NEWS
NEMA Tasks Enugu Communities on Building Flood Prevention, Resilience Action Plans
From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Thursday urged flood prone communities within council areas in Enugu State on building flood prevention and resilience action plans.
The Acting Zonal Coordinator of NEMA South-East, Ngozi Echeazu gave the task during a sensitization on Proper Waste Management and Flood Preparedness in Eha-Amufu community within Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State.
The sensitization, which would be carried out in flood prone communities within three council areas in Enugu State, was organized by NEMA in collaboration with Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Echeazu advised community leaders and community disaster stakeholders to put together a local disaster management team as well as plan using both structural/non-structural measures to mitigate flood disaster.
According to her, the communities and stakeholders should formulate a local disaster mitigation team and plan that will take care of various health challenges that are associated with flooding and improper waste disposal.
“As part of the flood prevention and resilient action plan is the transfer of agricultural and livelihood risk and possible losses through the use of insurance companies.
“There is a need for dumpsters and designated locations for refuse dumps in communities in order to ensure that drainage is not blocked by refuse and silt created by indiscriminate refuse dump.
“You should also have a designated flood safe place for Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) temporal settlement within the local response plan to be carried out with the Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs),” she said.
She noted that building the resilience of communities to flood disasters had become imperative following the 2024 Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) predictions.
“This sensitisation is in line with the NEMA’s mandate to reach out and build capacities of LGAs/communities that are prone to flood disaster in the South-East especially in Enugu State.
“For Enugu State, the Agency is targeting its sensitization within communities in three LGAs, which are Isi-Uzo, Awgu and Enugu South LGAs from today to the weekend,” the zonal coordinator said.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA Enugu State, Chinasa Mbah appreciated NEMA for the sensitisation on proactive actions to be taken to mitigate the impact of flooding and also assisting the state to sort its emergency and response issues always.
Responding, the Traditional Ruler of Eha-Egu autonomous community within Eha-Amufu area, Igwe Samuel Ogbodo, assured that the people would abide by all instructions and warnings issued by NEMA and take proactive and concrete actions on mitigating the impact of flooding.
On his part, Member representing Isi-Uzo State Constituency, Hon. Gabriel Eze, commended the joint efforts of Federal, State and Local Governments in supporting proactive measures meant to mitigate disaster as well as disaster management by NEMA and SEMA.
Eze revealed that the gaps observed in the activities of LEMCs within the 17 council areas of the state, including Isi-Uzo LGA, would in no distant time be resolved by the Enugu State House of Assembly.
The event also featured a key presentation on “Flood Preparedness and Proper Waste Management”, which was delivered by a senior official of NEMA, Ezeani Nnanyelugo, in Igbo language.
The highlights of the event were an interactive session, distribution of flyers on Proper Waste Management/Flood Preparedness tips in both English and Igbo language as well as sharing of emergency numbers of relevant stakeholders to participants.
The sensitization was attended by state/LGA functionaries, traditional rulers, community leaders/members including religion leaders, traders, farmers, okada riders/drivers, artisans and other relevant stakeholders such as Nigeria Police, Red Cross, NYSC members, Forest Guards among others.
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
Share The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing...
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
Share By Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s...
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)...
Imo: Police kill 3 Hoodlums in Attempted Police Station Attack
Share The Police Command in Imo on Sunday foiled an attack by hoodlums on Njaba Local Government Area Divisional Police...
INC Condemns killings During Youth Congress Elections
Share The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has condemned in strong terms the Sept.14 killings in Abuloma during the ljaw...
Tinubu Committed to Improving Welfare of Senior Citizens –Alake
Share Dr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has restated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improve the welfare...
Lifting of Petrol from Dangote Refinery Marks Industrialisation – FG
Share The Federal Government has hailed the commencement of petroleum product lifting from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, describing...
Parents Protest Boarding Fees Increase in Lagos School
Share Some parents of students of Oriwu Model College in Ikorodu on Sunday protested the sudden increase of boarding fees...
Federal High Court Resumes Tuesday After Annual Vacation
Share The Federal High Court (FHC) will, on Tuesday, resume its annual vacation. The annual vacation, which began on July...
EFCC Detains 5 Chinese Nationals over Alleged Illegal Mining
Share The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended five suspected Chinese illegal miners in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, Ibieno Local...