The Nation Newspaper

Tag: disaster

  • The disaster at TB Joshua’s church

    SIR: I have followed the coverage of the ugly event of the collapse of Synagogue Guest-House  and I am shocked that the media appears to have swallowed the ludicrous explanation given by TB Joshua and his team at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).  They are claiming that a six storey building collapsed because a plane circled over it four times and they have even provided CCTV evidence to back up the claim.

    In my opinion, TB Joshua’s media team is trying to manipulate things.

    First of all, if the plane was directly over the building, it would not be so small. The plane was not directly flying over the building. The reason it appeared to be above is because the line of sight is straight.

    Secondly, if the plane was flying directly above the building, the noise would have been deafening.

    Thirdly, the plane that they claim flew over the guest house four times could not have been the same plane. There is no photo evidence of the plane circling the building. They are actually four different planes following the same or similar trajectories.

    Fourthly, has anyone seen the map of Ikotun area of Lagos? If you do, you would notice that Joshua’s church is almost on a parallel line with the trajectory a plane would take to land on the Murtala Mohammed International Airport-MMIA, Ikeja. It is possible that the four planes were just landing at MMIA.

    Someone should visit MMIA and compare the landing times on September 12, with tahe times the four planes flew across the view of the CCTV. I believe the times will coincide.

    TB Joshua should provide us with the building plans of the Guest House and allow for structural tests on the wreckage. This will establish the reason the building collapsed. Members of SCOAN should come clean and apologize to victim’s relations and stop trying to avoid responsibility and culpability.

    • Nehemiah Sokponba

    Medical Store Road Benin-City

  • NEMA seeks support in disaster management

    To prevent a recurrence of the flood disaster that ravaged several states in the country in 2012 and other disasters, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments to have functional emergency management agencies.

    Specifically, NEMA appealed to state government to establish a formidable state emergency management agency (KWASEMA) and local government emergency committee (LEMC) in all local government areas.

    The Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed S. Sidi, spoke in Ilorin, the state capital at the workshop on “Emergency evacuation and mass sheltering for communities prone to flood disasters,” organised by the agency.

    Sidi solicited adequate support and equipment for the agency to enhance disaster management in collaboration with stakeholders.

    He said: “This will further showcase the laudable efforts so far put in place by the federal and Kwara State governments in disaster management activities.”

    The director-general, who was represented by Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Minna Operation Office, Mr. Slaku Bijimi, emphasised community participation, saying disaster prevention and management is everyone’s business.

    Noting that the 1,000 staff strength of the agency is grossly inadequate, he stressed the need for people to help the government and its agencies to help them.

    The NEMA boss, who said enforcement, had always been a major challenge in cases of erection of illegal structures at river banks and dumping of refuse on water ways, called for attitudinal change, adding that people should be mindful of the health hazards their unwholesome behaviours may cause.

    He said early warning system would help to reduce casualties, help victims to be evacuated to safer places and move their movable items.

    He said: “Action taken before flood arrives reduces loss of life and amount of damage suffered. Pre-warning and evacuation planning should, therefore, be part of overall emergency plans.”

    Also, the Special Adviser to Kwara State Governor on Emergency and Relief Services, Alhaji Ayodeji Abdulazeez, regretted that about 90 per cent of structures erected on water ways in parts of the state had no approval of the town planning authority, saying the owners did the construction at weekends when town planning officers won’t be on duty.

    He, however, said action would be carried out on unapproved structures built on water ways and those erected on river banks that had already been marked for demolition or removal, adding that government would compensate owners with approved plans.

    Abdulazeez said the state government had also embarked on pro-active me0asures in form of dissemination of information on both print and electronic media on early warning and disaster management against flood.

    He further said the agency had also met with stakeholders in flood-prone areas in Patigi and Edu Local Government Areas, even as he said it had provided relief materials for victims of flood disasters.

     

  • Agagu: A painful exit… then, a disaster

    Agagu: A painful exit… then, a disaster

    Relations and associates of the former governor of Ondo State, the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, will converge on the International Conference Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, today for the first anniversary of the demise of the former university don and astute administrator. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU reflects on the life and time of the foremost politician.

    His death was even shocking to his foes on the slippery political field. When news of his passage was broken, political differences disappeared. Relations, friends and foes were united in grief. All had nice things to say about Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, geologist, former university don, Third Republic deputy governor of old Ondo State, former Minister of Aviation, and later, Power and Steel, governor of Ondo State and acclaimed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader.

    Tributes poured in torrents. Old school mates, former colleagues  at the University of Ibadan where he taught for years, board room gurus in oil industry, and political associates extolled the virtues of an unusual politician. “He was a honest adviser, a dependable associate, a confidant, a hardworking colleague, a sober and peace-loving politician, an indomitable leader and loyal follower, a lover of his community and  a selfless and committed worker in the political vineyard,” said former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Paying tribute, Vice President Namadi Sambo said Agagu was a vibrant politician whose exemplary life and loyalty will be greatly missed in the PDP and the country. Echoing him, Senate President David Mark described the deceased as “a quintessential administrator who was prudent in the management of public resources.” Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko alluded to his intellectual brilliance, capacity for hard work, multi-disciplinary talent, disarming social grace, endearing wit and knack for instant name recall. “I bid farewell to an erudite academic, a worthy political flag bearer of Ikaleland, a great son of Ondo State, a prominent state and national leader, and above all, the immediate past governor of the Sunshine State,” he added.

    But, former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, spoke on the legacies of the politician. “He left many indelible marks on the sands of time, which will continue to speak for him. If anything, his unique style of live and let live politics, the Olokola Deep Sea Port, which he started during his administration as governor, his large heartedness and deep love for the state will continue to speak for him,” he stressed.

    Agagu exemplified two virtues. He was incorruptible. Also, he was not a political oppressor.  As governor, he promoted transparency and accountability in governance. He was prudent. When he left office, he walked freely on the streets without being threatened by arrest and prosecution by anti-graft agencies.

    In his life time, he was at peace with his neighbour. Either as a teacher or oil worker, he was very accommodating and a good mixer. Even, as a politician, many have testified that he was not desperate for power. In 1999, he was defeated at the governorship election in Ondo State. When the result was announced by the electoral commission, he congratulated the winner, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, who he later succeeded as governor.

    Agagu had borne the vicissitudes of political life with a mixture of shock and philosophical calmness. Since he was comfortable, he did not perceive politics as an avenue for primitive accumulation. Agagu was an accomplished Nigerian before he entered politics. He was full of life. Indeed, he enjoyed life to the fullest as a social guru and political gladiator. Yet, he was not reckless in socio-political dealings. In and out of power, he was on the service lane. The PDP had just enlisted his service as a reconciliator before answered the final call. Although he had hoped to live beyond 65, fate decided otherwise. Death, as it is said, is inevitable.

    But, the good man never bargained for any funeral turmoil and crisis, having led a good life and made great contribution to socio-economic development. Little did his family, associates, and friends think that another agony will herald his final journey home. A year ago, the Agagu family had to endure multiple tragedies. The plane convening his body to Akure, the capital of Ondo State, for a state burial, came down at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja. The chief undertaker, Tunji Okunsanya and his son, Commissioner Deji Falae and few people on board lost their lives. Ironically, those saddled with his burial arrangements died before the ceremony.

    It was a sad day in Iju-Odo, Agagu’s home town. Family members were enraged. There was a rush of emotion. People were raising puzzles:  What was the condition of the aircraft? What actually went wrong? The dead had no business with these questions. But, for the living, they were burdensome.

    The death of former Ondo State governor  created vacuum on many fronts. Agagu was an esteemed community leader in Ikaleland. He was a homeboy. As minister, he tried to resolve the electricity problem in the Ikale/Ilaje axis. The people of the area will also continue to treasure him for the university he established in the South zone. In fact, when he left the Alagbaka Government House, Agagu had narrowed down his political pursuits. Sources said he had expressed the desire to serve as an ambassador in one of the Caribbean countries before retiring to his Iju-Odo.   In the Ondo State PDP, he was the undisputed leader.

    In 1999, his colleagues in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) were shocked when he pitched his tent with the conservative bloc. He had justified the shift in allegiance, saying that the Yoruba could not afford to be in the opposition at all times. In fact, he maintained his links with his progressive associates, despite their political differences. In that Third Republic, his analytical prowess and sheer brilliance did not go unnoticed in the SDP caucuses. He was loyal to his boss, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua.

    Agagu was a Geology teacher at the University of Ibadan in the ‘70s. He was a mentor and role model. He was famous for his numerous geological surveys. In the lecture theatre, he was a cosmopolitan tutor. When he moved into the oil industry, he emerged as power broker in the sector. The technocrat made money and he used it judiciously.

    Agagu’s first contact with politics was in the Second Republic. He was fascinated by the men of the old order under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He was one of the young stars who assisted Governor Adekunle Ajasin’s Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) with his expertise in statistics and information technology. Their efforts assisted the party in detecting the pattern of rigging by the desperate National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In his memoir, Ajasin pointed out this modest contribution.

    For ethnic balancing, Agagu emerged as Olumilua’s running mate. They defeated the National Republican Convention (NRC) candidate, Chief Ayo Ogunlade, who was the Federal Commissioner for Information, at the governorship poll. Mimiko was the Commissioner for Health in that administration, which was short-lived. If the slot had been zoned outside Ekiti, Agagu would have been a leading governorship contender. But, since Ekiti has been on the queue for the governorship, the SDP gave its ticket to Olumilua, who defeated other Ekiti aspirants at the primaries. In 1983, when Olumilua lost the senatorial poll to Senator Lawrence Agunbiade, eyes have been on him. Thus, during the SDP primaries conducted by the party chairman, Hon. Blessing Kayode, Pa Ajasin mobilised the progressive family and the new breed actors to swing the pendulum of victory towards his direction. Other aspirants included Dr. Kunle Olajide, Chief Ayo Akinyemi, Prof. Opeyemi Ola, and Senator David Oke.

    Between 1999 and last year, Agagu was politically visible. The year 2003 was the turning point.The 2003 poll was keenly contested. Ahead of the election, crisis had seized the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere. The group was losing its grip on the party it formed, the Alliance for Democracy (AD). A group of aggrieved AD chieftains led by Mimiko had defected to the PDP, following the protracted crisis. The tradition in Afenifere/AD favoured the distribution of political slots, based on seniority and record of contributions to the political family. But, the young men in the fold were in a hurry. Therefore, they collaborated with Agagu to defeat Adefarati. Since then, attention has been on Mimiko as the man of the future.

    In 2007, Mimiko, who served as the Secretary to Government under Agagu, and later, the Minister of Housing, defected to the Labour Party (LP). The former governor could not prevent the split. In particular, he could not manage the irrepressible actor, Mimiko.The propaganda against Agagu worked. The former governor, who had become a victim of media war, was misunderstood by party chieftains, who wanted stomach infrastructure.  Agagu was defeated at the poll by his former collaborator, the shrewd politician from Ondo Kingdom, who party faithful had nicknamed ‘Iroko’. Although the electoral commission rigged the election for the PDP, progressives forces in the Southwest assisted Mimiko in retrieving his stolen mandate.

    The Ikale born politician never anticipated the turn of events. He was optimistic throughout the protracted governorship litigation. But, when the court deposed him, he accepted his fate.  He was literarily chased out of the Government House. But, he bore the tragedy with equanimity and understanding of the indisputable reality that power was transient. As Mimiko was being sworn in as his successor, he headed for the church for a thanksgiving.

    Agagu never bounced back, although he was held in high esteem by PDP chieftains who were loyal to him. If he had remained as the governor till 2007, he would have emerged as a more powerful force in the PDP and an ally of his former colleague, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. However, he did not retire from politics. For him, hope was an elixir of life. He contested for the Senate in 2011, but he was defeated by the LP politician, Kunlere, his former disciple. Initially, one of his boys, Eddy Olafeso, insisted that he would contest against him at the primaries. For Agagu, the senatorial race was not a do-or-die affair.

    Despite the electoral misfortune, his leadership position in the Ondo PDP did not diminish. President Goodluck Jonathan has respect for the political warhorse. Thus, the PDP national leadership appointed him into the new reconciliation committee to resolve the protracted crises. Many chieftains in Ondo State looked up to him as a father figure and rallying point, who could wield the caucuses together.

    With his demise, the troubled chapter was bereaved. Nobody has stepped into his shoes. As a governor, he was an asset to the political family. As an ex-governor, he was neither a liability nor a loafer. Agagu took solace in the fact that he had tried his best, although political self-actualisation was an elusive goal. Being a contented fellow, he engaged in sober reflection without boxing himself into emotional wrenching.

    The import of Agagu’s absence is not lost on the Ondo PDP. In post-Agagu period, Mimiko is returning to the fold. The governor had intimate political relationship with many PDP leaders before he defected to the LP. If Agagu were alive, would he have embraced Mimiko’s decision to return? Would he have defected to the APC? Would he have welcomed reconciliation? Would the duo have healed old wounds?

    With Agagu’s death, a chapter had closed in the history of Ondo State.

  • The political wife as disaster

    The political wife as disaster

    While campaigning for the office of President of the United States back in 1992, Bill Clinton regularly told voters that if they elected him Americans would ‘get two for the price of one’. He was referring to the widely acknowledged accomplishments of his wife, Hillary, who many felt was bright enough to be president someday.

    Clinton’s remark underscores how a spouse can be an asset for a vote-chasing husband. Indeed, handlers of many a dour politician have perfected the art of getting their challenged candidate to bask in the reflected glow of the wife’s star shine.

    As candidate of the US Democratic Party in the 2000 general elections, former Vice President Al Gore often came across as stiff as a corpse. All through the campaign season, his staff sought ways of humanising him using his then wife, Tipper. The climax of those efforts was an awkward smooch between the couple on the convention floor.

    From former French President Nicholas Sarlozy and his celebrity wife, Carla Bruni, to the Ghanaian power couple, Jerry and Nana Rawlings, to the royal match-up of Britain’s Prince Charles and his late wife, Diana, a popular or accomplished spouse is often viewed as an asset.

    But a political wife can be a two-edged sword. Her positives are a help to her husband, just as her negatives constitute a drag on his appeal.

    In the early days of the Clinton presidency Americans were fascinated by the promise of the bright, young couple who had taken up residence in the White House. But the romance faded as an unelected Hillary started to intrude more and more into the process of governance.

    The final straw came when her husband handed her the critical assignment of overseeing healthcare reform. The failure of the project had as much to do with the complexities of the US health system as they had to do with antipathy to the then American First Lady.

    Things would go from bad to worse as Hillary became embroiled in the Whitewater scandal which originated from their home state of Arkansas. Many Republicans were keen to turn the controversial real estate deal into the Democrat’s version of Watergate. By then the First Lady whom Bill Clinton once advertised as an alternate president had become a liability who could not be fired.

    Former US President Jimmy Carter respected his wife, Rosalynn’s, abilities so much he had her sit in on cabinet meetings. He also sent her out to different countries as an envoy.  But by allowing their wives such freewheeling roles in their administrations, Carter and Clinton paid a price politically.

    This brings us to the most overtly political wife in the history of Nigeria’s democracy – Patience Jonathan. Critics have long bemoaned her excesses, but the First Couple have largely ignored all criticisms of her presumptuous intrusions into governance.

    This last week she overreached herself by intruding into the process of rescuing the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from their hostel beds in Chibok, Borno State.

    The meeting she summoned in Abuja to hold court before an assorted collection of women office holders and camp followers, has since become an internet sensation. Her dramatic tears, wild gesticulations, pidgin exclamations and all-round assault on the English language, have become the butt of a million jokes across the globe.

    Today, those who printed “My Oga at the Top” T-shirts for sale have rolled out the “Na Only You Waka Come?” edition and are doing brisk business. What next? Ringtones?

    In that one outing, Madame First Lady dealt her husband’s political goodwill a devastating blow with her comments and carrying-on. If she was trying to project empathy, she only succeeded in coming across as insincere and hectoring. Her tearful ‘breakdown’ would have shamed a fifth-rate actress in a badly-produced Nollywood home video.

    Were Madame First Lady to be truly concerned, she would have headed for Chibok, Borno State where the grieving are located. She would have left Abuja unannounced, under a security blanket. In less than 30 minutes of an helicopter hop she would have been there to meet the sorrowing parents. Her photographs comforting the families would have been all over the newspapers and TV. Even if she didn’t utter a single word to the press it would have been a PR coup.

    But what did she do? She sat in a cosy room in Abuja summoning the grieving to come to her. She railed at those who failed to turn up for not appearing before the one who had the power to help them locate their children. Such hubris!

    To compound a calamitous outing, she then insinuated that the girls were not actually missing because of the discrepancies in the accounts of different stakeholders. In her paranoid world this was no mass abduction but the latest conspiracy against her husband’s rule by the usual suspects. She then gave them friendly advice: stop playing games and keep the demonstrations in Borno.

    But while madam was busy playing circus mistress, the #BringBackOurGirls protests had swept the globe. Some of those driving it in distant parts of the world do not even know where Nigeria is; they were just moved by a powerful human story – the very sort that didn’t stir the Nigerian government until the world started crying out.

    What Mrs. Jonathan forgets is that there’s a time for post mortems – and it is not now. A time is coming when the actions and inactions of the Borno State Government, West African Examination Council (WAEC), the military and others would be examined. At that time also what the President and his wife did and said would also be scrutinised. What the world expects now, however, is government action to rescue the girls. Anything that doesn’t help that cause is just self-serving drama.

    As First lady, Patience Jonathan is one of the president’s informal personal advisers. He is free to use her counsel as he deems fit. But he should always remember that she wasn’t elected by us. Her office isn’t recognised by the constitution. He should know, if he’s not already aware, that at this point she has become one of his biggest liabilities.

    Her meddling in Rivers State damaged the president’s relationship with Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Like an elephant in a shop full of china she’s at it again trying to install Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in several states – putting her at odds with incumbent governors who don’t appreciate her forwardness.

    This is what it boils down to. Over the last six years we’ve seen the Jonathans under different situations. In the Chibok crisis we’re seeing a cold, calculating and unappealing side of the First Couple.

    As we edge ever closer to the 2015 election year, many are beginning to address their minds to whether they want to go through another four years of Jonathan’s rule. But the president’s qualities would not be the only factor influencing voters.

    After the First Lady’s display last week in Abuja, many will be asking themselves whether they can stomach another four years of Patience Jonathan’s histrionics.

  • Bids for CBN’s Disaster Recovery Solution open

    Bids for CBN’s Disaster Recovery Solution open

    Bids for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Information Technology (IT) Disaster Recovery Solution (DRS) needed for its operations are open for vendors.

    In a statement on its website, the apex bank said vendors expected to handle the project should have certified knowledge and verifiable capacity and experience in the data centre industry.

    The apex bank said it is retrofitting its data centres in its head office and two other locations to achieve high availability and true disaster recovery capability that will enhance its operations.

    The regulator said it is seeking to design, implement and inaugurate an information technology disaster recovery solution and has invited sealed bids from bidders for he project.

    It has also requested that experts submit tenders for the design, implementation and inauration of IT DRS for its operations.

    The CBN said it has deployed IT infrastructure and enterprise applications to support its core business processes and enable delivery of its strategic objectives, to fulfill its vision of being the best among the world’s central banks.

    The statement explained that the CBN occupies a central position in the economic and social development of the country, adding that it has embarked on a technology refresh project to modernise its IT infrastructure base, saying it secured a $510,000 grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for the establishment of a DRC. The centre is expected to assist the apex bank to fortify and protect e-payment transactions in the country.

    It said the grant will be used to finance qualified US firms to provide expert consulting services in determining the technical requirements, business and operational models for the project.

    Already, a vendor has been evaluated and selected by the CBN, which has also received a ‘letter of no objection’ from USTDA. Besides, he said the legal unit of the CBN is already drafting a contract agreement that will be reviewed and binding on both parties.

    He explained that the banking watchdog is also developing modalities or work plan for implementation of shared tier-three Disaster Recovery Centre infrastructure and services. The apex bank is also working on shared power infrastructure service to the banks and developing the Nigeria Financial services network (NFSN) to achieve these objectives.

    “The CBN is also setting up IT Standards Board and requisite governance framework to oversee the administration of IT standards in the industry and drive its adoption across the players in the industry. We understand that payment is the key driver of cost distribution in the industry and accounts for almost 60 per cent of the industry cost base,” it said.

    It said the CBN having monitored the partial implementation of the cash-less policy and following stakeholder engagement on the effective implementation of the project, decided to reassess its parameters to allow for smooth transition and adoption.

     

  • Reps to avert disaster on Lagos-Ibadan train route

    Reps to avert disaster on Lagos-Ibadan train route

    The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its committee on Land Transport to investigate “ the security and safety standards in the Lagos-Ibadan train route in other to avert disaster.

    The Committee is to report back to the House within four weeks.

    The resolution of the House stemmed from the adoption of the prayer of a motion sponsored by a members, Chris Azubogu with the title: “ Dangerous trend in handling railway transport system in Nigeria.

    The lawmaker while,moving the motion noted with dismay the alleged deplorable state of the newly improved Nigerian Railway system,” especially the Lagos-Ogun route operating with shoddy coaches.”

    He said though the Federal Government is working towards resuscitating rail transportation in the country with a view to providing efficient, reliable and affordable rail transport services to the public, “the overhaul of the rail system in Nigeria especially the Lagos Ibadan route is now taking a dangerous trend owing to disorder lines and recklessness of passengers and operators.”

    Azubogu said that adequate operational guidelines, safety and security measures are not put in place to make the rail transport comfortable and safe for Nigerian commuters.

    He said: “ The dangerous act of passengers sitting on top of the wagons, smoking hemp and other hard drugs thereby posing grave danger to other commuters and users of the rail service, which has already caused the death of a passenger who fell off the train and was crushed.

    “ This dangerous trend will negatively affect the use of rail transportation and possibly lead to a great disaster in train accidents which if not checked would lead to tragedy.”

    The motion was widely supported when the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal called for a vote and it was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Land Transport for investigation.

  • Expert seeks fund for disaster victims

    Expert seeks fund for disaster victims

    he President, Risk Surveyors Association of Nigeria (RISAN) Mr Jacob Adeosun has advocated the establishment of a National Catastrophic Fund.

    He said the fund should be used to assist victims of disasters to overcome the effects of catastrophies, such as the floods that ravaged over half of the nation last year.

    He said such disaster may reoccur, urging the government to establish the fund. He noted that it exists in other countries.

    Adeosun, who is also Executive Director, Industrial Risk Protection Consultants (IRPC), told The Nation that though it is good for the government to compensate victims of diasater, the right thing would have been to establish the fund from where such disasters could be managed.

    He said: “If it is a natural disaster, the government has a duty to empathise and sympathise and take action aimed at helping, but the real help comes from insurance.”

    Adeosun, a professional risk engineer and surveyor, explained that the fund is managed by insurance professionals, like the commercial insurance fund, saying the difference is that this one is reserved only for catastrophies.

    He said because there is no such fund in place, most of the losses caused by the disaster last year would not be paid for.

    “If such a fund was in place and managed by insurance experts, they would have taken the appropriate steps to identify who owned what asset, and who suffered what losses with to determine what each should get to indemnify them.

    ‘’As it stands, several months after the flood, most of the victims have not and may never get any benefit from the huge amount set aside by the government because it is not handled by insurance experts who would have known what to do to determine who gets what.

    “We have just moved into a new year and in the next few months, the rains may start coming and no one knows what may follow this time, thus the urgent need for the government to set up such a fund to mitigate losses arising from catastrophic occurrences,” he said.

    The insurance expert said the function of the fund he is advocating is different from what the National EmergencyManagement Authority (NEMA) and the Red Cross are doing. These bodies give first aid. The remedy for victims can only be handled by insurance.

    Adeosun urged Nigerians to embrace insurance, saying: “Insurance accepts little premium in return for a huge compensation in the event that the insured event occurs as per the contract terms. If the insured loss event does not occur, you don’t get a refund. You have had the peace of the mind, while someone else in the large pool of insured has made a claim. It may be your turn tomorrow or several years to come”.

    Adeosun denied allegations that insurance firms don’t pay claims. “If they don’t, several blue chip companies that are hooked to their services would have abandoned them.Individuals also make claims. But those who receive claims will not make any noise about it. It is their entitlement. As it is in every other aspects of life, cases of failure and challenges attract more attention,” he said.

    He explained that there are several reasons an insurance claim may not be paid.

    When such a case arises, the National Insurance Commission, the regulatory authority on insurance, the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) will attend to cases of aggrieved customers on claims disputes, he said.

    Whoever is buying insurance cover should ensure that it is properly done and claims will be paid on insured losses, Adeosun added.

  • Flood: World Bank to conduct post disaster needs assessment

    Flood: World Bank to conduct post disaster needs assessment

    •Hydrogeologists want installation of alarm system

     

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the World Bank and some international donor organisations, will soon conduct a post- disaster needs assessment following the flood that recently ravaged 28 states in the country.

    The Director-General of NEMA, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Account, Mr. Hakeem Akinbola, said this yesterday in Abuja at the orientation workshop for officials of the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), as well as Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Housing.

    He said: “The workshop is intended to provide participants with adequate skills, knowledge and techniques on how to handle the challenges.

    “It will also afford the Federal Government and international community the opportunity to execute plans and actions for rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of the communities affected by flood.”

    The United Nations Country Resident Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure, said the post disaster needs assessment seeks to assess the impact of natural disasters on infrastructures as well as people.

    He said the assessment would compile information on economic damage, losses and human impacts of the disaster on communities.

    Toure noted that the World Bank and European Union would support the Federal Government in the spirit of the 2008 joint agreement on post crisis cooperation.

    The Nigeria Association of Hydrogeologists (NAH) has called for the installation of early warning alarm systems in the hydrological stations connected through the satellite to alert the country to impending flood.

    It also wants the hydrological areas of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to be recognised as the unit water resources management.

    This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the 24th annual conference of NAH held in Benin City.

    The association, in the communique signed by its President, Dr. Abubarkar Iliya, called for the establishment of modern hydrological stations to monitor and quantify the volume of runoff water likely to cause flood.

    It reads: “We should undertake a post-flood environmental impact assessment of the areas inundated by flood and carry out a survey of the submerged boreholes in the areas with the aim of rehabilitating and cleaning them up.”

     

  • US declares Sandy storm major disaster

    US declares Sandy storm major disaster

    •Death toll hits 39

    United States President Barack Obama yesterday declared a “major disaster” in New York state and freed up federal aid for those who lost homes or businesses, after “super storm” Sandy swept through the Eastern Seaboard.

    No fewer than 39 people were reported to have died in New York and other places, after one of the biggest storms to ever hit the country made landfall on Monday night in New Jersey.

    The storm, which dropped just below hurricane status before striking land, has left 33 people dead across several US states. It had already killed more than 60 people in the Caribbean.

    Heavy snows threatened mountainous regions inland, and huge population centres of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington have been affected.

    Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, said in a news conference yesterday that the upcoming challenges facing the city in the coming days “are enormous”.

    “The most recent report states three quarters of a million New Yorkers are without power,” he said.

    “You should expect, given the extent of damage, power will be out for two or three days, maybe even longer than that.”

    Bloomberg said public transport will remain closed until further notice, and schools and airports remain closed on Tuesday.

    “While the worst of the storm has passed, conditions are still dangerous, and I cannot stress this enough,” he said.

    Obama will travel to New Jersey today to view the destruction wrought by Sandy on the state.

    Speaking at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington yesterday, Obama said his thoughts and prayers were with those who lost loved ones in the devastating hurricane, which has claimed at least ten lives in New York City alone.

    “Obviously this is something that is heartbreaking for the entire nation,” he said, “And we certainly feel profoundly for all of the families whose lives have been upended, and are going to be going through some very tough times over the next several days, perhaps the next several weeks and months. The most important message that I have for them is that America is with you. We are standing behind you and we are going to do everything we can to help you get back on your feet.”

    Many streets in New York City are filled with floodwater, with some subway tunnels breached and flying debris littering deserted pavements.

    The city had closed down subway, bus and commuter train systems as of Sunday night.

    More than eight million US homes and businesses were without power after Sandy tore down power lines, flooded electrical networks and sparked an explosion at a Consolidated Edison substation on Manhattan’s East River.

    About a quarter of New York City’s homes and businesses were without power 15 hours after the storm roared ashore accompanied by a nearly 4.2-metre tidal surge that flooded empty subway and highway tunnels.

    More than one million people in a dozen states were under orders to evacuate as the massive system plowed westward.

    One disaster forecasting company predicted economic losses could ultimately reach $20bn, only half insured.

    Trees were downed across the region, falling debris closed a major bridge in Boston, and floodwater and gusts of wind buffeted coastal towns such as Fairfield, Connecticut, home to many commuters into New York City, where police cruisers blocked access to the beaches.

    Power and back-up generators failed at New York University hospital, and patients were being elsewhere for care.

    The storm’s wind field stretched from the Canadian border to South Carolina, and from West Virginia to an Atlantic Ocean point about halfway between the US and Bermuda, easily one of the largest ever seen.

    The National Hurricane Centre said Sandy came ashore as a “post-tropical cyclone”, meaning it still packed hurricane-force winds but lost the characteristics of a tropical storm. It had sustained winds of 129km per hour (kph), well above the threshold for hurricane intensity.

    NYSE Euronext remained closed on Tuesday, the first time it has shut as a result of weather for two consecutive days since 1888.

    The southern tip of Manhattan where Wall Street and the NYSE are located lost power on Monday after being buffetted by Sandy, the worst storm to hit New York since at least 1938.

    The federal government in Washington was also closed, and so too were schools up and down the East Coast.

    Con Edison, New York’s electric utility, said it expected “record-size outages”. The company said it would pre-emptively shut down transformers in some areas to prevent further damage.

    Early on Tuesday morning, US power company Excelon Corp declared an alert at the 615MW Oyster Creek nuclear power reactor in New Jersey due to rising ocean water from Sandy, a spokesman at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said.

    An alert is the second lowest of the NRC’s four emergency classifications.

    The NRC spokesman said if the flood waters continued to rise, it could affect the reactor’s service water pumps, which are used for shut-down cooling and to cool the spent-fuel pool.

     

  • ‘Declare Anambra a flood disaster area’

    THE Anambra State Elders Council has called on the Federal Government to declare Anambra flood disaster area. The Council made the call after a meeting with Governor Peter Obi at the Governor’s Lodge.

    The Chairman of the Council, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, lamented that six out of the 21 local government areas of the state have already been submerged in water.

    While commending the sustained efforts of Governor Obi and prompt intervention in the affected areas, Ikedife noted that the devastation has gone beyond the capability of the local and state governments. He appealed for immediate intervention of the federal government and organisations to bring succor to the flood victims. He also observed that most of the industries recently commissioned by the President have all gone under the water.

    A former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife also called on the National Emergency Management Agency–NEMA-to establish a visible presence in the state while requesting churches to continue to assist the victims.

    The Archbishop of the Niger Province, Most Reverend Christian Efobi, called for prayers and collective efforts of all stakeholders to cushion the effect of the devastation.

    Also speaking, the Anglican Bishop of Awka, Right Reverend Alexander Ibezim, regretted that huge resources have already been lost to the menace and people’s suffering have continued to increase.

    In his remarks, the traditional ruler of Aguleri, Igwe Christopher Idigo, appealed to people who are still in the flood area to vacate immediately to avoid loss of life.