The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Eight ships arrive Lagos ports with petrol, other commodities

    Eight ships arrive Lagos ports with petrol, other commodities

    Eight ships laden with various products, including petrol, are at the Lagos ports waiting to berth, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday.

    The NPA disclosed in its daily “Shipping Position” made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that four of the vessels had petrol consignment.

    It said that four other ships would berth with bulk corn, wheat, container and bulk fertiliser.

    It added that 35 other ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods were expected at Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports between Tuesday and June 19.

    “The expected ships are carrying bulk wheat, containers, bulk sugar, general cargoes, bulk salt, bulk gas, base oil, bulk corn, bulk fertiliser, diplomatic call and petrol,’’ it said.

    It also said that 14 other ships were currently at the ports discharging general cargoes, bulk wheat, base oil, steel products, crude palmlein, bulk gas, petrol, container and bulk corn.

  • Kidnappers move Lagos pupils to Niger Delta creek

    Kidnappers move Lagos pupils to Niger Delta creek

    •Parent left waiting with ‘N2m ransom at Odogunyan’

    There were fears yesterday that the six abducted Lagos State Model College pupils might have again been moved by their kidnappers.

    It was the second time, sources told The Nation that the pupils would be relocated since they were kidnapped in May 25.

    It was learnt that they might have been moved to a creek in Niger Delta, following their parents alleged failure to pay the N2million ransom demanded on each child.

    But the kidnappers were said to have failed to show up yesterday to collect a N2million ransom allegedly taken to a designated spot in Odogunyan, Ikorodu.

    It was gathered that the kidnappers had since Friday asked the parent to take the money to different spots, but each time he went, no one came to collect it.

    They were also said to have told the parent to wear the same dress he wore the first time they asked him to bring the money, so that their emissary could identify him.

    Despite complying with instructions, the parent, it was gathered, was kept waiting for over four hours, after which he was asked to return home, once again.

    The Nation gathered that the kidnappers initially accused the parent of not keeping the appointment but when he described some of the things he saw at the locations, they told him to go home that they would get back to him.

    It was learnt that the parent demanded to speak to his child but he was not obliged.

    The pupils were first moved last weekend, two days after their abduction.

    But, three members of the gang who went to survey the waterways before the relocation were arrested in Benin, the Edo State capital, by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) operatives last Tuesday.

    Policemen comprising those from the Lagos State Command, Marine Unit and the IRT, who stormed the first camp where the pupils were kept, engaged some kidnappers there in a gun duel.

  • Lagos APC submits candidates’ list for council polls

    Lagos APC submits candidates’ list for council polls

    The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has received the list of candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the chairmanship and councillorship seats in next month’s local government elections.

    A statement yesterday by the party’s state elections committee chairman, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, said the party had passed the list to the electoral agency.

    Afikuyomi expressed confidence in the ability of the candidates to win the available seats because “there is no opposition to the APC in Lagos”.

    The election committee chairman said the popularity of the party accounted for the skirmishes that accompanied its primaries.

    He said: “The process of choosing candidates has been successfully completed. Across the 20 local government areas, 37 LCDAs and 377 wards in the state, APC chairmanship and councillorship candidates have emerged.

    “Our party’s constitution provides for direct and indirect primaries to pick the candidates. In its wisdom, the APC leadership in Lagos opted for a combination of primaries and consensus, in compliance with the provisions of Articles 20 (ii)a, (iii)a and 21(xi) of the APC Constitution.

    “That was done to ensure the emergence of real grassroots leaders and knowledgeable party men and women who can positively impact the lives of the people at the local level, who can make the much-needed difference in governance and deliver dividends of democracy to our people.

    “This is what we need to complement the wonderful work Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has been doing.

    “The process started from a stakeholders’ meeting, where the decision on the modality for the election and other decisions were taken and ratified. However, this is not to say the exercise has been without hitches. These are normal with any democratic arrangement. No system is devoid of problems and challenges. No system is infallible.

    “In the extant case, in a few areas where there have been disagreements arising from the process, these have been resolved through the conflict-resolution mechanism we put in place.

  • FG vows to prosecute purveyors of fake news

    FG vows to prosecute purveyors of fake news

    The Federal Government on Sunday said that it will not relent until it has exposed those behind the fake news phenomenon in the country and bring them to justice.

    In a statement in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that those behind the fake news had the intention of destabilising the polity and causing disunity among the country’s various ethnic and religious groups.

    The statement was signed by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the Minister.

    The minister urged Nigerians to be extra vigilant in view of the worsening cases of fake news being spread by the unscrupulous persons.

    Mohammed noted that over the weekend alone, several major cases of fake news were recorded, each of them capable of causing panic, triggering chaos or setting one group against the other.

    He said that a gory video of a blast that occurred many years ago was being circulated along with the false news of a bomb blast in Abuja, while news of a non-existent bomb blast in Lagos was also widely circulated.

    He said the Police had however debunked the fake news.

    Mohammed said the latest strategy being employed by the purveyors of fake news was to attribute to top government officials, improbable statements capable of destabilising the polity, causing tension and threatening the country’s unity.

    ”This is why we are appealing to Nigerians not to ever engage in a knee-jerk reaction to any news, and to subject every information to a very serious scrutiny by checking with security agencies and government spokespersons,” he said.

    The Minister described the fake news phenomenon as ‘the scourge of our times’ noting that it would “probably get worse in the months ahead”

    He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to be very vigilant so that fake news purveyors do not succeed in their quest to sow the seeds of chaos and confusion.

    He also appealed to the traditional media, which has a reputation to protect, to join the campaign against the purveyors of fake news.(NAN)

  • Lagos: Continuous voters’ registration recording success

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ongoing registration of voters in Lagos is recording more successes every day. A visit to INEC offices in some local government areas of the state showed that many people are registering and complying with the exercise.
    The INEC had directed voters who recently attained the voting age of 18 and those who have either relocated or lost their permanent voter cards (PVC) to go to its offices and local government offices to register.
    At the INEC office in Ikorodu, an INEC official who does not want his name in print, took the reporter round the office to show him the different stages and processes of exercise.
    According to the official, “the first stage is to verify if a person has been registered before. After this, we move to the next stage which is the registration proper.”
    He continued: “If we discover the person has not registered before, he or she is asked to fill a form. We have three capturing machines for this exercise. The exercise in Ikorodu has been ongoing for the past four weeks and 3,380 persons have been registered so far.
    “We intend to do this for three months after which we will go on break for one week. The break is to enable us see how much progress we have made, the type of complaints we have received and what needs to be done to make the necessary corrections.”
    The INEC official stressed further that those who were under-aged during the last exercise and those who did not register before constitute the largest population of those being attended to.
    In Ojokoro Local council development area, the case was no different.
    The INEC official, Korede Balogun, said registration starts from 9am to 3pm daily except on public holidays.
    “We have created awareness campaign for residents and we have been recording success.”
    He said after registration residents are given temporary voter card as the permanent voter card will be issued after six months.
    A resident, Bola Ajulo who spoke at the point of registration said the queue is long but it is better to do it because that is one’s electoral power.
    However, at the Shomolu INEC office, a large crowd of residents were seen trying to register. Mrs Shakirat Olomola who just relocated to that area lamented that she got to the registration venue early but was yet to register as at press time.
    “I was here yesterday but couldn’t wait as a result of the crowd so I went back home, today I’m here again all to no avail,” she said.
    Another resident, Niyi Ogunyemi lamented how he has been at the centre since morning but had not been able to register.
    “The challenge is that there are so many people here that want to register, but there are lot of irregularities. I don’t know how long I’m going to wait probably I have to come here tomorrow again and I can’t afford to take excuse again from my workplace. They should call people according to the number given to them. They should help ease the crowd by attending to us promptly,” he pleaded.
    At the Alimosho local government, Ikotun/Igando, INEC officials were seen registering people under a canopy with chairs.
    A young girl who was seen carrying out her registration gave her name as Oluwatosin Akinyemi. She said she just turned 18 and her parents asked her to register.
    Others who were present had either lost their voter’s card or had never registered or didn’t bother to pick up the card at the last time they registered.
    Meanwhile, at the Alimosho Local government, Akowonjo, the Sole
    Administrator of the local government, Mr Quadri Ganiu Ishola said the local government is still speaking with the INEC office in Yaba to also come and register the community people in their different polling booth.
    Reacting to the abnormalities being experienced by intending officers at INEC centres in the state, the INEC Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, Mr Femi Akinbiyi explained that people should not be anxious if they get to the centre and could not register saying that they can come back another day.
    He said: “It’s a continuous exercise and as I speak, the commission is yet to fix a final date for the exercise to end. The exercise might end just a few months to the election.”
    The essence of this exercise according to him is for people to go to the local government INEC offices they want to register to register and not to rush.

  • Kazeem: Powering Lagos with justice

    “I am a lawyer. I go for due process; I go for fairness and equity- these values mean a lot to me” -Mohammed ElBaradei

    That Nigeria is abundantly blessed with the requisite human capacity; with some of the world’s most brilliant minds strewn across the globe’s exciting professional landscape is stating the obvious. The lacuna however, is the recurring mishap of placing square pegs in round holes! Little wonder, the obvious challenge of the slow pace of the country’s socio-economic development. But the exception to the rule has amply been demonstrated in no other place than the acclaimed Centre of Excellence, Lagos.

    With the recent marking of two eventful years in office, one Ministry that the highly resourceful governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode would readily highlight as having keyed into his vision to take the state to the next level is that of Justice. No sentiments here. And that is because he mustered the courage to identify and place the right man-Adeniji Kazeem as the Commissioner who also doubles as the Attorney General. But who is this distinguished Nigerian? What innovative and people-oriented achievements has he brought to the governance table to deserve the national and international encomiums coming his way? What lasting lessons can the younger generation glean from his illustrious life trajectory?

    Adeniji who hails from Isale-Eko in Lagos Island was born in Lagos, on  April 19, 1965 to the late Honourable Justice Boonyamin Oladiran Kazeem, a former Solicitor General of the Federation and Judge of Supreme Court of Nigeria and Princess Jemilat Adetoun Kazeem, a daughter of the late Oba Adeniji –Adele II.

    The alumnus of the famous Federal Government College Warri proceeded to the University Lagos where he obtained a second class Upper degree in Political Science. That was in 1986, smiling home with a special prize in Comparative political systems. He served his one-year statutory Nigerian Youth service at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs as a Research Assistant before returning to the University of Lagos to study Law. In a similar fashion he graduated with a second class Upper Law degree in 1990 with a special prize in International Law. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991.

    Kazeem also holds an LLM in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. His professional career started in 1991 when he joined the International Consulting Firm of Arthur Andersen (Now KPMG Professional Services) and rose to Senior Associate in the Firms Tax and Business regulatory Services Division before voluntarily resigning in 1996. During his career at Arthur Andersen he was exposed to varied Tax, Consulting and Business Advisory training and experience.

    In 1996 he set up the Law Firm of Adeniji Kazeem & Co to cater for local and International legal needs. He has since then run the full service Law Firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja. The Firm specializes in litigation and ADR, ICT Law, Intellectual property, Commercial Law and Company Secretarial services to the Public and Private Sector.

    Kazeem is the author of the book “Electronic Contract Formation and the Nigerian Initiatives”, and several other publications. He is a Notary Public of the Federation, member of the International Trade Mark Association, member International Bar Association, member chartered institute of arbitrators.

    Interestingly, he was also the Deputy-Director General and Director of Legal Services of the Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organization, that afforded him the opportunity to exhibit his tremendous organizational skills, deploying his intellectual acumen to critically and calmly analyze political campaign trend and evolve the best for Ambode. With an innovative mind, a listening ear and serving as a member of the engine room, he saw to it that Ambode became the only aspirant on the platform of the APC to tour 19 out of the 20 LGAs in the state. This afforded him the platform to identify the people’s most pressing needs at close quarter. The results are obvious for all to see and applaud today.

    Good enough, such zeal and commitment have been extended to the Ministry of Justice as the Commissioner, all geared towards evolving a crime-free society since he was sworn into office in September 2015. Amongst his ground-breaking achievements within two years of his stewardship include the Inauguration of Five Mobile Courts for Traffic Offenders, setting up of a Task Force to Tackle Land Grabbers and the Establishment of a DNA Forensic Lab to fight crime.

    Others include the Revival of the Crime Data Registry (CDR), Amendment/Reform of laws in various institutions in the state, launching of online access to state laws and the full protection of citizens rights.

    With all these peace-engendering laws firmly in place ridding Lagos of recklessness and impunity on the roads, and ensuring that lawyers from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) are readily available to defendants who so desire.

    In a bid to check the menace of land-grabbing the so called Omo-Onile, there is currently the full deployment of resources of government to give teeth and bite to the relevant laws.

    As for the CDR, it involves the participation of stakeholders in the criminal justice process, namely; the Lagos State Judiciary, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Prison Service. Any convicted offender in the state will thus have his/her details electronically registered.

    And to show that justice is for all the Ministry has departments and statutory agencies dedicated to the provision of free legal services to citizens whose rights have been breached or violated.

    That is what democracy is all about. Our felicitations go to this man of destiny whose eyes are clearly set for the future, in his home state, in Nigeria and the world at large.

    • Ajanaku, a journalist writes from Lagos.

  • GLO THRILLS WITH ALL-STAR SHOW IN LAGOS

    THE ovation was loudest in Lagos, when indigenous telecoms company, Globacom, berthed its 2017 Glo Mega Music nationwide tour in the city of excellence last Sunday.

    Described by fun seekers as an evening of unlimited fun and total entertainment, the show featured top-rated artistes, led by one of Nigeria’s biggest acts, Innocent Idibia, aka 2Baba.

    Anchored by Nollywood actresses, Mercy Johnson and Ebube Nwagbo, the show which held at the KFA Marquee, was attended by thousands of Lagosians who were treated to the best of Nigerian music and exciting side attractions.

    The show paraded other rave artistes, including Boss of YBNL Nation, Olamide Badoo; Igbo ethno-rapper, Phyno; “Woju” exponent, Kiss Daniel; Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa, Timaya; Afro-Pop diva, Yemi Alade; Dancehall master, Runtown and Marvin Dynasty prince, Reekado Banks.

    2Baba who was cheered onto the stage by the mammoth crowd gave a very good account of himself, dishing out different tracks to the delight of the guests, who were either singing or dancing along with him.

    Timaya who was the next act on stage, put up an exciting performance. The hip-hop and afro-beat musicians’ rendition of his popular tracks, including ‘Call me Timaya’, ‘Babalawo Power’ and ‘Bang Bang’ wowed everybody.

    Woju exponent, Kiss Daniel also had a very good outing. He held the audience spell bound all through with popular tracks like ‘Woju’ as well as ‘Sofa’ and ‘Nothing Dey’. At a point, he started delighting the crowd by throwing his fez cap, jacket and his trainers intermittently to the cheering crowd.

    Glo Ambassador, Phyno performed at the show and moving swiftly from one track to the other, he delivered tracks like ‘E Chop My Money’, ‘So Far So Good’, ‘Financial Woman’ and ‘I Don Suffer’ alongside other tracks which the crowd chorused all through.

    Afro-Pop diva, Yemi Alade Yemi Alade was another star of the evening; reeling out different tracks from ‘Charlie’ to ‘Tangerine’, ‘No do me’, ‘Kom Kom’, ‘kissing’, ‘Ferrari’ and ‘Taking’, she dazzled the crowd with impeccable choreography and perfect delivery of the tracks.

    Runtown also gave a good account of himself with hit tunes while Reekado Banks kept the hall alive with songs like ‘Katapot and Oluwa ni’ which got the guests dancing.

    The last act of the Night was King of the street, Olamide Badoo who “killed” the show with popular tracks that appeal to virtually all the guests. From ‘Skekelobose’ to ‘Shakitibobo’, it was Olamide all the way.

    Speaking earlier, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Lagos and Ogun States, Mr. Akeem Kazeem, thanked subscribers for their loyalty over the years, adding that the shows were the company’s way of expressing its immense gratitude to them.

    He revealed that Benin City, Edo State will, on Saturday, June 4, 20127, host the next edition of Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, urging subscribers wishing to attend the show to use up to N2,000 credit within a month and text ‘ Music Benin’ to the short code, 207.AC THE ovation was loudest in Lagos, when indigenous telecoms company, Globacom, berthed its 2017 Glo Mega Music nationwide tour in the city of excellence last Sunday.

    Described by fun seekers as an evening of unlimited fun and total entertainment, the show featured top-rated artistes, led by one of Nigeria’s biggest acts, Innocent Idibia, aka 2Baba.

    Anchored by Nollywood actresses, Mercy Johnson and Ebube Nwagbo, the show which held at the KFA Marquee, was attended by thousands of Lagosians who were treated to the best of Nigerian music and exciting side attractions.

    The show paraded other rave artistes, including Boss of YBNL Nation, Olamide Badoo; Igbo ethno-rapper, Phyno; “Woju” exponent, Kiss Daniel; Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa, Timaya; Afro-Pop diva, Yemi Alade; Dancehall master, Runtown and Marvin Dynasty prince, Reekado Banks.

    2Baba who was cheered onto the stage by the mammoth crowd gave a very good account of himself, dishing out different tracks to the delight of the guests, who were either singing or dancing along with him.

    Timaya who was the next act on stage, put up an exciting performance. The hip-hop and afro-beat musicians’ rendition of his popular tracks, including ‘Call me Timaya’, ‘Babalawo Power’ and ‘Bang Bang’ wowed everybody.

    Woju exponent, Kiss Daniel also had a very good outing. He held the audience spell bound all through with popular tracks like ‘Woju’ as well as ‘Sofa’ and ‘Nothing Dey’. At a point, he started delighting the crowd by throwing his fez cap, jacket and his trainers intermittently to the cheering crowd.

    Glo Ambassador, Phyno performed at the show and moving swiftly from one track to the other, he delivered tracks like ‘E Chop My Money’, ‘So Far So Good’, ‘Financial Woman’ and ‘I Don Suffer’ alongside other tracks which the crowd chorused all through.

    Afro-Pop diva, Yemi Alade Yemi Alade was another star of the evening; reeling out different tracks from ‘Charlie’ to ‘Tangerine’, ‘No do me’, ‘Kom Kom’, ‘kissing’, ‘Ferrari’ and ‘Taking’, she dazzled the crowd with impeccable choreography and perfect delivery of the tracks.

    Runtown also gave a good account of himself with hit tunes while Reekado Banks kept the hall alive with songs like ‘Katapot and Oluwa ni’ which got the guests dancing.

    The last act of the Night was King of the street, Olamide Badoo who “killed” the show with popular tracks that appeal to virtually all the guests. From ‘Skekelobose’ to ‘Shakitibobo’, it was Olamide all the way.

    Speaking earlier, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, Lagos and Ogun States, Mr. Akeem Kazeem, thanked subscribers for their loyalty over the years, adding that the shows were the company’s way of expressing its immense gratitude to them.

    He revealed that Benin City, Edo State will, on Saturday, June 4, 20127, host the next edition of Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, urging subscribers wishing to attend the show to use up to N2,000 credit within a month and text ‘ Music Benin’ to the short code, 207.

  • Bizwoman seeks divorce over witchcraft

    Bizwoman seeks divorce over witchcraft

    A businesswoman, Mrs. Mosurat Oseni, on Friday approached an Igando Customary Court in Lagos seeking divorce of her 18-year-old marriage to Munirudeen Oseni over an allegation of witchcraft.

    Mosurat, 48, told the court that she was no longer interested in the marriage because her husband labeled her as a witch responsible for his predicament.

    “My husband goes about telling whoever cares to listen that I am a witch and I was responsible for his low financial status.

    “Most times, he comes to my shop wearing worn-out clothes to curse me and destroy my goods,” the mother of three alleged.

    She further alleged that Munirudeen was an irresponsible husband and father.

    According to her, since the inception of our marriage, I have been the one paying our house rent and the children school fees.

    “Our first child is in the University and I am the one paying her fees.

    “Six years ago, my husband packed out of the house to stay in Sango-Ota in Ogun, claiming Lagos State is expensive.

    “He married another woman and abandoned us.

    “After some months, he came back to Lagos to squat with friends in my area from where he comes to my shop to insult and curse me,” she said.

    The petitioner said that her marriage had been turbulent and fraught with fights and quarrels.

    She said that she had not been at peace because her husband always beat her on any provocation.

    “My husband takes alcoholic drink a lot. He drinks to stupor after which he will vomit everywhere in the house.

    “I have reported him to his family, but he refused to change,” she said.

    The woman urged the court to terminate the marriage because she was no longer interested in it.
    “Please, dissolve the marriage. I want to live to eat the fruit of my labour. In fact, the love I once had for him has faded,” she said.

    Munirudeen, who was said to have been summoned, was however, not in court.

    The Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, ordered the bailiff to summon him again to respond to the allegations on June 27.

  • Lagos PDP urges members not to defect

    Lagos PDP urges members not to defect

    Factional chairman of Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Adewale, has urged members who were planning to defect to other parties to shelve the idea.

    Adewale who stormed the party’s secretariat at Shogunle, Lagos with his supporters said he had come to take over the secretariat. He said his taking over of the party’s apparatus would usher in new beginning for Lagos PDP.

    Addressing his supporters, he explained that he was taking over the secretariat, following the alleged decision of the Moshood Salvador group to join the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA).

    He said: “By this action we have taken, we have put an end to PDP failure in Lagos State. We will ensure that we successfully participate in the council election scheduled to take place on July 22 and make some success. Those who have led us in the past like Chief Bode George have not made any impact, because there is no record to show that PDP won any election in Lagos under his leadership.”

    The PDP chieftain recalled several efforts made to ensure unity in the party in the state, but were rebuffed by Salvador’s faction.

    Adewale further said the failure of the PDP to take over Lagos State was due to fact that the leadership under George had been doing nothings since 2003. He added: “You cannot be doing things the same way and expect to get different results.”

    He said the party was working hard to win the coming local government poll in July and the 2019 governorship election.

    He said: “We have been running for election since 2003 and have been failing. This is the only secretariat in Nigeria that has not won governorship election in the history of PDP. It is high time and all we are saying is, give us the opportunity, I mean our own generation, to do that for the PDP.

    “So we are the Sheriff faction and by law, the Appeal Court affirmed by its judgment that we are the authentic faction. Sheriff was the one that conducted our own party congress here in Lagos that brought me as chairman of Lagos PDP. By that they should honour and respect the office.”

    Adewale called on members of the party, who he said might have been deceived to move to APDA, to return to the PDP in order to ensure total victory for the party in the coming local government election.

  • Lagos to explore tourism through biodiversity

    The Lagos State Government plans to explore tourism through biodiversity, Commissioner for the Environment Dr, Samuel Babatunde Adejare, has said.

    He spoke during this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, held at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The Commissioner, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, stressed that the government’s commitment to sustainable management of its biodiversity is unwavering.

    He said this is demonstrated through various laudable plans and programmes such as  the 10-year framework of programmes for sustainable consumption and production patterns, and the deliberate exposure of students to wetlands, zoological gardens and conservation areas in the state.

    This is through the introduction of Ecotourism programme and the annual Tree Planting Day through which over seven million trees of various species have been planted across the state to enrich its biodiversity.

    He further said that Lagos State is set to explore the linkage between tourism and biological diversity by preserving in their pristine state two major wetlands, which are Yaafin Wetland, Badagry and Itoikin Wetland, Epe.

    According to him, these preserved wetlands are expected to serve as tourist centres in the nearest future.

    “It is significant to note that a well-managed tourist sector can contribute significantly to reducing threats to the ecosystem, while maintaining/increasing key wildlife populations and biodiversity values through tourism revenue” Adejare said.

    He, however, cautioned that the environment must not be destroyed for development and survival, adding that biodiversity should be preserved because of its wildlife and natural attributes, which would attract people to the location.

    “Today as we join the rest of the world in marking this day, I urge us all (government, private sector, academia, religious and cultural institutions, old, young, everyone) to head the clarion call by resolving individually and collectively to work for the protection of the environment through biological resource conservation,” the Commissioner said.