The Nation Newspaper

Tag: neglected

  • Lagos flood: Curse of a neglected environment

    SIR: For years, the Lagos State government invested in various efforts to preserve the environment recorded in the areas of education and series of actions geared towards environmental sustainability awareness, including proper waste management, a heavily-sustained tree planting exercise and an annual environmental conference which purpose was to highlight issues, discuss current researches and proffer solutions to burning environmental problems.

    These activities are no longer top priority and clear reasons have not been advanced as to why renewed efforts have been halted. Today, most Lagos residents are concerned about the never-ending dumping of waste on major roads and around the inner cities, which in the event of the slightest rainfall, blocks the drainage systems causing serious hardship for residents.  The services of the waste disposal agency seem inaccessible in most parts of the city and the potential danger of this development can only be left to the imagination.

    To make matters worse, following a recent court ruling, the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was terminated. The impact of this legal action on the environment is yet to be fully contextualized, but will certainly lead to further degradation of the environment. Some had argued that the monthly sanitation exercise was an unnecessary action by the state government to restrict movement. But, put side by side the benefits to the well-being and health of the environment, this decision needs to be revisited.

    For some climate change deniers, the effort and monies spent in raising environmental awareness in order to reverse the growing impact of climate change is, to their way of thinking, wasted resources. As concerned citizens of a planet in trouble, we should recognize that this position is not in the best interest of humanity. Every human being on earth is expected to show some level of concern about the environment as the only sustainable factor to human existence.

    It should be emphasized that to slow down the negative impact of climate change, the effort to reverse the burning of fossil fuel and reduce carbon emission must be sustained. All efforts, including political efforts and lobbying, must be focused on building alternative energy models, new and green production processes and working towards a cleaner planet through investment in clean energy and green production technologies. Industrialization should no longer be carbon-based or carbon-driven.

    The effort to substitute high-carbon technologies with low-carbon ones has begun and should be properly keyed into by all levels of government and non-government institutions. The cost of neglecting the environment is huge and has implications bordering on health, food security and security of lives and property. The health aspect is the most troubling. With the recent outbreak of cholera in Lagos, resulting from contaminated drinking water due to flooding, serious attention is therefore required from all concerned.

    There is an urgent need for the Lagos State government to encourage researchers, who are interested, to investigate and proffer solutions to wide ranging causes and consequences, and to provide clear cut mitigation strategies to deal with environmental disasters as resulting from climate change.

    The annual climate change conference should be sustained and improved upon, with partnership extended to global agencies like R20, an agency founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger with its objective being to help sub-national governments around the world to develop and communicate low-carbon and climate-resilient economic development projects. In Nigeria, only Delta and Ogun state governments are members of this agency.

    Teaching of environmental sustainability in mostly secondary schools must be revisited as a way to galvanize the young and future policy makers into the broad consciousness of the need to preserve the environment. There used to be Climate Clubs in schools. These initiatives should equally be supported by corporate organizations in an effort to fulfill corporate citizenship responsibility to Lagos State.

    Climate change is not just an environmental problem. It is a development problem that is directly linked to and responsible for multiple crises plaguing the world today.

     

    • Victor Ikem,

    Environment Communication and Research Group, Lagos,

  • Neglected treasure

    •Nigeria must develop its tourism to enhance its revenue

    As Nigeria continues to seek viable ways out of the economic doldrums into which it has fallen, it is vital that any economic diversification policy must incorporate the development of the tourism sector if it is to succeed.

    There can be little doubt that the country’s tourism potential is enormous. Nigeria is home to a huge variety of natural phenomena as can be found in Abeokuta’s Olumo Rock, the Yankari Game Reserve, the Idanre Hills, the Obudu Cattle Ranch and Cross River’s Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Reserve. In addition, there are historical edifices and monuments scattered across the country, such as the walls of the ancient cities of Benin and Kano, the first storey building in Badagry and colonial-era buildings in Lokoja.

    It is tragic that this potential has never been fully lived up to. Many of the tourism sites are poorly-developed, lacking in modern facilities and amenities, and characterised by inefficient services. Visitors often encounter hardship rather than comfort, and usually have to endure rudeness instead of courtesy. Little is done to make the visits as enjoyable as possible; instead, they appear to become tests of endurance.

    In comparison, other nations in Africa and elsewhere in the world are reaping the rich rewards of tourism. Egypt, Morocco, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa are all top tourist destinations which have benefitted from tourism and its multiplier effects, especially the development of infrastructure, international goodwill and enhanced national reputations. In 2015, South Africa made U.S. $35 billion from tourism, Morocco, $34 billion and Kenya, $32 billion. Nigeria recorded a measly $2.79 million during the same period, and ranks 131 out of 141 countries in the 2015 Tourism Competitiveness Index.

    It is truly ironic that Nigeria, home to some of the world’s most-travelled citizens, is itself a tourist backwater. This is where any real attempt to change the situation should start. The country’s tourism growth must be based upon ensuring that more Nigerians visit Nigerian tourist sites.

    Citizens who are prepared to spend huge amounts of foreign exchange in visiting other nations must be shown that they can enjoy similar activities within their own borders for far less. The tourism elements in subjects like Social Studies and Geography should be stressed more emphatically to primary and secondary school students so that they become more aware of the beauty of their country. Tours and excursions must become a mandatory part of the education of all students.

    The federal and state governments, as well as ministries, agencies and parastatals should begin to patronise local tourism sites more consistently. Conferences and workshops should be moved away from hotels in big cities to tourism sites. Public office-holders should consider the virtues of taking in-country vacations more seriously.

    There must also be conscious and comprehensive attempts to develop the country’s tourism sites and the communities where they are located. Natural beauty and inherent magnificence are simply not enough for any country to succeed in the extremely competitive arena of modern tourism. No tourist wants to undergo the ordeal of poor roads, the lack of water and power, and rudimentary facilities simply because he is visiting a tourist site.

    Motorable access roads must be built to tourism sites. Greater attention should be paid to ensuring that the ancillary services on offer are globally competitive. More training should be put into ensuring that tourism guides, maintenance officials and other staff are truly as knowledgeable and conscientious as they ought to be. The country’s burgeoning entertainment industry should be integrated more closely into tourism to create more fulfilling experiences for tourists. Nigeria can no longer afford to be the nation serious tourists run away from.

  • ‘We’ve been neglected’

    Concerned indigenes of Ikale land of Ondo State in the diaspora under the auspices of Overseas Ikale Patriotic Congress (OIPC) at the weekend decried the alleged marginalisation and underdevelopment in the area.

    In a communiqué in Akure, the state capital, the group condemned the collapse of infrastructure and industries in the area.

    Signed by its Chairman, Dr. Iyiola Aiyeku and Secretary Dr. Duro Akindutire, the group said the infrastructural deficiency has crippled the economic development of the people and forced the youth into crimes.

    It noted that among the abandoned infrastructures were Oluwa Glass Factory, Okitipupa Sport Complex Project, Irele-Okitipupa Bridge, Aye-Igbotako road, Cassava Processing Industry at Ikoya in Irele.

    The group said part of the neglect was the power outage in Ikale land, which has incapacitated the region’s social-economic well being.

  • New life for neglected school

    New life for neglected school

    it may shock the missionaries that the school they founded 42 years ago started declining shortly after they left. The paints started fading off, walls cracking and creaky furniture not replaced.

    In time, goats and other livestock found a veritable hibernating ground and would endlessly chew their cud there without any hindrance. Teachers and pupils feared the roof might suddenly cave in on them.

    Everyone was worried about the fate of Garam District Community School, where many children of workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) studied.

    No one looked its way, not the state government nor federal authorities. That left the community chief and residents with huge responsibilities. They kept making requests for assistance. No one answered.

    Now, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has scaled back the rot by renovating the institution and everyone is happy again. Supporting the Commission, was the Niger State government.

    Until recently, there had been misconceptions concerning the jurisdiction under which the community belonged. Some believed it was under the supervision of Bwari Local Council of the FCT while others considered it a district in Niger State.

    The traditional ruler, Esu Garam Tafa, Chief Sabo Philip clarified the situation, revealing that the community made up of over 500,000 residents was actually under Tafa Local Government in Suleja Emirate Council of Niger State.

    During a visit to the school, a portion of the dilapidated structure was still standing but clearly showed it may collapse any time soon. However, four blocks of classrooms, gave the school a fresh appearance.

    The atmosphere really depicted a school environment with a large field, good toilet facility and staff rooms.

    Some of the students were in class when Abuja Review visited. Aside from good educational materials such as furniture, the classrooms were equipped with standard teaching aids, thanks to UBEC.

    The Head Teacher, Mr. Patrick Joseph told our correspondent that there was need to provide more teachers aside from those already employed by the Niger State government.

    Mr. Patrick said it was imperative considering the new development of deploying federal teachers to schools. For him, the gesture would not only complement efforts of the existing workforce but will also improve the learning ability of the students.

    “Before this school was renovated, we could not stay in any of the classrooms, let alone teach the pupils because of the fear of sudden collapse of the building. But after it was fixed, we were happy, even to teach the pupils,” Joseph, who further appealed for more infrastructural facilities and perimeter fencing of the school said.

    “We are looking forward to seeing if the school could be fenced. We need more teachers. We were taken unawares by the Federal Government through the UBEC. They formally informed us about the school renovation. Before the renovation, the school was totally dilapidated. Goats were sleeping and mating there and we could not use the blocks. But today, it’s the most cherished block as you can see.

    “We thank the Federal Government for the gesture. We hope to see more developments such as fencing of the school, more furniture and more qualified teachers since the Federal Government is now posting federal teachers to complement the regular ones,” he said.

     

    Monarch explains

     

    The traditional ruler described the renovation of the school as the most significant achievement ever recorded after resuming leadership in the past eight years. But he added that it was the least government could do for the community.

    The school was built by missionaries who did a follow-up on one of the villagers. The villager had visited another community where the missionary domiciled. However, after being introduced to Christianity, they sought to pay him a visit in Garam community where they eventually realised the need to build a church followed by the school.

    “I was in primary school when the first six classrooms were built. At the commencement of the 6-3-3-4 education system of education, four more classrooms were built.

    “It was in September last year that we mounted great pressure on government to renovate our ancient primary school that our forefathers built. My father was on the throne then.

    “So, it’s been long because I entered primary school in 1977 and already the school was in existence. The missionaries came to settle in Dikko and extended to Garam community. We used to go there for treatment. So, from there, one man gave his life to Christ. They had to follow him down to this place and built a church and a primary school,” the monarch said.

    He further said that since the renovation of the school, government had built a senior secondary school and a permanent site had been provided where more classrooms had been built. He urged the appropriate authorities to provide more

    teachers, classroom blocks and perimeter fencing for their schools.

    “People are beginning to encroach on the school land; claiming it belongs to their forefathers. If the school is fenced, no one will want to lay claim to its land.

    “It is an ancient primary school that we are proud of and we don’t want anybody to take it away from us. Our great forefathers gave the land for the school, so government should come to our aid to do the fencing,” he pleaded.

    On discrepancies about the territory, the traditional ruler said: “I want to state it clearly that this community is under Niger State government. It is only part of Kuduru that is under Abuja. Most of Kuduru communities are also part of Niger State.”

     

    Needs

     

    The Garam traditional ruler stressed the need for potable water in the school.

    “You can see how large this community is; unfortunately, we don’t have water. There is no river around. So, all we depended upon is borehole being operated on commercial scales,” he said.

    For him, the need for water was the paramount necessity the community craves. He said the community occasionally lacks water, especially when the commercial boreholes get damaged.

    “Those that have money to sink borehole in their compound often come to the rescue in those periods of scarcity. This is one thing our people are crying out for,” the monarch added.

    The community is hopeful that by the time the Ushafa dam is completed; the community would also have access to potable water.

    Apart from lack of water, Garam community also lacks health care facilities. The traditional ruler said the community has only one national primary health care centre.

    The centre, according to residents, lacked adequate staff, drugs and resident doctors. For the past seven months, security officials engaged by the local government council to safeguard the PHC were yet to be paid. The PHC is close to the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna rail project which passed through the community.

    It was gathered that in extreme health situation, residents go as far as two hours journey to the town to get proper medical attention, just as the traditional ruler complained of insufficient health officials in the centre.

    A visit to the PHC confirmed the situation. Abuja Review gathered that the hospital has about three personnel; two women and a young man. Unfortunately, the Medical Director and the Chief Matron were not available for comments.

    “We lack so many things here. There is no manpower. We need drugs even a permanent doctor that will be here with us. If we have a serious situation that is more than their capacity, we always run to Bwari or Wuse General Hospital,” the traditional ruler said.

    The doctor in charge of Garam PHC, Dr. Ahmed Bako described access to water as a major challenge. He lamented over shortage of power as well as security. The chairman of the local council responsible for the facility up-keep had made promises which were yet to be fulfilled.

    “Our serious need is water because as a hospital, we cannot do without it.

    Most times, we operate in darkness because we lack electricity here. Our watchmen have not been paid in the past seven months. So, our security apparatus is porous. I have the opportunity to meet the deputy chairman but he promised to do something about it,” Bako said.

    For decades, after so many years of making requests for the construction of a police post in Garam, the community never had any.

    “For about 30 years,” said the community ruler, we never had any police post.

    “We have written severally to the Niger State Commissioner of Police, through the Divisional Police Officer of Tafa but nothing was done until recently when it was approved,” he said.

    “Even if you bring thousands of security men, it is God that determines safety. So, we have been in the hands of God for protection.”

  • Neglected Enugu community appeals to Chime

    Umualor community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State has petitioned Governor Sullivan Chime over what it described as its prolonged neglect. The community wants him to intervene and reverse the situation.

    In a statement signed by the coordinator, Umualor United For Change (UUC), Comrade Ogbuzuru Ejike, the community said it suffered a litany of economic and political neglect that arose from age-long non-compliance with the power sharing formula in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area by other communities that make up the local government.

    Ejike said even though it was a well-known fact that Umualor remained the oldest town in the local government area, none of its indigenes has been given an opportunity to occupy any elective political position.

    The development, he noted, has tended to shut out his people from the vast dividends of democracy and good governance which successive regimes and even the current Chime administration have provided.

    “The setbacks of this neglect began with and are further heightened by the fact that out of the eleven political wards allocated to the local government, Umualor barely has one where five communities exist in the local government. Ehamufu has four wards, Ikem has two, Mbu has two and Neke has two as well. The imbalance has existed given the fact that all the other communities at the forefront of political power all these while though it wise that we were merely a hamlet that needed no political attention and thus had no use of the ward during the delineation process.

    “It is not pellucid and crystal clear that we have been cheated all these while from the above your excellency, even when all the communities in the local government have agreed and officially accented to a zoning system that would ordinarily make Umualor Development Area the next community to produce a candidate for elective political position?. We want to crave your indulgence and wealth of political wisdom as our great political leader therefore to assist us in securing the ticket for the state house of assembly come 2014 as a way of enhancing our political chance and future in the state.

    “Your Excellency, it is unfathomable that where eleven wards exist, a community with just one ward can scarcely produce a political office holder even on the grounds of strict adherence to rotational formula let alone when it has been jettisoned for political advantages.

    “Your Excellency, we have reasoned with this ancient Igbo philosophy which asserts that when taken for granted, gold in one’s hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper and have seen that if the current happenings continue, the Umualor community might never test the opportunity of steering the political wheel of the local government nor any other political position deemed rightful for Isi-Uzo Local Government and this we say God forbid,” he stated.

    The coordinator of UCC further added that the chronology of events has shown that Umualor has been relegated to the background in spheres of access to political power, adding that as a result, they wished to know if they were mere commodity or a community sharing equal rights with their neighbors.

    He expressed dismay that Umualor in this modern age has no passable roads, no access to electricity, no telecommunication network, stating that the community suffers patiently deplorable state of poor medical facilities.

    “We know that you have been reputable to have a listening ear to the marginalised. Awgu, Nsukka, Oji River among others would all bear witness to this. We believe that if you delve into this matter as one of your last developmental strides as the governor we would not and never remain the same again, it is well with you sir,” Ejike pleaded.

     

  • Together, we can make progress against Neglected Tropical Diseases

    In Nigeria and across Africa, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a daily reality for many children, families and communities. Despite efforts to control and eliminate them, trachoma, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, onchocerciasis (river blindness), soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis continue to threaten Nigeria’s citizens.

    NTDs disable and disfigure more than one billion people around the world. Beyond the lives impacted, NTDs also limit economic productivity and development, helping to perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty.

    However, I believe we have an immense opportunity to break this cycle and address these diseases in the near future. Indeed, in recent years we have made tremendous gains against NTDs.

    Much of this progress was catalyzed by the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs, which united international pharmaceutical companies, global health organizations, private foundations and governments from donor and endemic countries behind the goal of controlling and eliminating 10 of these diseases by the end of the decade.

    This partnership was a turning point for NTDs. Shortly after, I made NTD control a personal priority and joined the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases as a Special Envoy to help raise awareness of the urgent need to combat these diseases and improve the health of our citizens.

    In Paris this week, global leaders gathered to discuss the gains made since the launch of this partnership. I was pleased to hear African country leadership heralded as a crucial force on progress against NTDs. Much of this progress was highlighted in the Uniting to Combat NTDs: Delivering on Promises and Driving Progress report released this week.

    Globally, 74 countries —including Nigeria— now have national plans to guide their NTD efforts. Last year, all 47 Ministers of Health in the WHO Africa Regional Office endorsed a regional plan to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis in Africa and strengthen efforts to eliminate other NTDs. Governments around the world passed a resolution at the 2013 World Health Assembly to hold themselves accountable on progress against NTDs.

    Most importantly, these frameworks are not just symbolic documents that have been signed and forgotten. Countries are taking ownership of the issue because they recognize that NTDs cause needless suffering across families, communities and countries.

    This is translating to progress on the ground. Nigeria has become a model for other countries on NTD efforts, launching its national plan for NTD control, making strong progress in mapping disease prevalence and successfully verifying its elimination of Guinea worm.

    Around the world, efforts to combat NTDs are being scaled up. US$2.7 billion has been committed to the effort. Pharmaceutical companies have donated 100 percent of drugs needed and are working together to develop more effective drugs and diagnostics. Global health organizations and enterprises are working to ensure treatments reach those in need, and new partners are joining the effort.

    As we look to 2020, we cannot allow our successes to make us complacent. While significant progress has been made, challenges remain in reaching our targets against NTDs. Only with sustained leadership of endemic governments and strategic partner collaboration can we fully eliminate NTDs from the African continent and world.

    As a former President of Ghana, I encourage Heads of State and Ministers to join the global effort against NTDs and work hand in hand with the global community to ensure every child and person who needs treatments receives them. Collectively, we can spur the development and implementation of integrated NTD plans, incorporate NTDs into our existing health efforts and build the capacity needed to address these diseases. By doing this, we can provide comprehensive care to all of our citizens.

    Investing in NTDs is an investment in a healthy and prosperous future for Africa. Each dollar not only improves health, but also gives individuals the ability to rise out of poverty and contribute productively to society. Together, we can and will reach our goals and give our communities new hope for the future.

     

    • Kufuor is former president of Ghana (2001-2009) and former chairperson of the African Union Commission (2007-2008). He is currently the NTD Special Envoy for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases.

  • Jonathan, NSA neglected warnings on Ombatse, says Nasarawa

    Jonathan, NSA neglected warnings on Ombatse, says Nasarawa

    The Nasarawa State government yesterday accused President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser (NSA) of neglecting the warnings about the activities of the Ombatse militant group.

    The government regretted that the killing of 63 policemen and 10 State Security Service (SSS) operatives in Lakyo village in the state, on May 7, occurred over a year after the last of the three letters written to the President and the NSA on the matter.

    The state also blamed security agencies for the escalation of the various crises in the state.

    The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi, made the allegations when he presented the government’s memorandum to the Judicial Commission of Enquiry probing the incident in Lafia, the state capital.

    The government was represented at the panel by Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN). He was with a counsel, Sambo Vongjen.

    Lagi, who signed the memorandum, also testified before the panel.

    The lawyer submitted that the state government took steps to sanction and proscribe the Ombatse militia group to check its excesses.

    He said: “The fateful Alakyo incident happened on May 7. Prior to it, there had been series of security concerns, based on reports and concerted efforts from Nasarawa State Government and security agencies to abate them and their attendant consequences.

    “The state, in its constitutional role in protecting lives and property, articulated several reports on the security threats posed by the militia cult group, which is now called Ombatse, to the higher authorities, to seek collaboration to curb the imminent threats to the safety of lives of the people and the nation.

    “As the events unfolded and in view of several security challenges and reports inundating the government, the Nasarawa State government wrote the office of the NSA on April 9, 2012, and copied all service chiefs of all the security agencies, intimating them with the impending threats posed by the activities of the group occasioned by ethno-communal clashes in some parts of the state.

    “The state report, dated April 9, 2012, is herewith annexed as ‘Exhibit A’. It is classified for ease of reference.”

    The commissioner said on May 30, last year, there was an ethno-communal clash between Eggon and Alago residents.

    He said a commission of enquiry was setup to investigate the causes of the crisis and a white paper in November of that year and that of November 21, 2012 mayhem in Agyaragu.

    Lagi added that the SSS issued a report on November 20, last year, on the activities of Ombatse and its Eggon meaning: “The time has come.”

    He said: “The group, therefore, is made up of largely Eggon youths and other adherents drawn from almost all the local government areas and other places. This group is a loose collection of Eggon militants under a spiritual medicine man herbalist called Baba Alakyo.

    “It is widely believed, among the adherents of Ombatse, that the purported spiritual head has the ability to prepare concoctions with which to initiate its people, which is capable of fortifying and shielding them from sophisticated guns and making them invisible.”

    The commissioner said Ombatse had snatched guns, ammunition and operational vehicles from security operatives during an earlier attempt to check the group’s activities.

    He said there was a discreet fund-raiser and procurement of weapons in black markets on the Benue and Taraba states’ axis, adding that this had been going prior to the May 7 incident.