The world’s second oldest freshwater lake, Lake Tanganyika, faces issues of degradation and acute pollution on Burundi’s side, former Burundian environment minister, Albert Mbonerane, has said.
Lake Tanganyika’s waters lap Tanzania, Burundi, Congo DR and Zambia. It is the longest fresh water lake in the world and the second deepest after lake Baikal in Russia. Photo credit: boomsbeat.com
Mbonerane, who is also a founding member of a local environmental protection NGO, told Xinhua in an interview that the lake’s degradation has started to impact on current generations and will seriously affect future generations if appropriate measures are not taken.
He said the lake faces significant decrease in water levels.
Lake Tanganyika, bordered by Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, is the world’s second largest freshwater lake by volume and the second deepest lake with over 350 species of fish.
Millions of people live near the lake and depend on it for drinking water and for food.
The lake also faces “acute pollution” on the side of Burundi, which has 8 percent of the total area of Lake Tanganyika, said Mbonerane.
“Untreated solid and liquid wastes are sent into the lake and this jeopardizes the biodiversity of the lake as well as the water we drink,” he said.
He said the wastes from households and factories are driven into the lake directly or via rivers crossing the capital city of Bujumbura.
Mbonerane said that the untreated wastes going into the lake will force the fish to flee their habitat and will reduce fish’s quality as food and for sale.
He said the quality of the water drunk by Bujumbura residents will also be affected and their health will be affected.
According to him, the “polluter pays” principle provided in the Burundian water code is not implemented to sanction wrongdoers.
Mbonerane urged the authorities to take urgent action to save the lake ecosystem.
He also called for officials from the four riparian countries of Lake Tanganyika to meet and seek ways of protecting the lake “which is very important for future generations.”
He further advised the government to create a ministry in charge of issues of Lake Tanganyika to prioritise its protection.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast is still critical due to ongoing hostilities.
UN Security Council members in a meeting with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, in a bid to getting first hand info on their challenges
UNOCHA stated this in its monthly humanitarian update report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, March 1, 2018 in Abuja.
According to the report, the humanitarian crisis in the region, now in its ninth year, remains massive in scale due to the unending hostilities and incessant attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents.
It stated that the food security situation remained extremely bad as the conflict continued to limit the amount of land under cultivation with 3.7 million persons expected to face critical levels of food insecurity.
The report added that food insecurity would be experienced in the upcoming lean season starting from June to September.
It further disclosed that 1.7 million persons were still internally displaced and human rights violations continued to be reported daily.
It stated that additional displacements were expected as long as hostilities continued.
Furthermore, it stated that information from newly arrived persons indicated that more families were in areas difficult to access by international humanitarian workers.
“Large scale displacements continue to take place in Borno and Northern Adamawa with influxes in January of newly arrived persons in Gwoza (3,842), Mobbar (2,950), Nganzai (2,583).
“Monguno (2,214), Ngala (1,903), Mubi South (783), Konduga (675), Askira/Uba (560), Kukawa (460), and Bama (421).
“Between October 2017 and January 2018, over 40,000 vulnerable persons have been on the move for various reasons including ongoing hostilities, improved security in certain areas and poor living conditions.
“While assessments are still ongoing in these hot-spot areas, rapid assessments and gap analyses have been developed.
“Initial findings show that thousands, including host communities, are in dire need of food, water, shelter, blankets and clothes, and medical care.
“A multi-sectoral response has been possible through the rapid response mechanism and humanitarian organisations have scaled up their advocacy and resource mobilisation activities in order to meet the needs of the affected people.
Humanitarian access continues to present major challenges, especially in Borno with about 926,000 persons still in areas that are hard to reach for international humanitarian organisations.
It added that aid workers were working to expand the humanitarian space in the northeast through civil-military coordination and community engagement.
The report stated that to improve local coordination, assistance and to increase the presence of humanitarians where vulnerable populations reside, five ‘deep field’ humanitarian hubs offering secure accommodation and Internet connectivity had been made operational.
It identified the five areas as Maiduguri, Ngala, Dikwa, Bama and Gwoza, adding that another three – Monguno, Damasak, Banki – would be fully operational this month with an additional one by April in Rann, bringing the total to nine.
The report also pointed out that 2017 recorded many positive developments such as the containment of the cholera crisis in Borno and the establishment of five humanitarian hubs in the field.
It listed other achievements to include the roll-out of a local coordination mechanism and many sectors reaching their targets overall.
It, however, noted that without sustained assistance, all gains could be lost and the situation could quickly deteriorate.
According to the report, in January 2018, humanitarian partners started implementing the activities outlined in the Humanitarian Response Plan, based on priorities and vulnerabilities identified in the Humanitarian Needs Overview.
It stated that the 2018 response would also focus on durable solutions, early recovery, livelihoods and basic services rehabilitation, across all sectors, to support a multi-year vision that goes beyond saving lives today.
“A total of 60 organisations have committed to implementing 173 projects aimed at providing life-saving assistance to 6.1 million women, children and men in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
“The total funding requirements for 2018 stand at $1.5 billion.
“Although funds received in 2018 are extremely low for most sectors as of Jan. 31, 2018, with only 1 per cent ($13 million) of the requirements met.
“Most partners were able to continue to provide life-saving assistance in January thanks to about 196 million dollars carry-over funding from 2017,’’ the report stated.
It added that for the response to be sustainable and to avoid interruption in life-saving services, it is crucial that additional funding be received across all the sectors.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that since 2015 to date, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) had issued 2,724 mortgages to Nigerians.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)
Fashola disclosed this while inaugurating the respective Governing Boards of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and FMBN on Thursday, March 1, 2018 in Abuja.
The minister noted that the mortgages which were issued under the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme were worth N20.237 billion.
He said the ministry was piloting a National Housing Programme and constructing houses in 33 states to ensure more Nigerians own homes.
“We are doing this to validate and test what type of housing design responds to Nigeria’s diverse cultural, climatic and religious needs, so as to ascertain what is acceptable and affordable.
“We are at different stages of construction in different states, and we have recommended these designs to FHA, without imposing them.
“Our decision is informed by the evidence of previous housing initiatives that people did not take up resulting in empty houses that still abound in almost every state of Nigeria,’’ he said.
The minister explained that the untaken houses in spite of housing deficit suggested that they were not affordable or acceptable to the people.
He urged the newly inaugurated member of the boards to reposition their brands and provide guidance for the Managing Directors and Management teams of the orgaisations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state that the policy of government is to deliver affordable housing, acceptable to Nigerians.
“The agencies, whose brands you will now administer are the implementing arms of government for housing delivery and housing financing.
“You must, therefore, use your positions to affect the lives of millions of people who will partake and benefit of the prosperity that a housing economy can offer,’’ he said
In response, the FHA board Chairman, Sen. Lawal Shuaibu promised to employ collective efforts to reposition the housing sector.
Shuaibu assured that national housing policy would be effectively implemented.
Also speaking, Mr Adewale Adeeyo, FMBN board Chairman commended the laudable programmes of the ministry aimed at raising the standard of Nigerians.
Adeeyo pledged that the FMBN board would make a monumental impact through provision of affordable mortgages to Nigerians.
An environmentalist, Mr Toyin Oshaniwa, on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 said that the Lagos State Government needed innovative, educative and smart approaches to solve its waste management problems.
The government has adopted the Cleaner Lagos Initiative
Oshaniwa said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, while commenting on the increasing heaps of waste in neighbourhoods across the state.
He underscored the need for the Lagos State Government to adopt innovative strategies to address the waste management challenges facing the state.
“With the continuous influx of people into Lagos State, waste generation and management concerns essentially need innovative, educative and smart approaches.
“One significant factor behind the heaps of solid and domestic waste across Lagos environs was the timing and un- managed transition gaps in the waste management system of Lagos State,” he said.
Oshaniwa said that the waste management challenges in the state included the uncoordinated transition from the weekly waste evacuation to a new mode of waste collection.
“The uncoordinated transition from the weekly waste evacuation scheme to the sudden placement of anti-littering bins on Lagos streets was a drawback. That approach should have been introduced at a later stage.
“The public information and educational transitional phase was conspicuously lacking.
“There was no prior information and educational programme to inform the residents of Lagos State about the specifics of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI),’’ he added.
An environmentalist, Mr Temitope Ogunweide, said in Lagos on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 that Nigeria needs urgent “waste audit” in homes and businesses to curb increasing waste production in the country.
Waste disposal and management has posed a major challenge to authorities in Lagos and other major cities in Nigeria
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the call is sequel to the increasing rate of waste production in the country, currently standing at 24 million metric tonnes per annum.
Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic hub and industrial capital, generates 4.7million metric tonnes of waste annually, records show.
According to experts, waste audit involves the analysis of a facility’s waste stream.
The type and amount of waste generated by a facility is categorised for recycling or it is discarded.
Using the data collected, an organisation can increase its recycling efforts and potential for cost savings.
Ogunweide, a co-founder of the group, Clean Edge Initiatives, told NAN in an interview that carrying out waste audits would help to reduce waste generation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
“Carrying out a waste audit will help to reduce the amount of waste generated and in turn reduce indiscriminate disposal of refuse, which has an overall effect on global warming,” he said.
Explaining the practicability of waste audit in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, Ogunweide said the audit would foster recycling activities and in turn help generate income.
“Waste audit is practicable in Nigeria as many organisations now perform waste audit to determine how their waste can be reduced as well as carrying out recycling activities to generate income.”
He called for an increase in recycling efforts by Nigerians to reduce the impact of harmful chemicals and the emission of greenhouse gases to help tackle climate change.
“Recycling is the best way to preserve impact on our natural system.
“The landfills we have around are filled with non-biodegradable items such as nylons and plastic bottles, causing the emission of harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the environment.”
He said that to fulfil part of the 2015 WHO Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Nigerians needed to be enlightened on the need for proper waste management and the benefits of recycling.
“We cannot stop waste generation entirely but everyone can make a significant contribution on how they generate waste.
“Recycling is a way people can generate extra income but most Nigerians are still ignorant about this trend.
“We encourage people to practice our SDG goals – the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste,” Ogunweide said.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 inaugurated a 12-member committee to unravel circumstances that led to the abduction of 110 school girls in Dapchi, Yobe State.
Babagana Monguno
Monguno, who described the abduction as worrisome, said “it does not portray the country in good light.
“There have also been reports, especially in the social media which tends to support some level of inactivity by relevant organisations.
“Therefore, there is a need to verify the circumstances surrounding the abduction of these girls from the Government Technical Girls Secondary School.
“I must emphasise here also that there is a lot of cynicism outside in the wider society.
“This is not the first time such incident has taken place. On the 14th of April, 2014, a lot of girls were abducted from a secondary school in Chibok.
“A committee was set by the previous administration to look into the circumstances that led to the abduction of those girls,’’ he said.
Monguno, however, vowed that this probe was not going to “another exercise in futility’’.
He said that the incident “requires deliberate, urgent and relentless efforts on the part of government.’’
The NSA said that President Buhari was “extremely concerned about this incident’’ which he said was “beginning to cast a dark shadow on not just the administration but the country.
“The truth of the matter is that security is all embracing. It is not just for agencies of government.’’
He urged the committee to interface with the wider society and security agencies, especially in the context of the 21st century issues of insecurity.
“This time around, your work is going to permeate into the population not just in Yobe state, probably in Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe states and so on and so forth.
“But the basic motivation in this very exercise is to get result.
“I want results. This is not just going to be something theoretical, paper or suggestions that will end up on someone’s desk without anything happening.
“We must let the people of Nigeria know that we have taken this incident with all the seriousness it requires and we are going to solve this problem.
“I wouldn’t want a situation whereby you are going to be suppressed by any individual, any group or organisation or agency because we are not going to allow anybody to cover up anything in this matter.”
He also cautioned the committee against pushing things under the carpet or being sympathetic to groups or organisations.
“You must unravel everything. Where people are culpable, it should come out in your report.
“These are people’s children, our children and we must be seen to be doing the right thing,’’ he said.
“Your report also will be followed by a white paper,’’ he added.
The committee is to determine the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the students from the school on Feb. 18.
It is also to determine the exact number of persons abducted alongside their identity, confirm the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security emplaced in Dapchi, as well as the school itself before the incident.
The committee will also ascertain the existing communication in the town and its functionality and suggest measures that can lead to the location and immediate rescue of the abducted girls.
It is also to recommend measures to be taken in preventing future occurrences, as well as any other detail it may deem necessary.
Terrorists stormed the Government Girls Technical Secondary School at Dapchi in Yobe on Feb. 18 and abducted the students of which 110 are still unaccounted for.
The committee, which is chaired by Rear Admiral Victor Adedipe, has two weeks to submit its report.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 in Abuja stressed the need for political commitment towards reviving the Lake Chad Basin.
L-R: President Ali Bomgo of Gabon; Chairman of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission/President of Niger Republic, Mahamaou Issoufou; President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria; and President Idris Debby Itno of Tchad, at the International Conference on saving the Lake Chad in Abuja on Wednesday, February 28, 2018. Photo credit: Albert Otu/ICE/NAN
Speaking at the ongoing International Conference on Saving the Lake Chad, Buhari also called for collective efforts toward rescuing the Lake Chad Basin with a renewed vigor, determination and international collaboration.
“We must treat the issues of the Lake Chad with the urgency they deserve and show the needed political commitment towards reviving the Lake.
“Together let us share this mission of rescuing the Lake Chad Basin with a renewed vigor, determination and international collaboration as our inaction or delay will continue to accelerate the deteriorating standard of living of millions of our people with dire consequences on our continent and the World at large.
“The time to act is now. The time to bail out the region is now. The time to show our humanity is now,’’ he said.
Buhari reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to restore the Lake Chad to its former glory as the conference was designed with a view to finding workable solutions in resuscitating the Lake Chad.
He said that the resuscitation would benefit all member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the ecological balance of a large area of West Africa.
He noted that in the past two days, there had been technical sessions with delegates, experts, researchers and resource persons exchanging ideas, views, knowledge and sharing information on water resources development and management in a challenged environment.
“This is now being followed by this high level session to consider recommendations in order to garner political and global support for the restoration option identified for recharging of the Lake.
“I am convinced that this Conference will not just be another ‘talk shop’ but will be a platform to re-launch our partnership and commitment to our continent and the Basin in particular.
“The Conference Report will be presented shortly and I urge you to consider it critically with a view to making informed and strong contributions towards its implementation.
“Let Abuja be the starting point of this commitment and we will call this “The Abuja Declaration.”
“Abuja Declaration will be a benchmark and the bedrock upon which future engagements on restoring the Lake would be built.
According to him, the Declaration will also serve as a fundamental and landmark document which will contain basic principles that can be used as a yardstick for holistic development model for the Basin.
The President maintained that such a model would be useful especially for policy and decision makers, development partners, donors agencies, investors, researchers and institutions.
Buhari thanked the Presidents and Heads of State and Government of LCBC Member Countries – Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad and Niger – for their contributions to the development of the Basin.
He also appreciated the efforts and immense technical support of the United Nations (UN) and its agencies including FAO, UNDP, UNEP and UNESCO for their invaluable contributions towards the Integrated Water Resources Management of the Basin and the organisation of the conference.
He lauded the African Development Bank, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and China-Exim Bank for their support in promoting the socio-economic well-beings of the member countries of the LCBC.
“The African Union, the European Union, ECOWAS, ECCAS, have also contributed immensely to the sustainable development of the sub-region.
“We are also indebted to the governments of Netherlands, Hungary, France, China, Italy, Japan, United States of America, Canada and Britain,’’ the president added.
While recognising that the efforts of the member countries of the LCBC will be more productive with international support, Buhari called on the international partners (technical and financial) to remain unwavering in their support.
In her remarks, the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay, reiterated the determination of the organisation to continue to assist and support the LCBC and the Congo Basin in addressing their various challenges and als safeguarding the environment.
Azoulay, who was represented by UNESCO’s Deputy Director General, Mr Getachew Engida, used the opportunity to condemn the abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.
She pledged the organisation’s support and solidarity to Nigeria for their safe release.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that goodwill messages were delivered at the occasion by Presidents and Heads of Government, representatives of Presidents of the African Union, ECOWAS, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the African Development Bank.
NAN observed that five Presidents including Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria; Mahammadou Issoufu of Niger Republic; Idriss Debby Itno of Chad, Faustin-Archange Touaderae of Central African Republic and Ali Bongo of Gabon as well as Prime Minister of Cameroon, Mr Philemon Yang, with representatives from Sudan and Angola, are attending the conference.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said that joint efforts from countries on the borders of the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) would ensure security and route out the common enemy – Boko Haram.
Maj.-Gen. Leo Irabor, the Multi-National Joint Task Force Commander, said this on Wednesday at the on-going International Conference on Lake Chad holding from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, in Abuja.
The conference was tagged: “Saving the Lake Chad to Revitalise the Basin’s Ecosystem for Sustainable Livelihood, Security and Development.’’
It was convened by UNESCO, Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
“We are talking about a convention of countries; we are talking about borders of all the countries of the Lake Chad Basin region.
“The force that I command is made up of forces from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria; we also have some contributions from the Republic of Benin.
“That is the reason why the Multi-National Joint Task Force was constituted in the first place, knowing that there is no country that can do it alone.
“But all the countries must synergise their efforts in ensuring that their common enemy is taken out and that is Boko Haram.
“It is the co-operation existing among these countries that has enabled us to make the impact that we have made so far.
“We believe that as we continue on the target that we are pursuing, then of course the problem will be eliminated.
“Issues that have to do with security do not have respect for borders; do not have respect for boundaries and we take it that a challenge exists and we will work at taking measures to ensuring that those challenges are taken out,” Irabor said.
The commander said that consistency in fighting insecurity, terrorism in LCB was the core mandate of the force.
“The mandate of the force is what we are pursuing vigorously, believing that as we remain consistent on the terms of our engagement, the problem will be eliminated,” he said.
He also said that restoring the depleted LCB would boost farming activities and economic growth.
“If the livelihood of people has been taken out, because of the drying of the Lake Chad, assuming we are able to find a way to replenish the water, to recoup the water within the LCB, of course fishing activities will blossom, animal husbandry will also thrive, there will be spine offs from such business concerns.
“The large proportion of the basin can be used for a whole lot of farming and the like.
“When you aggregate all these activities, it will have economic impact on the people.
“The conference is very important in ensuring that the Lake Chad is reclaimed,” he said.
Irabor said that the army was taking advantage of the conference to build influence, seek for resources to address the subsistent insurgency and terrorism.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lake Chad shrank for the past 30 years with the surface which went from 25,000 square kilometres in the ’60s to 2,500 square kilometres in 2000.
Ongoing dredging work at Oworonsoki in Lagos is causing a lot of mud to settle around the Agoegun fishing community in Bariga and appears to have caused the fishes in the lagoon in the axis to migrate into the ocean.
A portion of the land being reclaimed
“If we in this community now want to fish, we are compelled to go as far as Ikorodu, Ibeshe and Ajah,’’ Chief Felix Joseph, the Baale (community leader) of the Agoegun Fishing Community, Bariga, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The community is located directly opposite the ongoing sand filling site at the Oworo side of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge.
Checks by Correspondents of NAN at the community showed stagnated shallow water and black mud surrounding local boats parked at a place once bubbling with fishing and sand dredging activities.
The sand filling did not only block the natural drainage channels into the Lagos lagoon at Oworonsoki, but it also blocked boats’ access to the lagoon, thus hampering fishing activities.
While some women were seen preparing fish for smoking in the local kiln, others had fishes on wide iron guzzles on raised mud platforms, under which heat emanated from firewood.
Some of the men were seen patching torn fishing nets, in readiness for fishing.
The fishing community houses were makeshift apartments erected on a land, reclaimed with heaps of refuse.
The Agoegun community is also home to the modern Ilaje Fish Smoking Market, a Lagos Metropolitan Development and State Government/World Bank-Assisted Project.
Joseph said the community’s nightmare started in 2017 when the dredging and sand filling of the Oworo shoreline started.
“We now go very far to catch fish and we use fuel boat engines. Now, we use N6,000 each to fuel our boats to the high sea on fishing expeditions.
“We do not now fish every day. At times, we now go on expeditions and we are unable to find any fish.
“If l save N1,000 daily now, I am unable to buy N6,000 fuel again.
“We want government to bring small, small dredgers to remove the mud that is now gathering here, so that our boats can be able to go out to the sea and from here, and also be able to return here.
“No boats can go from here now,’’ he lamented.
Joseph said that before the sand filling, some of the fishermen plied their trade on the lagoon at Oworo, and did not have any need to go far or use engine boats.
Mrs Regina Bodo, a fish trader and resident of Agoegun, said that what the Lagos State Government had done and was still doing to the community, with regard to the project, was not good.
“We have been hearing this for a long time. This land belongs to our ancestors and this is where we were all born.
“Fishing is our occupation. We do not have any other job.
“Now, this dredging they are doing in Oworo has caused a serious problem in our fishing community as they have chased the fishes away from the lagoon into the sea and we now need big boats to be able to fish in the ocean.’’
Bodo said that to buy fish now, the traders had to meet the fish sellers at any point where the sand filling had been stopped temporarily, adding that it had not been easy for members of the community.
Miss Maria Jikieme, a smoked fish dealer at the Ilaje Modern Smoked Fish Market, said that sand filling at Oworo had brought untold hardship to those involved in the business there.
“Before, fish sellers do come with their boats in front of the complex, but because of the mud, they cannot come here again.
“That is why this market is not bubbling like before.
“Fish traders and smokers now go far into the lagoon to buy fish from sellers, and it has not been easy,’’ she said.
Mrs Abodunwa Ebun, told NAN that she had been in the market since it was opened.
“We see only small fishes around here; now, there are no more big fishes as it used to be before the dredging started.
“You can see for yourself; the smoked fish business has been deserted, unlike before, when by this time you will not see any road to enter the market. The whole place would be covered with fish.
“It is part of what the sand filling at Oworo has caused. Our government does not even care about us.
“Yet, they want us to pay tax from our business which they have destroyed,’’ she said.
Ebun said that the World Bank that built the smoked fish market recognised their importance but our own government has deprived us of our means of livelihood.
Mr Segun Zebulon, the Chairman, Fishermen Cooperative Association, Bariga Local Government, said that the sand filing, for whatever reason, was a big slap on the fishing community in Oworo and Bariga.
According to him, that place is a passage for the boats of fishermen living in that axis and many of us have cage farming at Oworo before the sand filling started unannounced.
“There was no notice. We woke up one day and saw dredging machines, and that was how we lost our cage farming and huge investments we had on that side of the lagoon.
“Up till now, nobody cared about our losses, no compensation, nothing.
“When the dredging started, we complained to the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture.
“All we got was that it was beyond them, as it was Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s project,’’ he said.
Zebulon said that the fishing community suffered similar losses in 2011, when over 5,000 houses were demolished too, and nobody paid attention to their plight till today.
“With the present sand filling, all the fishermen, who did not have outboard engines have been caged, as they can no longer go out and come back freely, as before.
“That Oworo area was home to Tilapia fishes, and our women do pick periwinkles and other sea foods on the shoreline.
Now, all those have been lost. At times, the sand filling affects the outboard engines too.
“I have always told government that it is better to develop fishing communities as they do in Ghana, Taiwan and other fishing communities around the world, than to demolish them,’’ he said.
Zebulon said that with good infrastructure, healthcare centres, schools and loan assistance, the fishing community could do much more.
“We have always heard of Lagos becoming a mega city, and I keep asking: ‘What is the need of a mega city when the government cannot even megalise the people?’
“Fishing is done in streams, rivers, lagoons, the ocean and Nigerian government cannot close its eyes to fishing communities because we live around and ply our trade on water.
“Instead of demolishing or causing the community untold hardship, government should develop the communities and fit them into the urban development plan,’’ Zebulon said.
The Fishing Cooperative chairman said the community needed storage facilities in the area.
According to him, just as Titus fish is stored more than six months before being imported into the country, given the necessary facilities, the fishing community would even do better.
The state government started the reclamation of 29.5 hectares of land at Oworonshoki early in 2017.
Ambode, on inspection of the ongoing work, said that the project, expected to be completed in three phases, would give the Oworonshoki area the facelift it deserved.
The sand filling was billed to be completed in November 2017. Then, provision of shoreline protection and reconstruction of Ariyo Street by June 2018, and the construction of a mega jetty and a bus terminal with entertainment and tourist centres.
However, no consideration was given to fishing activities in the area and the welfare of the fishing community.
In his response, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, told NAN that the issue of compensation for the fishermen was subject to a request from them.
“The issue of compensation is usually addressed upon an application to that effect by those affected. In other words, their claim to compensation would be addressed on its merit, upon application,’’ he said.
Bamigbetan, however, declined comments on the cost of the project, stating that, “the project, being an ongoing one, its cost cannot be determined at this stage.’’
He said that the project was being executed in three phases.
“Phase One is the reclamation of the 29.5 hectares of the project site by Messrs Fountain Construction Company (FCC) and it was completed in November, last year.
“Phase Two involves provision of shoreline protection and reconstruction of the 2.8km Ariyo Street, as an alternative road that will run under the Third Mainland Bridge, along with other infrastructure, and is expected to be completed by June, 2018.
“The third Phase which will be both financed by the state government and the Public Private Sector (PPP), will involve the construction of the Mega Jetty and a Bus Terminal, complete with entertainment and tourism facilities (Multiple Boutique, Hotels, Museums/Arts Galleries, Sport and Recreational Facilities), as well as a 1,000 capacity car park, based on the designed master plan of the area,’’ he said.
Bamigbetan said that the project, when completed, would transform the Oworonsoki waterfront into one of the biggest transportation, tourism and entertainment hubs in the nation.
He noted that the project would also improve security and the beauty of the environment, to attract investments in water transportation and improve socioeconomic activities on the axis.
The state government also said that there was no need for the residents of the community and the state to panic over the project, which it argued would bring huge benefits.
Bamigbetan said that it had carried out a proper environmental impact assessment before embarking on the project, insisting that the EIA report on the project had taken care of future any negative impact on the environment.
He was quoted by a media report to have said, “The waterfront has, by the reclamation, been extended. This means that those living on the old waterfront now have a large expanse of land abutting their respective locations.
“If those locations now belong to them by law, there should be no cause for alarm. They stand to benefit from future developments on the axis. This means they would be the ready pool of labour for construction projects, and their tenement will be enhanced by the investment, flowing into the site.
“The Lagos State Government, as a responsible entity, pursues a policy of ensuring that Environmental Impact Assessment is done by every individual or corporate body that seeks to embark on projects. It cannot, therefore, violate its own laws and standards by doing otherwise.’’
NAN reports that the dredging and sand filling are visible from the approach of the Third Mainland Bridge toward Lagos Island, and descending the bridge toward Lagos Mainland.
The area which used to be occupied by fishermen, boat operators and sand miners, is currently being reclaimed by the state government, to improve connectivity to other parts of the state and make the Oworonsoki waterfront one of the biggest transportation, tourism and entertainment hubs in the country.
Gabon has accused French environmental services group, Veolia, of widespread pollution at SEEG, the power and water utility it operates there, amid a growing dispute over the company’s concession.
The offices of SEEG, the power and water utility operated by Veolia
Veolia, which has already threatened legal action after the government seized SEEG earlier this month and said it would cancel its concession, rejected the accusations.
Speaking to reporters in the capital Libreville, government spokesman, Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, said an environmental inspection of power and water pumping stations discovered “nearly all” SEEG sites were contaminated by petroleum waste.
“This is a very serious situation since, at this stage, aside from the obvious environmental damage, no one knows the consequences this pollution could have had or could have on public health,” he said.
He said that on top of legal penalties of up to 500 million CFA francs (946,110 dollars) for each polluted site, Gabon would force SEEG to shoulder the clean-up costs.
Responding to the accusations, Veolia stated that the water it distributed continued to conform to World Health Organisation standards and Gabonese regulations.
“It is surprising that none of the inspections of the public authorities … ever highlighted environmental damage,” it said.
“The SEEG is subject of regular audits by the Gabonese authorities, more than 10 in the last 10 years.”
Negotiations between the government and Veolia over the concession broke down in October, 2917 and authorities seized SEEG earlier this month, citing years of poor service quality.
Veolia in turn blamed the government for failing to live up to its investment obligations, and on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 said the state owed SEEG over 29 billion CFA francs in consumption charges and unpaid value-added tax reimbursements.
Gabon spokesman, Bilie by Nze, said the government had called for an audit of its 13 billion CFA consumption bill.
He rejected accusations that it had neglected SEEG and said the state had invested around one trillion CFA francs in the company, around three times more than Veolia.
Nigeria’s first Professor of Geography, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, says proactive measures are urgently needed to mitigate the effect of climate change in the country.
Prof. Akin Mabogunje
Mabogunje said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
He said this while reacting to the warnings by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) on the harmattan and heat currently experienced across the country.
“Much of what has changed in the climate area is due to what human beings have done in the last 50 to 70 years because development has been so rapid. We are using things we shouldn’t use such as hydrocarbon.
“Then, we didn’t know what impact they were having, not only on the ozone layer, which is above us, but also on the whole weather situation.
“Now, our knowledge has improved, we know a lot about the coal we were burning, said Mabogunje, the first African to be awarded the Vautrin LudPrize for Geography.
The professor, however, noted that it was not every country that was guilty of carbon emission.
“We in Nigeria are contributing to carbon emission because in the oil-producing areas, we are still flaring gas, unlike the developed countries where the contribution has to do with industrialisation,’’ he said.
He said that the consequences of carbon emission were not limited to the location where it was generated but they cut across the entire world.
“Some of the consequences have to do with delay in the arrival of certain weather conditions and increase in some of those weather output like rain.
“Suddenly, we are getting all these flash floods and so on, which we never used to have so frequently. Now, we are having them frequently.
“Desertification is expanding, so we are getting areas with more rainfall than they used to have and areas with less rainfall than they used to have,’’ he said.
Besides, Mabogunje warned that Nigeria had to be careful about how it exploited its water resources.
“We should be cautious about how we manage our rivers and other water sources,’’ he added.
