The Nation Newspaper

Tag: residents

  • Institute educates residents on rabies

    As the world celebrates World Rabies Day, the proprietor of Trustlink Guards and Dogs Institute, Umuahia, Dr Cyra Obi has embarked on a sensitisation campaign in the state capital to educate residents on the need to take care of their dogs to avoid them contracting rabies.

    Speaking in Umuahia during the sensitisation, Dr Obi said there was need to educate people about dogs and rabies so that dog owners will be aware of dog-related diseases.

    Dr Obi called on pet keepers to feel free to visit them and make any inquiry they want to make on how to take care of their pets in order to avoid contracting rabies disease.

    He also said there was need for dogs and other pets to be vaccinated as from four months as first step, adding that after that, the dogs or pets should be vaccinated and de-wormed once every year to ensure that they stay healthy and free from rabies.

    The security expert said dogs are like human beings and when treated well, they could be very trustworthy, adding that they are not disposed towards disappointing its owner so long as they are healthy and well taken care of.

    Dr Obi used the occasion to condemn those who are in the habit of killing and eating dogs. He said: “Dogs are like human beings and if well trained, they can go on errands and obey commands like human beings; so, killing and eating dogs is akin to killing and eating of human beings.”

    He said rabies is an acute disease of dogs, cats, mammals including bats and others.  When it manifests in the animals in form of nervous breakdown, it is highly fatal.

    Dr Obi said rabies is viral disease which is easily transmitted through bites from infected animals, contamination of an open wound with virus-laden saliva of an infected animal, adding that it has no cure. “Infected dogs/animals showing clinical signs die within 10 to 14 days after infection,” he said.

    He also said the institute trains dogs for security operations, including sniffer dogs that are capable of dictating hard drugs and other substances that criminals may want to hide from security operatives.

  • Flood sacks Warri residents

    Flood sacks Warri residents

    Residents of some parts of Warri, Delta State, yesterday were devastated as flood took over their homes and streets, following a midnight  downpour.

    Places like Etuwewe, Walter Odeli Road, a larger part of the Third Marine Gate Road, to Gbiaye Street, all within Marine Estate, were sacked by the flood, trapping some residents indoors.

    Many worshippers waded through  water to reach their destinations.

    Also, the situation made most parts of the estate no-go areas for tricycles, the only means of public transportation through that part.

    A resident, who pleaded for anonymity, said the situation was worsened by the fact that the drainages were blocked and not channelled into any canal.

    “This flood you are seeing here came from the midnight rain.

    “There was no flood yesterday, in fact, there was no rain for like two days and everywhere was dry, except for places where the road is bad, such as Odeli Road.

    “The problem here is lack of drainages, the ones you see here are all blocked and even if they had been free, they lead to nowhere,” he said.

    Commissioner for Environment Frank Omare could not be reached for comments.

    Commissioner for Information Chike Ogeah said the government would sort out the situation after the rainy season.

    “I know I’ve taken this thing up with Oga, especially in Warri, we’ve had a lot of complaints, especially on roads.

    “What I know the governor said at that time was that the rains are the cause of the problem.

    “They are the cause of the delays in the construction of the roads and drainages.

    “Not only in Warri, but also in Asaba, go to the Okpanam Road axis, you will see the major problem there, but the governor is working on all those things.

    “I think it’s this climate change that is the major problem; at least before we used to have what they call August break, but you see how the rain has just been going on and on.

    “So the best thing is just to wait, let the rains stop then we’ll continue and that’s why we’ve been talking about finishing strong, we understand that by the last quarter of the year, we will be able to do more construction,” Ogeah said.

  • Gunmen kill 20 in Dantong’s village

    Gunmen kill 20 in Dantong’s village

    RESIDENTS of Riyom local government in Plateau State were denied a peaceful Sallah celebration yesterday when gunmen attacked not less than seven villages in the council.

    No fewer than 20 residents were killed during the attack believed to have been carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen.

    Several others are missing after the gruesome attack that lasted for hours.

    Residents could not observe the Sallah prayers yesterday for fear of being attacked again.

    The affected villages are Shonong, Bachi, Luwa, Fang, Dum, Sharbutu and Rakweng.

    The gunmen were said to have invaded the villages with sophisticated arms.

    The residence of late Senator Gyang Dantong killed by armed Fulani men in 2012 was burnt down by the attackers in Bachi village.

    Unconfirmed reports stated that the attack was carried out to wipe out the family of the late senator.

    A soldier serving with the Special Task Force (STF) was among those killed by the gunmen as well as two members of vigilante group in the communities.

    It was suspected that the attackers were on revenge mission over their kinsmen killed in a previous attack.

    Another version of the attacked has it that the attack followed series of cattle rustling in the local government.

    Baba Davou, who escaped being killed, said: “I am happy to have escaped but many people were killed. The dead bodies recovered so far are twenty. There could be more; it was an unprovoked attack, we never do them anything”

    He added: “I even know some of them. They are some of the Fulanis that lived with us. I never believed they can do this to us.”

    Though, the STF was yet to confirm the attack and casualties, the member representing Riyom constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Daniel Dem, said: “The attack was gruesome. We are still searching the bushes for bodies.

    “We can’t give exact figure now but several people are missing. We are searching for them or their bodies. We shall give the figure at the end of the search.”

    Dem, who is also the majority leader, added: “The villagers said the attackers were Fulani men. That has been their style of attack. They came to kill people in their sleep and disappear.

    “The attackers have never been found by the security agencies, hence the killings continued for several years.

    “Riyom local government is my constituency. I can confirm to you that these armed men have attacked my constituency more than 10 times this year alone.”

    Police Public Relation Officer, SP Abuh Emmanuel, said the command headquarters is already in contact with the DPO of Riyom for full report.

    “As for now, we can’t confirm it but as soon as we get the details, we will let the world know,” he said.

     

  • Residents cry out over bad road

    Residents cry out over bad road

    Residents of  Zuba in Gwagwalada Council have cried out to the council authorities to come to fix the ‘water logged’ road along Zuba Park area. The bad state of  the road, they said, has made vehicular movement difficult.

    Some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent said due to lack of drainage in the area and the potholes on the road, it has always been over flooded, especially during rainy days.

    Narrating her ordeal on the road, a traveller, Aisha Zuba, stated that she was on a commercial motor cycle going to the park to board a vehicle to Kano and she and the motor cyclist fell into the dirty water because of  the bad road.

    “He fell on top of  his bike and I fell too. I thank God that nothing happened to both of us, only little bruises. The most annoying thing was that my bag fell into a pool of mud. My clothes were soaked. I had to cancel the journey. Seriously, something needs to be done about the road,” she said.

    One of the traders at the International Market, Zuba, Igwe Emeka said the road was getting worse by the day. He called on the council authorities to fill the potholes as it will make movement easier.

    Another resident, Chikodili Nze said the maintenance of  the road will enhance the development of the market thereby generating revenue for the government.

    “Wherever there is a market, it is necessary that the road leading to it should be motorable. We bring in a lot of goods to the market in trucks. It is always a busy road. But since the road is bad, there is always traffic jam,” she said.

  • Embrace cooking gas, residents told

    Embrace cooking gas, residents told

    Lagos State Commissioner for Mineral Resources and Energy Taofiq Tijani  has urged residents to embrace the use of cooking gas to curtail health challenges.

    Tijani, represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Iyabode Obasa, spoke during  the ‘Eko Gas’ distribution programm at Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    The government was desirous of eliminating the dangers posed by the use of kerosene and firewood.

    Tijani said: “We are distributing the gas to Lagosians free of charge, this is to encourage them to embrace the use of gas instead of firewood. The smoke inhaled from firewood and stove has dire health implication.

    “It will equally preserve our green pasture, life would be more secured in terms of healthy living. It is even cheaper and would enhance their economic position. We have designated depots where they can easily fill their cylinders if they exhaust the ones they have,” she said.

    The chairman of Ojodu LCDA, Olamuyiwa Oloro, said the council would add to the number of cylinders received from the state government.

    He said the council would embark on enlightenment campaign to ensure that precautions on the use of cooking gas are adhered to, saying a team has raised for the task.

    Oloro said the programme is aimed at alleviating poverty, adding: “We are sure that it will serve as vehicle through which the people of the council are mobilised.”

    “The importance of this “Eko Gas” distribution shall be to mobilise people of Lagos State to cultivate the use of cooking gas.

     

  • Robbers to residents: We’re coming like Jesus

    Residents of Oseni, Nkanna, Owodunni and Lisabi streets in  Palmgrove, Lagos are living in fear following a notice of attack served on them by armed robbers.

    The notice, which was found on Saturday, was said to have been pasted on a car in one of the streets on Friday night.

    Since then, the neighbourhood has been abuzz with talks about the impending attack.

    “In the notice, the robbers specified that they would visit us to take what we owe them from us. I don’t know what to do now because it has happened elsewhere without the police coming to victims’ rescue,” a resident on Oseni street, who simply gave his name as Tolani told The Nation yesterday.

    “As you can see, I can’t go to the church today because the information has scattered my psyche. I spent a night with a friend in the Shasha area of Egbeda early this year when about 40 armed robbers swooped on the area for over four hours. They dispossessed us of money and other valuables; no policeman came to our rescue while it lasted. That was why I feel apprehensive now,” he added.

    Another resident on Owodunni Street, who spoke under anonymity, recalled that over 35 armed robbers laid siege to the place and Nkanna Street last year without help from any security agency.

    “Some of us who had the phone numbers of some policemen called repeatedly without any response. Even if they would respond, the refrain in such a situation would always be that they don’t have fuel in their vans; this is where my fear lies now. We still have to beg police authorities and the state government to come to our rescue because we are helpless,” he said.

    At a restaurant near the Lisabi Police Post, the issue was being discussed by some fear-stricken residents yesterday. They agreed to report the matter to the Ilupeju Police Station.

    One of them told The Nation: “I saw one of the notices where it was pasted on a car at Oseni street. They (the robbers) said they are not coming to harm any guard; they said they are coming like the second coming of Jesus Christ to collect what we owe them and that no security apparatus can deter them. I may likely relocate elsewhere tomorrow because I can’t endanger my life.”

    It was learnt yesterday that elders in the affected streets may meet to decide what to do. “Whether the police will act or not, we are reporting this to them because it is their duty to protect us,” one of them said.

     

  • Agency educates Lagos residents

    Agency educates Lagos residents

    The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) has begun an advocacy on precautions against further outbreak of the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) and home safety.

    Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, who led the agency’s team to the Eko Club in Surulere, Lagos, for the advocacy programme, warned the residents against spreading rumours about the disease.

    He said creating panic over the EVD would not help anyone in the efforts to contain it.

    The commissioner warned that failure to obey the healthy tips about the disease could expose more people to contracting the disease.

    Ahmed said: “This is an advocacy and sensitisation drive to let people know the basic things that they can do to ensure safety in their community.”

    The commissioner urged the people to follow safety precautions for their well-being.

    He said: “One of the ways to safety is to follow the basic safety instructions. That is why we are here to let club members know that putting safety signs in the hall will make safety easy, in case of an emergency. The absence of those signs is what causes stampede and death, in case of emergency.”

    Ahmed urged Lagosians to report any suspect of the EVD to the government for appropriate action.

     

  • Ika South residents threaten to sue INEC

    Ika South residents threaten to sue INEC

    The people of Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of trying to disenfranchise them.

    The council was excluded from the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). INEC said the council’s voter register was cancelled following the corruption of the electronic database.

    The people threatened to sue the commission, if it fails to correct the error “in good time”.

    At a town hall meeting in Agbor at the weekend, the people agreed to peacefully protest INEC’s action.

    The facilitator of the meeting and Executive Director of the New Dawn Centre for Leadership and Development, Felix Morka, said: “Many people who are eligible to vote could not register because of the time limit and the shoddy arrangement that INEC made in the first registration in Ika South. If INEC wants us to start all over again, it should organise the process in a way that is credible. INEC must provide sufficient time and resources, both technical and human.

    “In the past few weeks or so, we have written letters of appeals and spoken the language of request, but we have been compelled to increase our tone.

    “We need explanations and demand that they restore our voter register. If for any reason INEC fails to restore the register, it must come to Ika South to conduct a fresh registration, which means adequate time must be allocated.”

  • Residents panic as gunmen kill policeman in Kaduna

    Residents of  Makarfi road in Rigasa, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, were last night thrown into confusion when suspected gunmen shot dead a policeman .

    The Nation gathered that the incident, which occurred few minutes after 8 pm, sent residents scampering for safety when they heard the gunshots.

    According to sources in the area, the policeman was shot by the gunmen who trailed him to his house.

    A source said: “Nobody knows who they were or where they came from. Only gunshots were heard and when we checked, we saw the policeman in a pool of his own blood.”

    Police spokesman Aminu Lawan  confirmed the incident.

  • Residents get kudos for Aregbesola’s victory

    Residents get kudos for Aregbesola’s victory

    A non-governmental group, Oranmiyan Support Group, has hailed the Osun people for standing behind Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.

    The group also praised the residents “for standing for the truth” in the state’s last governorship election.

    Its leader, Mr. Ayo Akinola, spoke during an interaction with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital.

    He added that the people demonstrated their political maturity in the face of what he referred to as “intimidation and reckless inducement by reactionary agents who invaded the state with the evil aim of forceful take-over as they did in the past.”

    He described the governor as an Ajagungbade (one who goes to war to get enthroned).”

    Akinola said: “If you cast your mind back to 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun, it was really a war of sorts between him and the then governor, who was fraudulently declared as winner in a massively rigged election.”