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Category: News

  • Lagos Government Shuts Down Alaba International Market

    Lagos Government Shuts Down Alaba International Market

    Officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit have taken decisive action against Alaba International Market, Ojo. 

    The operation took place during the early hours of Monday, and was revealed through an official statement posted by Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.

    Commissioner Wahab disclosed that the renowned Alaba International Market had been sealed due to a combination of serious environmental violations. 

    The primary reasons cited for this action were the market’s poor waste disposal practices, failure to settle outstanding waste bills, and a host of gross environmental sanitation offences.

    Recall that Ladipo Market in Mushin was reopened after being close for various environmental infractions.

  • FCT Residents Get October 31 Ultimatum To Revert Land For Residential Use

    FCT Residents Get October 31 Ultimatum To Revert Land For Residential Use

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued an ultimatum to beneficiaries of monetized federal government properties in Abuja.

    They are required to revert to their original land use by the end of October, or they risk having their properties revoked by November 1.

    This announcement was made by Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the Department of Development Control in the Administration, during a news conference in Abuja. 

    He emphasized that the monetization program was initiated by the Federal Government in 2005 due to the high maintenance costs of these properties, and beneficiaries must adhere to the terms of purchase.

    Galadima stated, “The minister has approved and directed that all owners of such properties should revert the properties to their original and designated land use, which is residential. Failing to comply with this directive from Nov. 1, the houses are considered as revoked and returned to FCTA.”

    The Department of Development Control has recorded over 111 cases of land use conversion for these sold houses, spanning across all districts of the capital city. 

    Additionally, the minister has ordered owners of properties, especially those along major streets, who have converted their properties without approval, to either revert to the original use or pay contravention charges.

    Non-compliance with these directives may result in the administration taking appropriate action, including revocation.

     The primary objective of these measures is to maintain the integrity of the Abuja Master Plan.

  • ERA/FOEN Decries Shell’s Slow Response To multiply Spills In Bayelsa

    ERA/FOEN Decries Shell’s Slow Response To multiply Spills In Bayelsa

    The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has expressed dismay at Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) slow response to multiple crude oil spills in the Diebu Creek in Peremabiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    ERA/FoEN in a statement by the Communication Officer, Elvira Jordan on Sunday, said its position came in the light of a field visit by ERA/FoEN team led by Programme Manager Niger Delta Resource Center, Comrade Alagoa Morris.  

    The NGO had visited the community with a team of journalists following a save-a-soul call from the community over multiple spills along the Diebu creek.

    Prior to the visit, the community had informed ERA/FoEN that Shell said a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was to visit the site of the spill but failed to keep show-up, including the very date ERA/FoEN visited.

    After two unkempt JIV, the JIV only took place a day after the field visit by ERA/FoEN with Shell sponsored news statements that attributed one of the spills to equipment failure and the other tagged inconclusive.

    Speaking to the team, the youth president of the community, Benjamin Ebinibo expressed his dissatisfaction over the conduct of Shell and their response to spill issues. According to him, the people of Peremabiri are not known for sabotaging crude oil pipelines and so the leak must have been from faulty Shell equipment.

    Describing the plight of the women of the community, the Assistant Women Leader of Peremabiri, Favour Morganlamented that the recurring spills in their community, and how it has destroyed their environment and collapsed fishing and farming activities, which is their primary source of livelihood. 

    On his part, the CDC Chairman of the community, Basil Young narrated the ordeal of the people of Peremabiri, citing issues ranging fromneglect suffered by the community as host community in terms of absence of basic amenities to negative impacts of the current oil spill incidents.

    Reacting to the spill incident, the Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Chima Williams said “we have it on record thatthe promise by Shell to visit the Spill site for JIV on 10th and 11th October, 2023 did not happen. Rather, we were duly informed that the JIV took place a day after the field visit by the ERA/FoEN led team; on the 12th October.”

    According to him, “going to sites and communities of interest with the media by ERA/FoEN is a deliberate strategy to enable stakeholders to come face to face with victims of incidents and get information from primary sources.”

    Williams further stated that while booming crude oil to prevent spreading on the surface of water is commendable, such actions do not prevent the soluble elements of crude oil to have chemical reaction within the marine ecosystem, adding that this is why effective and prompt clean up should follow booming of crude oil in any marine ecosystem.

    He called on Shell to take immediate action to clean up and restore the environment around Peremabiri community, and admonished NOSDRA and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment to follow up on spill incidents and ensure clean up and compensation matters are affected within a reasonable time frame.

  • Supreme Court Justices Reduced to 10 as Musa Dattijo Retires October 27

    Supreme Court Justices Reduced to 10 as Musa Dattijo Retires October 27

    The Supreme Court of Nigeria will see its number of justices reduced to 10 following the retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad on October 27, 2023.

    Justice Dattijo’s retirement notice, sent to the Court’s management, specifies that a special valedictory court session will be held in his honor on the retirement date.

    The Court’s Director of Press and Information, Dr. Akande Festus, announced in a statement on Sunday that the valedictory session is scheduled to take place at the Main Courtroom of the Court at 10 am.

    Born on October 27, 1953, in Minna, Justice Musa Dattijo, hailing from Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, attended Native Primary School, Minna, earning his First School Leaving Certificate between 1960 and 1966. He later attended Sheikh Sabbah College (now Sardauna Memorial Secondary School) in Kaduna from 1967 to 1971. This led to his admission to the Faculty of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a degree in Law in 1977.

    Justice Dattijo was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 2, 1977, but he didn’t stop there. In 1982, he sought further education and earned an LLM Degree from Warwick University in 1983.

    His exemplary career led to his elevation to the Court of Appeal on November 21, 1998, having served diligently in various Divisions. He was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court on July 10, 2012, marking another significant milestone in his career.

    The retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad reduces the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s justices to 10, as noted in the statement.

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  • Shettima Arrives US For AfDB’s World Food Dialogue

    Shettima Arrives US For AfDB’s World Food Dialogue

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in the United States of America to participate at the African Development Bank (AfDB) World Food Prize-facilitated Norman Borlaug, International Dialogue slated for Iowa.

    Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Communications, Office Of The Vice President, disclosed this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    He explained that as the special guest, Shettima would deliver a keynote address at the event which would commence on Oct. 24.

    “In the itinerary of the Vice-President while in the U.S. are high stake meetings across some states of the U.S. with manufacturers, investors and top government officials.

    “On the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, Shettima will be joining the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s organisation, AGRA; World Food Prize laureates; Ghana President, John Kufuor and AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adeshina.

    “Others are at the event are former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Presidents Felix Tshishiked and Joaquim Chissano; Joyce Banda; Ameenah Gurib – Fakim and IFAD President, Kanayo Nwanze as distinguished African leaders who in the past used the event to canvas support for agricultural development and food sufficiency in Africa.”

    Nkwocha said the vice president would use the platform to speak on the potentialities and endowments of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

    He also said that Shettima would woo investors and push for commitments in achieving President Bola Tinubu’s mandates and programmes for Nigeria’s agro-food sector. 

  • November Polls: INEC Cautions Political Parties Against Peddling Fake News

    November Polls: INEC Cautions Political Parties Against Peddling Fake News

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned political parties against spreading fake news, ahead of the November 11 Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo governorship elections.

    Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman stated this in a statement in Abuja.
    Oyekanmi was reacting to a statement by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that INEC was configuring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines at the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the state governorship election.
    “The attention of INEC has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, the Director of New Media of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of the governorship campaign team.
    “The statement alleged that three staff of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the Nov.11 governorship election in a part of the state in favour of a candidate.

    “The story is untrue. The three persons mentioned are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi at the moment.

    “Nicholas Ocholi is on his duty post in our Ondo State office in Akure.
    “Ibrahim Egbunu is attending to a very close family member hospitalised in Abuja, Mohammed Adara retired last year and is no longer a staff of the commission,” Oyekanmi said.
    He said that the configuration of BVAS was done simultaneously and exclusively in INEC offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi by teams deployed from the national headquarters, Abuja.

    “The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news.

    “At the same time, the commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature,“ Oyekanmi said. 

  • Avoid Driving Through Flood Water, FEMA Cautions FCT Residents

    Avoid Driving Through Flood Water, FEMA Cautions FCT Residents

    The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned residents against going through flood water to prevent avoidable death.

    Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation, FEMA, gave the warning on Sunday in Abuja.

    Wenegieme, while reacting to the demise of a 31-year-old motorcyclist from flooding in Abuja on Friday, appealed to residents to listen to FEMA’s warnings to save their lives from untimely and preventable death.

    The deceased, identified as Yakubu Lucky, after a heavy downpour on Friday, defied warnings from the local divers stationed at Dogon Gada in Lokogoma District of the FCT by FEMA, and drove into a pool of water and drowned.

    She said that the sad incident was avoidable; stressing that FEMA barricaded the road to stop people from going in and out of the community whenever the road was flooded.

    “We have our local divers and vanguards stationed there to stop people.

    “We have also mounted billboards at that particular location and other vulnerable areas, warning residents not to drive or walk in running water.

    “But people pay deaf ears to our warnings; resulting in preventable deaths.

    “In Lucky’s case, because he was on a motorcycle and assumed he knew the road very well; he navigated through the barricade and into the pool of flooding water, leading to his untimely death.”

    The director said that FEMA had been carrying out massive sensitisation campaigns throughout the year to enlighten residents on how to stay safe during flooding and other emergencies.

    She expressed concern that despite several awareness campaigns in communities, some residents still ignored FEMA’s warnings against going through flood water.

    “We will continue to sensitise residents against any action that will risk their lives during disaster or any kind of emergency.

    “But while we do our part; we are appealing to the residents to cooperate with us; heed to our advice and warnings to keep them safe.

    “Our trained local divers, volunteers, vanguards and emergency marshalls are in every community to ensure time response to emergency situations.

    “They are also in the communities to advise and caution residents during emergencies.

    “Please listen to them and do what they asked you to do to keep everyone safe,” she said. 

  • FG To Build 34,500 Homes Under Renewed Hope Cities Project

    FG To Build 34,500 Homes Under Renewed Hope Cities Project

    The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, says the Federal Government plans to build 34,500 homes in selected cities across the 36 states in the first phase of its Renewed Hope Cities Project.

    Dangiwa said this when he received the acting Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mrs Caroline Adepoju on a courtesy visit in Abuja on Saturday.

    He said increasing access to decent quality and affordable housing for all Nigerians was a major priority of the government.

    “Our Renewed Hope Cities will be inclusive and integrate all segments of Nigerians. They will comprise of one, two and three -bedroom affordable bungalows and multilevel flats catering for low to medium-income earners.

    “In spite of the challenges, we plan to build Renewed Hope Cities nationwide with the first phase dealing 34,500 homes in select cities and state capitals across the 36 states and the FCT.

    “For high-income earners, we will leverage Public Private Partnerships with reputable developers to offer the elegance of Terrace and Detached  Bungalows and Duplexes,” he said.

    Dangiwa said the ministry had mapped out clear actionable steps to make this possible for Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

    “A major focus is the reform of all federal housing agencies such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), institutions under the supervision of the ministry tasked with delivering affordable housing to Nigerians.

    “While the FMBN focuses on affordable housing using single digit interest rates and long tenures of up to 30 years to contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, FHA has the flexibility to develop houses for high-income segment.

    “These two institutions should to able to meet and deliver on the goals of your agency to deliver affordable housing to all cadres of the hardworking immigration officers.

    “For high-income earners, we will leverage Public Private Partnerships with reputable developers to offer the elegance of Terrace and Detached  Bungalows and Duplexes,” he said.

    The minister said for funding  the ministry would leverage on resources from the FMBN.

    Earlier, Adepoju said that shelter was a major priority in any society.

    “So, we have come here to know how this new administration can benefit our personnel. I am aware that there are programmes in place where the immigration service of Nigeria can key into and benefit from.

    “Apart from that I have come to appeal to you sir to the rescue of our personnel,” Adepoju said.

  • Tragedy As Two Children Die In Niger Boat Mishap

    Tragedy As Two Children Die In Niger Boat Mishap

    Two children have been confirmed dead while two others sustained various degrees of injuries in a boat mishap that occurred in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger.

    The Overseeing Director-General of Niger Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) /, Alhaji Salihu Garba, disclosed this in Minna on Saturday.

    He said the incident occurred on Friday at about 6pm when the boat engine caught fire due to a mechanical failure and inflamed a gallon of petrol stored inside the boat.

    He said that 145 passengers were in the boat, adding that they were from Danbo community in Kogi.

    Garba disclosed that the passengers were on their way back from Katcha Market when the incident occurred.

    He said that the body of one of the deceased children had been recovered while the search for that of the second missing child was still ongoing.

  • 250,000 Households To Get Electricity In 2024 -REA

    250,000 Households To Get Electricity In 2024 -REA

    The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), says it is supporting 250,000 households with electric mobility, mini-grids, home systems to boost electricity in the country in 2024. 

    Malam Mutari Ibrahim, the Director Promotion and Outreach (PIO) said this in a statement in Abuja.

    “In response to subsidy removal, REA is implementing interventions to develop electric mobility, mini-grids, distribute home systems, deploy streetlights, potentially supporting up to 250,000 households in the coming year.”

    Ibrahim said that the agency had equally deployed more than 1,650 Kilo Metres (KM) of solar streetlights, improving power, security, and economic growth in rural areas,” he said.

    He said that REA also completed 1,403 projects under the capital budget, delivering solar streetlights, mini-grid projects, standalone home systems, and grid extension works.

    “Through various programmes, including Energisng Education Programme.  Energising Agriculture Programme beyond COVID-19, and Economic Clusters, REA delivered more than 65 Mega Watts (MW) of power across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.

    “The agency has delivered more than 500MW of power, electrified numerous communities, created 500,000 new jobs, and attracted over two billion dollars in investments in the renewable energy sector over the past decade.

    “In advancing these achievements, we have established partnerships with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Global Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP),” he said.

    Other partnership secured are with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Sustainable Energy for ALL (SE4ALL), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF).

    He said that the agency also secured partnership with the European Union, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

    ‘Others are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Korean Institute of Advancement of Technology (KIAT)

    “In 2022, as part of the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (NPRGS) Programme, REA secured an additional four billion in capital injection grants.

    “To provide clean power standalone home systems to more than 50,000 locations, including rural homes, micro-businesses, schools, and faith-based institutions,” he said.

    Ibrahim said that from 2020 to date, REA had provided power to more than 7.5 million people, including 1.5 million households, delivering 130 Mini-Grid Projects, including 1.3 million standalone home systems.

    According to him, most recently, the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), REA negotiated and secured the advance approval of a 750 million dollars facility with the World Bank.

    The aim he said was to expand renewable and rural electrification initiatives, providing additional resources to Nigeria during a challenging period.

    Ibrahim said that Mr Salihijo Ahmad, the current Managing Director of the agency, had been a steadfast leader who has tirelessly guided REA through challenging times.

    “Even in the face of internal, external pressures, and resistance to anti-corruption efforts.

    “Upon assumption of office, Ahmad encountered a myriad of unresolved staff issues within the agency.

    “Recognising the immense challenge of repositioning the agency for effective project delivery, human resources became a pivotal consideration. In response,

    “He wasted no time in addressing concerns related to the organisation’s processes, structure, and staff welfare, with the aim of fostering a conducive work environment for optimal performance,” he said.

    According to him, his first step is to initiate a comprehensive institutional assessment and appraisal of the agency, carried out by a globally renowned organisational re-engineering firm.

     He said that the assessment rigorously evaluated the agency’s project delivery, institutional structure, and processes to determine its capacity to meet its mandate.

    “The recommendations from the assessment were meticulously reviewed and approved by the agency’s board and the minister before being put into action, resulting in significant accomplishments.

    “Over the past few months, we have collaborated closely with the ministry of power, National Assembly, anti-corruption agencies, and process organisations to initiate further reforms within REA in spite numerous obstacles,” he said.