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Tag: animals

  • How animals’ adventure sparks children’s interest in reading

    How animals’ adventure sparks children’s interest in reading

    In African literature, folklore maintains a strong presence while acting as a rich source of inspiration, tradition, and cultural identity. It is usually passed down orally with stories, myths, legends and customs that offer moral lessons, explain natural phenomena, and bind communities. Little wonder many writers often draw upon these traditions to create narratives, characters, and themes that reflect African cultural values and experiences. Yet, some of the adventures of animals in some folklore can be metaphors for man and the society. It is in this light that Sunshine and Sparkles series children books, by Prof Oyinkan Medubi find relevance. 

    Medubi, a professor of English at the University of Ilorin, had her post-doctoral interest combines Sociolinguistics with Psycholinguistics in Cognitive Linguistics (a field that looks at language in the society as resident in the mind of the individual). She specialises in the Cognitive Linguistics, sometimes using political cartoons as examples. Between 2022 and this year, she published three books as part of the series. They are War of the Nuts, The many troubles of Sunshine and Sparkles, and The Adventure of Sunshine and Sparkles, published by Institute of Media Studies Limited.

    But, what sets the books apart from other children books? The books attempt to contribute to the education and entertainment of Nigeria’s children through stories that would lead them into philosophical inquiries about life in general, and their environment in particular. The animals are involved in different adventures that lead them to question themselves, their motives and existence even their identities, hopes, aspirations, and place in the society. Social issues treated in the books relate to all human societies, such as responsibility, education, friendship, selfishness, gratitude, loneliness, work values, ambition, greed, social construction and destruction.

    “Focus is placed on the interactions that the animals have with each other (they do not talk to humans, only with each other, thus keeping it as real as possible) as they face their problems, inner struggles and growth. We thus see how they work out the solutions they bring to their challenges”

    “In short, the adventures of the animals lead them to interrogate life’s issues in such a way that we hope should inspire creativity and innovativeness in the readers. Even though these stories are specifically designed for children, they can be regarded as metaphors for Man and the human society, his primordial nature, growth, and refinement.

    The layers of thrust and meaning possibilities can be multiple,” she said.

    In one of the books, War of the Nuts, the story of the animals touches on moral lessons, especially for children like being truthful, honest and appreciative. For example, Sparkles lied to Sunshine that he traded its cart for their freedom, but in reality, it was traded for some nuts for the squirrel’s hungry family. The book like others, also teaches support for one another, love and unity as together the animals defeated the bad squirrels, stopped their intimidations, hoarding of the nuts, and opened the store for all animals to get and eat the nuts

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria can play bigger in $1.72tr global farmed animals’

    According to her, The Sunshine and Sparkles series was inspired by the unusual behaviour of some of the animals around me – a dog that refused to bark, a squirrel that repeatedly thumped over rooftops in my neighbourhood, a fish that repeatedly jumped out of the fish-tank in play.

    “I was thus moved to build stories around their antics. The value of these stories lies in the desire they build in us as humans, especially as children, to begin to see beyond ourselves and move into higher realms of possibilities. This would help to raise the level of our consciousness towards better social engineering for the greater good, as these animals are always in a constant state of forward motion,” she added.

    Determined to get young readers more interested in reading, she uses stories about ordinary things and events around us to form the content of the books. In a way, the series is also to capture the imagination of children and make them want to know, not only what happens next to the characters, but what happens in subsequent installments in the series. To her, it an attempt to promote the reading culture in Nigeria from the grassroots.

    The books are suitable for Primary 3 school children and above and the characters are mostly, but not exclusively, animals, which children can relate to. The characters also move in ways that are familiar. The language is simple and direct, and can be easily appealing to children. Pictures are provided in cartoon forms to aid understanding as well, in colours from the second installment. Indeed, if included in the primary school curriculum, the Sunshine and Sparkles books should provide something different for Nigerian children to relate to in very imaginative ways.

    Apart from academic works, she has written a play, The King’s Banquet, published by Caltop Publishers, in 1993. Other of her works includes short stories and other book series, which have not been published.

  • Relocation of Ibadan abattoir

    SIR: An abattoir is a facility or a premise approved and registered by the controlling authority for hygienic slaughtering and inspection of animals, processing for effective preservation and storage of meat products for human consumption.

    Thus; the rationale for quality abattoir is to ensure humane handling of animals and using hygienic slaughtering, and dressing procedures. Therefore, good abattoirs should enhance proper meat inspection and safety, waste management system as well as guard against potential danger or meat-borne infectious agents reaching the public or contaminating the environment.

    Bodija Market Abattoir in Ibadan, Oyo State capital is highly disorganised. Cows are set loose in the middle of the market with their dung becoming carpet on which customers and traders tread. From the slaughtering slab flows a thick and torrent shed of red turned brown blood. Every nook and cranny of abattoir is littered with dirt, cow bones, skin, dried intestines and other parts of animals. The heap of cow dung after being slaughtered could be likened to groundnut pyramid in the olden days. The dung no doubt is an environmental threat and could lead to an epidemic.

    Having realized the need for modern abattoir, the last administration invested in an ultra modern abattoir which Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s regime keyed into. It’s highly essential to commend the present administration in the state for providing state-of –the art facilities in the abattoir located at Amosun Village in Akinyele Local Government. Apart from necessary infrastructure of a modern abattoir, the government also put in place, pipe borne water, animal health centre, police post for adequate security and transportation systems for easy access to this new central abattoir at Amosun Village. With this, the government has fulfilled its responsibility of protecting its citizens against infection and diseases that can arise from unhygienic preparation of meats for human consumption.

    The truth is that government is not relocating butchers, but only relocating abattoir operations and slaughter services to the new abattoir. Sales of meat which is the primary duty of butchers remain in the existing markets across Ibadan metropolis, Bodija Market inclusive.  It’s only that slaughtering of cows will no longer take place within Bodija Market for health and quality assurance purposes.

    May I appeal to the recalcitrant members at the Bodija Market to heed the government’s directive and relocate to the Central Abattoir at Amosun village. The truth is that benefits inherent in butchers using the Central Abattoir are tremendous. The new abattoir will be an abode for production of hygienic meat for peoples’ consumption, for creation of jobs for the people, to open up the corridors of Amosun village for development and to improve butchers’ means of livelihood.

     

    • Fasasi Ismail,

    Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • Don cautions against antibiotics misuse in animals

    Project Director Cassava: Adding Value for Africa Phase II (CAVA II), Prof. Kolawole Adebayo, has warned against the misuse of antibiotics in livestock, saying it can also make humans resistant to drugs.

    The food and agriculture industry is relying on antibiotics to secure the supply of food and income to farmers. However, the use of antibiotics for food production has been a major driver of antibiotic resistance, which is  threatening food security.

    Adebayo explained that antibiotics residue in animals could affect humans who   eventually consume the animals.

    He said: “The situation is worsened when there is indiscriminate and incorrect use of antibiotics; each antibiotic has a period to spend in the animal before it is safe to eat by humans.When animals are sold for human consumption before it is safe to do so, the antibiotic will continue in the human blood stream. That could be dangerous.”

    He stressed the need for responsible use of antibiotics by farmers in animals to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

    According to experts, antibiotic resistance in animal is not only threatening animal health, but also affects human health.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that overuse of antibiotics in animals is contributing to growing drug resistance in humans with serious health implications.

    WHO warned that farmers must be prevented from using powerful antibiotics on animals reared for food, because of the serious risks to human health.

    New guidelines from the global body advised farmers to stop using any antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in animals that are otherwise healthy, a common practice in some parts of the world, including Asia and the US. Such routine use is banned in Europe, though campaigners fear the rules are sometimes flouted.

    WHO reported that in some countries, as much as 80 per cent of antibiotic use is on farm animals. Even in some countries where routine use for enhancing growth is banned, more antibiotics are used on animals than on humans.

  • ‘We shared water with animals’

    ‘We shared water with animals’

    Residents of rural areas in Kaduna relive their experiences with the phase II of Sanitation, Hygiene and Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) project, reports Philip Yatai

    Unarguably, reducing the gap between urban and rural access to basic sanitation, hygiene and water remains a major challenge in most developing countries of the world.

    Concerned by the width of the gap, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) notes that most of the people without access to drinkable water are poor and live in rural areas or urban slums.

    The report of a recent survey in Nigeria by UNICEF indicates that only 14 per cent of the people wash their hands with soap after cleaning a child’s faeces in rural areas.

    It notes that Nigeria loses no fewer than 150,000 children from diarrhoea, largely caused by drinking unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene practices.

    But medical experts observe that the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities can go a long way in closing the gap by promoting healthy living and reducing poverty in the country.

    In the light of this observation, Kaduna State, Katsina State, Zamfara, Benue, Bauchi State and Jigawa were selected to participate in the phase II of Sanitation, Hygiene and Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) project.

    The project is aimed at improving access to sanitation, hygiene and water supply to all citizens through eradication of open defecation, hand washing promotion, sanitation and provision of water facility.

    It is being funded by United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF with counterpart funding from the state governments.

    Beneficiaries of the project in Chikun, Kubau and Kachia local government areas of Kaduna State have described the project as a success, claiming that it is transforming the lives of rural dwellers.

    Malam Rufa’I Baba, a community leader in Unguwan Bukka, Kujama Ward of Chikun Local Government Area, said before the project, the community’s open wells were only sources of water for drinking and cooking.

    Baba said the water, usually infested with germs, predisposed the community to preventable diseases, ranging from cholera, diarrhoea to malaria, among others.

    “We defecate openly because we do not know the health risk and so, animal and human faeces become a normal sight all over our community.

    “This unhygienic behaviour made us vulnerable to diseases. Our children were always sick from one form of ailment or another, until the SHAWN project came and completely transformed our lives,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Malam Zakari Isa, the Chairman of SHAWN committee saddled with the responsibility of maintaining its facilities in the community, said the project had encouraged people to build toilets and encourage access to good sources of water.

    “The project taught us how to keep our wells and environment clean and how to properly wash our hands with soap all the time,’’ he said.

    Beneficiaries of the project in Kubau Local Government Area described the project as a blessing that saved them from infectious diseases and gave them hope and a sense of belonging.

    “During dry season, our only source of water, the wells, get dry and we had to travel long distance to fetch water from the river which we shared with animals,’’ a resident of the community, Malam Mustapha Shuaibu, said.

    He further explained that life had previously been difficult for the people of the community due to lack of access to clean water.

    “Water is life and the SHAWN project has given us life, this is in addition to the improve quality of life through good hygiene practices such as hand washing, environmental sanitation which made life more interesting,’’ he said.

    Mrs Hauwa Ahmed, resident of Gidan Jifa in Anchau Ward of Kubau, said the SHAWN project started a new life of hope for the people of the community, saying: “With 24-hour access to clean water, our life has never been this good.’’

    Mrs Theresa Pamma, WASH specialist of UNICEF in Kaduna, explained that the project, which began in 2014 in Kaduna State, started with Chikun, Kubau and Kachia local government areas.

    She added that due to the success stories in the three local government areas, the project was extended to Lere, Soba, Jaba, Jema’a, Kajuru, Zangon Kataf, Giwa and Kudan local government areas.

    Pamma said that the project had so far constructed 325 hand pump boreholes and rehabilitated 244 to improve household water supply in 354 communities.

    According to her there are 262,611 beneficiaries in Chikun, Kachia and Kubau local government areas.

    “Similarly, the construction of 30 motorised boreholes, 40 new hand boreholes and rehabilitation of 240 is ongoing in the three local government areas.

    “As at November 2016, we were able to achieve 502 communities certified Open Defecation Free out of the 1,017 communities across the three local government areas.

    “These communities have completely denounced open defecation and they are currently encouraging neighbouring communities to stop open defecation,’’ she said.

    According to her, 138,882 pupils in 3770 primary schools in the three local government areas have engaged in group hand washing as routine practice.

    She added that the 370 primary school teachers were also trained to promote hygiene practices and management of WASH facilities in the respective schools while 8,854 caregivers in 19 health centres had access to WASH facilities.

    To boost the activities of the project, Malam Bashir Lere, Manager, Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, said the state government had earmarked N698 million for various interventions to improve access to sanitation, hygiene and water.

    He said the government had also spent substantial amount of money from inception of the SHAWN project in the state as counterpart fund.

    Lere said the government gave priority to sanitation and hygiene because “if you have clean water and you do not keep your environment clean, then the water will become unsafe’’.

    Mr Utpal Moitra, the Chief of Field Officer of UNICEF in Kaduna, said that the main goal of the SHAWN project was to ensure that state governments provided water, good sanitation and hygiene to the citizens.

    “The project is not an end in itself, it is a project deigned to create examples to state governments that it is possible to provide water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to the citizenry.

    “By doing that, the states would be convinced that it is worthwhile to invest in sanitation, hygiene and water; providing these basic rights to their people,’’ Moitra said.

    He insisted that regular hand-washing with soap after using toilets, after changing children’s nappies and before eating or handling food can save more lives than any vaccine or medical intervention.

    …Yatai is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  • 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)

  • Between humans and animals

    Some years  ago, I took a friend to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja; prior to that time, she’d spent most of her years in the United States where she graduated from one of the universities. She had a cut, which according to her “deserves urgent attention” and requested I took her there even as I tried to explain that it is a teaching hospital that deals with serious medical cases.

    My friend went into a tantrum accusing me of behaving like a “Nigerian” who does not take his health serious. I looked at the cut, and to me it was a mere scratch, but she insisted on seeing a doctor because she does not want it to be infected by bacteria and virus. I ended up taking her to the hospital and what I saw that day has remained in my consciousness to date.

    A doctor was standing helplessly watching three patients on stretchers and two on wheel chairs; three of them were in critical conditions as far as I could tell. He was perplexed and his looks said that much. He was mumbling “where can we get beds for these patients?” Oblivious to what the doctor was going through, my friend approached him and showed him her cut. The doctor looked at her for a long while and just walked away. That was when another round of ranting about our “backwardness” began.

    That incident reminds me of the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello who was shocked when he visited public schools in Minna, the state capital last week. After visiting Maryam Babangida Girls Science Secondary School, he was quoted as saying: “We’ve visited schools where animals would not like to live in the hostels and dogs wouldn’t eat the food being served pupils.” The governor isn’t done yet.

    “It is unfair to blame pupils for failing external or final year examinations when they study in filthy environment and receive sub-standard teaching. It is not right to blame teachers for poor performance without providing tools to aid teaching.”

    The governor couldn’t have put it more succinctly; he was as blunt as they come. But being blunt and seeking for solutions’ are two different things in this part of the world.

    We’ve seen in the past when government officials weep over roads, over our dilapidated hospitals, conditions of our schools and even the plight of the poor. You only need to interface with some government officials to know how totally unconcerned they can be if their ‘interests’ are not ‘factored’ into an initiative.

    We all seem to know what the problems of the country are, we shout ourselves hoarse over corruption and other ills but when a governments comes in and is trying to change the ground rules by understudying what is presently on ground to chart a new course, some accuse it of being ‘too slow.’

    I would like the governor to go steps further and identify those responsible over the years for allowing humans live like animals and those providing food that even dogs would reject. That would be a first step in addressing what is purely wickedness on the part of some government officials.

    I was involved with an American company that wanted to extend an innovation to Nigeria some years ago. The innovation was a breakthrough in one of the most dreaded diseases man has ever known. It was highly subsidised to the extent that even the poorest of the poor could afford. They insisted on having an open bidding to select distributors who have human feelings to distribute the innovation.

    They were systematically frustrated by the guys at the ministry who insisted on bringing their fronts to be distributors. But the innovators stood their grounds opting for the publication of their requirements on the pages of newspaper.

    The regulatory bottleneck dragged on for months until the company – out of frustration – took the innovation to Ghana. That was how Nigeria lost out because the ‘interests’ of some officials were not ‘factored into the deal.’ To the Americans, it did not make sense at all that a few people could prevent millions from benefiting from something that is expected to make the society healthier, better and more productive.

    So, Governor Bello should not stop at identifying the problem but he should go steps further by identifying those responsible for providing food not worthy of dogs to humans. I would not be surprised if there are provisions for hostel renovation in every year’s budget. I would equally not be surprised that someone somewhere signs and collects ‘special intervention funds’ to enhance the standard of education. I can go on and on.

    The second part of the governor’s lamentation is also instructive. Just like the doctor I mentioned earlier, there are dedicated teachers who are willing to do their best but do not have the tools and requisite skills to give in their best. You know how far a society can go by the quality of education and health it provides it citizens. On these two fronts, the country has failed woefully.

    It completely beats my imagination that we could toy with something as critical as education. We’ve done that for years and it has finally caught up with us. We now churn out an army of educated illiterates each year from a system that need complete overhaul from basic to tertiary level.

    Because of where we are, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) earlier this year pegged the cut-off marks to varsities at 180 and polytechnics at 150. But all hell was let loose two weeks ago when the University of Lagos (UNILAG) felt that this standard was not good enough and pegged it’s own at 250. I stand by the varsity and believe that an average student should be able to score this high out of a score 400.

    Not surprisingly, some parents ‘demonstrated’ on behalf of their children or wards. How would a parent be proud of a child that scored 180 out of 400? If one should investigate, one may find out that some of these parents are the ones that register their children at ‘special centres’ for their SSCE. To me, there is a problem if a student of over 16 years old cannot go and write post-UTME alone without being escorted by his or her parent(s).

    What UNILAG has simply done is to take a stand and refuse to be part of what I see as a deliberate plan to truncate the future of Nigeria by enthroning mediocrity in the educational system. This should be condemned by everyone who wants the products of the nation’s educational system to compete with their counterparts in any part of the world.

    It is indeed a shame that standards are now so low as to compel JAMB to fix these marks. That we are even debating this low standardisation is a different ball game altogether. We should – at this point in time – be concerned about enthroning meritocracy and ensuring the best students only enter the nation’s universities. This should be the best approach at a time when the rest of the world attaches much importance to quality education. We should bury the thought that the university is for everyone, it is not; it is meant for those who have the capacity to pass through the rigorous research regimen.

    While I agree there are disparities in educational levels of the different parts of the country, I don’t believe the solution lies in allowing the nation to be marooned in mediocrity. A higher standard for Nigerians to strive to attain is, indeed, what is needed now more than ever. This standard must start from the basic level. It may shock some readers that there are some students who sit for their SSCE without knowing how to read!

    Since Governor Sani Bello has seen the worst with his own eyes, he should perhaps start a campaign that should include all the citizens of the country on how to solve our educational crises and ensure that the country’s standard is competitive. He is firmly aware that educational standards are universal, and for Nigeria that should be eager to join the race for technological advancement, the country must adhere to these universal standards.

    What he was in Minna is the same all over the country. Can he and the other governors rise to the occasion? Time will tell.

     

  • ‘Why I’m taking animal campaign to schools’

    ‘Why I’m taking animal campaign to schools’

    Chiemeka Chiedozie, the Project Director Human Global Concept, Nigeria and Africa is one man that is passionate about caring for animals, reports Justice Ilevbare
    Chiemeka Chiedozie is passionate about animals. For many years, he has been involved in caring for animals and that passion has led to the establishment of Human Global Concept, a non-governmental organization (NGO) about four years ago.

    Through his non-governmental organization, Chiedozie promotes animal welfare in Africa specifically for children below the ages of 19 years – His mission is impact knowledge on the children to have relevant information about animal kingdom and how to care for them.

    chichi

    Chiedozie who had been running this project for the past four years has taken the campaign to different primary and secondary schools; “I have been to over 200 primary and secondary schools to educate young people about animal kingdom. I showed them documentary and take them to zoos to see animal life to let the children have good relationship with animals so that they won’t develop the passion of killing the animals,” he said.

    He explained further that an average Nigerian doesn’t have passion for an animal, all they know is how to kill animals and this is a project to educate them; “I said to myself that this destructive attitude must be stopped because every Nigerian is an animal killer,” he said.

    According to Chiedozie, the project is first of its kind in Africa, “Nobody has done this in Africa, I just took the challenge upon myself to start the project,” he said.

    On how he gets the project funded, Chiedozie who has travelled to Ghana to address people on animal rights said he gets only material donations from United Kingdom and United State of America to run the project. “I have done animal conferences and exhibitions which had over 300 people attended. I finance it myself and also task people to donate to the project. Finance is the major challenge rocking the project,” he explained.

    He wants the government at all levels to partner with the non-governmental organisation to be able to fund the project. He has also gotten support from a non-government organization, People for Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA), in United Kingdom.

    Chiedozie who had been featured in Animal Times Magazine in United Kingdom had just been made world animal ambassador for Nigeria.

    He wants Nigerians to care for animals “animals have feelings and emotions just as people have because they can’t talk people take advantage of them, if every Nigerian has feelings for animals’ people will not be killing their neighbours and families for rituals,” he advised

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Yobe vaccinates 5m animals

    Yobe vaccinates 5m animals

    Over five million animals have been vaccinated in Yobe State, in keeping with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam’s health policy.

    It took less than two years into his administration for the governor to start implementing the plan to provide the residents with a good health plan, especially the free medical care for children under five and expectant mothers. Gaidam also followed up with free vaccination for animals. His health policy was widely celebrated by the people of the state

    The governor spoke of the need to have healthy animals at a mass vaccination campaign at Dikumari village on the outskirts of Damaturu, the state capital. He assured that no animal will remain unvaccinated in the state and directed the Ministry of Animals and Fisheries to ensure that the exercise covers all the local government areas in the state.

    Gaidam also expressed happiness over the improved relationship between pastoralists and farmers in the state, announcing that government will construct two international livestock markets in Garin Alkali and Nguru, to boost livestock production and revenue.

    He called for strict monitoring of influx of animals into the state to check the spread of diseases. He said “the vaccination of the animals in the state is apt”.

    Programme Manager of the Yobe Livestock Pilot Development Programme, Dr. Mustapha Gaidam said the gesture has considerably improved livestock production in the state.

    He said: “I wish to inform you that despite the security challenges that we have in the state, livestock production has been on the increase because of the free vaccination initiative of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam for animals in the state. This has in turn also boosted trading in this sector significantly. The inter-town roads constructed by the state government have facilitated easy movement to these areas with large concentration of goats, sheep and cattle. There are livestock farmers in every household in all the 17 local government areas of the state. Naturally, our people have the passion for livestock farming and we have been supporting them with drugs, food supplement and adequate water to improve the capacity of the farmers.”

    Dr. Mustapha said the programme also trained farmers on animal health and fattening, pointing out that the excise has improved the quality and value of livestock with good returns to the farmers. He said further that “We have also recorded improvement in meat and dairy production. Yobe is definitely moving away from subsistence farming to commercial livestock farming.”

    He stressed that 5.2 million livestock have been vaccinated against various diseases since 2009 to date in the state. He also said that 1.7 million cattle, sheep, goats and dogs also benefited from free mass vaccination  in the 2013, adding  that  ”800,000 herds of cattle were to be vaccinated against Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP) and Black Quarter (BQ). He stressed that 900,000 sheep and goats will be vaccinated against pest de petit ruminants and 2,500 dogs will be vaccinated against rabies,” he said.

    The programme manager said an intensive sensitisation campaign is been carried out for livestock farmers across the state for participation in the mass vaccination program of the state. One of the reasons for the mass vaccination according to Dr. Mustapha Gaidam is to protect the animals against any cross border disease because of the cross boundary grazing of the animals into neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Mustaphq also said that “The cross boundary nomadic livestock husbandry practice makes the livestock vulnerable to diseases”.

    Speaking on the perennial farmers and herdsmen conflicts, the programme manager disclosed that Yobe State has demarcated over 1000 kilometres of cattle routes and beaconed same to check against encroachment and conflicts among these group of people. “We have consistently cultivated mucuna beans and stylosanthesis in Dilawa, Gumsi, Tarajem, Alagarno, Mashio, Gumsa, Nasari/Jakusko, Gujba and Nguru grazing reserves to promote livestock food supplements,” he said.

    He solicited the cooperation of livestock farmers, opinion leaders and veterinary officers to work for the success of the 2013 vaccination campaign in order to ensure increased meat and dairy production in the state”. He noted that the volume of traders from all over the country visiting Bayamari, Potiskum, Gaidam, Yusufari, Garin Alkali, Gashua and Nguru livestock markets had increased significantly.

    A beneficiary of the free vaccination campaign Umar Musa, a resident of Dikumari village told our correspondent that he has never benefited from any free vaccination of animals from government since he started rearing animals. He explained that he spends the sum of N30, 000 annually for the vaccination of his animals, stressing that the financial burden is now off his shoulders. Umar thanked the governor for the gesture but added,” I hope that all the other Fulanis in faraway places in the bush will also benefit from this gesture.”

  • Making fortune from breeding small animals

    Making fortune from breeding small animals

    Keeping small livestock can be profitable provided you have to choose the right species. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    f young people are going to be brought back into farming, it will be now. The opportunity to make money from small farming has never been better, especially with grass cutter and rabbits bringing returns that translate to higher net income for the owner. While other enterprises in agriculture look promising, keeping small animals is the best place to start.

    Prince Arinze Onebunne is a small livestock farmer. He rears rabbits, grasscutter, guinea pig, antelope and white rats, from which he earns enough to cater for his family including educating his children. He deployed his piece of land and some little resource in this venture, which he has grown into a multi-million enterprise.

    At his Jovana Farms, Onebunne breeds animals and also teaches people how to invest in grass cutter, mushroom, snail, fish, quail, geese and rabbit business. According to him, investing in grass cutter is a wise choice because it is a prolific animal. He explained that the female grasscutter litters twice a year and one female can litter as many as eight young ones at a time if well fed.

    “If a farmer, therefore, starts with say two colonies of eight females and two males, if the females litter twice a year, given an average of seven per female, you have 7x8x2, which gives 112 grasscutters in just one year,” he explained.

    For him, the capital requirement for grasscutter rearing is very low compared to the huge return on investment. With less than N70,000, you can kick start your grass cutter farming using cheap wooden cages and some space within your house. Feeding grasscutters is relatively cheap as they stay feed mainly on grass and vital supplements and give good return to the investor.

    Yet, the market is large, waiting for any intending farmer to start tapping from it.

    “You can make up to N300,000 from one female grasscutter alone and when it has completed the breeding circle in four years, you can still sell it as a big bush meat.

    Grasscutters are weighed before being sold. When they get to table size, you can dispose one for between N5,000 and N10,000, depending on the size. One kilogramme of grasscutter is sold for N2,000. Other areas one can make money in grass cutter farming are by breeding and supplying breeding stocks to farmers, selling table size live or smoked grass cutter to hotels, homes, schools, restaurants, relaxation centres, and so on,” he explained.

    Onebunne has become an authority in the sector, studying the animals’ behaviours and learning how to treat their illnesses. A lot of his friends have bought small animals after seeing how his farms kick-started his family’s climb out of poverty. For him, small animal farming is fascinating.The only thing is that it requires continuous hardwork and devotion without any distraction. The rabbit business, he said, is attractive, where a young person with ingenuity can get a start with a few rabbits and grow his stock within six months. He sees potential for an income that competes with the city job from a standard mini livestock farm. But managing grass, costs, and markets plays a key role in determining the level of profit producers can expect. If one decides to keep livestock on the farm, one needs to choose species that you are able to care for. With more than 10 years in agriculture business, Onebunne has a wealth of experience which any one keen on making money from animal rearing can tap from and rake profit.

    But like every other businesses, small animal farming has its own challenges. These include climate change, breeding location, feed supplies and funding.

    “If you really desire success in this line of business, you have got to be passionate so that you can turn your challenges to opportunities for great achievement,” he advised.

    Jovana Farms organises sensitisation training and seminars nationawide on how to make it in small-scale animal farming.

    He advised enthusiasts to visit www.jovanafarms.com for more details.