The Nation Newspaper

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  • Nigerian communities where delicacies are taboos

    Nigerian communities where delicacies are taboos

    Nigeria is blessed with rich cultural values that have endeared her to the international community over the years.  Part of  the natural endowment of the country is its sumptuous variety of delicacies which have at various times been applauded by visitors to the country.

    The delicacies which come in different forms abound in every part of the country and are said to contain high nutritional values that help the development of the body. In spite of the good health benefits that can be derived from eating these delicacies, findings revealed that many communities across the country abstain from eating them for various reasons part of which include upholding the ancestral beliefs of their forefathers.

    For instance, in  Asaba, the capital of Delta State, the sale and eating of ogbono, a protaineous seed  used for making sumptuous soup across the country is considered a taboo.

    “It is a taboo for us to eat ogbono soup because our mother goddess, Onishe uses it for spiritual purification. This in our local parlance is known as ife-ahu. If you check the mouth of the River Niger  you will find that it is the sacred abode of the deity, Onishe. She is the spiritual mother who holds the destiny of Asaba people. Big ogbono trees line up both sides to the groove of the mother goddess.

    “The mystery behind these trees is the belief that for the past 250 years, neither the leaves nor the ogbono seeds have ever fallen on the ground. The day I tried eating it in defiance to our culture, I had myself to blame. My mouth and part of my face was swollen. When I told people what I did, they said I was lucky to have suffered mild repercussion. They said some people tried it and never lived to tell the story. It is a true life story and  not a fairy tale,” Vivian, a native of the area said.

    Checks also showed that in some parts of Agbor, an Igbo speaking part of the state, the people forbid eating ram. Not only do they forbid it, it was learnt that they must not stay close to where it is being cooked.

    Florence, a hairdresser shares her experience with our correspondent. “ It is a serious matter in our place and on no ground do we allow the temptation of  what people say about it push us into tasting it. When I was coming to Lagos, my grandfather specifically warned me not to have anything to do with the meat of ram.  Even if that is the only source of protein  in the whole world, I would rather lack protein than eat it because the consequence is worse than not having protein in the body. A relation dared the tradition out of greed and paid dearly for it. Her tongue pushed out and had to be taken back home to appease the gods of the land before she became well again.”

    The Nation also gathered that  in Orokpo, an Urhobo community located in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State,  the people  do not hunt nor eat the meat of  Lynx popularly known as “Awawa” in the local parlance.

    Explaining why the hunting or eating the meat of the animal which provides cheap protein for the people is prohibited, a native of the community who simply gave his name as James: If any member of the community should eat of the meat of this animal, he will develop severe and throbbing pains in the part of his body which corresponds to the part of the animal that he ate. So if it is the leg part of the animal that he ate, he will have severe unexplained pain in his legs. He will only get cured only by presenting himself to the priest of the deity who would tell him the e sacrifices that he would do to appease the gods.

    “If he doesn’t do exactly what he is asked to do for any reasons, he will continue to live with the problem and may ultimately die. That I am a Christian does not have anything to do with this. It is the tradition of the land handed over to us by our forefathers. It is not a pagan practice as some people will be quick to describe it. It is the culture of the land and even pastors and  believers in other religions don’t toy with it.

    Various communities in Igboland, it was learnt, also have various food taboos. In Nnewi, one of the largest communities in Anambra State, killing and eating of ewi (bush rat) known to be a good source of meat and protein for the people is forbidden. The Nation gathered that the  practice  was borne out of the belief that ewi played a great role in saving the founders of Nnewi during wars.

    In Ehime Mbano area of Imo State, rearing and eating of dog meat is said  to be against culture of the people.

    Tracing the history of the observance, Chief Okeke, a native of the community, said: “It all started several decades ago when dogs believed to have rabies caused the death of their owners by infesting them with the disease. Our people don’t also eat native cows. This is simply because we look at them as home pets.If you do what is contrary to what the tradition says, you will suffer for it. No orthodox treatment can cure the problem. The treatment lies in the native practice.

    Coming to the south western part of the country, sale of roasted yam seen by many as a delicacy that can be eaten in different ways is deemed a taboo in Ikorodu area of Lagos  State.

    “ Sales of roasted yam is not permitted in any part of Ikorodu. It is believed that doing such will bring a lot of trouble into the society. The community frowns at it and it is in the interest of the people and the entire land,” Ajibade, a resident said.

    Yam, though not the roasted one also enjoys some respect in Edo State, Ishanland to be specific. “It is forbidden to sit on a yam in our place. This is because we hold it dearly as a child. We give it that respect,” said Omonsuzi, a native of Uromi.

    The consumption of snakes hat is highly cherished in different parts of the country, according to findings is utterly prohibited in parts of Obanliku, a suburb of Cross Rivers State.

    Blessing, a native of the area explained why this is the practice in the area. She said: “Our people don’t eat snake because history has it that there was a time our forefathers were having a social gathering where they treated themselves to a good time. In the course of dancing, a snake was said to have jumped down from a tree and joined them in dancing. This made them to begin to see the creature as something that should be preserved.”

    Debunking the beliefs surrounding the taboos, Margret Ubeku, a nutritionist said:  “Many people in the society are unaware of what  constitute their nutritional needs . Food taboos can cause nutritional deficiency in people, most importantly, the children. When a pregnant mother is forbidden from eating egg on the ground that it can cause the baby to be a thief, or a situation where a pregnant woman is not allowed to eat liver because it can cause bleeding during delivery, what becomes of nutritional value to such woman?

    “There is another that says a pregnant mother should not eat okro or snail because it will make the baby salivate. All these are baseless and unfounded beliefs. They will only lead to one not eating food of high nutritional value which automatically reduces their nutritional status.”

    Some sociologists who spoke with our correspondent said taboos, especially food taboos are essential part of the society as most of them came into existence after the food in question must have caused something to happen in the  particular environment it is forbidden . They noted that the taboos are meant to bring about social order in the society.

    There has not been any established link between snail consumption and sluggishness and grass cutter consumption with prolonged labour. On the contrary, the giant African snail has a rich source of protein, trace elements and minerals which are needed for proper growth and development in human beings. In the same vein, the grass cutter or cane rat is also a source of rich animal protein. These foods are cheap and can serve as commonly available sources vital nutrients for a balanced diet in developing countries. Their consumption could therefore reduce maternal malnutrition if utilised fully.

    Mr Jawando Jubril, a lecturer in the Sociology Department of Lagos State University (LASU)  has this to say about food taboos: “You call these practices taboos but they are ways of bringing order into the society.  Roasting of yam or selling of broom in the south western part of the country is believed to be something that brings bad omen. They are believed to cause diseases like Small Pox, Chicken Pox because they denote looking for the wrath of the gods. But because Lagos State is a cosmopolitan society, the values attached to these beliefs have been eroded. The people that are charged with the responsibility of protecting these cultures have overlooked them.

    “In Lagos Island for example, When the late Oba Oyekan was alive, people were not allowed to sell roasted yam  or hawk broom. Every community has taboos that the natives and even the non natives must respect. There are consequences for disobeying these taboos and they are always very grave. There are health reasons attached to the observance of some of these taboos while some have spiritual reasons for observing them.”

    He however pointed out that  it is not all the taboos that hold water, adding: “There are some of them that are ordinary myths because they have no empirical back up. They are merely handed over from one generation to another and are derived from using mere common sense. For example, it is believed that it is a taboo for one to eat by the side or in front of a door because if you do, you will not be filled.

    “This is just a common sense thing that is meant to prevent people from not eating to their fill because when you are eating by the door side and people have to go in and out, you will keep standing up and not concentrate to eat the food as you should thereby causing your stomach not to be filled. Another one is the idea of blowing whistle in the afternoon. It is also a commonsense thing because when you blow whistle in the afternoon, you will disturb the people that are resting in their homes.”

    Examining why some of the food taboos have continued to exist despite the influences of civilization and religion,  Mr Adedeji Oyenuga who also teaches in the same department of the institution said: “ Some cultural values are easily eroded while others don’t. Some cultural traits can be easily ignored while some others will take a very long time before they can be changed. The ones that can easily be changes are referred to as folkways while the one that cannot easily be changed are what we call mores.

    “These two  represent the norms of the society. I am not from Ikorodu and cannot explain why they forbid roasting of yam in the area but I do know that Ogun (god of iron) worshippers are in the area and that they do roast yam. What probably is the issue here is that people in the area are not expected to roast yam for commercial purposes. It could mean that roasted yam is expected to be shared to people free of charge.”

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  • Nigerians groan under hardship of acute water shortage

    Nigerians groan under hardship of acute water shortage

    Nigerians are facing acute shortage of potable water in spite of claims by some state governments that funds are being allocated to solve the problem.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that water is a transparent fluid which forms the world’s streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of organisms.

    Water is one of the most important substances on earth. All plants and animals must have water to survive.

    If there was no water there would be no life on earth. Apart from drinking it to survive, people have many other uses for water.

    Mr Simone Grego, Regional Science Advisor, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Abuja Office, told NAN that water was a vital element for humans and ecosystems.

    ‘’As we all know, we need water for food production, energy, industrial and domestic uses, the world is facing an increasing pressure from these demands, which is worsened by growing population.’’

    The UNESCO official expressed regret that over 630 million people in the world were still living without access to clean water.

    He added that around 2 billion people in the world still required access to improved sanitation, especially girls and women who the most vulnerable.

    Dr Michael Ojo, Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, said eliminating inequalities would help Nigerians out of poverty and achieve their full potential to live healthy and productive lives.

    “Walking, queuing and carrying jerry cans in search of water is often a job that is not paid and not recognised, it wastes time and hinder productivity for many women and girls.

    “In sub-Saharan Africa, women spend combined total of at least 16 million hours each day collecting drinking water, we can do more when these inequality gaps are closed.”

    Ojo said Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) was an essential component of an integrated approach towards tackling poverty, hunger, health and inequality, saying prioritising this would make growth sustainable.

    However, he said that 57.7 million Nigeria do not have access to safe drinking water, while thousands of children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in Nigeria.

    The National Coordinator for Health and Environment Basic Registry Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN), Dr Misbau Lawal, however, lamented that more than 130,000 Nigerians die of water-borne diseases.

    Lawal told NAN that water borne-diseases were as a result of inadequate provision of safe drinking water and sanitation.

    Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said statistics had shown that about 3.4 million people in the world die annually as a result of water borne diseases.

    In Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, said at a forum that his administration at inception in 2011 met water supply at zero level.

    He said his administration’s efforts had, however, put it at 70 per cent productivity level to date.

    Ajimobi also said the inaugurated ultra-modern water treatment plant at the Asejire Water Scheme cost N262 million.

    NAN reports that the Asejire scheme has a production capacity of 186,000 cubic meter of water per day.

    He said that the scheme was supplying potable water to 85 per cent of Ibadan population, as well as Ikire, Ikoyi and Apomu in neighbouring Osun.

    Apart from the aged equipment, other factors that led to the decline of water production at the water scheme included lack of
    spare parts for maintenance and persistent disruptions in power supply.

    Residents, however, insisted that scarcity of water was biting harder in spite of government`s efforts and fund allocations at addressing the problem.

    A resident, Alhaji Busari Adeyemi, told NAN that they often had to resort to the patronage of water vendors to access water for domestic use.

    Another resident, Mrs Eunice Okanlawon, said many people now seek assistance from owners of boreholes to access potable water.

    To ameliorate the current challenges, the state government has awarded contracts for the construction of Ayete Water Supply scheme to serve Tapa, Idere and Ayete communities and has dedicated a power Line to Saki and Ogbomoso Water Supply
    Schemes.

    Government, it was learnt, had also awarded the contract for the extension of pipelines to new areas across the state and upgraded the water treatment facilities at Koso and Atori in Iseyin.

    This is in addition to those of Igboho, Igbetti and Ogbomoso as well as laying of New Rising Mains from Eruwa to Igboora (Phase I & II).

    The General Manager, Water Corporation of Oyo State, Mr Olusoji Oguntola, said that the projects were awarded as part of government efforts to increase the volume of potable water to the residents.

    NAN also reports that repairs of dilapidated pipelines across Ibadan metropolis were ongoing while N1.8 billion was budgeted for water in the 2016 budget just passed by the state assembly.

    In Abeokuta, residents called on Gov. Ibikunle Amosun to address the prevailing water challenges in the state to avoid outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases.

    Some of the residents in separate interviews with NAN said they have continued to groan under the hardship of acute water shortage in the state.

    Mrs Ademola Alaga, a housewife at Post-Office area of Ijebu-Ode, told NAN that the situation had left them to continue to live with the risk of outbreak of diseases.

    Alaga expressed regrets that in spite of unjustified water bills, those who patronise the Ogun State Water Corporation’s (OGSWC) pipe-borne water scheme could hardly get potable water.

    She said residents had continued to depend on wells, streams and water vendors for their daily needs.

    Alaga said those on the state water scheme pay bills ranging from N3, 000 to N6, 000 monthly depending on the volume of water consumed.

    She, however, urged the government to resuscitate the Yemoji Dam, which she described as a good source of water to Ijebu-Ode and its environs.

    Another respondent, Mrs Kemi Oduneye, residing at the Market area in Ota area of the state, said she had been spending N300 on water purchase weekly, aside her payment to the state Water Corporation.

    She appealed to the government to make the supply of potable water regular while stressing the need to fix pipe leakages and minimise wastages.

    Mr Bola Oyedele, the Chairman, People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) in Ogun, urged the state government to invest more on the provision of potable water.

    He said that so many water projects had been abandoned by the government, stressing that this had contributed to the suffering of the masses.

    “We have a World Bank project around Idi-Aba in Abeokuta which has been abandoned, the water scheme is supposed to supply Idi-Aba and its environs.

    “The state government should revive all abandoned water projects and do the needful by meeting up with the yearnings of the people in the area of adequate water supply.

    “State Governments under the watchful eyes of state water corporation should be committed to sinking boreholes in all nooks and crannies of the state, “ he said.

    In Akure, many residents complained of either outright lack of pipe borne water or inadequate water supply in their areas.

    Mr Kunle Banire, a resident of Oba-Ile, Akure, told NAN that he had resorted to the use of water pump to get potable water from his well for his household.

    “There is no provision of pipe borne water by the government; people in this area have to provide potable water for themselves.

    “I will implore the state government to reticulate the Owena Dam and other dams in the state for the usage of people. “

    Mr Adejare Solomon, a resident of Oshinle in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, also lamented the acute shortage of water in the area.

    Adejare, who is a community leader, attributed the shortage to poor funding of water projects by the state government.

    But the state government has reiterated its commitment to provision of potable water for people of the state.

    Speaking during the 2016 Water Day recently, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko said the state had spent over N3 billion in rehabilitating and upgrading various water schemes in the last seven years.

    Mimiko said that the fund was mostly spent in renovating the Awarada Dam Scheme, Ifon Water Scheme, and agro-spring water supply project for the benefit of the residents.

    He stated that arrangement was being made by his administration to partner with the Federal Government to complete the Owena Multipurpose Water Dam for the benefit of the people in the Central Senatorial District.

    Also speaking with NAN in Akure, Mr Steve Giwa, the Executive Chairman, Ondo State Water Corporation, said government was of the belief that boreholes were meant for rural dwellers.

    “For urban cities such as Ikare, Akure, Ondo, etc, Mimiko prefers working on dams, construction of treatment plans, installation of pumps and reticulation to individual homes, which he has embarked on since he came on board.

    “We have so many functional water schemes in the state but we also have some dilapidated ones.

    “The governor took some bold steps to rehabilitate and upgrade all these schemes to meet the current needs of the people, “ he said.

    Giwa disclosed that the scheme in Akoko zone was already in existence some 50 years ago when the population was not high.

    “But due to increase in population, the state government had to embark on rehabilitation of the schemes, “ the chairman said.

    Giwa said the Awara dam in Akoko North East Local Government Area had been upgraded and was functioning while the Igbaraoke Multipurpose Dam had been completed except for reticulation and transmission.

    “At Igbobini in Ese-Odo Local Government Area, there is a completed dam and also the Oba-Akoko dam is on test-run.

    “The government has also completed the Ose/Ifon Treatment Plant at the cost of N100 million but it was vandalised by hoodlums.

    “Some old dams are still working, especially the Ondo/Owenna Water Scheme, while we have about 25 functional dams/water schemes across the state, “ he said.

    In Osogbo, Mr Adelere Oriolowo, the Head of Planning, Research and Statistics, Osun Ministry of Water Resources, said the state government had budgeted N431 million for provision of potable water in the state.

    Oriolowo told NAN that government was also carrying out major rehabilitation at Ede head works.

    He said the government was spending N20 million on rehabilitation of 59 motorised boreholes, in 11 communities spread across seven Local Government Areas of the state.

    He said the boreholes being rehabilitated are those built by the European Union Water Supply and Sanitation Sector reform programme (EUWSSS), which was done between 2005 and 2012.

    Oriolowo said another ongoing project, is EUWSSS phase two, on which N666 million would be spent, adding that the state government had already paid its N119 million counterpart fund of the project.

    The General Manager of Osun Water Corporation, Mr Gbenga Owojuyigbe, said there was steady water supply in the state.

    Owojuyigbe told NAN that the Ede head works, which is the biggest water scheme, was currently serving 13 Local Governments in the state.

    He also said that the Ekonde, Okuku and Ife dams are functioning at full capacity.

    Mr Richard Adediran, the Director of Water and Environmental Sanitation for Ife Central Local Government, said that United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and European Union were partnering with Local Governments to provide potable water for the people.

    Adediran said that the African Development Bank (AfDB) was also collaborating in the effort to providing potable water.

    NAN also reports that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources had on March 11 handed over a 32-million-cubic-capacity dam to the state government in Kajola near Ilesha.

    Mr John Ochibo, the Deputy Director/Project Manager in the ministry, described the project as a contribution of the Federal Government toward the provision of potable water to the people of the state.

    Ochibo said the dam cost the Federal Government N3.3 billion to complete the pump and power house.

    In Ilorin, the General Manager of Kwara Water Corporation, Mr Tunde Yahaya, admitted that the state was facing the problem of acute water shortage.

    He said the current water supply could not cater for the high population growth in the state.

    Yahaya told NAN that the population was growing in geometric progression without corresponding increase in water supply to the towns and villages in the state.

    “For now the level of water supply in Kwara cannot cope with the current number of residents in the state and government needs to take urgent steps, “ he said.

    Yahaya attributed the current water situation to non-completion of ongoing water reticulation embarked upon by the state government more than eight years ago.

    He said the state water supply scheme is present in all the 16 Local Government Areas of the state with 94 boreholes constructed across the three senatorial districts.

    The Senior Special Assistant to Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed on Media, Dr Muideen Akorede, said government was poised to ensure adequate and regular water supply to the people of the state.

    Akorede told NAN that government was also determined to complete the Ilorin water reticulation project.

    He said the water reticulation project was in three phases and would cost a total of N7 billion with about N5.2 billion already expended.

    Akorede also said that in order to bridge the potable water accessibility and availability gap in the state, the state government would rehabilitate some water works.

    This, he said, were those of Ballah, Bakase, Gbugbu and Obbo-Ile, adding that the contracts for the rehabilitation were already awarded.

    He also said that contracts for the extension of water pipes from Pepele waterworks to Elesin-Meta Community had been awarded.

    Akorede said that repair and restoration works on the washed-off water mains around Baba-Ode were completed.

    “Under the special intervention programme, 15 hand pump boreholes were provided to some communities in Ekiti, Baruten and Kaiama Local Government Areas. “
    He said a total of N1.28 billion was budgeted in the 2016 fiscal year, for the expansion and maintenance of water supply infrastructure and services in the state.

    When completed, Akorede said the coverage area of the water distribution network in Ilorin metropolis would be increased by about 25 per cent.

    He added that 792 hand pumps and 144 motorised boreholes would be provided to rural communities across the 16 Local Councils.

    In Ekiti, NAN learnt that only 40 percent of Ekiti residents have access to pipe-borne water.

    The state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr Deji Adesua, told NAN that the other 60 percent of residents obtain their water from alternative sources, most of which are unsafe.

    “Other implications are huge because water, sanitation and hygiene issues cut across other sectors that are interdependent of one another such as health, education and agriculture.

    “This will certainly have indirect implications for the attainment of goals set for other sectors, “ he said.

    The commissioner, who blamed the development on neglect of the water sector by past administrations, regretted that most women and children had to trek for hours every day in search of water.

    He claimed that major water dams in the state such as Ero dam, Ureje dam and Egbe dams were either abandoned or wrongly concession to inexperienced firms to manage.

    Adesua said the state government paid N36 million toward the completion of Afao/Kajola/Ikere water projects in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    He also disclosed that N501million was also budgeted for water provision by the state government in the 2016 fiscal year.

    The General Manager of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mr Olawoyin Fatoba, also told NAN that the government was committed to providing safe water to the citizenry.

    He said as a way of achieving this target, government had already begun the replacement of old and damaged water pipes.

    A visit by NAN correspondents to some of the waterworks in Ado Ekiti, Okemesi Ekiti, Ikere Ekiti and Ijero Ekiti showed that repair works had already commenced on the waterworks and channels of distribution.

    Some residents in different interviews acknowledged government’s intervention and efforts toward ensuring regular supply of clean water in the state.

    In his own comments, a don, Prof. Taiwo Oluwadare, urged government at all levels to consider higher allocation to water in their yearly budgets.

    The Professor of Medical Sociology at the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, said it was disheartening that governments at all levels often voted ridiculous amount to service the water sector.

    In Lokoja, an investigation by NAN on access to potable water supply in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, revealed that there were improvements in access to potable water supply by the people.

    Mr Kayode Ayodele, Director of Water Resources, told NAN Correspondent that there was an increase in water supply across the state capital.

    According to him, over 90 per cent of the people of Lokoja township are currently enjoying potable water supply on daily basis.

    He attributed the major factor responsible for the tremendous improvement to the commitment of the state government.

    Ayodele said that the state government had ensured that the necessary funds were made available for prompt execution of water projects and consistent water supply for the people.

    “Pipe borne water is now accessible by the people for duration of 24 hours every day of the week, “ he said.

    He disclosed that Kogi has over 700 water points projects out of which over 70 per cent of them were currently functional.

    Regarding the reticulation of potable water supply, the director said the first phase of the reticulation projects had been completed and inaugurated.

    He stated further that the second phase of the reticulation would start very soon, which would cover Felele, Crusher, Zone 8, House of Assembly, and a distance of seven kilometres from the Greater Lokoja Water Works to other suburb communities of Lokoja.

    He said, aside The Greater Lokoja Water Works, which has the capacity of producing 45 million litres of water per day, the government has embarked on bond projects for the provision of potable water to communities in rural areas.

    “The state government is committed to providing potable water supply everywhere across the state, and not just the state capital.

    “Most of these projects have reached various degrees of over 70 per cent completion.

    “It is expected that on the completion of the schemes, water challenges facing various communities across the state would be alleviated, “ he said.

    Meanwhile, water supply situation in some states in the North West has remained epileptic, with most communities relying on water vendors for their daily water needs.

    NAN further reports that most respondents said the public taps have remained dry for years although others in major cities say the supply has not been constant.

    In spite of the problem, some state governments have budgeted huge amounts to enhance water supply to the people.

    In Katsina, the State Government has budgeted N6.1 billion for the provision of potable drinking water in 2016.

    Alhaji Salisu Gambo, the Commissioner for Water Resources, told NAN in Katsina that part of the money would be used to upgrade and rehabilitate existing urban water supply schemes in the state.

    According to him, one of such schemes is the Ajiwa dam that provides water to Katsina Township.

    “Ajiwa dam was constructed in 1974 with the capacity to provide 350,000 gallons of water per day, it is going to be expanded to cater for the need of Katsina, the work will cost government N2 billion.

    “Nevertheless, the government will soon award contract for the completion of Zobe dam that supply water to seven local government areas.

    “When Ajiwa dam is upgraded, and we complete Zobe dam water project, the issue of water problem in Katsina will be over, “ he said.

    The commissioner explained that Zobe dam water project was designed to provide water to Dutsinma, Kankia, Charanchi, Bindawa, Rimi, Batagarawa and Katsina, including the nearby communities.

    In Plateau, for instance, the current situation of potable water has become far better, especially to the people of Jos-Bukuru axis‎.

    According to Mr David Wuyep, Plateau Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, there has been a tremendous improvement in the sector in the past eight years, with more expansion and renovation of the three major water treatment plants in the state.

    “The expansion and renovation cost more than N3 billion,“ Wuyep told NAN in Jos.

    “During the exercise, dams were dredged, areas that were not covered in the old Jos Master Plan were reticulated and are still being reticulated, “ he said.

    The commissioner further revealed that new pipes were fixed to replace the old ductile pipes.

    NAN, however, observed that the water was more accessible in the urban areas, with most rural areas still without pipe borne water.

    “For the rural areas, what we have done is to provide hand dug wells and motorised boreholes to curtail issues of water-borne diseases in the state.

    “Currently, the state government, through the Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASA), has embarked on the provision mobile of treatment plants in the rural areas to alleviate their plight.

    “The Plateau State Water Board is functional and we are bringing in modern facilities to meet the rising needs, “ Wuyep said.

    NAN checks revealed that there are various ongoing water reticulation‎ in the state, while the State’s Water Board was embarking on new pipe networking in Jos-Bukuru axis.

    The dams in Lantang, Shendam and Pankshin are currently being rehabilitated.

    ‎Our correspondent also reports that more projects had been lined up to be executed with the N3.24 billion voted for the water sector in the 2016 budget.

    In Lafia, the situation appears a bit different, where the residents have decried inadequate potable water supply for domestic use.

    Some residents of Nasarawa State capital told NAN that they have no access to pipe borne water.

    Mr Sunday Abimiku, who resides around Bukan-Sidi axis of the capital, said that he had never seen tap water in the area since the creation of the state.

    “Talking about pipe borne water is strange to children in my area; we depend solely on boreholes and water vendors for our water supply needs, “ Abimiku said.

    He explained that a 20-litre keg of water was being sold for between N15 and N20 by public water vendors in the area.

    Suleiman Abubakar from Rimi-Uku corroborated Abimiku’s position.

    He said that taps only run around the Government Reservation Areas and low-cost housing estates.

    Abubakar maintained that more than 80 per cent of Lafia residents rely on boreholes and vendors for their daily water needs.

    Mr Mark Oshla from low cost housing estate along Shendam road, however, said that they had been enjoying regular pipe borne water supply until some months ago when the supply ceased.

    Oshla claimed that he pays water rate regularly and wondered why the water board stopped supplying, thus leaving the taps dry.

    Reacting, Simon Ibi, Acting General Manager of the Nasarawa State Water Board, attributed the inadequate water supply to the population explosion in Lafia.

    He said that the existing water scheme in Lafia was inaugurated in 1985 with a capacity for three million gallons per day, “when the town was only a local government headquarter. “

    He added that following the creation of Nasarawa State in 1996 with Lafia as the capital, the population exploded, and making water supply grossly inadequate.

    Ibi said the state government had concluded plans for the rehabilitation and expansion of the water works to meet the growing demands for water supply in Lafia and its environs.

    He said a Ukrainian company had been engaged by the state government to dam the Amba River in Lafia as part of the expansion programme.

    Ibi expressed optimism that residents of Lafia and its environs would soon have water once the water scheme is fully rehabilitated and expanded.

    He also explained that government had carried out a total overhaul of the Mada water works, which services Keffi, Akwanga, Kokona and Gudi towns.

    “Similar turnaround maintenance had been done on the abandoned Nasarawa-Eggon and Nasarawa Toto Water Schemes by the Al-Makura led administration, “ he said.

    The general manager, however, frowned at the attitude of residents over the non-payment of water rates.

    He expressed regret that most residents sees water supply as purely a social service from the government and do not want to pay for it.

    “We have been advocating that people should see water as an economic goods that should be paid for in order to augment government’s effort and ensure constant supply, “ Ibi said.

    He appealed to residents to be patient with the board for the recent cut in water supply to Lafia and its environs.

    Officials in charge of water supply in Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Jigawa and Taraba told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that funds were required to address the numerous water challenges facing water supply to their communities.

    Adamawa Government said it needed about N30 billion to rehabilitate the four major water treatment plants that supplied water to Yola, Jimeta, Numan and Mubi towns.

    The state Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Julius Kadala, told NAN in Yola that the present administration in the state inherited a completely dilapidated water treatment plants and distribution network that required total overhaul.

    “Almost everything is the grounded in those plants, most of which were constructed in 1976,” he said.

    Kadala said minor repairs had commenced, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed with a Chinese firm for major overhaul of the plants and distribution network.

    He told NAN that the N1.7 billion earmarked for water supply in this year’s budget was just meant to manage the situation before the total overhaul.

    Meanwhile, most lawmakers in the state assembly had utilised the N1 billion released to them for constituency projects in January on water supply, following the problem of scarcity of potable water in the rural areas.

    The House Committee Chairman on Information, Malam Hassan Barguma (APC-Hong) told NAN that he had to concentrate on water project in his constituency in view of the acute water scarcity in his constituency.

    “In one of the communities in my constituency I saw people taking water from the same source with animals.

    “Therefore, I concentrated on sinking boreholes, including solar boreholes,” Barguma said.

    Similarly, Sen. Abdul-Azeez Nyako of Adamawa Central Senatorial District said that he would utilise the N250 million approved for each senator for constituency project on water supply.

    Nyako said that he resolved to concentrate on water following the request of wards in his constituency for provision of potable water.

    Also, Hon. Yusuf Buba, member representing Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency, said that he provided 250 boreholes to his people in his constituency.

    Buba said the gesture was his personal effort towards assisting his people to have potable water.

    In Jigawa, the State’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ibrahim Hanu-Giwa said government had spent one billion naira in the last 10 months on both rehabilitation and construction of new water schemes across the state.

    Hanu-Giwa explained that N700 million was spent in the first phase while about N300 million was expended in the second phase of water scheme projects in the state.

    He said that before the coming of the present administration, most water sources in the state had broken down.

    The Commissioner explained that immediately the present government took over, Gov. Muhammad Badaru constituted a committee to rehabilitate all the water schemes across the state.

    According to him, the committee identified 4,610 different water schemes to be rehabilitated in the first phase of the programme.

    He disclosed that the second phase would begin before the end of this quarter.

    A member of the state assembly, Alhaji Kais Abdallah, also told NAN that the state government had procured and rehabilitated 164 hand pumps in Malammadori Local Government area to enhance access to potable water.

    Abdallah, who represents Malammadori state constituency, said that obsolete hand pumps were repaired and new ones constructed in various communities in the area.

    He said that more than N5.8 million was also expended on the rehabilitation of the small water scheme at kampala, Sabon Gari and Kafar Fada wards.

    The legislator said the projects were executed under the phase 1 of the Rural Water and Sanitation (RUWASA) programme, adding that more projects would be executed under phase II of the programme.

    He said the state government has made adequate provisions in the 2016 budget to upgrade water plants to ensure steady water supply in urban and rural communities.

    Also commenting, Alhaji Ali Alkali, the Care Taker Committee Chairman, Malammadori Local Government Council, said that the council had rehabilitated 20 hand pumps in Malammadori and Garingabas communities in the past four weeks.

    The chairman called on the people to protect water facilities provided in their communities by the government.

    Meanwhile, some farmers in Hadejia, in Jigawa have called on the Federal Government to complete the abandoned Hadejia Valley project to enhance water supply and encourage dry season farming activities.

    NAN reports that the Hadejia valley project was initiated in the 1980s, to encourage irrigation farming and enhance water supply to communities, but was abandoned in the last 20 years.

    Malam Kamilu Baba, a rice farmer, said that the call was imperative if the target of achieving self-sufficiency in food production was to be achieved.

    “It is disheartening to see the project being abandoned, despite its importance to the development of agriculture and provision of water,” he said.

    Usman Haruna, another farmer, noted that the non-completion of the project had resulted in the growth of weeds, which blocked water channels and caused flood.

    “We want completion of the project to enhance access to land and water, and provide a lasting solution to flood disasters,” he said.

    A competent source at the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, told NAN on condition of anonymity that the project was abandoned due to paucity of funds.

    In Borno, the State Government said it would establish a new water scheme in Maiduguri, the state capital, to boost water supply in the metropolis.

    Malam Mai Sheriff, the Commissioner for Water Resources told NAN that the project would address the problem of perennial water scarcity in the Maiduguri and its environs.

    He said that government had already set aside N300 million for the project, which was expected to be completed before December.

    He said when completed, the new Maiduguri Water Works would generate up to seven million litres of water per day, thereby addressing the perennial water scarcity in Bulunkutu area of Maiduguri metropolis.

    The commissioner said the project, which is already in its first two phases, had already gulped N300 million, saying that over N100 million would be required for the third and final phase.

    He said that the government had started laying pipes, adding that very soon it will commence the drilling of 12 boreholes and construction of reservoir and overhead tanks at the water works.

    The commissioner also said that maintenance work at the Maiduguri Water Treatment Plant had commenced, saying that it would generate 40 million litres per day when completed.

    In Gombe, the state government said it spent N4.2 billion on the extension of water pipes to cover additional towns and communities in the state.

    Malam Isah Mohammed, General Manager, Gombe State Water Corporation, told NAN in Gombe that the pipe lines were extended to Kwami, Bojude and other communities.

    He said that plans had been concluded for the construction of Gombe South Water Scheme, which would serve all the four local government areas in the southern part of the state.

    He said that the Dadin Kowa water treatment plant was initially designed to discharge 50,000 cubic meters per day, to serve the population of 260,000 people when it was inaugurated in 2006.

    “It was further estimated that in 2015, the population would have increase to 300,000.

    “So the treatment plant was expected to be expanded in 2015 to discharge about 70,000 cubic meters.

    “Unfortunately, in 2015, the population in the area where we were expecting 300,000 increased to 700,000, following the influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of insurgency, “he explained.

    He further said erratic power supply was the major challenge they were facing in the provision of potable water.

    In Bauchi, the General Manager of the State Water Board, Mr Aminu Gital, said the population of the state capital was on the increase, thereby overstretching facilities for distribution of water.

    “The demand is about 40 million gallons per day and what we are able to produce is about 12 million gallons daily, necessitating the rationing of water to consumers,” he said.

    According to him, the government is planning to expand the existing Gubi dam in the state to meet the water demands of the metropolis.

    “When additional Treatment Plant was constructed at Gubi dam, we will be producing about 24 million gallons per day, which will be enough for Bauchi metropolis,” he added.

    Mr Garba Magaji, General Manager, Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWUNSSA), said the state government, in collaboration with UNICEF, provided safe drinking water and increased hygiene to 1.7 million people in the state.

    According to him, the state government requires N33 billion to provide water and sanitation to about three million rural people in the state.

    In Enugu, the state government has started the rehabilitation and repair of various water reticulation facilities in Enugu and Nsukka at the cost N100 million.

    The state government had earlier earmarked N661 million in its 2016 budget for its ministry of water resources and its agencies order to expand water supply projects in both urban and rural areas.

    The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Charles Egumgbe, told NAN that the government planned to expand potable water supply from its two water schemes in Oji River and Nsukka to reach more households at the grassroots.

    “We want our people to have cheap and hygienic potable water which ultimately will increase their health status and avoid unnecessary diseases, which also can lead to death.

    “For now, we are thinking about supplying water to 70 per cent of the households in Enugu and Nsukka respectively; although Enugu, which is the state capital, requires a minimum of 150,000 cubic litres of water,’’ Egumgbe said.

    Currently, many households in Enugu receive water from the state water scheme mostly two times a week, prompting the residents to own storage tanks.

    However, the residents of rural areas are still finding it hard to get potable water as they either depend on streams or buy borehole water from vendors.

    Mrs Faith Odo, a health worker at Nsukka District Health Centre, noted that limited access to potable water was responsible for unhygienic and poor sanitary conditions that result in some health problems in rural areas.

    Odo urged the Federal Government to mandate council chairmen in the country to ensure that every community have a treated borehole in order to reduce water-borne diseases.

    “80 per cent of people living in rural villages do not have water system toilet; they embark on open defecation, which pollute these streams,’’ she said.

    Mr Richard Ogbu, a community leader in Nsukka, urged government at all levels to give special attention to the provision of water to citizens in order to reduce hardship.

    “I spend about N30,000 yearly to buy water for my family, as it cost between N3,000 and N3,500 in Nsukka town to fill GP rubber tank of 1000 gallons,’’ Ogbu said.

    However, a worker in Enugu State Water Board, Nsukka District office, told NAN on condition of anonymity, blamed poor public power supply to inability of the board to provide water.

    “We depend on public power supply to pump water through our industrial generating sets.

    “As a worker in the board for two decades, what I have discovered is that people will like to use tap water but they will not want to pay their monthly water bills.

    “If it is possible, I will suggest that government should introduce prepaid metering system to improve the revenue generation of water boards,” he said.

    In Ebonyi, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr Francis Orji said in Abakaliki that the state government has shown enough commitment to ensuring that indigenes have access to potable water.

    He said that the three water schemes in the state were operating at full capacity.

    According to him, the three water schemes in Ezilo, Oferekpe and Ukaghu are built to ensure that the indigenes of the state have an all-year-round access to safe drinking water.

    He said that the construction of pipe for water reticulation to communities were ongoing, saying that the capital city had been fully reticulated.

    “Water is a critical infrastructure and government is doing everything possible to ensure unhindered access to safe drinking water.

    “Already reticulation work to link other towns and communities to the new Oferekpe and Ukaghu water schemes are ongoing, while residents of Abakaliki are now enjoying water from the Oferekpe water project.

    “It is the desire of government to ensure that there is stable water supply from the public water source,” Orji said.

    He said that over N3.5billion was appropriated for Water Resources in the 2016 budget.

    The commissioner assured the people that the Ministry would live up to its mandate of ensuring regular and uninterrupted water supply.

    He said that the Pipe Manufacturing Industry at Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state was to ensure that the state have access to pipes for regular maintenance and repair of burst pipes.

    “The initiative is to ensure that no part of the state is cut off from water supply for a period more than 48 hours in any event where our water pipes vandalism,” he said.

    He said that the provision of safe and potable drinking water were antidote to prevention of water borne diseases including guinea worm, cholera among others.

    Meanwhile, some residents of Abakaliki in an interview with NAN extolled the state government for ensuring that the Oferekpe and Ukaghu water schemes were made functional to complement the Ezilo water scheme.

    Mr Chinedu Elom, a civil servant said that the construction of the two additional water schemes had brought the perennial water shortage previously experienced in the state to an end.

    “There used to be a perennial water scarcity usually during the dry season but since the construction of the Oferekpe and Ukaghu water schemes the problem of water scarcity have been brought to a halt.

    “We are only appealing to government to ensure that the water schemes are adequately serviced and maintained,” he said.

    In Anambra, the state of public water supply has remained poor as resident in the major towns of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi do not have access to water.

    The NAN investigations revealed that the Anambra Water Corporation, Awka had not been pumping water since 2003.

    Mr Chukwudi Omalu, a resident of Awka, said they had not experienced the flow of public water supply since it collapsed about 12 years ago.

    Omalu said only the well to do people had turned to drilling boreholes in their houses thereby exposing the city centres to geological dangers.

    In Onitsha, residents also called on the state government to improve public water supply.

    Mrs Adaora Onuma said the greater Onitsha Water scheme which was inaugurated in march 2015 had not been functioning optimally.

    Onuma said the about 32 year old water project if fully operational will solve the problem of perennial water scarcity in the commercial city and save millions from spending so much on privately owned boreholes.

    She noted that residents suffer in their area to get water to the skyscraper apartment, in additional to the danger of water borne diseases.

    Onuma appealed to the Anambra government to find urgent solution to the problem of water supply.

    Chief John Okeke said that the water situation in Onitsha was becoming quite worrisome because the lack of proper sanitation or hygiene in the city could engender an outbreak of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea among others.

    In Owerri, the Imo Government is still on course to providing pipe borne water.

    A survey conducted by NAN in Owerri revealed that in the last 15 years, the state has never heard functional water scheme.

    The last pipe borne water that flowed in Owerri was in 1983 during the administration of the then Gov. Sam Mbakwe.

    The survey further revealed that the pipe borne water flowed for eight months and since then the state has never had access to any public water scheme.

    Former Gov. Achike Udenwa in 2001 awarded a project to build a water scheme that will flow across the 27 Local Governments of the state.

    However, the project was abandoned and Gov. Ikedi Ohakim in 2008, handed the project to Imo Water Board which equally failed to complete the project.

    But Gov. Rochas Okorocha in a stakeholders meeting in 2014 promised to revolutionise the Imo Water Board by privatising it for more efficiency and productivity.

    A geologist and owner of Johnson Water Resources, Dr John Ibe, told NAN that the problem of access to pipe borne water was due to corruption and bad policy on the part of the government.

    He said in the past twenty years, both civilian and military governments had failed to come up with policies that will drive water scheme in Imo.

    He also alleged that corruption among some past government officials was also a problem with the access to public water supply.

    The Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Chief Okechukwu Isiuzo, regretted that Imo state has no functional water scheme.

    The State’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resource, Mr Udo Aguha said government was on course to providing pipe borne water that will run across the 27 council areas of the state.

    Aguha said government has awarded contract to a foreign firm, GG Investment, which is handling the provision of potable water across the state.

    In Abia, the inability of the government to resuscitate the Umuahia and Aba regional water schemes, which went moribund in the late 1990s, has caused a drastic water deficit in the state.

    NAN investigation revealed that the schemes, which were built by the late Dr Sam Mbakwe’s administration, became dysfunctional due to many years of neglect and poor maintenance culture by successive military and civilian administrations.

    Consequently, residents of the state now depend on privately-owned commercial boreholes for their water needs.

    A cross-section of residents said that the Umuokpara water scheme in Umuahia broke down during the early days of Orji Kalu’s administration, causing serious water shortage in the capital city and its environs.

    A retired civil servant, Mr Godwin Nwankpa, said that since the Umuokpara water scheme stopped functioning, we no longer enjoy pipe borne water in Umuahia.

    A teacher, Sylvester Ihediwa, expressed disappointment that successive administrations in the state could not maintain the two major water schemes initiated by Mbakwe.

    “Today, there is no part of the state that can boast of pipe borne water, rather we are at the mercy of commercial borehole operators,” Ihediwa said.

    The residents appealed to the government to take genuine steps to revive the Umuahia and Aba water schemes and also build new ones to sufficiently address the water needs of the people.

    Several efforts made to speak with the Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr Tony Ezebiro, on the efforts by the present administration to tackle the water deficit in the state were unsuccessful. (NAN)

  • Who should lead the United Nations?

    This year, the United Nations will choose its next Secretary-General. We need the best possible candidate for the job.

    It is often spoken of as the most impossible job in the world.

    And given the files that the next United Nations Secretary-General will take over on 1 January 2017, it is easy to see why: appalling conflicts and human suffering in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Europe; violent extremism that is threatening us all; continued discrimination against women and girls; a worrying rise in xenophobia; over 800 million people struggling to escape extreme poverty; close to 60 million displaced around the world; a unique window-of-opportunity to address Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals before it is too late; and an Organization that needs to adapt to the challenges and new Goals the world is facing.

    In its 70 year history, the UN, for all its flaws, has demonstrated that it can rise to such challenges. But to do so today, it must secure the best possible candidate through this year’s process of selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General.

    The role of the UN Secretary-General

    Many have suggested that the UN’s most senior official should either be a Secretary or a General. This is too simplistic, for the Secretary-General must be both and more.

    A person with strong moral courage and integrity; he or she – and I do not see why the best candidate should not be a woman – must be a voice for the world’s most vulnerable people and embody the very ideals and purposes of the United Nations.

    The world’s top diplomat; the Secretary-General must use her independence, impartiality and good offices to prevent conflict, broker peace and stand-up for human rights.

    A person with political stature and strong leadership skills – with the authority to bring to the attention of the UN Security Council any matter which in her opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.
    As the chief administrative officer of the UN, the Secretary-General must create a culture of integrity, fairness, competence and efficiency right across the UN family and oversee a huge Organization with a budget of approximately $10 billion, a staff of over 40,000 and 41 peace operations worldwide.

    The Secretary-General must be a person with strong inter-personal and communication skills – able to navigate smoothly in our increasingly multi-polar world and drive a global transition to sustainable development.

    An archaic selection process

    One might think, therefore, that the process for choosing the Secretary-General would be as vigorous, inclusive and transparent as possible.

    But to date this has not been the case.

    Previously, there has been no clarity on when the selection process actually started or, somewhat unbelievably, who was actually running for the job. Also, there has been no formal job description and no real opportunity for substantive and open engagement with the candidates – neither for the full UN membership nor the public.

    The result: Recommendations negotiated behind closed doors – primarily by the five permanent members of the Security Council; eight Secretaries-General, not one of whom has been female; and a mostly symbolic appointment by the UN General Assembly. Therefore, Secretaries-General have, not always rightfully, been perceived to be beholden to the very powers that they must be most independent of.

    A better way to choose the next SG

    The UN Charter is clear on the respective roles of the Security Council and the General Assembly in the selection and appointment process and it must be adhered to.

    But recent changes to the process itself, agreed to by all 193 members of the General Assembly, provide us with a genuine opportunity to make it more transparent, more robust, more inclusive and ultimately, more effective.

    As President of that Assembly, it is my job to ensure that those changes are implemented.

    So here’s what’s happening.

    Last December, the President of the Security Council and I set the selection process in motion by issuing a call for candidates to be presented as early as possible.

    We outlined the central features of the process. We pointed out some of the key criteria for the position and, in light of seven decades of male dominance, we encouraged member states to present both female and male candidates.

    To date, seven candidates have been presented and their biographies and related information are now publicly available on my website.

    But perhaps the greatest opportunity to truly break from the past comes in the form of open dialogues that I will hold with the candidates. These dialogues – referred to by some as the ‘SG hearings’ – will begin on April 12.

    Each candidate is expected to prepare a vision statement on the challenges and opportunities facing the UN and the next Secretary-General. They will present themselves for two-hours of questions from the full UN membership as well as from civil society and each dialogue will be streamed live online. The dialogues will continue with new candidates until the Security Council makes its recommendation. And I expect everyone who is serious about becoming the world’s next chief diplomat to engage openly and directly with the full UN membership and the people that he or she will ultimately serve.

    An opportunity for change

    Of course, these innovations will not directly transform our world and discussions continue on issues such as the length and renewability of the Secretary-General’s term and whether the General Assembly should vote on an appointment or not.

    But they do have the potential to establish a new standard of transparency and inclusivity in international affairs. They can increase our chances of securing the best possible candidate to lead the United Nations. And they represent, I believe, a moment in history when the General Assembly – the world’s most representative and democratic decision-making body – reasserts itself.

    Given the global challenges we face today, this could be a real game-changer.

    So, please, go online, participate on social media, make yourself heard and help us find the best possible candidate for UN Secretary-General, that our world needs.

    By Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly

  • Youth empowerment a priority for any serious government

    Youth empowerment a priority for any serious government

    [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he role of youths (employed and unemployed) and their enormous contributions to nation building can never be over emphasized, especially with Nigeria’s population and position in Africa. Nigeria, with a total population of approximately 174million, has youths in the age bracket of 15 to 35 years, amounting for over 116million of her total population. This is according to the statistics provided by the National Bureau of Statistics.
     
    Thus, it is vital to note that it would be an unforgivable waste of human resources for the strength of over 116million people to be abandoned or wrongly put to use, if these youths are not given opportunities to exercise their talents. Furthermore,  there is no denial that Nigeria is one of the few African countries where young people work hard to secure a future and the activities of this 116million population will definitely go a long way to boost the country’s all round development, like it did during the last general elections that ensured the success of the ruling party.

    Unfortunately, 54% of these youths are not meaningfully engaged for the good of the Nigerian economy, and by implication, if they are not building the nation directly, they might be contributing to the setback the country suffers directly or indirectly because they need to put their strength to use somehow.
     
    Meanwhile, the entire population of these youths may not be literate, but if about half of them are literate (can read and write) and thus handle the aspect of skilled labour while the other half takes care of unskilled labour, that means, every area of the economy can be taken care of. Little wonder private employers of labour often describe Nigerian graduates as unemployable (even if that’s not entirely true). This is evident in the way entrepreneurship and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are handled in our education curriculum.

    In October 2014, The National University Council (NUC) approved the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the University curriculum. Sadly, it was never monitored to measure the success, and the same goes for ICT back in 2012 when educationists were clamoring for its inclusion in education curriculum. Students may be partly blamed too, anyways.
     
    Nigeria should stop seeing the population as a problem, but as a prospect to build on for tremendous growth across board as seen in China and India. The mentality of a national cake to benefit from may continue to debar progress until the youths begin to put resources together to bake their personal cake.

    Interestingly, t    he world’s economy has moved from the United States to Asia and its coming to Africa, but it may catch many Africans unaware since Science and Technology as well as Entrepreneurship, which helped to boost the economy in Asia, is not appealing to an average African just yet.
    That being said,  during the campaigns toward the 2015 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised N5000 monthly allowances to unemployed youths. As catchy as the promise was, it would only help produce tons of young people who will remain dependent on government instead of being independent, productive and efficient to boost the economy. 

    If it becomes reality, the said sum will in no time dig a long lasting hole in government’s purse. Because if, for instance, half of the 70million population gets verified to be truly unemployed, this means Nigerian government will pay N350billion monthly. Maybe some other developed countries around the world can afford that much every month, definitely not Nigeria with the current system.
     
    Alternatively, government should spend the supposed N350 billion per month in building infrastructures, such as schools, hospitals, roads, rail lines, better Internet infrastructures, electricity and so on, then give a N5000 worth of voucher to every qualified young person to spend at government owned facilities. It will in no doubt provide jobs for this same youth across the nation, while the money continues to circulate within the economy.

    We can learn from President Roosevelt of United States who took advantage of the great depression of America that lasted for 10years (between 1929 – 1939) and instead of the government just giving out money he leverage on the American population and several of the infrastructures that America boast of today were built during this period.

    In addition, for young entrepreneurs, interest on loan should be reduced even as access to loans become more convenient so that youths can finance their prospective business ideas.     Having said these, the youths should arise and identify their position in nation building rather than pursuing aimless lifestyles and blaming government for their predicament. The entire success of a country like Nigeria depends on the youths, thus it is high time the youths got of their comfort zones to acquire relevant skills.

    And beyond acquiring the formal skills to know how to read and write, the ability to think, understand, analyze, and discuss issues militating against the progress of the country is one thing that every young person must strive towards.

    As youths, the top priority is to get good education (formal or informal) in order to become better citizens of tomorrow. Youths are the building blocks of every developed nation, and the emotional, psychological, financial and all round strength of the youth of a country, often determine the speed of her growth and development. I    t is important to quickly note that the current state of leadership in Nigeria is not encouraging to the younger generation, however, it can only be made better if the youths have a good understanding of their significance.

    It is the responsibility of the youths to give life to the nation. This set of people can work to rebuild the nation setting a new pace for unscrupulous politicians who have always taken advantage of the naivety of the Nigerian youths. If the youth understand their position, sooner rather than later, Nigeria will be recognized and reorganized.
     
    To buttress this point, Mark Zuckerberg; CEO and co-founder of Facebook, Jan Koum; CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp and Jack Dorsey; co-founder of Twitter, among many others are all youths. However they made a difference by finding solution to problems and by that changed the way millions of people communicate around the world today.

    Good to know that a few young Nigerians are already rising up to challenges around them, working hard writing codes and other computer programs, but Nigeria is still a virgin land with numerous spheres of life begging for exploration. I    t is therefore imperative for the President Buhari-led administration to make youths’ empowerment a priority. If successive governments laid a brick in empowering the younger generations for the tomorrow of the country, 55years gone now, youths could have built the nation far.

    Initiatives like YouWin should be strengthened to cover more young people than the few it currently can cater for. So too, government should observe that quite a number of these young people are without appropriate guidelines about their futures. Therefore, it is dangerous to allow them continue being idle because it could increase their frustration which could lead to social unrest and militantism. They need to be constructively engaged with productive tasks.
     
    On that note, it is important to acknowledge the recent speech of Mr. President while declaring open the 8th Bola Tinubu colloquium held at the International Conference Center (ICC) on March 29th, in Abuja. He noted that the Federal Government will prioritize agriculture, adding that the cooperation of all Nigerians would be required to make agriculture the country’s economic mainstay considering the shrinking crude oil price.

    He also acknowledged that Nigeria can no longer depend on oil when he advised the visiting out-gone Ambassador of South Sudan to Nigeria. We believe this a step in the right direction and such initiative can help empower youth while at the same time feed the nation.
     
    It will then be the responsibility of the government to make occupations such as farming more attractive by injecting funds and trained experts into the system. We might continue to think that an average literate Nigerian youth does not want to practice farming, either mechanized or subsistent, but this might not be true if the support structure is made available to everyone interested, both old and young. Nigeria has vast uncultivated lands which are fertile for farming, we should put them to use.

    At this juncture, it is important to note that these things might not yield immediate results, but they definitely will be productive as time goes by and as everyone works hand in hand. Every initiative that would survive a long term usually requires time to grow. So do nation building initiatives.
     
    On the whole, government at different levels must make youth empowerment their priority so that youths can make Nigeria a land that truly flourishes and shines in success. The Association for Credible Leadership in Nigeria (ACLN) advises Nigerian youths to focus on their collective strength to be able to contribute immensely towards the development of the nation and the future of Nigeria.
  • Onions lowers risk of cancer – Dietician

    Onions lowers risk of cancer – Dietician

    Dr Tunde Ajobo, a dietician at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, on Thursday said that consuming onions could lower the risk of several diseases, particularly colorectal and stomach cancer.

    Ajobo, who is also Head of Department of Dietetics, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that onions were a good source of strong antioxidant and vitamin C that help to combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer.

    He described onions as part of the alliums family of vegetables and herbs like chives, garlic, scallions and leeks.

    “Allium vegetables have been cultivated for centuries for not only their characteristic, pungent flavours but also for their medicinal properties.

    “Onions can vary in size, shape, colour and flavour and the most common types are red, yellow and white onions,’’ he said.

    According to Ajobo, onion flavours can vary from sweet and juicy with a mild flavour to a sharp, spicy and pungent often depending on the season in which they are grown and consumed.
    He said an estimated 105 billion pounds of onions are harvested each year world-wide with a quarter of the figure grown in Africa.

    He also said that the possible health benefits of consuming onions (aside from lowering risk of several cancers) include improving mood and maintaining the health of skin and hair.

    “Onions are a nutrient-dense food; meaning that while they are low in calories they are high in beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

    “One cup of chopped onion contains approximately 64 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates with no fat and no cholesterol.

    “It also contains 3 grams of fibre, 7 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein and 10 per cent or more of daily value for vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and manganese.

    “Onions also contain a small amount of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and the antioxidants quercetin and sulphur,’’ he said.

    The dietician also recommended consumption of onions because of its many other health benefits.

    “Allium vegetables have been studied extensively in relation to cancer, especially stomach and colorectal cancers.

    “Their beneficial and preventive effects are likely due in part to their rich organosulfur compounds.

    “Although the exact mechanism by which these compounds inhibit cancer is unknown, possible hypothesis include the inhibition of tumour growth and mutagenesis and prevention of free radicals.’’

    According to Ajobo, several studies have proved that onion consumption help to lower risk of stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, colon and prostate cancer.

    He, however, warned that consuming a diet of mostly onions has its health risks.

    “It is best to eat a diet with a variety of foods than to concentrate on a single one; this is key to good health,’’ the dietician advised.

     

  •  When AUN hosted career fair for students

     When AUN hosted career fair for students

    The American University of Nigeria (AUN) last month organized the 9th career fair for students of the institution. The fair, which held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, had 28 companies from different sectors in attendance. Frank Ikpefan who covered the event writes on the benefits of the fair to students of the university.

     

    No fewer than 28 blue chip companies were in attendance at the career fair organized by the American university of Nigeria. The fair took place at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    For two days, students and alumni of the institution were exposed to the knitty – gritty of turning from job hunters to employers of labour. Many companies were also on ground to hire graduates from the institution.

    The fair, 9th in a series by the university was aimed at familiarizing its graduates with various companies, across the country. It featured multinational companies cutting across telecoms, oil & gas, power, transport, health, and other sectors.

    Some of the popular companies present included: Dangote Group of Companies, GTB, Transcorp Hilton, Philips Consulting, Arbico, KPMG, GLO, NBC, Deloitte, Intel Services, APTECH, NADABO Energy, SIGMA Pensions LTD, VON, Diamond Bank, Bain & Company, CPCS, and MCEE Business Solutions.

    Others are: NUC, FCTA, NIPCO, PWC, AUN Human Resources, BULWARK Investment & Trust LTD, and Audit Dept. impressed by the prospects on display at the fair, some of the companies returned the following day to offer interviews.

    Some companies also administered aptitude and problem-solving tests to AUN students, alumni, and other prospects. The representative of the companies also guided the participants about their career and requirements in the labour market during the fair.

    “It is really important at AUN we give them the education that gives them the knowledge, skills and even the attitude that they need find jobs and then create employment,” the President of the institution, Dr. Margee Ensign, said during the fair.

    She said that the fair was organized to provide students and alumni exposure to career and internship opportunities.

    She also said that it was organized to prepare students of the University for Interviews, for writings CVs, and to prepare them for work. She advised universities to go beyond granting graduates degrees to also helping them to chart career paths, make choices, and prepare them for the task ahead.

    Dr. Ensign said: “It is really important at AUN we give our students the education that gives them the knowledge, the skills and even the attitude to go find jobs and then to create employment. I have had some great discussions with people out here and I asked them: what do you think of our students? One employer said: ‘I did not think a 21 year old could be so smart.’ That was lovely. But what was more important was a software engineering student been interviewed and the bank said: ‘your education is so well rounded, you can write, you can speak. He said I can hire you for marketing, I can hire you in our computer department.’ I think that defines AUN education, It is not narrow.

    “We have a career office that works all year round. This is their job: to prepare students for interviews, for writing CVs, for getting ready for work and they spend a whole year talking to companies about what we are doing today. So it is not just something that happens two weeks ago. Now the companies are coming to Yola to see what we are doing. It has taken a number of years to get to this point. One employer said to me today; ‘I will only hire AUN graduates’ and it took a long time to get to that point for them to understand what kind of education that we are doing in Yola because it is different from what is happening in other universities.

    “We teach students to write well, to think clearly and to solve problems. You have seen in action our students being interviewed, being hired and our former students being alumni are hiring AUN students. Our students live in a different world than we live in, many of the jobs that they are going to have we don’t even know the name yet. To me it is not just important to look for employment; it is starting your own.

    Ensign said that as a development university, the focus of AUN is to give students education that enables them to find and create jobs.

    “AUN is a development university and it is probably pretty abstract to you guys. Every students at AUN is in a class that exposes them to the hardest problem your country is facing, whether it is poor health, illiteracy, they have to go out to the community,” she added

    Also speaking, the Association Dean of School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Ferdinand Che, said the fair offers employers the opportunity to engage the students early.

    He called for the inclusion of junior students of the institution in the annual career program.

    Dr. Che said: “This does not happen anywhere else. This is unique to AUN experience. It is a fundamental right because we are talking about preparing people for the work place and we are very serious about this. What is beginning to happen, it seems to me, that employers recognize this from what we are hearing them saying.

    “What I see is an opportunity to even engage earlier. For example, not only should our senior (students) be attending this event but our juniors should be attending this event as well because the conversation is starting earlier is an incentive for proper conclusion to that. I think it is an opportunity and I don’t think those employers are disappointed.”

     

     

  • Unveiling British commonwealth national card

    Unveiling British commonwealth national card

    Hope has risen for the Coloured People and Commonwealth Citizens from 54 Commonwealth Nations in a bid for them to have British Citizenship Enhancement Status, protection from Unlawful arrest, Harassment, Unlimited Travel restriction in Britain and Her Territories, as well as possessing Rights of Residence in United Kingdom (UK). Adetutu Audu wrties.

     

     

    This historic revelation and inspiring position was made known by The Commonwealth Liberation Party (TCLP) during their ‘unveiling of British Commonwealth National Card’ (BCNC) recently in London. The epoch-making ceremony which is backed up by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 will afford all Members of Commonwealth Nations, Citizens automatic British Subject Status.
    According to Protectorate Identity Commission, an Agency of TCLP, some of the benefits embedded in being a holder of the British Commonwealth National Card in this 21st Century includes: “The Protection of the Identities of The Commonwealth Citizens And Non-Commonwealth Citizens and their Rights of Recognition In The Globalised Sustenance Of Economic Relations”.

    Protectorate Identity Commission statement reads: “The Protectorate Is a new face In the culture of biometric credentials to assist In the Identification of Commonwealth citizens generality in the integration of Information technology of the 21stCentury Identity Act. We facilitate obtainment of Nationality documents for individual of the Protectorate who are legitimate members of All Alliance Commission owned to the Protectorate Identity Commission.

     

    “We are duty bound to facilitate obtainment of International Passport from respective Countries on behalf of the Protectorate Commission members within their respective countries and within the Jurisdiction where the office and government of the Protectorate Is Located.”

     

    Corroborating this position, Professor Alexia Thomas, Chairman, TCLP who doubles as President, Commonwealth Treaty Alliance Commission stated that “The Commonwealth Liberation Party has unveiled the British Commonwealth National Card through the Commonwealth Treaty Alliance Commission. 54 Sovereignties has been brought together under a Treaty enforceable by the UDHR 1948.”

    Rights of Residence for BCN Card Holders in United Kingdom, Commonwealth Nations & Outside Borders

    “The future of greatness is the protection of Human Race, Human Values, Human Dignity, Brotherhood Bond and the Upholding of Citizens Equal Rights, Legal Compromise, Alienation of Hate Crimes with Upholding of Respect for Social Values and Social Integration.

    “The Unveilement of the BCNC marks the beginning of Commonwealth Citizens protection in the Global World for their Upholding of Justice, Human Rights, Civil Liberties and Human Dignity. In that regard, they are by law allowed to have Equal Rights and Equal Values to be accorded same privileges with Nationals in their respective Countries of Residence.

    “The BCN Card serves as identity for the Card Holder to be able to travel within the axis of the Commonwealth Nations, while the Office of the Commissioner for Governance (CFG) and The Office the Commissioner for Diplomacy (CFD) will also be in negotiations with Non-Commonwealth Countries and their Government to accord recognition to the BCN Card.

    “The BCN Card has met the threshold and stem its Autocracy of Social Integration and a Plug-in of Purity of Laws. All Ordinance of Government and Power Ambit must accept the BCN Card under the UDHR Convention 1948. The failure to Protocol Observance leading to the denial of the Rights of Commonwealth Citizens to free travel within the Alliance Nations jurisdictional Boundary becomes a violation of the United Nation Government Coalition.

    “The Commonwealth Citizens have legitimate Rights to call themselves British Citizens for their acceptance of Integration amidst the British People in order to avoid prejudice against them.”

     

    How to Apply for British Commonwealth National Card Online

    The British Commonwealth National Card gives you Security and Protection. The Card allows Global Social Integration, International Relations, Status Enhancement and Travel Clearance by 2021. Get a copy of your BCN Card Online by ordering the Basic Pack at www.theidc.org.uk/packages

    The posers on Protectorate Identity Commission further reads: “Are you a citizen of the Commonwealth countries? Are you a migrant living In the United Kingdom or Europe? Has your Visa or Passport Expired? Has Your Human Right and Civil Liberties been Breached? Here Is your final Solution for Protection Against Abuse of your Human Right, Violation of your Civil Liberties And Police Harassment. Apply for BCN Card by visiting: http://www.protectorateidentity.org/apply/

     

    “Be a British Citizen,  get a British Passport, use legality lf UDHR 1948 Treaty. Order Castle Pack A and Castle Pack B Instruments of Law Online for obtainment of British Nationality at www.theidc.org.uk/packages

     

    “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 9, 13 and 15 1948 Permits your Legality. Use Political Influence Of the Commonwealth Liberation Party (TCLP) at www.thecommonwealthliberationparty.org for your Rights to integrate in the United Kingdom. Protect yourself with the British Commonwealth National Card as it Safeguard your Rights against Infringement.

     

    Professor Thomas, Chairman TCLP declares that all Commonwealth Nations’ Governments or their Agencies are welcomed to enroll for a Franchise Scheme with the Protectorate Identity Commission for permission to be allowed authority to issue the BCN Card in their countries.

     

  • ‘I’ve always wanted to solve problems, provide roadmaps to ideas’

    ‘I’ve always wanted to solve problems, provide roadmaps to ideas’

    David Lanre Mesan (DLM) is an idea strategist and chief executive officer of Trogge Urban Limited, a creative talent management company with focus on talent marketing, merchandising and investment. In this interview with MOYOSORE AGBOOLA, he speaks on his life an idea strategist, his fashion label and how he is helping businesses to grow.

    Can you tell us about yourself?

    I am an idea strategist and a social entrepreneur with key interests in enterprise development, music, fashion, and technology. I am the chief executive of Trogge Urban Limited and founder of YaggyEnergie.  I have helped to improve businesses in Nigeria with home grown ideas in business concept design and strategy, marketing and branding. I have 12 years’ experience in communications, marketing and executive presentations in the mainstream work and market place with LEAP Africa, Universal Anchor, Maku Sports Group, Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre, and Infinite Impact Limited.

    What are Trogge Urban Limited and YaggyEnergie are about?

    Trogge Urban Limited is a creative talent management company with focus on talent marketing, merchandising and investment. The YaggyEnergie is a social enterprise focused on raising a new corps of skill-driven micro entrepreneurs in Africa.

    You seem to be enthusiastic about Fashion should we be expecting a DLM clothing line soon?

    DLM clothing, yes, but it is called Krosh by DLM. It’s starting in the next three months

    Your profession is one that is still largely untapped. Can you share what inspired you to become an idea strategist?

    Becoming an idea strategist is given. I have always wanted to solve problems and provide roadmaps to ideas. I tried this with my mom’s businesses and saw my ideas work. I tried it with my personal hustle and it worked. So I just commercialised and have reached more than 120 businesses.

    Aside your mom’s business and your own hustle, how did you get your first client?

    I had to prove that I am indeed an idea strategist by offering my services for free. The reality is this – telling a client that I can make their ideas possible kind of interests them and they become curious as to how, especially when you are not charging them at that instance. The fact I am now helping them make their ideas happen on low budget makes the whole story dramatic. With this, I get a lot of referrals. My goal mainly is to use unconventional strategies to help turn ideas into money like I did for Maka, the Afrosoul artiste. We utilised strategies like campus campaigns, peer-to-peer marketing, stakeholder-to-peer conversations to launch her into the mainstream music industry.

     

    How long have you been an idea strategist?

    I have been an idea strategist for 10 years now. I have worked as Communication Consultant for Lagos State Public Staff development Centre where I helped develop a case study system that documents processes. I have developed a marketing research document and roadmaps for Eko Hospital. I have worked with start ups and talents in various capacities.

    How do you think idea strategising would impact Nigerians and Africa as a whole?

    Africa is focusing on human capital development. The youth population of Africa is on the rise. On what is and what is to come, I am strongly reminded that there is no better time than now. By 2050, the population of Africa will double. At almost 3 billion, the population of Africa will be greater than that of China and India combined. With 50% aged between 15 and 29, there is both an opportunity and a threat. The opportunity will only manifest to the extent we seize the moment. That moment will be industries that should create jobs, the new knowledge economy where idea strategists form a core part, helping corporations identify new opportunities, new markets, new products that can help increase bottom lines and add significant value.

    The reality therefore is everything is beginning to be streamlined, jobs are now simplified into specific skill set and as such, an idea strategist’s work is in the ‘simple’ where every industry would need one idea strategist who acts like a futurist, looping on trends and finding gaps to fill for growth and change. So, with idea strategy, there would be more jobs thereby reducing the unemployment rate; there would be more products to be consumed by the emerging middleclass, there would be new markets for companies, and more start-ups will spring up because of ideas that would be generated through problem solving. That is impact. You can’t imagine the numbers; a huge opportunity to consider.

     

    What has been your most challenging experience you have encountered as an idea strategist?

    When I started I was rejected because no one understood what idea strategy means. My other challenge is the high demand of my services where I can’t take all but I am training people who would rise to the demand.

    When you say training, are you talking of employees or a training school?

    I am training people who have interest in championing the new knowledge economy where they will learn about how ideas work, the strategies that make ideas happen and how to sell and sustain ideas; managing change within industries as well as the innovations needed to drive an idea.

     

    What’s the next step for you?

    Next step for me is coming soon.

    Looking at the younger generation and the problems of unemployment facing Nigerian youths, what is your advice?

    The younger generation is expanding day in day out. My advice to them would be to equip themselves with the skills, the knowledge, and the network to succeed and grow. More so, they should learn to champion their own ideas.

     

  • Infographics: DisCos lament Army’s Debt

    The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANEDS) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene so that the three tiers of government could pay the N60 billion electricity bill they are being owed.

    The total amount of debt owed power distribution companies (DisCos) by ministries, departments and agencies at both the federal, state and local government levels is about N60 billion. As at December last year, the total debt was N58billion, but it has grown to about N60billion as we speak.

    Its Executive Director, Barr. Sunday Oduntan, who spoke in Abuja, said the Nigerian Army is the highest debtor.

     

     

    “A large part of this debt is owed by the military. The Nigerian Army takes pleasure in beating up our staff for unjust reasons and they don’t like to pay their bills. We won’t condone this anymore and we are going to take this case up with them, particularly the recent one that happened in Abeokuta.

    “The Nigerian Army keep oppressing us and often times they feel they are above the law, but this shouldn’t be. In Abeokuta, they beat up one of our official for unjust reasons and the same group of military men who did that have not paid their electricity bills since 2013.

    “The team in Abeokuta, which is the 351 Artillery Brigade, was led by one Major Musa and we use this medium to urge President Buhari to call the soldiers to order. They must know that they are not above the law.”

  • How Pop, R&B artistes rank on social media

    How Pop, R&B artistes rank on social media

    The impact of Social media on the Entertainment industry in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, given that entertainers (Musical Artistes) were among the first Nigerians who embraced the new media and have remained on top of the list of users in Nigeria and across the world.

    Some started earlier and still struggling to gain much followership, depending on how soon such an artiste understood the tricks of each social media platform and apply same in order to connect with fans.

    However, some other artistes came on much later and are doing very fine with a good number of followers on these platforms.

    No doubt, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are very important platforms that have been engaged by these Celebrities to carry their fans along.

    Below is how they rank on Twitter and Instagram: