged,’ she said.

Mbamalu also highlighted some other legislative reform to ensure enh
anced and quality local government elections.

She stressed on the need for Electoral Act 2022 to be amended.

It currently provides that LG elections should be conducted in line with the provision of the electoral act that regulates area council elections.

‘It is imperative that a clear timeline for election is guaranteed whereby every four years there is local government election across all local governments in the country.

‘We propose that there is clear timeline not earlier than 360 days notice to elections in order to ensure proper planning, engagements and sensitisation by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs),’ she said.

She urged government to give SIECs quality funding to enable proper planning and early voter education through sensitisation on all forms of media/social media platforms so as to avoid voter apathy.

Earlier, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi (Founding Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), called for a reform of the local government structure to allo
w a more independent body of judges or non-partisan Nigerians to conduct local government elections.

Akiyode-Afolabi, who was represented by Mr Uche George of WARDC, said this in her address titled: ‘Local Government Elections, a Necessity for Democratic Development’.

According to her, logistical challenges, inadequate voter education and voter processes are some of the issues for electoral reforms engagements.

She also proposed a constitutional reform to enable local government to have full autonomy, in terms of management of finance, elections, in order to ensure impactful service delivery.

Also, Mr Stanley Kuti, Director, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), called for collaborations with stakeholders and the need for active sensitisation to avoid voter apathy.

On her part, Mrs Temilola Akinade, IPAC Chair, urged LASIEC to make accessible the commission’s Law to all political parties and the citizens so as to be informed of their guidelines, rules and regulations.

Speaking, Mr Oladi
po Ajomale, Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Oshodi/Isolo constituency, stated that processes were ongoing on making the Laws of Lagos State accessible online to all citizens.

Ajomale, also the Chairman, committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, said Nigerians should be well informed and up-to-date on all informations regarding their state and by extension the country.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) says the rapid advancement in biotechnology, particularly genetic engineering, has ushered in a new era of possibilities for enhancing agricultural productivity.

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General, NBRDA, spoke at a Ministerial Meeting on Demystifying Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) with civil society organisations on Tuesday in Abuja.

‘In improving human health, mitigating environmental challenges and driving socio-economic development, our world is at a critical juncture; where scientific advancements intersect with societal values and concerns.’

Mustapha said it was imperative to engage in open, transparent and inclusive dialogues surrounding biotechnology, particularly GMOs.

He said the subject of GMOs had often been shrouded in misinformation, misunderstanding, fear, controversies and concerns regarding their safety, regulation, ethical implications, and socio-economic impacts.

Mustapha said the meeting served as a pla
tform for informed dialogue, evidence-based discussion and collaborative action to address the multifaceted dimensions of GMOs.

According to him, the required synergy can be achieved by bringing together stakeholders from across government academia, industry, farmer groups, civil society and the public.

‘The meeting is aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the issues at hand, identify common ground and chart a collective path forward that would prioritise the public good, safety and sustainability,’ he said.

In her remarks, Dr Rose Gidado, Director Agricultural Biotechnology Department, NBRDA, said food security remained the utmost importance in the country.

‘It is a matter of emergency; I think the president has placed emergency on that and we cannot achieve that food security without the use of innovation science and technology,” she said.

Gidado said that the bio-modern biotechnology practice had a lot of potential with plenty of promise for food security enhancement.

On his part, Kabir Ibrahim,
National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) said GMOs crops were safe and had the capability to take farmers out of poverty.

He said there was the need to look inward to upscale food production with the use of science and technology in order to feed the growing population.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria