Tag: relocate

Members of the Imo State House of Assembly will tomorrow resume their duties at the Ojukwu Centre after they were sacked from the Assembly complex as a result of a leaking roof.

The lawmakers have been on recess in the last three months.

It was gathered that the resumption was not unconnected to criticisms by opposition parties, which accused the lawmakers of abandoning their duties.

They were accused of hobnobbing with the Executive, “instead of providing the needed checks and balances to curtail the excesses of the Executive“.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who pleaded for anonymity, said the lawmakers, through their conduct, “have betrayed their constituencies “.

He said: “How can a House of Assembly be shut down for three months over a leaking roof? The Legislature has fused with the Executive and this is worrisome and a huge threat to good governance.”

But the Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media, Samuelson Iwuoha, insisted that the lawmakers vacated the complex to allow for extensive renovation of the edifice, adding that their absence did not affect governance.

He said: “The complex was built by Sam Mbakwe when he was governor and ever since it has not been renovated or upgraded. But Governor Rochas Okorocha and the leadership of the Assembly decided to give it a facelift.

“Even though the lawmakers are on the same page with the governor, that does not make them rubber stamps as insinuated by the opposition, they are working harmoniously in the overall interest of the state.”

The Ogun State Government will, on Monday, relocate the popular Kara Cattle Market in Isheri.

The government has also banned dredging on the Ogun River at a spot in Isheri.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun announced the relocation of the traders on Tuesday, when he visited the market in the company of top government officials.

He said in June, 2011, he informed the leadership of the market that the traders would be relocated to a befitting place.

Amosun said: “We are here to tell you that in line with what we told you in June, 2011, which we followed up with a meeting with leaders of this market, officials of the government will be coming to relocate you to another place. I assure you that you will not be allowed to suffer over the move. The government will provide an alternative for you. We will build a modern market that you will be proud of.

“We will build a place for the cattle traders and equip it with modern amenities, including a modern abattoir. The road to the new cattle market would be tarred, with adequate security provided.”

The governor praised the traders for conducting their businesses peacefully and urged them to sustain the peace.

Representatives of the traders pledged to cooperate with the government during the relocation.

They also pledged their support for the Amosun administration.

During an on-the-spot assessment of illegal dredging spots on the Ogun River, the governor said illegal dredging posed a risk to the environment. It also affect the state’s revenue negatively.

He said: “They just come here to commit illegality and siphon the revenue we need to develop our state. We will not allow this to continue.”

Amosun said the government woud regulate operations at the river to conform with modern ways of dredging.

He said: “We are going to be technically involved as a government. Professionals in dredging will be engaged to advise the government.”

Complaining about the environmental hazards of dredging, Amosun said: “If flooding occurs here, it will affect many communities, simply because of the selfish interest of some people. Henceforth, any business done at the river must follow environmental procedures.”

The Chairman of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, Alhaji Usman Bello, may relocate to Abuja following the killing of four residents of Kumo, the headquarters of the local government, on Friday night by unknown gunmen.

It was learnt that some gunmen invaded Emir Drive in Kumo at 11pm last Friday and attacked the Police Divisional Headquarters in the area.

The attackers also threw improvised explosive devices (IEDs) into the police station.

But the police repelled the attackers with superior fire power.

Some residents, who spoke in confidence, said four people – including a pastor, were caught in the crossfire.

A policeman and two others died in the attack.

The assailants later resurfaced at the homes of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the State Security Service (SSS) Officer in charge of the local government.

Again, they were repelled.

Gombe State Police Commissioner Mohammed Sule said two of the gunmen were killed.

The police chief added that he had not completed the report on the incident.

But Bello, apparently dazed by the experience, declined comment.

The council chief said he was too devastated to speak.

The Emir of Akko, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Atiku, condemned the attack.

He described it as unfortunate, adding that Kumo is known to be a peaceful town.

The monarch commiserated with the bereaved families and called for calm.

Atiku advised the residents to give the police genuine information that would assist them in their duty.

Social and commercial activities were grounded near the usually busy Emir Drive as the residents have retreated into their homes.

The police yesterday cordoned off the area and started combing it for likely discovery of unexploded IEDs.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) yesterday urged the Federal Government to relocate the fuel discharging farms from the Tin Can Island Port, Apapa where an MRS Oil and Gas tank farm jetty exploded on Wednesday.

Fashola, who was on the scene of the explosion to assess the damage, said the incident was a wake-up call for the government, adding that delay could be dangerous.

He said the country does not have emergency response facilities to cope with an inferno involving oil installation facilities, adding: “I don’t think we should wait before we get there. This is enough lesson, it is a wake-up call for everybody and we are sitting on a keg of gun powder.”

Lamenting that the explosion was “one tragedy too many”, Fashola said the nation should count itself lucky that the damage caused by the explosion was not much.

He added: “One can only begin to imagine what we will be dealing with here the day after, but for luck. We can’t continue to live on luck. I hope our luck is not running out.”

The governor urged the Federal Government to be in charge of maritime safety, fuel management, fuel importation and port management.

Said he: “These are the responsibilities of the Federal Government. I think we can do better than this amateurish standard.

“These people are in business and when you look at what they have done here, you can only hope that people will pay more attention. Government must also understand that it’s in business and its profit is different, it’s the welfare of its people and it cannot deliver this by amateur standard. This place was not designed for fuel discharge, we’ve converted it. All sorts of permits given by the regulatory agencies, DPR, PPMC and all these people. All these were part of the private jetties when the Tin Can Island was built up to Ibafo and all of that because we just converted it because the old installations in Apapa became inadequate. There was no plan for the future.

“We’ve set up a safety commission, trying to design safety standards for different activities, including this, and, of course, some of the times, when we try to get compliance here, this place is sealed off with all sorts of security men who would say that this is a national security thing; that we can’t come in.”

Fashola enjoined the Federal Government to be proactive in preventing disasters. He said it should increase its advocacy and safety measure to nip disasters in the bud.

He went on: “Federal Government agencies should step up their safety compliance levels. Everybody must do his job. That is short term, the long term is to relocate these facilities from residential areas. Lagos State is ready to provide these facilities.”

Fashola urged the Federal Government to take advantage of the Oil and Gas Section at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, adding: “Let us begin a relocation plan. Let this place come back to what it was. Let the private jetties come back for people to discharge safe and simple cargo and all of that. So, the ball is in the court of the Federal Government.”

The Federal Government has urged the Yobe State Government to relocate the 115 flood victims at Lawanti Camp in Akko Local Government to a better place.

The Federal Government spoke through Mr Durojaiye Adebayo, the leader of the Task Force on Flood Disaster Intervention of the Federal Ministry of Health in Gombe State.

Adebayo addressed reporters on the task force’s findings.

He expressed concerns on the condition of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.

The government spokesman wondered why the flood victims were still being camped at the site.

He noted that besides the 115 victims at Lwanti, there were 350 other IDPs and 32,215 displaced houses in various local governments across the state.