The Nation Newspaper

Tag: communities

  • ‘Involve communities in pipeline protection’

    ‘Involve communities in pipeline protection’

    The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Prosperous Oil and Gas Company, Mr Isinkaye Abiodun, has stressed the need for those indigenous to communities through which oil pipelines passed to be involved in security of the pipelines to prevent vandals from tampering with them.

    He made this suggestion while commenting on the current scarcity of petroleum products across the country.

    He stated that if members of the host communities are engaged in the enlightenment of the people on the need to protect the pipelines, the rate at which vandals operate in the areas would be reduced.

    According to him, most oil marketers have been frustrated by the activities of the members of the communities, especially when their oil tankers tumbled.

    He lamented that the members of the communities usually rush to the scene where tankers fell to scoop fuel, thinking that it was a national cake.

    The people should be enlightened on the fact that the tankers as well as the content are owned by oil marketers who usually approached banks to access loans for the running of their businesses at high interest rates.

    He observed that most of the vandals and the members of the host communities are ignorant of the hazards inherent in the cutting of the pipelines.

    Commenting on the two-year-old administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi, Mr. Isinkaya urged the governor to pay more attention on physical projects.

    He suggested that investors should be encouraged to invest in the state through different enticing policies such as tax holiday, and reduction of tax and rates.

    The incentives, according to Isinkaya, would serve as baits to prospective investors who could pick interest in the state, adding that the potential which abound in the state had not been exploited.

    He disclosed that the influx of investors in the state would have spiral positive effect on the economy of the state, especially shoring up the internally-generated revenue (IGR) and reducing unemployment.

     

     

     

    The oil magnate observed that this would take pressure off the shoulders of the state government, noting that the activities of the investors would complement as well as solving most of the socio-economic problems in the state.

    Nevertheless, he commended the governor for some of the ongoing and completed projects in the state in the last two years of his administration.

     

  • Uduaghan orders free medical services in affected communities

    Uduaghan orders free medical services in affected communities

    DELTA State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday ordered the provision of free medical services for residents of all the affected communities in the state.

    He gave the other at a meeting with political appointees in Asaba, where he said all the hospitals in the state as well as mobile clinics have been instructed to provide free medical services to the victims.

    According to him, his government would bear the burden of medical treatment because the flood has exposed victims to shock and other health hazards they could not cope with.

    His words: “Some of the victims are in a state of shock and they have lost almost everything. The situation has put them into critical health conditions and we have elected to foot the bill of their medical treatment to relieve them of tension.

    The doctors and nurses have been instructed to treat patients free. The hospitals have been adequately stocked with drugs.”

    Uduaghan directed the committee managing the flood situation to take proper statistics of victims, their locations and properties to guide the government in post-flood planning.

    Saying that accurate data would aid planning, the governor described what has been done so far as fire brigade approach to provide as much succor as possible to the victims.

    He said: “Data is important for planning and we should not toy with it. Let us get the proper statistics of men and materials displaced to enable us plan for future. We need it to guide us even now especially for the provision of relief materials.”

    He spoke of his administration’s plan to approach the House of Assembly for budgetary provisions for flood control and relief materials.

    According to him, the government has not released any special fund for the management of the situation.

    Uduaghan expressed the fear that the flood disaster would be longer than expected and predicted that it could go beyond November, as he appealed to residents to prepare for more floods.

    He appealed for donation from public-spirited individuals, corporate bodies and multinational oil companies to enable the state cope with the increasing crowd that have been displaced.

  • Obi seeks aids for communities submerged by floods

    Obi seeks aids for communities submerged by floods

    ANAMBRA State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on organisations, the Federal Government and the International community to rescue the state from flooding.

    He said Anambra is the worst affected by the current flood ravaging many parts of the nation.

    Obi spoke yesterday during a tour of affected local governments of Ayamelu, Ogbaru, Anambra West and Anambra East.

    He said he was calling off a trip to Mexico to oversee rescue missions.

    According to him: “The only trip I am disposed to undertaking for now is answering calls to help the affected communities or for discussions on how to mitigate the suffering of those affected.”

    The governor held meetings with stakeholders at the communities he visited on possible way of rendering immediate assistance.

    He set up camps for the displaced and sent vehicles and boats to evacuate those trapped, while ordering cabinet members to stay with affected communities.

    According to him: “We will continue to do everything possible to see that our people are taken care of even if it means borrowing this time around.”

     

  • 70 Kwara communities taken over by floods

    Floods, occasioned by the overflow of Rivers Niger and Kaduna, have displaced residents of 70 communities at Patigi in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    This happened just as the government announced that flood has rendered 4,700 people homeless in Edu Local Government.

    At Patigi, houses, farmlands and property worth several millions of Naira were submerged.

    The Managing Director of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Abubakar Aduragba, said the flood swept away over 3, 200 hectares of rice plantation.

    The plantation is under the Tada-Shonga Irrigation Scheme in Edu Local Government.

    He urged the Federal Government to release fund for the completion of the 32,000 hectares in Tada-Shonga Irrigation Project, which was started by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    Aduragba said the project is located on the fertile plains of the River Niger between Tada and Shonga in Edu Local Government.

    He said the objective of the Tada-Shonga Irrigation Scheme was to increase the nation’s rice production through large scale rice plantation.

    According to him, the benefits of the project include production of 53, 000 metric tones of rice annually through double cropping with market value in excess of over N3 billion.

    The Chairman of Patigi Local Government, Alhaji Taoheed Makun Lata, described the flood as a disaster that had wreaked havoc on his people.

    The Special Adviser on Emergency and Relief Services to the Governor, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, during an assessment tour of the flooded areas in Edu Local Government, assured the people of government’s support to cushion the effect of the flood.

  • Flood ravages Edo communities

    Flood ravages Edo communities

    Udaba, Osomhegbe, Ofukpo, Agbazi and Udochi communities in Edo State have been flooded, following overflow of the River Niger.

    Farms, houses and property worth millions of naira were washed away.

    Residents have abandoned the communities for neighbouring villages.

    The lawmaker representing Estako Central in the House of Assembly, Mr. Johnson Oghuma, at plenary yesterday urged the government to assist his people.

    Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Osikhena-Boih Donald, who hails from the area, visited some of the affected villages.

    He assured the people that relevant agencies would be informed.

    Also yesterday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) handed over relief materials for flood victims to the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Benin, the state capital.

    NEMA Southsouth Disaster Risk Reduction Officer Eric Ebhodaghe said the effects of flooding on the people can be reduced through cooperation between the state government and the agency.

    Items donated to the victims included 300 bundles of roofing sheets, 600 bags of cement, 2,000 pieces of planks, 300 bags of rice, 300 blankets, 200 mattresses, mosquito nets, bags of garri, towels and clothing materials.

    Ebhodaghe said: “In recent times, we have experienced flooding across the country. That is why NEMA has been issuing warnings to ensure that Nigerians do not unduly suffer from climate change.

    “NEMA will continue to partner the state (Edo) to bring succour to the affected people. We cannot tame nature, but we can ameliorate its consequences.

    “Disaster is not only about relief materials, but also about preparing for it. A situation where people are forewarned and they refuse to relocate calls for more sensitisation.”

    Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Developments Deaconess Florence Ebomoyi-Idundun assured NEMA that the materials will get to the victims.

  • Mark inspects flood ravaged communities in Benue

    Senate President David Mark yesterday sympathised with flood victims in Benue State.

    He urged the Federal Government to intervene in the disaster to save lives.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, said Senator Mark gave the advice when he and Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam inspected flood-ravaged communities and resettlement camps where some of the victims are taking refuge.

    It quoted Mark as saying that the predicament of the victims required attention “because the situation is disturbing.”

    Mark said nobody anticipated the disaster, adding, “though we need rains, we don’t want torrential rains.”

    He said: “I share in your pains. We can only ask you to be patient until the rains begin to subside. This is beyond the state government. I urge the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state government.”

    Senator Mark enjoined Nigerians to take measures against the strange water that “has ravaged parts of the country this rainy season.”

    He hailed the government and medical team that have been assisting the flood victims and urged them to be hygienic.

    The Senate President donated N4 million to enable the victims purchase drugs and foodstuffs.

    Conducting him round some of the flooded communities, Governor Suswam thanked Senator Mark for the visit and enjoined the Federal Government to assist the state.

    He said the state government has provided four resettlement camps accommodating about 5,000 victims.

    Mark was accompanied by the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning, Senator Barnabas Gemade and the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro.

  • Floods sack Kaduna, Benue communities after days of rains

    Floods sack Kaduna, Benue communities after days of rains

    At least 178 homes have been swept away in Kaduna metropolis following 350 days of torrential rainfall.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo’s house and the zonal office of the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) along Gabarau Road near the new Kaduna Bridge are in danger of being submerged because of the rising water level.

    In Benue State, about 350 hectares of rice farm along the bank of River Benue has been destroyed by flood.

    Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said yesterday that more houses may be affected in the coming days as the level of water on the Kaduna river continues to rise.

    Executive Secretary of the Agency, Ishaku Dogo Makama, however, said the agency has no record of death so far, even though many residents of the metropolis believe that the figure of houses affected is more than the figures given.

    A Senior Lecturer with the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Dr. Mhamud Umar, said: “In the Zaria, area where I live, one family lost their apartment. The entire house collapsed. The owner of the house had to sleep outside because of their property while his family went to take refuge somewhere”.

    Weather experts had predicted that Kaduna will be affected by flood, especially between September and October, compelling the government to issue a warning on August 7, to residents of flood-prone areas to evacuate.

    Some of the areas affected by the floods include Abubakar Kigo Road extension, Rafin Guza, Nasarawa, Bashan Road, Tudun Wada and Unguwan Rimi GRA, among others. The areas are flood-prone, but attract lots of people annually.

    Makama said a combined effort of the agency and officials of the Nigeria Red Cross came with the figure of the affected houses saying “after the assessment of these areas by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Red Cross, we confirmed 178 homes submerged. We have not heard of any reported death or injury. We are writing a report to government, so, we can be helped to set up camp for affected people. We are still appealing to people living in flood-prone areas to please leave, as the danger of flooding is not yet over”. It was gathered that some of the houses affected at the high brow Unguwan Rimi GRA, New Extension, were homes of the rich who build houses not too far from the Kaduna River which is already on the tip of the bridge.

    One of those affected by the flood along Abubakar Kigo Road and a Reporter with The Road , Miss Amina Anebi said: “I was woken up by a roaring sound. When I woke up, I heard the sound of water gushing from my doors and windows, so I jumped out of bed. “I discovered that the water had risen close to my ankles. I started to move my things and put them on top of the table. I carried some on my head. When I opened the door, more water flowed in. I managed to wade through it. By this time, it was waist-high.

    “This was around 2am and there was water everywhere. As I speak now, my things are still there. I saw people moving out their things in vehicles, some carrying their children moving their things about that night. It came as a surprise to many of us”, she said.

    Unguwan Rafi, housing the state legislative quarters was not left out as the flood turn the place into an overnight lake. Men in canoe were seen doing brisk business, moving people out and recovering some valuables for them. At the time of this report, the water level was still rising and there was no immediate succour to those affected who are taking refuge with friends and family members across the metropolis.

    About 50 kilometre stretch of Rice farm ,cultivated on 350 hectares of land along the Bank of River Benue has been destroyed by flood from water released from Lagdo dam in cameroun.

    Most of the farmers affected by the floods are those engaged in out growers scheme of Mess Ashi Foods limited ,owners of Ashi Rice Mill, with biggest rice processing plant at Anyiin, Local Government Area.

    With the flooding, the hope of harvesting this season is dashed and the fear of rice scarcity ,which would also scuttle the government effort on rice importation.

    There is also the fear of food crisis as Benue is considered as the food basket of the nation and a major rice-procession region in the country, accounting for 45 per cent of local rice production .There are two modern rice milling plant in operation.

    Ashi Foods limited, owners of Ashi Rice Mill are already counting losses as a result of the flooding.

    The Project Coordinator of the company, Joesph Tsavsar estimated the loss at over N500 million.

     

  • Potable water for Benue communities

    •From left: Chief Wombo, Governor Suswam (in white) Sarah Ochekpe, Speaker Dave Iorhemba and John Ngbede cuts the tape to commissioned Katsina Ala Water Works

    Minister inaugurates treatment plants 

    The long search for potable water in two Benue State communities, Katsina Ala and Anyiin in Northeast senatorial zone of the state, has ended. Also gone is the spate of water-borne diseases which ravaged the communities as their search lasted.
    Two giant water treatment plants took care of all of that, sending residents of the areas into wild jubilation. The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe inaugurated the plants.

    The Minister, who was on a two-day official visit to the state, first launched the Katsina Ala water plant which has a capacity to process and pump 15,000 cubic meters per day.

    The plant, which solves the water needs of not only Katsina Ala town but also those of surrounding communities, has a lifespan of 25 years. It was built by SGC Nig. Ltd, which started and completed it under the Gabriel Suswam administration.

    From Katsina Ala, Mrs Ochekpe, accompanied by the governor, commissioners and other top functionaries of the state government, moved to Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area, Suswam’s country home, a distance of 30km from Katsina Ala.
    At Anyiin, the Minister inaugurated the second plant built by the Waste Management and Environmental Services (WMES), an American company.

    In his brief remarks, the Commissioner for Water and Environment, John Ngbede, said the water projects embarked upon by the Suswam administration reflected the government’s policy to alleviate the suffering of people in the rural areas.

    Ngbede stated that the Ayiin water treatment plant has the capacity to pump 1.5 million.
    He said the state has provided for N500 million in the 2012 budget for water projects, adding that before the end of the year, more water projects would be completed.

    Governor Suswam said he has completed the gigantic Greater Makurdi water projects which were inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan during his last visit to the state.

    Suswam said if he has provided gigantic water projects across the state, a small water project for his community would not be too big to accomplish.

    The Minister said with the water treatment plant, the people of Anyiin have a new lease of life, as they no longer have to suffer from water-borne diseases. She urged the people to guard the facility against vandals.

    A memorable moment was when both the governor and the visiting Minister filled their cups and drank from the taps.

  • Unilever partners Facebook , others to deliver drinking water to communities

    Unilever, through the Unilever Foundation, in partnership with PSI (Population Services International) has announced the launch of Waterworks, a non-for-profit programme, that will provide safe clean drinking water to communities in need around the world.

    Waterworks, which operates through a ground-breaking Timeline application developed jointly with Facebook, will connect people with means directly with people and communities in need.

    Water is the source of life, but almost 800 million people don’t have access to clean drinking water. Preventable water-borne diseases, such as dysentery and diarrhoea are a particular threat to the weakest members of society: a child dies from water-related illness every 20 seconds.

    Unilever’s Chief Marketing Officer, Keith Weed, said his company has made a public and ambitious commitment through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to provide safe drinking water to 500 million people by 2020 working in partnership with others.

    He said they share the belief with United Nation’s declaration in July 2010 which states that safe and clean drinking water is a human right. On the reason behind the partnership with Facebook, he said:

    “At Unilever, we believe that small, everyday actions can add up to a big difference; and that the power of social connections can drive real change around the world.

    On Facebook, nearly a billion people take small actions every day, they connect to the individuals and organisations that matter most to them and they discover new things through their friends. We want to leverage the power of the social graph and the ripple effects that each person’s actions can create, to inspire and enrol many more to make a difference.”
    Waterworks is among the first Timeline applications for charitable giving, connecting Facebook users around the world with real individuals and communities in need. People will be invited to sign up and connect the application to their Facebook Timeline.

    In addition they will partner with a PSI-trained Waterworker and choose a small daily donation and the contributed funds will directly support the water-poor communities, by providing education about the benefits of clean drinking water in addition to distributing water purifiers and sachets to families in need, Weed said.

  • Communities benefit from empowerment scheme

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has provided about N250m as community empowerment agricultural revolving loans for 385 communities across the six area councils of the FCT.

    Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, who disclosed this while on an inspection tour of farms at Kuchibuyi and Guita communities of Bwari Area Council, said the community empowerment agriculture initiative is meant to empower women and youths in 385 communities identified by the FCT Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Baseline Survey conducted in 2008.

    She said N60m was provided in 2010 for the community empowerment agriculture loan scheme, while N120m and N60m were provided in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

    According to her, out of the N250m made available for farmers, including women and youths, the sum of N120m has been accessed by the benefiting communities through four Micro-finance Banks (MFBs), namely EWT Micro-finance Bank, Fims Micro-finance Bank, Hasan Micro-finance Bank and Credit Link Micro-finance Bank.

    “We are supporting the poor and rural communities through capacity building in modern farming techniques and agric-businesses to address poverty issues, unemployment and gender equality among the rural populace, thereby improving their income and quality of life.

    “This initiative started in 2010 with 60 communities across the six area councils and by 2011, the initiative was scaled up to 180 communities with FCT UNDAF II supporting 60 communities.

    Currently, the scheme is in 236 communities across the six area councils and the remaining communities will be covered before the end of 2013,” the minister said.

    Earlier, EPRS Director, Ari Mohammed said the scheme was designed to boost agricultural production, create employment and reduce poverty in the FCT.

    He further said that under the scheme, agricultural inputs such as tractors, improved seed, pesticides and fertilisers are provided for the communities, while extension workers are also deployed to the communities to supervise the various stages of production.

    “The scheme will help promote value-addition, technology in agro-processing, packaging and quality control and also revitalise the rural economy in these communities,” Mohammed said.

    Meanwhile, farmers and members of communities in the FCT have urged the FCTA to extend the timeline of the empowerment agricultural scheme to three years instead of one year.