NEWS
Lagos Issues 7-day Vacation Order to Developers of Structures on Drainage
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, gave the order during the inspection of drainage and canals at Obalende, Dodan Barracks, Oniru and Lekki Phase II, on Sunday.
Wahab said that some of the challenges faced by residents due to flooding were man-made.
”There are man-made challenges. I am glad you were with us this morning at Dodan Barracks.
We have to check the canal path and the water path for the waste water; you all noticed it yourself.”Developers have built to block water path and water will always find its own level,” he said.
On the inspection at Dodan Barracks, Wahab said that there were ongoing discussions with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) on how to resolve the challenges with their drainage channels.
”For the Dodan Barracks, our plan is that we have to have a meeting with them, and we have served them notices that will last for seven days.
”We have to carry out demolition to create and open up the path for the water to enter the primary channel created by the state government,” Wahab said.
The commissioner said that an on-the-spot inspection of Obalende showed that everywhere under the bridge had been converted to ‘motor parks’.
He wondered why the path created for the canal at Obalende was blocked.
”For me, our assignment is clear on Obalende also.
”We are going to serve them notices to leave, so that we can have the place properly turned up. We used to have green area there before,” he said.
Wahab wondered why the greed of some people for money gradually made them to build on top of canals.
”People have forgotten that the environment is the master of man.
”We have this petition for the past few weeks that people are building on the canal. So we just came to verify and what we saw is not encouraging at all.
“From the beginning down to the other end of it, they have blocked part of the canal. So, virtually all the houses on this side of the state are always flooded.
”We are going to serve them notices. We are going to do demolition; the notices are for seven days.
”But for this other side, we have served them notices before now; so we are going to start demolition on Monday without caring whose ox is gored,” he said.
Wahab also expressed concern about the recklessness of people and their greed for land acquision for money.
During the inspection on Saturday, the commissioner and his team visited the palace of the Oniru of Iru Land, Oba Gbolahan Lawal.
Lawal during the visit thanked the team for the good work of ensuring that the environment was clean and free from waste.
He advised members of the team to do their best in caring for the environment for posterity sake.
”If you do not perform well in the environment, you will be ready to get some bashing. The consequences of not doing the right thing will affect the health of the people,” he said.
Lawal also urged the commissioner to train and re-train enforcement officers for the good of the state
He urged the state government to create more green parks and ensure regular clearing of drainage in the state.
The commissioner was accompanied on the visit by the Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin.
Also on the team were the General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Mrs Adetoun Popoola and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji.
Others included Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Lekan Shodeinde, some journalists and other stakeholders. (NAN)
The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (JISEMA) has distributed relief materials to the affected families of Majia tanker explosion, which occurred in Taura local government area of the state.
The items distributed by the agency on Saturday in Majia town include 25kg bags of rice, 25kg bags of millet, cartons of spaghetti, Maggi cube, seasoning, detergents, soap, semolina, gallons of vegetable oil and 110 rubber mats.
Dr Mairiga Haruna Mairiga, Executive Secretary of the agency, said the materials were donated by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, and JISEMA.
Mairiga said this after the distribution, that the items were distributed to the families of the 210 people affected by the tanker explosion.
Some of the beneficiaries who received the items, commended the Federal and State governments as well as wealthy individuals who assisted them since the incidence in October.
Mr Muhammad Habibu, father to a deceased victim, said the relief materials would assist them at a time that they lost a helper.
Another beneficiary, Mr Auwal Abdullahi, whose son is on admission at Rashid Shekoni hospital in Dutse, said the materials would reduce the hardship encountered due to the incident.
They commended JISEMA for coming to their aid and prayed to God to continue guiding the state Governor Umar Namadi, towards the right direction.(NAN)
The Veritas University, Abuja, on Saturday, graduated a total of 795 students in various disciplines from six facilities during its 13th Convocation ceremony
Report says that 716 of the graduands bagged first degrees while 79 graduated from the post graduate school.
56 if the first degree graduands came out with first class honours, 329 with second class upper division, 291 with second class lower division and 40 with third class.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof.
Hyacinth Ichoku, said that the impact of the institution had reflected in its standard of education.Ichoku said the students had recorded outstanding breakthroughs by winning awards for the school and country both at the national and international levels.
”Our students have continued to shine in the last years. The Software Engineering Department of the institution won the African Global Engineering Competition.
”We have also won the Commonwealth debating championship as well as an AI competition involving 150 university,” he said.
He added that the institution had inaugurated its endowment fund with the aim to generate funds to address the infrastructural need of the university.
He also said that the institution had just completed the construction of two separate hostels, each to accommodate 500 students, while also expanding its digital hub that would facilitate international teaching and learning.
He said pledged that the institution was planning the construction of its faculty of engineering and innovation.
In a goodwill message, the Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, lauded the institution its achievements.
Maiyaki said that the milestone resulted from years of hardwork, resilience and commitment in inculcating academics and moral values for the educational advancement of the country.
The institution’s Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Dr Matthew Kukah, said that the country was at the crossroads as a result of numerous challenges the country is faced with.
Kukah said that with the emergence of a new terrorist group, there was need for the country to brace up to this challenge to avert future problems.
He charged the graduating students to deliver on the confidence reposed in them to help the country find a lasting solutions to some of the challenges.
Highlight of the event included award of prizes to the outstanding students in their various departments and faculties.
Prominent Nigerians also bagged the institution’s honorary doctorate degree award.
The honorees were the Asagba of Asaba Kingdom, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and the Executive Secretary, Sahara Power Group, Kolawole Adesina.
Others are Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most Rev. Alaba Job and Archbishop Emeritus of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna.(NAN)
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has hailed the outcome of investigation on the allegation of forced abortion leveled against the Nigerian military by the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC) and Reuters.
Musa made this known in a statement by the Director Defence Information, Brig.
-Gen. Tukur Gusau, on Saturday in Abuja.Musa commended the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency in the North East for exonerating the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) from indictments regarding allegations on forceful abortions and other infractions in the sub-region.
He recalled that the report of the panel specifically stated that the allegations of systematic abortions, torture, rape and extra juducial killings levelled against the military were false.
The CDS commended the 7- man panel led by retired Justice Abdu Aboki for painstakingly carrying out a thorough job since its inauguration in March 2023 by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.
He reaffirms the commitment of the armed forces to the defence of human rights and resolve to ensure that peace reigns in the country.
According to him, no amount of false accusations will distract the armed forces from exercising its constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation. (NAN)
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