Author: The Nation

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, will unveil his latest in the INTERVENTIONS Series, The Putin Files, tomorrow.

The unveiling will hold at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, and virtually via Zoom, at 2 pm.

Organised by publishers of the series, Bookcraft Africa, the event will feature readings from the book by Soyinka, as well as some members of the audience. It will also have a conversation between the Nobel laureate and Anthony Kila, a professor of political science, public affairs analyst and newspaper columnist.

The session will afford guests the opportunity to engage with Soyinka on the book’s subject.

Its blurb says Soyinka ‘with typical ardency, takes on the still unfolding and increasingly brutal war in Ukraine and what its resolution — one way or another — might portend for the future of our very fragile continent’.

The  series, which began in 2004, has featured 11 volumes by Soyinka and two by guest contributors. The series was designed to provide a platform for regular public engagement with social, cultural, and political issues in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.

• Tinubu, Bago, Diri, others mourn
• NIWA blames mishap on operator’s recklessness 
• Kwara rolls out safety guidelines, 1,000 life jackets for Patigi council
• AbdulRazaq leads delegation to Patigi
• Governor mulls local agency to boost safe water travels

There was outrage yesterday over the death of 106 passengers in a boat that capsized on Niger-Kwara waterways.

   President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who commiserated with families of the victims, said he was saddened by the news of the accident that claimed the lives of wedding guests.

  Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who led a delegation to the bereaved communities yesterday, rolled out safety guidelines.

   Niger State Governor Umar Bago and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, expressed sadness over the boat accident that occurred on June 12.

In a statement by State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, the President said he was saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of over 100 Nigerians in Kwara State.

He promised to look into the challenges facing inland waterways transportation in the country, urging the state government and Federal agencies to probe the remote and immediate causes of the mishap as well as ensure succour for survivors and families of the victims.

Also, the death toll in the disaster rose to 106 yesterday.

Passengers onboard the boat were said to have been returning from a ceremony at a neighbouring village in Niger State when the vessel, pushed by tempest, hit a log.

President Tinubu said: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful. 

“My heartfelt sympathy and condolences go to the families and friends of victims of the tragic mishap. I also sympathise with the government and people of Kwara State over the accident. May all loved ones find comfort.

“The Kwara State government and relevant federal agencies should work together to unravel the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate accident. Immediate relief and necessary assistance should also be provided to the survivors and families of the victims.”

AbdulRazaq led a government delegation to Patigi to commiserate with families affected by the boat mishap.

Accompanied by Senator Sadiq Umar (Kwara North), House of Assembly member for Patigi State Constituency, Muhammad Kareem, and Ahmed Adam Rufai, the governor first headed to the palace of the Etsu Patigi, who joined the delegation that visited the riverine communities affected by the accident.

“It is a sad event. We commiserate with our people in Patigi Emirate, including the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II. We are deeply saddened by the event.

“Measures will be taken as we are having discussions with NIWA on enforcement of safety codes. We will also be sending a team to Lagos State on how their waterways’ law works.

“Our immediate step is to deliver at least 1,000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.

“In addition to whatever safety measures that are in place, the government will design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water travels to cover issues of boat serviceability, speed limits, loading limits and wearing of life jackets by all passengers. This will be the new irreducible minimum,” AbdulRazaq told reporters on the sideline of his visit to Kpada and Duro, the headquarters of Ebu and Dzakan settlements whose residents died in the incident.

The government, he said, would also send to the parliament a proposed legislation that imposes punishments and fines for violations of the safety protocol.

Commiserating with the Kwara State government over the sad incident, Bago, in a statement by his media aide, Ibrahim Bologi, said it was heartbreaking.

He hailed the Chairman of Mokwa Local Government Area and the acting Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), for taking necessary steps to assist in  rescuing some victims.

The governor advised the people, especially those around riverine communities, to ensure the use of life jackets when boarding a boat, avoid midnight travels and overloading.

Diri bemoaned the accident, describing it as unfortunate.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the tragedy was a sad reminder of similar incidents in the riverine areas, particularly in Bayelsa and other coastal states in the country.

Diri said such incidents resulting in deaths would be minimised if the federal government, which was in charge of the waterways, took concrete steps to prioritise safety on the country’s rivers.

The governor urged the Federal Government to come up with a holistic safety policy that covers not only the air and roads but also the waterways.

He contended that if that was done, operators of river transportation in the country would be compelled to comply with such measures.

Diri noted that a situation where operators ignored safety rules to overload their boats had led to avoidable loss of lives.

Giving updates on the incident, the Kwara State Police Command said there were 250 people onboard the ill-fated boat, confirming that 106 died in the mishap.

The command’s spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said: “The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu and Dzakan villages, all within Patigi Local Government Area.

“On leaving the shore, one part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing.

“All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about 106 people.

“Among the casualties were people from Ebu village with 61 casualties, Dzakan village with 38, Kpada village with four dead, and three other casualties from Kogi State, putting the total number of casualties at 106 and the total number of rescued people at about 144.”

Okasanmi added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Paul Odama, had directed policemen on the rescue operation to continue with the task and ensure security for the rescued victims until they were fully recovered from the shock of the accident and handed over to their families.

Also, the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), through its General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Jibril Darda’u, blamed the boat operator for embarking on the voyage around 2:30 a.m, descrbing his action as unlawful and reckless.

“This accident was clearly an unfortunate and avoidable one. Preliminary investigations through our Area Manager in Minna/Kwara Area Office revealed that the boat driver and wedding guests were on the ill-fated voyage about 2:30 a.m, which speaks volumes about the disregard for the laws regulating Inland waterways navigation.

“For a wooden boat to had  allegedly been carrying more than 200 passengers at once without using life jackets and sailing in the night was certainly gross-overloading and misconduct,” it said.

NIWA said it would, in line with extant laws and regulations, investigate the callous incident and prosecute those found culpable.

The Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa described the incident as tragic, revealing that experts had been dispatched to assist with search and rescue operations.

He said the commission was awaiting a comprehensive report on the accident to be guided on the next line of action to prevent future occurrence.

• Agency chief praises President

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Data Protection Act into law.

The National Commissioner for the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, who announced this in Abuja, hailed the President for his assent to the law.

The agency chief said the development would change the narrative in the industry.

Olatunji described the Act as a giant leap forward for the sector, adding that over 200 million Nigerians now have their fate renewed in Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.

“Nigeria has taken a giant leap forward in the global data race with the assent to Nigeria Data Protection Act by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,” Olatunji said.

He added that the Act, which was signed on June 12, would boost Nigeria’s digital economy.

Olatunji noted that in a statement by the Head of Legal Enforcement and Regulation of the bureau, Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye, the Act would usher in a robust regulatory dispensation for the industry.

“While applauding the President for renewing the hope of over 200 million Nigerians in the advancement of privacy rights and other fundamental freedoms, both in cyberspace and in analogue transactions, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission National Commissioner,  Dr. Vincent Olatunji, equally expressed high optimism on the prospects of Nigeria’s Digital Economy following the emerging regulatory dispensation,” the statement said.

It noted that “the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, pursuant to the express provisions of the new Act, has transmuted into a full-fledged commission and it is mandated to, among others, regulate the deployment of technological and organisational measures to enhance personal data protection; foster the development of personal data protection technologies, in accordance with recognised international best practices and applicable international law, and conduct investigations into any violation of a requirement under the Act”.

It added: “The Act is one of the strategic ways of meeting the campaign promise of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, of creating 1 million jobs in the Digital Economy sector.

“About 500,000 jobs are expected to be created through the training of data protection officers and licensing of data protection compliance organisations to offer services to data controllers and processors.”

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to store up emergency relief materials in anticipation of floods in some parts of the country this year.

The Nigeria Metrological Agency (NiMET) had predicted that there would be floods in some parts of the country later this year.

In a resolution following a motion by the immediate past House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the Green Chamber urged the government to furnish it with the report of the committee that looked into the flooding situation in the country last year.

The House invited the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other agencies to brief its lawmakers on the measures in place to mitigate floods and manage the socio-economic impact on residents of flood-prone areas.

It also resolved to liaise with relevant agencies of the Federal Government to ensure the relocation of Nigerians from most flood-prone areas and encourage communication between the Federal and the state governments to ensure effective collaboration to prevent the worst outcomes in flood-prone areas.

In moving the motion, Gbajabiamila, who was performing his last duty as a legislator, drew attention to the fact that a large portion of the country – from North to South, East to West – is prone to annual destructive floods which have, in recent years, destroyed many people and properties.

The erstwhile Speaker also drew attention to the fact that NiMet had, in January, released the seasonal climate predictions with a forecast of early onset of rains across the country and heavy rains throughout the season.

The prediction of an early rainy season has come to pass while that of heavy rains has begun to manifest.

He said the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook report by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency showed that 178 local government areas in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fall within the highly probable flood risk areas.

According to him, Nigeria is yet to recover from last year’s floods, which affected more than 4 million Nigerians, displaced over two million people, caused the death of 665 people, damaged about 355,986 houses and homesteads and destroyed an estimated 944,989 hectares of farmland.

Gbajabiamila also said the experience of the 2022 flood propelled the Federal Government to constitute a Presidential Committee to develop a comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disasters in Nigeria.

Also, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to take a holistic and systematic action aimed at curtailing the gully erosion menace across the country.

The Green Chamber’s action followed the adoption of a motion on the need for the Control of Persistent Gully Erosion along Ugwuonyeama 9th Mile Federal Road in Enugu North and Udi Local Government Area sponsored by Chimaobi Sam Atu.

The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing as well as the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to complete the reconstruction of Ugwuonyeama 9th Mile Road to prevent its total collapse.

It mandated the committees on Environment, FERMA and Works (when constituted) to investigate the threat posed by gully erosion to Ugwuonyeama 9th Mile Road in Enugu State and recommend long-term solutions.

• Tinubu focuses attention on security in FCT, neighbouring states

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is focusing attention on security in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and the surrounding states.

This followed the increase in criminal activities in the FCT and the neighbouring states.

Last night, the President met with Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule to review the security challenges in the state.

Sule, who briefed reporters about his discussions with the President, said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces sought to know the update on the security situation in Nasarawa State, which accommodates a large number of workers in the FCT.

The governor said most of the criminal activities in his state were perpetrated by those targeting the FCT with the notion that all the nation’s money was there.

“First and foremost, I think Mr. President was interested in knowing some of the security challenges we have in the state. The state is always an area where some of these few security challenges come up because a lot of these bandits and kidnappers always target Abuja. They think that’s where the money is.

“They usually come between our boundary with Kaduna; they come between our boundary with Kogi; our boundary with Benue. So, we had a few of some those issues.

“…A few days ago, more than 20 people were kidnapped on the main highway to Abuja. But God so kind, we were able to get all of them back.

“Last week, we got some expatriates who were kidnapped at their site between Garaku and Dari. We were able to get all of them out yesterday. I’m sure Mr. President got some of those security reports that some of those issues came up.

“There was also the problem within the House of Assembly. I think Mr. President wanted to know more about that. So, that’s what I used the opportunity to brief him on what is really happening,” he said.

When asked about what he thought the President’s gesture was towards helping Nasarawa State to overcome its security challenges, Sule said: “I saw the commitment from his own side because from what you can see while I’m here, there are already some heads of security agencies that are here.

“So, he said he’s going to discuss with them immediately. In the past, we had taken joint military operations in the area. He said that is also another option that he would look at. That is the direction that we’re getting.”

The National Population Commission (NPC) yesterday said the national population and housing census will hold this year, in compliance with international best practices.

NPC’s Federal Commissioner in Kwara State, Abdulrazaq Gidado, gave the assurance in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a breakfast meeting with reporters.

“If our national population and housing census exceeds this year, it means it’s expired. This is because it has to comply with international best practices in terms of technology, timeline, among other variables,” he said.

Gidado said the commission was ready to deliver an acceptable and verifiable digital census across the country.

“The NPC is set to ensure the national population and housing census holds this year. Postponement of the exercise was not because the NPC was not ready as every arrangement had been made.

“It is not that we’re likely to go back to training processes already carried out. We will only go through the necessary ones remaining. The exercise must be done properly because billions of naira have gone into it already. There’s every need to go ahead with the exercise.

“No date has been fixed yet for the conduct of the exercise, but we believe that in no distant time, the date will be given. Anytime we’re called upon, we’re ready,” he said.

The NPC chief advised that all the resources so far put in the preparation should not be allowed to go down the drain.

Gidado, who said a forum of the NPC Federal commissioners across the country had been constituted to liaise with the Presidency on the need to allow the exercise to hold this year, added that it would address several national issues and agitations from various parts of the federation.

He said the national census was supposed to be held every 10 years, according to the United Nations (UN) standard, adding that Nigeria held its last national census almost 17 years ago.

The NPC chief also said 18,000 ad hoc functionaries had been recruited in Kwara State for the exercise, including 913 facilitators to train at local government levels, 14,026 enumerators, 466 Special Work Force (SWF), data quality managers (DQM), as well as training centre coordinators.

Gidado sought media support for the the success of the census, which he said would be digital, adding that the message on the mode and reason for the exercise should get to the grassroots.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) generated N768.44 million in revenue from passengers in the first quarter (Q1) of this year.

This is contained in the NBS Rail Transportation Data for Q1 2023 released yesterday in Abuja.

The report showed that the figure dropped by 63.02 per cent, compared to the N2.08 billion it made in Q1 of 2022.

It also showed that N181.27 million was collected in Q1 2023 as revenue from goods/cargos, rising by 99.28 per cent from N90.96 million received in Q1 2022.

The report stated that other receipts amounted to N34.17 million, showing a decline of 41.02 per cent in Q1 2023, from the N57.92 million collected in Q1 2022.

The report further showed that the number of rail transport passengers in Q1 2023 dropped by 511,374.

“This is lower than the 953,099 recorded in Q1 2022, representing a growth rate of -53.65 per cent,” the report said.

It also showed that 59,966 tonnes of goods were transported in Q1 2023, compared to 39,379 tonnes reported in Q1 2022.