Category: General News

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has advised Anambra government to as a matter of urgency begin immediate evacuation of people living in the flood prone areas to the emergency shelter centres in the state.

Mr Vincent Owen, Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting (NEMA), Abuja, gave the advice on Thursday when he visited Enugwu-Out in Anambra East Local Government Area in accompany of some staff of the agency and other stakeholders.

According to him, the weather forecast by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), that 2018 flood may come in same magnitude of the flood of 2012, should not be treated with levity.

Owen said that the update regarding the flood was so alarming, adding that all the indices during the 2012 flood were visible while the speed at which the river was rising needed urgent action.

“There is nothing to wait for in the evacuation of the people living in the flood prone areas in Anambra, the indices seen in 2012 flood have manifested in all the areas visited.

“In Ogbarua communities, all the towns have been affected by the flood, in Enugwu-Otu and Nkpundo –Out, the story is not different,’’ he said.

Owen, however, said NEMA was committed to providing relief materials to all states affected by flood or other emergency issues in the country.

The director advised all the 12 states located in the flood prone areas to take the forecast serious while assuring of the agency speedy assistance, whereever the need might arise.

Owen said that the Nigerian Government has received a message from the Cameroon Government of its intention to open Lagoon Damns and ask for proactive measures by the affected states.

He said that if the forecast were not timely adhered to, the imminent flood shall be worse than the 2012 flood experience.

Owen said that the visit to flood prone states was to have first-hand information on the preparedness of such states in moving the victims to higher grounds and providing decent camps for the people.

He explained that the volume of water noticed in Ogbura and Enuwgu Otu was alarming and portends danger if not handled as quickly as possible.

Mr Cyprian Agupugo, Anambra Executive Director of SEMA in his response, said that the state government had embarked on sensitisation and enlightenment campaigns on actions to be taken by the victims.

Agupugo said that the state had also made ready 28 emergency shelter centres in its flood prone areas and assured that other necessary materials would be provided.

He said that now that it was evident, that the flood was rising, displaced persons would be evacuated and taken to centres closest to them.

Agupugo commended NEMA for reiterating the warning and reassuring SEMA on its willingness to play its part to ensure that nothing hinders the success of evacuation and safe guarding of the people living in the flood prone areas.

Some of the residents who spoke during the visit said the flood which started around July had increased beyond their expectation this September and had destroyed their farmland.

Mrs Grace Oneh, a health worker, said that the flood had covered the homes of many people and that most of the victims had gone upland to stay with friends and relatives.

She appealed to SEMA to commence the distribution of relief materials, on time to avoid being too rowdy and be ready to alter the method by involving community leaders.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NEMA team comprised members of the Red Cross Society and the Fire Service. (NAN)

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for effective implementation of nutrition policy to address malnutrition confronting the country.

The Deputy Representative, UNICEF Nigeria, Pernille Ironside made the call at the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) Sub-Committee Meeting on Nutrition Awareness on Saturday in Kano.

She stressed the need for the state and federal governments to invest in nutrition through adequate funding and prompt release of funds allocated to the sector.

“The reason why Nigeria should invest in nutrition is that early nutrition programmes increase school completion.

“We must invest in nutrition because malnutrition is hampering survival and development of children,” Ironside said.

The deputy rep noted that Kano, Katsina and Bauchi States were among the nine states that contributed to stunted children in Nigeria and called for stringent measures to check the ugly trend.

She lamented that only 156 out of the 774 local government areas in the country were implementing extensive nutrition programme which is 20 per cent of the total number of the LGAs.

According to her, of the 12 million stunted children in the country, Kano State had 1.4 million children.

In her opening remarks, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed stressed the importance of the interactive meeting.

The minister urged the stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of nutrition policy in their respective states so as to achieve the desired objective.

Earlier in his remarks, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II said the meeting was aimed to highlight the nutrition situation in the country with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

He said the meeting would also give stakeholders the opportunity to discuss possible ways of addressing the nutrition crisis in the country.

NAN reports that the meeting which was attended by various stakeholders including representatives of the Ministries of Health, Budget and National Planning was held at the Emir’s Palace. (NAN)

A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Moshood Salvador, on Saturday formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), promising to help his new party to multiply its votes in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ex-PDP chairman had on Aug. 27 announced his exit from the PDP following what he called irreconcilable differences with some elders of the party.

At an elaborate ceremony at the Agege Stadium, Salvador and many other defectors officially joined the APC.

Some of those who joined with him are Mr Gbenga Oshinowo, a former senatorial aspirant of the PDP; Mr Idowu Adesanya, a former member of the PDP Elders caucus in the state;  and Mrs Margaret Igwe, a former national officer of the PDP.

They were received by the state Chairman of APC , Alhaji Tunde Balogun and other members of the party executive.

Salvador, addressing a crowd of APC party faithful at the event, said his joining the APC meant that the state had become a one-party state.

He said he was excited to be back in the fold of the progressives he was once belonged to.

“I thank you so much for receiving us with this glamorous celebration.

” Lagos State is now a one-party state. When we add the votes of APC and PDP in the 2015 elections, it will give us 98.08 per cent while the remaining other parties got 0.1 per cent.

“They are insignificant when we talk of political parties in Lagos State.

“The only two existing and dominant parties in Lagos State are the APC and PDP.

“Now that PDP has transformed into the progressives family, there’s no other party in Lagos.

“My responsibility, aim, goal and target in Lagos State is for APC to have 99.5 per cent votes in Lagos,” he said.

Salvador said the APC would score between 2.5 million and 3 million votes for its gubernatorial candidate and above five million for its presidential candidate in Lagos State.

” Write it down, it is is a target; it is an assignment and we are ready to work towards it and achieve it.

“That will be my contribution to support my able Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun.

“I will do all humanly possible to achieve this goal so that APC will have 99 per cent of all the votes cast in Lagos State,” he said.

Salvador urged his supporters to throw away their PDP cards and register with APC across wards and local government areas in the state.

He also appealed to the people of Osun to vote for the APC candidate in the Sept. 22 governorship election to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Earlier, Balogun said the APC was glad to have Salvador and his teeming supporters in its fold.

He said the defection of the ex-PDP chairman into the party showed that the APC was the party to beat, and that PDP had been completely depleted.

Balogun described Salvador as an accomplished politician who would add value to the APC.

In his remarks, a chieftain of the party in the state, Sen. Anthony Adefuye, expressed delight that APC was waxing stronger both at the state and federal levels.

He said with the momentum the ruling party was gathering by the day, he had no doubt that the APC would surpass PDP”s 16year rule to govern the country for 32 years.

Adefuye commended Salvador for making the decision to join the APC, saying the PDP had been buried with his defection.

“Hon. Salvador in Lagos is the backbone of PDP. What we are doing today is the wake of PDP and by tomorrow, we will bury the party.

“The party is dead and buried in Lagos State,” Adefuye said.

The chieftain also expressed the confidence that the APC would win the Sept. 22 Osun gubernatorial election.

He urged party members to redouble their dedication to the party to take it to greater heights.

The high point of the ceremony was the open shredding of PDP membership cards by the defectors.(NAN)

The All Progressives Congress (APC) youths in Kaduna State on Saturday pledged two million votes to President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov Nasir El-Rufa’i in the 2019 general elections.

The youth made the pledge in a communiqué at the end of a summit tagged, “Kaduna State APC Emerging Young Leaders Summit’’, to break the barriers to youth leadership in the state.

In the communiqué, signed by the APC Youth Head of Mobilisation, Malam Umar Yaro, they, however, appealed for more opportunities in 2019.

“We the youth of Kaduna State at the end of the Kaduna Emerging Young Leaders Summit, resolve the following:

“We agreed to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i for the presidency and Governor of Kaduna State respectively in the 2019 elections because we have hope in them.

“With the support of local government chairmen in the state, we will replicate the summit in all local government areas to mobilise the youth for a youth-friendly government in Kaduna state.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit was organised to bring youths, young professionals and emerging leaders together to discuss societal issues with a view to bringing positive change in their communities.

It is geared towards giving youths a platform to hear, learn, engage and collaborate with young professionals on academic, decision making and advocacy for societal change and development.

At the end of the summit, the forum inaugurated APC youths mobilisation platform called APC Lungu-Lungu Grassroots Programme and a campaign website: www.puttingpeoplefirst.com (NAN

The Director General of Nomadic Affairs, Alhaji Abdullahi Babayo says that the agency has recovered 6,622 cattle in 14 months.

Babayo made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Saturday.

He said that most of the cattle recovered were not the specie of cattle in Niger saying that the rustlers usually took advantage of states that had borders with the state.

“The major problem we are having is that our borders are encroached by cattle rustlers who enter our state.

“The claimers of the rustled cattle usually come from Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto to claim their cattle,” he said.

Babayo said that 80 per cent of the cattle recovered were from Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto saying that the specie of cattle was different from what they had in Niger.

The director general advocated for states bordering Niger to have nomadic affairs agency to enable them address issues of cattle rustling.

“If other northern states will have this office, I think we will be able to collaborate to tackle the menace of cattle rustlers.

“If Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto will create nomadic office, I can assure that rustling will be radically reduced and there will be less pressure on us,” he said.

Babayo said that the agency was working round the clock to see that rustling were brought to the barest minimum especially in the Ember month. (NAN)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ondo State on Thursday destroyed drugs weighing 110,542 tonnes.

Speaking during the exercise in Akure, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, retired Col. Muhammad Mustapha, said drug trafficking and abuse were not abating.

Mustapha, represented by his Chief of  Staff, Femi Oloruntoba, said the magnitude of drugs coming out of the farmlands “ was not a thing of joy.’’

“ Ondo State remains one of the six states in the country where cannabis is cultivated in large quantities.

“ As a result of cannabis plantations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find virgin forests.

“The agency has invested a lot of resources to seize this magnitude of drugs. I commend the commander, officers and men of this command for a job well done.

“This quantity of drugs, weighing 110,542 tonnes, is frightening and demands more reflections,” he said.

Mustapha also said the use of cannabis remains high in the state because of availability and affordability.

He, however,  added that abuse of tramadol and cough syrup containing codeine rampant in other states was not common in the state.

Mr Haruna Gagara, the Commander of the NDLEA in the state, also disclosed that one tonne of cannabis was seized in August alone.

Gagara said no fewer than  200 suspects were also arrested,  while some had been convicted.

He said collaboration with the community was part of strategies used to sensitise the people against the cultivation of cannabis.

Gagara added that between January and August,  the agency destroyed over 300 hectares of  farmland used in cultivating cannabis. (NAN)