₦airaland Forum

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called for the support of the Federal Government to enable the state to efficiently put in place necessary infrastructure.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, made the request while receiving members of the Federal House of Representatives, Ad-hoc Committee on Mass Transit Scheme, on Monday, in Alausa, Ikeja.

The governor, stated that the state needed the assistance of the federal government in funding infrastructure projects which will contribute to the huge size of the country’s GDP, adding that “there will be no progress recorded in the country if the big cities are not taken care of.”

Speaking further on huge projects undertaken by the state government, Sanwo-Olu noted that government had to take up the blue rail line due to the large population in the state.

“Despite the state being the first to take up such as no other sub-sovereign anywhere in the world that has run rail without the Federal Government’s inventions,” he said.

According to him, “It would be difficult to run a city like Lagos without mass transit, the government cannot have a city that is 0.4 per cent of the land mass of the country but hosts 11 per cent of the population, it is going to be chaotic and that is why we decided as a state government to buy the bullet and start running it.”

Sanwo-Olu, also noted that the first phase of the 27 kilometre blue rail project has just been completed running from Marina to Okokomaiko, while the 14 km of the second phase has been awarded and will be commencing soon.

He also stated that the blue rail transports about 150,000 people daily, with an estimate of transporting between 480,000-500,000 people daily upon its completion.

“At the commencement of the red line operation, one million residents will be conveyed daily to their various destinations,’ ‘ he assured, while he bemoaned that the execution of the blue line took a long time because of its financial implications.

On water transportation, he said the government has enormously increased the operation of its Lagferry operations, with the purchase of more ferries. “It has gotten to a stage where we now build these ferries in the state, currently, the state has built about fifteen ferries and of course, our private partners are also running”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Federal House of Representatives, Adhoc Committee on Mass Transit Scheme, Afam Ogeme, stated that the committee was mandated by the house to look into reasons for previous failed mass transits.

According to him, most of the infrastructure put up in Lagos is worthy of emulation by the component states across the country.

Kosoco:

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Ishaq Salako, on Saturday in Abuja raised concerns over the level of ozone layer depletion in the country.

Salako said this at the 2023 World Ozone Day Celebration which is marked on Sept. 1 annually.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme is “Montreal Protocol: fixing the Ozone layer and reducing Climate Change”.

The minister, who was represented by Mr Charles Ikeah, Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department in the Ministry, said the Federal Government was committed to phasing out ozone layer depleting substances.

He noted that the ministry had been in collaboration with stakeholders in mitigating ozone depleting substances.

Salako gave assurance that the ministry would soon train technicians on how to handle ozone reduction equipment in an attempt to totally phase out ozone layer depletion equipment.

He pledged the ministry commitment to the Montreal Protocol to ensure a sustainable environment in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusufu, said that scientific studies over the years had shown that human activities of the use of some depleting chemicals had led to the depleting of the ozone layer.

Yusufu, who was represented by Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, a director in the ministry, further noted that public awareness on the need to safeguard the ozone layer for our overall health is pertinent.

“All importers of ozone depleting chemicals should desist from the importation of such, all technicians and engineers should avoid the use of ozone depleting substances in their operations and sought alternatives,” he appealed.

The permanent secretary urged members of the public to patronise all ozone friendly substances and support the government’s fight against ozone layer depletion.

The National Ozone Officer in the ministry, Mr Idris Abdullahi, said that the ozone layer was an important layer that must not be depleted because of the dangers associated to the depletion.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, Coordinator, Nigeria Association of Refrigerators and Air -conditioning Practitioners, said the association had been collaborating with stakeholders to reduce ozone layer depletion.

“We are sensitising manufacturers of refrigerants to manufacture ozone friendly refrigerants.

“We will like to appeal for Refrigeration and Air-conditioner village, where all our members can have a good practice of their craft in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning,” he said.

Mr Oluyomi Banjo, a representative of the United Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), said that the ozone layer was a protective blanket in the stratosphere that protects us from harmful radiations, particularly the ultraviolet (UV) rays.

“However, man’s quest for industrialisation has seen the development and production of chemicals that depletes the ozone layer.

“It is expected to restore the stratospheric ozone layer by 2065, avoiding 443 million cases of skin cancer, approximately 2.3 million skin cancer deaths.

“I reaffirm UNIDO’s commitment towards supporting the Nigerian government to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation Development without compromising the environment,” he assured.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday said his government is ready to provide all essential support to the Libyan people hit by the devastating floods that followed the Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday.

“Nigeria is ready to provide all necessary support to assist the Libyan people in overcoming this harrowing tragedy,” read a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday.

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu condoles with Libya over Storm Daniel and resulting floods.’

So far, at least 5,300 bodies have been recovered in the eastern port city of Derna, the worst-hit location where over 34,000 people were displaced.

Experts say the staggering death and devastation inflicted by storm Daniel speaks not only to its intensity but also to the vulnerability of the North African state battered by over a decade of infighting, which weakened critical infrastructure.

Derna was severely affected by the bursting of two dams whose maintenance history has been questioned since the disaster.

External help from Turkey, Egypt and Italy had only reached Derna on Tuesday and Wednesday, about 48 hours after the disaster struck.

This is as more international emergency teams and humanitarian aid organisations are expected in the coming hours.

Tinubu extended his profound condolences to the government and people of Libya in the aftermath of the flooding.

He commiserated with all families who have lost loved ones in what he described as a “monumental disaster.”

He sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery to all injured during the tragic incident.

The Nigerian leader assured the Libyan people of Nigeria’s “unwavering solidarity and goodwill during these trying times,” adding that “this disheartening loss of lives, homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure remains a shared grief that further unites the people of both nations.”