The Nation Newspaper

Tag: COMMUNITY

  • Community hails Total for resolving Akoka fuel leak

    Residents of Akoka community in Lagos State have commended the Total service station in Akoka for its swift response in tackling and resolving an accidental fuel leakage which resulted in contamination of water sources of some houses in the area.

    According to Segun Adesanya, Chairman, Akoka Community Development Association, the service station notified him about the fuel leakage immediately the incident occurred as well as the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

    He stated that LASEPA directed Total to start immediate clean up and remediation which has since been done by the station.

    Some landlords in the affected area confirmed that the community was free from any form of contamination, and acknowledged the swift response of the management of the service station after the leakage was reported.

    One of the landlords, whose houses were affected, Mr. Razak Odufuwa, of No. 57, St Finbarrs College Road, Akoka, said there was an incident of fuel leakage in the area. He commended the management of the service station for mitigating impact of the fuel leak and speed of clean up exercise.

    Odufuwa said: “When the incident occurred, our water was contaminated and unsafe to drink or for any other domestic purposes.’’

     

     

  • JTF forcing us to sign oil spill report, says community

    Community leaders in Aghoro, Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, yesterday accused the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), of intimidation.

    The leaders said their representatives in the panel investigating an oil spill in their community were being coerced by JTF to sign a report in favour of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

    It was gathered JTF’s alleged meddlesomeness stalled release of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) report of the incident, which occurred from the Trans Ramos Pipeline within Shell’s oilfield at Aghoro communities.

    The JTF in Niger Delta, and SPDC, however, yesterday denied the allegations.

    Chairman, Community Development Committee of Aghoro 1, Mr. Victor Akamu, alleged JTF showed its bias when it resorted to force and intimidation.

    Akamu said JTF summoned the community leadership to Yenagoa on August 23 and forced it to sign the JIV report in favour of SPDC.

    But he said the community leaders refused despite the harassment.  He said the team from Aghoro were labelled vandals and profiled into the database of the security agency.

    “We were taken to a room where detailed profiles of us were taken including our finger prints, biometric details and our photographs.

    “We were temporarily held down for almost three hours profiling before we were eventually asked to go.

    “I wanted to ask; is it part of JTF’s job to force a community to sign a JIV Report?

    “Shell should stop using JTF to intimidate our community; for the past 20 years there has been no history of pipeline vandalism; this leak was due to a ruptured pipeline due to corrosion yet they call us vandals; it is unacceptable,” Akamu said.   SPDC’s Media Relations Manager Mr. Bamidele Odugbesan denied forcing its host communities to sign the JIV Report.

    He said: “Yes, there are issues with the JIV report; the representative of Aghoro 1 community did not agree with a portion of the JIV report but we have not used force; SPDC does not coerce parties to sign JIV reports”.

    Also, JTF’s Commander Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman  dismissed allegations of the intimidation, adding that the military intervenedinto the crisis to encourage both parties to adopt dialogue to resolve their differences to avert breach of peace.

    “We conduct our duties in compliance to our rules of engagement; we invited the parties to mediate and encourage them to dialogue and use the established channels of resolving conflicts.

    “I told them to resolve their differences on the negotiating table so that the operation is not disrupted, our mandate is to safeguard oil facilities and we do not want the disagreement to degenerate further”

  • Man, 75, ‘sets OPC against community’

    A 75-year-old man, Alhaji Muazu Adisa, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly attacking an Hausa community in Ajangbadi, Lagos.

    He was arraigned before Magistrate O. Aje-Afunwa on a four-count charge of breach of the peace.

    Prosecuting Inspector Peter Nwangwu alleged that Adisa committed the crime on July 11.

    Nwangwu said Adisa colluded with some Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and thugs, now at large, to attack some community leaders in Ajangbadi.

    He said on the fateful day, the defendant, who was with some thugs, armed themselves with cutlasses, knives, clubs and broken bottles. They allegedly used the dangerous weapons to threaten Chief Kareem Balogun, Chief Ahmed Balogun, Chief Tajudeen Balogun and Alhaji Memud Jinadu who are leaders in the Hausa community.

    Adisa pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Aje-Afunwa granted him N250,000  bail, with two sureties in the like sum.

    The matter continues on August 8.

     

  • ‘Develop your community through volunteerism’

    Special Adviser to Lagos State governor on Civic Engagement Benjamin Olabinjo has called on people to develop their communities through volunteer work.

    He spoke at a workshop organised by the government at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja.

    Olabinjo noted that globally, volunteerism had become a veritable source of solution to communities’ challenges.

    “It is important to stress here that volunteerism is not about charity, it is not about people taking pity on one another. It should be seen as a way by which active, apolitical citizenry recognise needs and provide services to address such needs well before the government or other institutions do,” Olabinjo said.

    Volunteerism, he said, had become a tool for community development in the contemporary world. This realisation, he explained, made the Office of Civic Engagement to embark on the sensitisation of the Community Development Associations (CDAs), the youths and others on the need to embrace this approach as a way of tackling development challenges.

    “Government is convinced that volunteerism will help in no small measure in building community social relationship where everyone can feel happy, safe and ultimately fulfilled. I want to seize this opportunity to appeal to all community leaders, our youths and all that are present here today to endeavour to identify individuals and groups in your communities that can work together to deliver shared aspiration of the people,” he added.

    The guest speaker and a Senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, Dr. Dele Ashiru, said a volunteer was one who made life easy for others.

    He said: “Volunteers provide enthusiasm, extra resources and, many times, much needed skills. Volunteers supplement the normal workforce during times of crisis and especially when workload demands peak. Volunteers, who are trained and experienced, provide a ready pool of applicants for employment. Volunteers often provide services outside the normal purview of government employees, such as fund raising and advocacy.”

  • Community asks Methodist Church to account for land usage

    Efure community in Ogun State has asked a Sagamu High Court in the state to order the Registered Trustees of Methodist Church, Nigeria and Sagamu Local Government to render account of money collected by the church since the alleged illegal occupation of 54 acres of land belonging to the community in the last 86 years.

    The community, represented by Samuel Olusanya Banjo, Emmanuel Oladuni Adelesi, Kolawole Odugbesi and Mansur Oyesina Baruwa-Banjo, sued the church, the council and nine others for alleged unlawful occupation of the community land.

    In a writ of summons filed on their behalf by their counsel, Babatunde Oshilaja,  they claimed the said parcel of land was leased to the Wesley and Methodist Missionary Trust Association Limited for 99 years in 1931 to build a boarding school and residence for the European Principals.

    According to them, contrary to the terms of the lease, the land now hosts church buildings, bishop’s complex, guest houses, banquet hall, meeting rooms, sawmill, and others for commercial purposes.

    This, they said, nullified the deed of lease signed with the first defendant, Wesley Methodist Missionary Trust Association Limited.

    At the resumed hearing, the community through their counsel demanded a return of the vast acres of land due to them in view of the  alleged infractions by defendants, including an order of the court compelling the Methodist Church, Nigeria and Sagamu Local Government to render before the court money made so far since the alleged illegal occupation of the parcel of land.

    Oshilaja argued that the church and the council were still making money from the facilities on the land.

    He argued that since the community did not know how much was the money, it was just right for the court to give an order compelling the defendants to  render account of how much they have made from their commercial activities on the land.

    The counsel lamented that since the matter was filed before the court last October, there had been no reactions from the defendants, adding that they might not appear before the court since they are strangers and do not possess the courage or evidence to defend their alleged illegal occupation of the land.

    However, counsel to the Sagamu Local Government, Miss Jadesola Oresanya, told the court that her client intended to file its defence, but had been unable to do so due to circumstances beyond its control.

    She promised to file her client’s response before the next adjourned date.

    Justice A. A. Babawale adjourned till July 3 for hearing.

  • Community laments oil spill

    Residents of Agoro Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa yesterday berated the poor and slow response to an oil spill from shell’s oilfield in the area.

    They appealed to the Federal and Bayelsa governments to come to their aid over the spill incident and compel Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to be alive to its responsibility in spill response.

    The Secretary of Agoro Community Development Committee, Justin Gbagbiri told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview that they were still counting the losses incurred as a result of the incident.

    Reacting to the development, Dr Alice Aje, Manager, Stakeholder Relations at SPDC, said the oil firm was responding to the spill incident and sought the understanding of the community.

    “We regret the spill because it has adversely affected our operations and business, we have shut operations and stopped the spill and we are in talks with our relevant stakeholders.

    “It is our responsibility to clean up the spill and if it was found to be case by equipment failure, we shall pay compensation to those affected, that is our process,” Aje said.

  • Community gets free eye glasses

    Over 200 people have benefited from free eye glasses distribution organised by F Planet Foundation at the Odi- Olowo Local Government Secretariat, Ilupeju, Lagos.

    The distribution came as part of humanitarian service of F Planet Foundation founder, Oluwadare Fabiri Joseph aka Fadojoe, an international musician based in the United States. According to him, it is not for any political ambition.

    “This is not me trying to do politics because I am not a politician. This is just a humanitarian service. I am following the likes of Martin Luther King who said life is worth living to the extent that it is lived for the service of humanity.

    “Today we are looking at giving about 200 people, but we have about 1,000 so what we are going to do is test all of them and give those available. So, there is going to be a phase two while this is a phase one. This is our way of giving back to the community.

    “F Planet Foundation has been running for three years now. All I have been doing is giving back to my people from what I am getting from my music abroad. What I wasdoing before was giving people food stuffs and all that, but this time around I just felt that there were lots of people, who have vision problem so, let’s see how we can help them as they have not been able to go to doctors. So, we decided to bring it down here, test them first, and give those who need glasses,”he said.

    He added that the programme was not a collaboration with the local government. “We just thought that we should use a public place where people can locate easily and we talked to the chairman, who gave us the hall to use.”

     

  • Odumakin, community protest 4-hour weekly power supply

    Women Arise President Mrs. Joe Okei-Odumakin joined scores of  Badagry residents yesterday to protest over the epileptic power supply in the area in the last decade.

    The protesters, who carried placards, marched through the coastal town, causing heavy traffic congestion at the roundabout on the Badagry–Lagos Expressway.

    Among inscriptions on the protesters’ placards were: “FG give us light”; “No light no bill”; “Electricity is our fundamental human right’’; and “Ambode please save us”.

    Mrs. Okei-Odumakin expressed displeasure over the epileptic power situation in the ancient city.

    She noted that estimated billing without power supply was corruption and must be eradicated.

    She said: “Badagry is written in gold in our history books because it is the cradle of civilisation. So, it’s saddening that such an important place doesn’t have power supply. I learnt that for over 20 years, the power supply in the city has been extremely terrible and despite all these, residents still receive estimated bills for services not rendered. Estimated billing is evil and part of corruption. So, it must be eradicated totally. This protest would drive home our request that something must be done in that aspect.”

    Mr Ayo Akinde, a resident of Itoga Road, said Badagry residents only got a maximum of four-hour power supply weekly in the past 10 years.

    According to him, Badagry residents have not enjoyed two hours of uninterrupted day time power supply in the past decade.

    “The power situation in Badagry has become so bad that many people have moved out of the ancient town to other areas such as Agbara and Ibereko where there is stable electricity,” Akinde said.

    Another resident, Sewedo Samuel, said the epileptic power supply was killing small businesses in the area.

    “It is a shame that an ancient town known as `tourism haven’ is in darkness and businesses running on generators,” Sewedo said.

    Mr Ovi Kuponu, the coordinator of the protest, noted that the poor power supply was negatively affecting economic activities of the people.

    He said: “We have been affected by the non-existent of power in the town as this has affected most economic activities, especially the tourism and hospitality sectors.

    “Tourists who are supposed to stay over after visiting the town’s numerous tourist sites do not do so, because most hotels cannot run on generators for 24 hours.

    “Drastic steps must be taken to rectify our power supply because it has slowed down development the city.”

    An official of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Badagry told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that measures were being taken to rectify the issue.

    “The city would soon be connected to the national grind and the power supply would improve drastically,” said the EKEDC official who pleaded for anonymity.

  • Armed robbers invade community

    About 20 vehicles were vandalised at Ilori Street in Ire-Akari, Isolo, Lagos Mainland after suspected armed robbers invaded the area.

    The incident occurred between 2am and 3am on Saturday.

    It was gathered that the robbers, said to be armed with guns and cutlasses, scaled the street’s fence and tied up the security guard.

    They were said to have proceeded from compound to compound, vandalising vehicles and carting away valuables.

    According to a resident, the robbers removed vehicles’ brain boxes, musical sets, dash boards and others.

    He said: “At least 13 vehicles were vandalised on the street. They carried out the act between 2am and 3am. Most of the vehicles vandalised were Toyota and Lexus.

    “The criminals took brain boxes, dashboards, stereo and CD sets or reverse cameras.

    “They also damaged the door handles and took the censors away. We did not know until morning. The robbery surprised us because it is the first time this is happening here.

    “We went to Ire-Akari Police Station to report. The security man was invited for questioning but he was later released. He said the robbers tied him up when they jumped the fence.”

    When our correspondent visited the street yesterday, a hairdresser, who refused to be named, said the residents were suspecting insider connivance.

    She said some believed that the night guard might have connived with the robbers, considering that he did not raise the alarm after the robbers left.

    “The guard only comes at night. The residents are suspecting he might have worked with the robbers because he did not alert them. It was when they woke up in the morning that people saw their damaged vehicles. Some of the vehicles were parked on the street, others were parked inside compound. I do not know where the vehicles are now. I do not live on the street.”

    Similarly, a gang of four armed robbers on Saturday morning attacked the General Manager, Island Club, Mr. Olubunmi Fasan, and two of his workers, Funsho Adewuyi and Akeem.

    It was gathered that the robbers accosted the trio around the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone II headquarters, Onikan.

    According to Fasan, they were attacked around 4:45am, while on their way home from work.

    The victims, The Nation gathered, worked late on Friday and resolved to stay in the office till around 4:45am so that they could go home and prepare for the day’s business.

    But as soon as they made their way to the bus park, the robbers, said to have driven a saloon car, pulled over and surrendered them with a pistol and matchet.

    Fasan said: “I was coming from the office at about 4:45am accompanied by two other men-Alhaji Funsho Adewuyi, an employee of Island Club and Akeem. We were at Onikan roundabout enroute Obalende when three armed men accosted us. They were inside a car. The driver did not come down.

    “We were stopped and before we realised what was happening, they brought out guns and matchet popularly known as UTC and we were asked to surrender all our valuables. They took our wristwatches, money, mobile phone, documents and wallets.

    “They collected all and ran back into the waiting vehicle and zoomed off. Alhaji Adewuyi was injured on the hand by the robbers when he tried to resist the robbers.

    “We had to return to the office because we were stranded. There should be constant police patrol, coverage of the area from 12am to 6am. This is because people who visit the social clubs around the vicinity leave at wee hours and they could be easy prey for hoodlums and societal miscreants otherwise known as ‘area boys.”

    Lagos police spokesman Chike Oti, a Superintendent (SP), said the command was investigating a  case of conspiracy between security men attached to gate of Ilori Street and hoodlums who invaded, adding that  some arrests have been and investigation was currently ongoing.

    He said the Onikan attacked was not reported at the station, but assured that actions would be taken.

  • Protest aftermath: Govt to create jobs in disturbed community

    After the protest over a demolished market in Gosa, a community off the Abuja Airport Expressway, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is considering creating jobs to mop up idle youths in the community.

    Late last month, residents of the community blocked the airport expressway to express their anger at the destruction of their market.

    Since then, the authorities of the FCTA, community leaders and security personnel have been meeting to forestall a repeat of such a demonstration in such a prominent area of the territory.

    The FCTA is also considering relocating the Gosa Market to a more convenient area further inside the community.

    These actions were part of the resolutions of a meeting between the FCT Minister, his officials, Gosa community leaders and heads of security agencies in the Territory.

    The meeting was necessitated by the search for a lasting solution to the recent crisis that engulfed the area last Saturday and Monday.

    Addressing the media at the end of a follow-up tour of affected areas, Bello disclosed that the Traditional Ruler of the Garki Chiefdom, Alh. Usman Ngakupi, under whom the expressway communities fall, has been requested to liaise with the village heads of affected communities to select able bodies youths for recruitment. Accordingly, the selected youths would serve as marshals for the purposes of environmental protection and safeguarding of the road corridors against abuses.

    The minister in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, said, “I am inclined to consider upgrade of Communities in the area as well as giving them Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for their houses to enable them have bankable documents. But if government is pushed to the wall, we would have no option but to relocate the communities.”

    Subsequently the Minister revealed other resolutions of the meeting to include that “there will be no more activities beyond the community boundaries. Trading within the expressway corridors as well as the pedestrian bridges has been prohibited.”

    Accordingly, the administration within months, would open up spaces behind the various communities for the purposes of playgrounds, markets, community centres etc.

    Bello directed the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Mr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, an engineer, to clear the new ground for the relocated Gosa market before Friday as no market would be allowed to hold in the former place any longer.

    FCT Minister conveyed his sympathies to motorists whose vehicles sustained various levels of damages during the crisis which resulted from the clean-up exercise embarked in and around the market by FCTA Development Control officials. He expressed concern over the trauma that innocent travellers were put through during the incident.

    Malam Bello warned mischief makers not test the will of the Administration and cautioned that the administration will never again condone such acts of brigandage. He corrected insinuations in some segments of the media that the measure was sudden while recalling his various interactions with the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council as well as other major stakeholders including joint visits to the area since October last year.

    Addressing the gathering, the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Councils, (AMMC),  Umar Shuaibu, noted that the Gosa Market is situated at the Wawa District, Zone E, of Abuja, and was allocated since 2006. During the period, the Coordinator noted, AMMC was to relocate the market lying 500 meter away from the Airport Expressway and sitting on people’s plots to a more convenient place.

    Shuaibu stressed that due to uncontrolled expansion, pedestrian paths and service lanes became part of the market. It became a nuisance to road users as the place became inundated by commercial vehicles. Refuse dumps began to mount and the road began to witness cases of recklessness on the use of the roads.  It was for this reason that a new site was earmarked which had a capacity of 1500 traders and parking space for 500 cars as against the present one that was estimated at 500 traders but has since spilled beyond its bounds.    In his submission at the meeting, the Director, Department of State Securities, Malam Ado Muazu noted that road blockage on the slightest provocation has become a trend among the youths of the area. He stressed that this must stop and cannot be negotiated. The DSS boss recalled that the same thing happened when a community on the same road had an issue with the airport authorities. The youths, he noted, took the laws into their own hands and blocked the road.  He said that the DSS authorities has met with people and has obtained assurances that this would not happen again.

    The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Malam Abdulahi Adamu Candido, at the meeting, conveyed his apologies to the government, residents and victims of the fracas.  He thanked the FCT Minister for the far-reaching measures being adopted to stem the degeneration of the Airport road and to provide alternatives for the people. “This has been our prayer for some time now,” he noted.