₦airaland Forum

Chinedu Eze

The Enugu state government has failed to provide land for the installation of safety critical landing aids at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

The state government had in March, assured the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, that it would clear the area where approach light and other equipment would be installed to upgrade the airport to operate night service.

But on Wednesday a team led by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman and the acting Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Director, Engineering Services, Salisu Daura, inspected facilities at the airport and said landing aids would only be installed if the land was cleared.

Usman explained that the two ends of the runway must be cleared for the installation of approach light, saying because the runway was recently extended and expanded, those who occupy the airport land must be removed before the equipment would be installed.

To extend operating time for the airport from 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight, the new equipment must be installed, which will enable the airport to fully serve international flights.

Currently only Ethiopia Airlines operates to Enugu airport but there are indications that Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Air Peace want to operate international destinations from the airport if the facilities were installed.

The Director General of NCAA said all the equipment had been procured to be installed at the airport but without clearing the land the equipment may not be installed and may continue to rot.

“To keep an airport open for 24 hours a day requires a lot. You have to have all the lightening and equipment to ensure it operates at night. There should be landing aids to ensure safety in terms of landing. Security and adequate fire cover must be provided. Personnel and training of personnel must be put in place.

“We saw during our tour that the instrument landing system, the approach field lighting system have been acquired by government but the only problem is the deployment. As a result of the extension of the runway, you need to put all those aids in place. Also, it is not under the purview of government to make space available; it has to do with the state,” Usman said.

He said the federal government through the agencies have been talking with the state government to make space available so that all the safety equipment required to make this airport functional are put in place and contacts have been made up to the highest level in aviation and in the state, which is the state government and the Minister of State Aviation.

“It is not within the purview of aviation to determine when the equipment would be installed because it is completely under the control of the state to provide the state, so it will be very difficult for us in aviation to give you specific time. Unfortunately, we do not have much option on this; we have to work as a team. The state is also a major stakeholder in this and we will very much appreciate the cooperation of the state government to make this available because one of the complaints is unavailability of water.

“FAAN is willing to dam the Ekulu river to make the water available at the airport, so we are still appealing to the state to do whatever is necessary, maybe even the South East governors can help in asking the state to assist in making all these available for us to be able to deploy these facilities to ensure adequate and safe operations at the Enugu airport,” he said.

The Supreme Court has not given a date for hearing on the matter, both parties in the matter told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night.

The Ondo State Government has challenged the ruling of the Court of Appeal which said earlier this year that the Freedom of Information Act is also applicable to all the 36 states of the federation, bringing the country closer to a permanent decision on a law state governors are fighting to weaken despite its popularity.

The Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly and the Auditor-General have filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court, saying the Akure Division of the Court of Appeal erred when it ruled in March that the state cannot continue to deprive residents of audited government accounts following the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act.

The June 4 appeal notice, filed by lawyers at Ondo State Ministry of Justice, insisted the FoI is a federal statute and state governments, as independent federating units, cannot be subjected to its enforcement. The lawyers argued that the language of the FoI law was not in the exclusive or concurrent legislative list, which makes it a residual function for which states are allowed to exercise discretion on whether to implement or not.

“The term information or freedom of information is neither in the executive legislative list nor the concurrent legislative list of the second schedule to the Constitution,” the lawyers argued in their submission to the Supreme Court. “The power of the federal government to make law only extends to matters or items listed in the executive legislative list or the concurrent legislative list.”

Consequently, the state concluded that the FoI law is “a residual matter only” for which states have “legislative competence” to approach.

Specifically, the state said the three senior judges who decided the matter at the Court of Appeal did not understand the difference between “public record” and “information”, saying the Constitution distinguished between both.

The Nigerian Constitution defines exclusive list as areas the federal government has exclusive legislative powers. There at 68 of such items, which range from defence and foreign affairs to maritime and patents.

Concurrent legislative list includes issues that both the federal and state governments share legislative powers, ranging from health and education to road and housing. Where there is a collusion in exercising concurrent powers, the federal government’s authority will supersede.

Leftover powers not specifically listed in either exclusive or concurrent legislative list are considered residual and this could include matters on traditional titles. State governments often exercise powers on issues on the residual list, and courts can intervene if there is a clash with the central government.

The lawyers also raised a string of technical objections to the decision of the Appeal Court, including an affidavit they said was not properly filed and a relief which the judges granted but which they argued was out of their purview.

The notice was filed about 10 weeks after the Court of Appeal’s decision, which came in a lawsuit filed by Martins Alo.

Mr Alo, a journalist and public policy expert, resident in Akure, the state capital, approached Ondo State High Court to compel state government to release its audited report from 2012 to 2014, saying he needed the information to properly access how public funds are utilised in the state.

Williams Akintoroye of the Akure Division of Ondo State High Court ruled in 2016 that Mr Alo cannot stand on the FoI law to demand how the state was using public funds, saying the law was not applicable to states and the request was not in public interest to begin with.

Mr Akintoroye also awarded a damage of N10,000 against Mr Alo, which he said must be paid to the state for wasting its time and resources by bringing the suit.

Mr Alo’s lawyers appealed the ruling on behalf of their client, arguing that Mr Akintoroye’s judgement was faulty and that their client was acting in public interest.

The appellate court panel, which included Uzo Ndukwe-Anyanwu, Obande Ogbuinya and Ridwan Abdullahi, rejected Mr Akintoroye’s ruling and agreed with the appellant that the FoI was applicable to states and it was in public interest for the state government to release its audited report.

Mr Ndukwe-Anyanwu, who wrote the unanimous opinion, said Mr Alo has a right to act on behalf of the public to obtain the information from state authorities. He also quashed the N10,000 fine imposed by the lower court.

“In a democratic dispensation, such as the Nigeria’s, the citizens have been proclaimed the owners of sovereignty and mandates that place leaders in the saddle,” Mr Ogbuinya said in his concurring opinion.

The citizens have a right to know details of “expenditure of public funds generated from their taxes,” the senior judge added.

Before filing the appeal notice at the Supreme Court, Ondo State authorities had declined fresh request for the release of the audited report from Mr Alo’s lawyers, according to documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES. The lawyers, Femi Emodamori and Co., had written to the auditor-general on May 5, asking him to comply with the Court of Appeal ruling and immediately disclose the audited account of state government as indicated in the lawsuit.

In a reminder letter on September 4, Mr Emodamori, who is the senior partner at the law firm, said the auditor-general risked contempt charges by continuing to withhold the information despite the Court of Appeal ruling.

“They are put there to manage our resources and now they do not want to be accountable,” Mr Alo told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Thursday night.

Two lawyers who examined the notice of appeal at the request of PREMIUM TIMES Thursday evening said the grounds adduced by the state were too weak and may not hold at the Supreme Court.

“This is a distinction without a difference,” said Liborous Oshoma, a legal practitioner in Lagos. “The idea that public record and public information are not synonymous is an argument that has no substance.”

Mr Oshoma said the appeal was a waste of state resources, one that was unnecessary because the FoI law is one of the most progressive enactments in Nigeria’s recent history.

“It is unnecessary use of public funds. Any government that is transparent should be willing to give information to the public, failing to do so is suspicious in itself,” Mr Oshoma said. “A government that is progressive would not be finding it difficult to implement a law like a FoI that would enhance development more than anything else.”

The lawyer said it was baffling that the states are not objecting to the law for any faulty provisions, but only because they are afraid of the enlightenment it would engender.

“They are not saying the law is not good, they are only saying it doesn’t apply to them because they know citizens would be more educated on how public funds are spent,” he said. “The law is meant to enhance transparency and accountability, and its defeat for any reason would only drive Nigeria backwards.”

Inibehe Effiong, another Lagos-based lawyer and civil liberties advocate, said Ondo State authorities did not get their argument right, and the appeal would “crumble” as a result.

“The is no difference between public documents or public records or public information,” Mr Effiong said. “And in constitutional law, issues are given very liberal meanings.”

The Supreme Court has not given a date for hearing on the matter, both parties in the matter told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night. An Ondo State official told PREMIUM TIMES the state might get support from Lagos State Government when hearing commences on the matter at the Supreme Court.

Lagos State, which is perhaps the most notorious amongst the opaque states depriving residents of basic details of government operation, has continued to fight the FoI law despite being ordered to comply by its courts. Like Ondo, Lagos has also appealed judgments for it to open its books, and was recently found to be defiant of verdict of the Court of Appeal in Akure.

The case between Mr Alo and Ondo State may be the first the Supreme Court would take up on FoI, which was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. It was not immediately clear whether appeals from other states would reach the Supreme Court before hearing starts on the one from Akure, or whether they would be consolidated if they arrive together.

Taiwo Olubodun, a lawyer at Ondo State Ministry of Justice who co-filed the appeal notice, said the state has a strong case with the argument that information or freedom of information is neither in exclusive nor concurrent legislative list.

“We have a strong case,” he said. He declined to take further questions, saying “everybody should wait until we file our full argument when the Supreme Court opens for trial on the matter.”

Still, all the lawyers agreed the law is what the court says it is, and it is always good to challenge matters in court.

Former Abia Deputy Governor, Chris Akomas has decried the alleged abandonment of the Federal Government’s dry port (Inland Containers Depot) situated at Ntigha in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of the state.

Akomas, who said that he was instrumental to securing the large expanse of land for the project, expressed regrets that 17 years after the first groundbreaking ceremony, work had yet to begin on the project.

He spoke at an interactive session with members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia council at his Nenu country home in Obingwa LGA on Tuesday.

He said that the federal government’s inability to begin and complete the project had continued to deny the state the expected huge economic benefits.
Akomas, who confirmed his ambition to run for governorship on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, said that he would ensure the realisation of the project, if given the mandate.
“I will do everything possible to ensure that the project is realised when I become governor in 2019,” he said.

He expressed delight that federal government had paid 100 per cent compensation to the landowners.

The former governor said that he had developed a roadmap that would bring sustainable development to the state as against the haphazard approach by successive governments.
“There is no way the state can move forward if the basic foundation was not laid.

“I have prepared the roadmap that would help to lay the foundation for the sustainable development of the state,” he said.

He regretted that 27 years after its creation, Abia had yet to witness the much expected transformation, especially in road infrastructure.

“Nothing has changed. Travelling from Umuahia to Arochukwu, Aba, Ikwuano and so on, the story is still the same,” he said.
He promised to address the massive infrastructure deficit and work to ensure that the dividend of democracy spread round the three senatorial districts.
Akomas also promised to initiate deliberate policies for the revival of agriculture and industries that had remained moribund for many decades in the state.

He said that the essence was to create employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth and generate revenue to make the state less dependent on federal allocation.

He gave assurance that he would be in office for one term to complete the second tenure for Abia south senatorial district.
“I intend to replace Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu and I will only run for one term so that I would complete the second term for Abia south,” the aspirant said.

Akomas, who said that he was an advocate of five-year single tenure, said that he would hand over to another zone after his tenure to ensure smooth power shift.
“Abia north and central have taken their eight years. It is only fair and just that Abia Central should also take eight years.
“I can only govern for one term so that power can move to another zone. I am ready to sign any document on this, which could be circulated to every nook and cranny of the state,” he said.

The former deputy governor, who fell out of favour with his former boss, Sen. Theodore Orji, leading to his resignation in 2010, commended Orji for faciltiating the power shift to Abia south.
He said that achieving the feat had finally given effect to the Abia charter of equity which, upon the creation of the state, recommended power rotation among the component units.

He promised to provide transparent, visionary and quality governance, devoid of any negative external influence.
“I am running for governorship as Chris Akomas not anybody’s crony,” he said, adding that he did not depend on any god-father for sponsorship.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Ministry of Transport took up the dry port, located on the Abia axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in April 2006.

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… Shell saves $1.0bn

By Udeme Akpan and Ediri Ejoh

THERE are indications that the breaking of monopoly over handling of oil and gas consignments has enabled oil companies to cut cost of operations in Nigeria.

Before 2017, the Onne port in Rivers State, managed by Intels Nigeria Limited, was the only port receiving shipments for operators in the petroleum industry.

The managing director of Nigeria Ports Authority, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, who confirmed the development while on a visit to Vanguard Newspaper in Lagos yesterday, said that the policy has culminated in a significant cost reduction for oil companies.

Usman, who did not provide details stated: “Recently, we got submissions from Shell Petroleum saying the removal of monopoly has translated to a billion dollar savings for them in one of their Oil Mining Leases, OML.

“This is huge and Shell is just one company. Other oil and gas companies have also been able to cut cost.”

In addition she said the gains of the successful breaking of the monopoly showed up in the historic berthing and handling of the Egina shipment.

She stated: “It then led to the success story on Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) which integration has just been completed in Lagos. There was savings because nobody was compelled to use any port.”

She added, “Those savings have enabled them to do business more profitably in Nigeria than in the past.”

The $16 billion Egina, FPSO, is expected to boost Nigeria’s oil production by 200,000 barrels of oil per day (approximately 10 per cent of the country’s total oil production).

Egina, which had a successful sail away, left the quayside at LADOL fabrication yard, for a three-day journey to the Egina Field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130, located about 150km offshore the Niger Delta. It is designed for 25 years of operations and reputed as the deepest offshore development carried out so far in Nigeria, in water depths of over 1,500 meters.

Upon arrival on the field, the mooring and hook-up operations will commence connecting the FPSO to the subsea facilities, before the start-up of production planned at the end of the year.

“With the integration of the six locally fabricated modules at the SHI-MCI Yard, Total has changed how deep offshore oil and gas projects are executed in the country and set new records for Nigerian content,” a statement from Total stated.

Being the first project to be launched after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act in 2010, Egina is also reputed as the highest Nigerian Content ever completed in an oil and gas project.

The project was said to have generated significant activities for local contractors, in various sectors and provided avenues for training and development of Nigerians in various domains. Seven months ago, Egina made history as the first FPSO unit to berth at an integration quay in Africa, for the installation of six topside modules that were fabricated in Nigeria.

Victory Ezeokonkwo, the president of Block E male hostel, said due to poor facility management, most of the students defecate in bushes. The 300-level Political Science student said there has been no water in the hostel since his first year in the school.

According to UNICEF, 25 per cent of Nigerians defecate openly and only three LGAs in the country are open defecation free.

CROWNWEALTH019:
I am sure that 2 tribes like to use bush and gutters, go to orile or apapa you go know what I mean

https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/09/Open-Defecation.jpg?w=614&ssl=1

Man defecating in an open drainage

“Driver, abeg park, somebody want to poopoo,” a passenger yelled above the music blaring from the bus radio.

“Oh, why naah,” the bus driver responded indignantly.

“Why the person no do am for Lokoja when we stop. I don’t like this ooo. I have been stopping too much sef,” the driver identified as Ade added.

He had initially ignored the passenger, until he was forced to pull to the roadside after Gwagwalada, a town in the Federal Capital Territory.

The commercial bus was on its way from Ibadan to Abuja. It had stopped about four times during the journey for passengers either to urinate or defecate. This, they did in the bush by the roadside.

Open defecation is not just a practice by commuters on the road, it is common within cities and towns in Nigeria.

It is done by roadsides, in bushes and at dumpsites whenever nature calls because public toilets are a rare sight in the country.

Although Nigeria perennially fights infectious diseases, it ignores simple and cheaper preventive measures against the spread of diseases. So, in spite of the obvious health hazards, the authorities pay scant attention to discouraging open defecation.

Public Toilets In Abuja!

Lack of public toilets is one of the reasons people resort to open defecation in many parts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

Despite the city being, arguably, the most modern in Nigeria, there are only a few public toilets. So, faeces are not unusual sights under bridges, in uncompleted buildings and by roadsides even in the smartest parts of the city.

Abdul, a taxi driver in the city, said people defecate in bushes or open spaces because the city does not have the facilities they can otherwise use.

“It is not easy to hold am for body,” he told PREMIUM TIMES in Pidgin English.

“You must let it out, if not you go mess yourself up. See as this city fine, no public toilet wey you fit quickly park use.”

To access a public toilet in Abuja, he said, one has to enter a bank hall, hotel, major eatery, market or a major park. “That one na long thing for shit,” he said, explaining why people simply do it wherever they consider safe from gaping eyes.

“Go market, you go pay to enter market, still find parking space and pay to use toilet. For wetin? Better enter bush quickly do am.”

Another commercial driver, Taju Ayobami, said most people realise excreting in public places is unsightly and harmful to health, but are forced to do it because of absence of public toilets in the city.

Mr Ayobami said he usually goes to banks or eateries when pressed while on the road.

“That is one of the reasons why I try to dress decently. Whenever I am pressed, I walk into any of the banks or eateries around wherever I am and use their toilets. They always allow us.”

However, he confessed to sometimes excreting in polythene bags and disposing it in dustbins on the streets or in the bush.

“When you work late and the banks and eateries have closed. Those late hours are not safe to be looking for where to excrete. What I do is park in a safe place, go to the back seat and do it in a nylon and throw it away. I always have water and nylon bags in my car just because of that,” he said, laughing.

There are no mobile toilets in Abuja the city centre. Toilets are only available in some gardens, major markets and motor parks. For the major markets and motor parks, one has to pay to use them.

A shop owner in Zone 2, who simply identified himself as Emeka, told PREMIUM TIMES many traders in the area use the bush near their plaza.

“There are toilets in most plazas but the people here are more than the facilities. Most times water is not running and the place is not well kept. There is also the fear of contacting toilet diseases and other infections; that is why people prefer the bush.

“If there are public toilets you can pay a small sum like N50 to use, I am sure people will use them, knowing people are there to always keep them clean.” he said.

Lagos And Open Defecation

Despite the state having mobile public toilets and other infrastructure, as well as presence of law enforcement officials to curb open defecation, many residents still do so.

Open defecation is one the major impediments to the growth of Lagos into a mega city.

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Child defecating around a living environment in Abuja

In Ikorodu, Oshodi, Bariga, Akoka, Okokomaiko, Mushin, Iba, Iyana Ipaja and Agege- Pen Cinema, a common culture among residents is the use of dumpsites, drainage or canals as public toilets.

Though there are mobile or fixed structure public toilets around for use on payment of charges as low as N50, people seem to prefer open defecation.

“We dey piss and sh*t at that end but SARS (a police unit) dey catch person o. We no get money to dey use public toilet. Nah only rich people dey use am,” Tunde Rotimi told PREMIUM TIMES, pointing at an abandoned building surrounded by a heap of refuse along the railway at Oshodi.

“Oga, just urinate inside the gutter behind the vehicle,” Taiwo Johnson, a security man at a mall in Bariga said when the reporter asked to use a public toilet.

“You can see the middle of the road, the heap of dirt. Homeless people, beggars live around it and they defecate here at night or early in the morning,” Ade Martins who lives in Okokomaiko said.

A tea vendor in the area, Yusuf Ibrahim, admits to defecating in public spaces when the operators of a public toilets there have closed.

“My work is mainly at night, I sell to passengers,” he said.

A betting shop operator at Agege, Wale Shina, said the public toilet in the area was demolished to pave way for the construction of a police station.

“They want the spot to construct the new Agege Railway Police Station, I just look for any place nobody can see me, that is where I do it,” he said about toilet.

Opeyemi Peters sells used clothes in the area. She said even before the demolition of the toilet, she never patronised it because of the N50 charge.

“I just look for a bush and stand up.” She said.

However, Seun Adetunji, a taxi driver at Akoka taxi garage, said there is a public toilet in the facility “because we don’t want people to mess up the environment.

“We have a toilet here for the taxi drivers and they are patronising it well. Even outsiders come to use it as well.”

At the garage is also a small structure made of aluminium roofing sheet over a drainage beside the public toilet for those who just want to urinate.

“Some outsider use our urination spot for defecation and we don’t know until it starts smelling,” Isa Shittu, one of the taxi drivers said.

Chioma, a mobile facility operator at Oshodi underbridge urged the authorities to increase the number of public toilets and officials preventing open defecation.

Another operator at Brown Street, Oshodi, Rabiu Shehu, said many people use the toilet. He however complained that users mess up the toilet.

“Everybody selling something on this street come here but people no dey use the toilet well at all,” he said.

Shadia Adetunji, the operator of a public toilet at Ikorodu Garage said they increased the fee to N100 because there was no electricity to pump the water used in cleaning the toilet.

Many Schools Without Toilets

Open defecation is the norm in many higher institutions of learning in Nigeria because the toilet facilities are not properly managed.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, students prefer to find other means to using the toilets available. The federal university thousands of students and four student hostels. With over 1,000 occupants of the hotels, sanitation facilities are over-stretched.

Victory Ezeokonkwo, the president of Block E male hostel, said due to poor facility management, most of the students defecate in bushes. The 300-level Political Science student said there has been no water in the hostel since his first year in the school.

“I have not seen water in any of the toilet closets since I came to this school. Sometimes it is even difficult to get water for bathing.”

Mr Ezeokonkwo said a toilet is allocated to five rooms, each of which has 20 occupants. Lack of running water, he said, makes the toilets difficult to maintain, coupled with the fact that many students do not know the essence of cleanliness.

The president of Block D hostel, Eberechukwu James, decried the attitude of the staff towards the maintenance of the toilet. The 100-level student of Mathematics said the facilities are usually washed once or at most twice a week.

Mr James said “most students use bushes as their rest rooms. This leads to a smelly environment and this is not good for our health.”

A 400-level Sociology and Anthropology student said to encourage students to use the latrines, the school management should ensure steady supply of water to the hotels.

“The school authorities need to monitor the staff who are employed to clean the facilities to make sure they do their jobs and more toilets facilities need to be constructed,” he said.

Health implications of open defecation

According to the 2016/2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey by UNICEF done in Nigeria, open defecation has remained a challenge both in urban and rural areas.

The survey shows Nigeria has the second highest prevalence of open defecation in the world. According to UNICEF, 25 per cent of Nigerians defecate openly and only three LGAs in the country are open defecation free.

This means that 771 of the 774 local government areas in the country are still grappling with open defection.

The World Health Organisation says open defecation pollutes the environment and causes health problems. It linked it to the high prevalence of water-borne infectious diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and hepatitis A, among others and high child mortality, poor nutrition and poverty in the country.

Also, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in its advisory campaign said open defecation is one of the major causes of cholera in the country.

With the rainy season every year comes an increase in cholera cases across the country. Currently, there is an outbreak of cholera in 12 states.

The situation report of NCDC for week 23, shows that 11,696 suspected cases of Cholera have been recorded across 10 states from January this year.

Government not doing enough

Global health agencies have stressed that Nigeria needs to launch a serious campaign against open defecation so as to attain Goal 6 of the UN sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

For Nigeria to be open defecation free, the World Bank said, the federal government needs to invest about N2.88 trillion ($8.3 billion) to effectively tackle the problem in different part of the country.

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/09/IMG_20180903_152942-1.jpg?zoom=3&w=600&h=655&crop&ssl=1

Man defecating in an open area in Abuja

Muktar Ibrahim, Head of Information & Outreach Programme Unit, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, admitted that the city has no public toilets at strategic places. He lamented that it is one of the reasons why residents still perform open defecation.

“There is a law against it and FCT is doing a lot to stop open defecation by ensuring that all public places especially, plazas, bank, fuel stations, eateries make their conveniences open for public use.

“Some of these locations lock up their rest rooms so we have been going round to ensure that they have functional toilets that are also open for use.”

Mr Ibrahim said the influx of people into Abuja has overstretched the capacity of the city.

“There is already a committee set up by the FCT administration on the issue of public toilets and they are very keen on providing public toilets in highly populated areas within the FCT.”

“It is a danger to people’s health and the whole world is concerned about the issue of open defecation. India, which is one of the countries with open defecation brought a policy where they give money to people to use the toilet. So it serves as an incentive.”

Simeon Ajueyitsi, HOD Environment Health & Safety Department, AEPB said people defecate openly across the city because of lack of necessary infrastructure.

“It is a pathetic situation because we have what we call infrastructural deficit. The toilets are not adequate.

“We have been on this issue for a long time. Let the government call the private sector to invest on providing these infrastructures. Maybe stationery or moveable toilets, just to make sure our city is clean. The last time we had an event at Eagles Square, the whole place was messed up due to defecation.

“Even a visit to IDP camps, where you have over 3,000 people defecating all over the place. The administration needs to do more to prevent diseases like cholera in the FCT,” he said.

Mr Ajueyitsi complained of overlapping roles and drive for revenue generations by local government councils as part of the reasons for the problems in the city.

He said AEPB is supposed to be in charge, “but as we speak now, we have agitation from AMAC, saying they are in charge.

“The government needs to come out to say, AEPB should be allowed to do this and that. In fact, I believe all environmental health officers should be pull together under the minister’s office. This will ensure everybody does their works and reports to the minister.

“We have had open confrontation on the field, as if it is a personal thing but this is a public thrust. At a time, one of us was detained in Zuba over this issue.” he said.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, provision of adequate facilities and enforcement seem to be lacking.

The Lagos State Ministry of Environment acknowledge that some public toilets are being demolished because of the construction works.

They were however quick to say the demolition of the public facilities should not be excuse for open defecation.

Babatunde Hunpe, Special Adviser to the governor on Environment, in a press release signed by Isaac Awotunde Awobiyi, Director, Public Affairs of the ministry on 20 September, 2017, said “there is no excuse for open urination and defecation.

“We have public toilets all over the state, while eateries and filling stations are compelled by law to keep their toilets neat and make them available to members of the public,” he stated.

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Given the very strategic and important nature of the project to our state, it will be critical that PLSG buys equity (i.e., takes a share of the concession by becoming part owners) of the project. Buying equity will release capital to the concessionaire to complete the project, but will also ensure that Plateau shares of any profits that accrues from the venture (this is of course aside taxes that it will also collect). This is exactly what the Kaduna state Government did in accelerating the development of the Kaduna Inland Dry Container Depot.

islandmoon:
this wasn't buhari project, read the article, it was approved years back but buhari choose to build el rufai own first

AKWA IBOM IS RISING

By Solomon Eyo

Akwa Ibom State Government has flagged-off State-wide fibre optic broadband project.

The exercise was performed by the Secretary to State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, who spoke on the many benefit of the project, and applauded the Board-based Communications Limited for partnering the State Government on the project.

He expressed admiration over the use of a drilling machine technology to lay the fiber to avoid damaging and distorting the beautification of the New Secretariat Annex.

The project is directly supervised by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor, Bureau of Technical Matters and Due Process. Mr. Ufot Ebong

When completed, it will encourage new businesses to the area, resulting in more tax revenues, large data transfer instantly across multiple users.

Other benefits the SSG listed include

●intra-building remote site training department, teleworking and video-conferencing,

●reducing carbon emissions and costs as well as improving internal communications.

●Start-up, intelligent incubator businesses and hubs,

●virtual offices,

●increased reliability,

●improved data storage, economical hosted applications services, educational institutions benefit from improved internet access across schools and universities.

●Library and community center facilities improved for on-line educational courses

●New educational facilities encouraged to come to your city.

●Police departments have high-quality video connections allowing for a greater number of convictions.

●Better traffic management with automated traffic surveillance systems.

●Fire departments could have the ability to train staff remotely and utilize the reliable communication infrastructure.

●Public Wi-Fi points to serve parks and other public spaces, including underserved and disadvantaged areas.

●Reduce public spending with public smart lighting and waste management.

●Environmental monitoring such as air pollution or forest fire detection.

●Healthcare services have dozens of possible next generation applications and processes.

●Intelligent meter reading and parking meters.

●Wastewater management SCADA connectivity.

●Puts Akwa Ibom State on the map.

sarrki:
Don’t know what to say right now

Enugu – The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will award the contract for Eastern Corridor Railways before December.

Okechukwu gave the assurance in a speech he presented at the annual World Igbo Congress (WIC) which was held in Nashville Tennessee in United States.

Okechukwu’s speech was released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Enugu.

He said President Buhari has embarked on massive critical infrastructure to reposition the country for rapid growth and transformation in order to meet 21st century challenges.

“The situation at home is not as bad as being painted and that all hope is not lost in Nigeria”, he said.

“Buhari’s Roads, Rail, Agriculture and Power (RRAP PROJECTS) is the most massive infrastructure development ever embarked upon in Nigeria.

“Without being immodest, my understanding is that the Eastern Corridor Railways will be awarded before December 2018 and construction as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari will commence instantly.

“All hope is not lost as being painted; one can reassure my brothers and sisters here.

“Also, bearing in mind as well that some of the South-East governors are also doing their best to uplift the infrastructure and social amenities in the zone,’’ Okechukwu said.

“I am bold to say that the Federal Government is today constructing the Second Niger Bridge on direct contract, not Private Public Partnership, and 69 other ancillary roads across the South-East as applicable in other geo-political zones.

“The construction of the Eastern Corridor Railways which will cover 18 states of the Federation will soon commence. Let nobody deceive you,’’ Okechukwu said.

The Chairman of WIC, Prof. Anthony Ejiofor, called on Ndigbo at home or abroad to commit themselves to the development of the homeland, “as no group will do it for us’’.

Ejiofor cited instances where Diaspora people liberated their home countries and appealed that “we cannot be an exception’’.

Dr Stella Nwokeji, a renowned medical consultant, in her presentation pleaded for the establishment of Emergency and Rescue Medic-aid.

She lamented that a lot of lives are on daily basis lost because of lack of emergency rescue and response plans, especially in rural communities in the country.

The World Igbo Congress was attended by Amb. Sylvester Nsofor, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States and his wife as well as Prof. Uzodimma Nwala, President of Ala-Igbo Development Foundation.

Other prominent participants were Prof. Anthony Ejiofor, 2018 WIC Chairman; Dr Richard Nwachukwu, Secretary-General of WIC; Chief Ejike Ekwuazi, Host President and Event Planning Committee Chairman and Dr Innocent Ubakam, Chairman of Economic Development Committee.

There were also Dr Ify Dike, Dr Luis Okonkwo, Mr Chudi Nnodu, Chief Sabi Nweke. (NAN)KSN/OFN

LaudableXX:
You still don't get the point. Did the company ask Plateau for tax breaks, and more land, and they were denied those same things by the Plateau state govt? There is a lot of manipulation and political maneuverings that go on behind the scenes, which you do not see.

Plateau state has a dry port too. Jos Inland Dry Port is there. So the issue of a dry port should not have been cited as an excuse.

“This encompasses 1,400 hectares which will comprise the airport, eco-industrial city and power hub.

He assured the people of the state that very soon the Internally Generated Revenue received from oil and gas would be dwarfed by returns from the airport investment.

Kaduna offered double the land the company had in Plateau, lavish tax breaks and other key benefits which were not on offer in Plateau.

LaudableXX:
The same Kaduna that has a bigot as the Governor? The same Kaduna where the sitting Governor has failed to develop Rigasa, the town which hosts the only operating train station in the entire state?

The story about the Heipang project and Vicampro indigenous agro-allied company handling the mechanised potato business, is just a one-off issue, that has put Kaduna in the limelight. Out of the myriad schemes that Kaduna has failed to harness for the success of its citizens, it just happens that it got lucky on this one. While I agree that Plateau failed to put certain things in place, which caused it to lose out on the deal, the truth is still that Kaduna state did not necessarily do anything extraordinary to get the deal. It just engaged in some high-powered manipulation and politicking, behind the scenes. Or was there any record of the fact that the company made the same demands from Plateau state, (which it made to Kaduna state and enabled it to get concessions from that state), and such demands were denied to them?

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

The long-awaited Bayelsa State International Cargo Airport is ready, the Managing Director, Bayelsa Airlines, Capt. Henry Ungbuku, has said.

Ungbuku, who is also the Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson on Aviation, stated this on Wednesday during the visit to the airport in Amassoma by an aviation ground handling service provider, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited.

The airport, whose inauguration on August 27, 2018 was put on hold because Governor Dickson was bereaved, losing his mother recently in the United States of America.

The managing director said, “We are ready. Everything that needs to be put in place has been done. We have applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for approval. We have got to the final stage. After the test flight, Governor Seriake Dickson will decide the day of inauguration. That is where we are now.”

He assured the people of the state that very soon the Internally Generated Revenue received from oil and gas would be dwarfed by returns from the airport investment.

“That is why we are bringing in the best company in terms of export. We are talking about a lot of money, not from passengers, but from cargo. This will make Bayelsa viable. We are ready,” he said.

A former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, SAHCOL, now a director on the board, Dr Olu Owolabi, in an interview with journalists in Ammasoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government, expressed satisfaction with the facilities at the airport, noting that SAHCOL was ready to partner the Bayelsa government.

Describing the facility as ‘marvellous’, he said that the airport was a 30-40 year investment which would continue to generate income and create thousands of jobs for the people of Bayelsa State.

Owolabi said, “On behalf of SACHOL, our team is here to see what is going on, we should commend the governor. This is what people will enjoy for the next 20 to 40 years and above. It is a massive set-up.

“The governor will do his best but there is still more to do to implement his dream. It is a good dream and I’m very impressed. Don’t forget that we have the best warehouse in Africa.”

“Everybody is gearing up now for export; food export, crops and every other thing. And I think he (Dickson) has started well.  For the people of Bayelsa, you can imagine after the whole thing has been completed, how many Bayelsans will be employed here.”

He said he was in the state to assess the facility and locate where the cargo warehouse will be situated.

 He added, “The cargo warehouse itself is a village on its own. Go to Dubai, London, all the places and you ask for the cargo building, it is a village on its own just like Lagos. It is a village; and then you have the passenger terminal; you have the international terminal coming up. So, it’s a good dream.”

The Director-General, Bayelsa Investment and Promotion Agency, Patience Ranami-Abah, urged investors to take advantage of the airport facility.

She said, “This airport holds tremendous opportunities. This is not just about cargo; there will be airplane hangars, maintenance, supply opportunities, logistics, retail and even hotel facilities around here.

“This encompasses 1,400 hectares which will comprise the airport, eco-industrial city and power hub. It will also boost the industrialisation of not just Bayelsa, but serve as a link between the entire South-South and the South-East.

“Goods will now be easily evacuated because of their sensitive nature. And this is one of the reasons the SAHCOL team is here.”

● The yam farmer in Shendam does not need to load his/her farm produce onto trucks and send to Lagos for export anymore. 
● Zinc and Lead miners in Zurak (Wase) will not need to load their consignments onto trucks to Lagos for export to USA or China, they will simply utilise the depot at Heipang.

lastempero:
They only import cement Abi na export. Nde ara