Cholera continues to spread in Yemen, causing more than 390,000 suspected cases of the disease and more than 1,800 deaths since April 27, 2017.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners are responding to the cholera outbreak in Yemen, working closely with UNICEF, local health authorities and others to treat the sick and stop the spread of the disease.
Each of these cholera cases is a person with a family, a story, hopes and dreams. In the centres, where patients are treated, local health workers work long hours, often without pay, to fight off death and help their patients make a full recovery.
Here are their stories, courtesy of the WHO.
Fatima Shooie sits between her 85-year-old mother and 22-year-old daughter who are both receiving treatment for cholera at the crowded 22 May Hospital in Sana’a. “We have no money even for transportation to the hospital. My husband works as a street cleaner but he hasn’t received a salary for eight months and he is our only breadwinner,” Fatima said. “I’m afraid that the disease will transmit to other family members.”Dr Adel Al-Almani is the head of the diarrhoea treatment centre in Al-Sabeen Hospital in Sana’a. He and his team often work 18 hours a day to deal with the influx of patients. More than 30 000 Yemeni health workers have not been paid in more than 10 months. Yet many, like Dr Al-Almani, continue to treat patients and save livesA health worker tends to Khadeeja Abdul-Kareem, 20. Khadeeja was forced to flee the conflict in Al-Waziya District, Taiz. Displaced from her home, she struggles to make ends meet – a situation compounded by her illnessIt was a long and painful journey in search of treatment for Abdu Al-Nehmi, 53. The road from his village in Bani Matar District to Sana’a City was bumpy and the car broke down along the way. The whole time he was suffering from kidney pain in addition to severe diarrhoea and vomiting. “There is no health centre in our area. We have to spend two to three hours to arrive at a proper health facility in Sana’a,” he said. To date, WHO, UNICEF, and partners have supported the establishment of 3,000 beds in 187 diarrhoea treatment centres and 834 fully operational oral rehydration therapy cornersNabila, Fatima, Amal, Hayat and Hend are working as nurses in Azal Health Centre in Sana’a and have dedicated themselves to treating patients arriving with severe dehydration. “Every day, we receive severe cases that come with complicated conditions, but we manage to save the lives of most of them. Sometimes, a new severe case arrives while we’re so busy treating another case,” said Nabila Al-Olofi, one of nurses working in the centre. “Yes, we have no regular salaries as nurses, but saving lives is our biggest gain.”
Yemen is experiencing one of the world’s worst cholera outbreaks in the midst of a large scale conflict that has crippled vital health facilities. In the last three months almost 400,000 cases of suspected cholera and nearly 1,900 associated deaths have been recorded. The country is also on the brink of famine, with nearly two million Yemeni children acutely malnourished.
More than 30,000 health workers haven’t been paid their salaries in more than 10 months, but many still report for duty.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have also reported for duty, as the heads of the three UN agencies traveled together to Yemen to see the scale of this humanitarian crisis and to step up combined efforts to help the people of Yemen.
UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake; WFP Executive Director, David Beasley; and WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, following their joint visit to Yemen, conclude in this statement that the Yemeni crisis requires an unprecedented response
Eight-year-old Mohannad has overcome cholera following 3 days of treatment in the diarrhoea treatment centre at Al-Sabeen Hospital in Sana’a. Mohannad lost his mother and sister when a bomb went off near their home in Hajjah. He and his father have since fled to Sana’a. Photo credit: WHO/S. Hasan
As the heads of three United Nations agencies – UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO – we have travelled together to Yemen to see for ourselves the scale of this humanitarian crisis and to step up our combined efforts to help the people of Yemen.
This is the world’s worst cholera outbreak in the midst of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. In the last three months alone, 400,000 cases of suspected cholera and nearly 1,900 associated deaths have been recorded. Vital health, water and sanitation facilities have been crippled by more than two years of hostilities, and created the ideal conditions for diseases to spread.
The country is on the brink of famine, with over 60 per cent of the population not knowing where their next meal will come from. Nearly two milllion Yemeni children are acutely malnourished. Malnutrition makes them more susceptible to cholera; diseases create more malnutrition. A vicious combination.
At one hospital, we visited children who can barely gather the strength to breathe. We spoke with families overcome with sorrow for their ill loved ones and struggling to feed their families.
And, as we drove through the city, we saw how vital infrastructure, such as health and water facilities, have been damaged or destroyed.
Amid this chaos, some 16,000 community volunteers go house to house, providing families with information on how to protect themselves from diarrhea and cholera. Doctors, nurses and other essential health staff are working around the clock to save lives.
More than 30,000 health workers haven’t been paid their salaries in more than 10 months, but many still report for duty. We have asked the Yemeni authorities to pay these health workers urgently because, without them, we fear that people who would otherwise have survived may die. As for our agencies, we will do our best to support these extremely dedicated health workers with incentives and stipends.
We also saw the vital work being done by local authorities and NGOs, supported by international humanitarian agencies, including our own. We have set up more than 1,000 diarrhoea treatment centres and oral rehydration corners. The delivery of food supplements, intravenous fluids and other medical supplies, including ambulances, is ongoing, as is the rebuilding of critical infrastructure – the rehabilitation of hospitals, district health centres and the water and sanitation network. We are working with the World Bank in an innovative partnership that responds to needs on the ground and helps maintain the local health institutions.
But there is hope. More than 99 per cent of people who are sick with suspected cholera and who can access health services are now surviving. And the total number of children who will be afflicted with severe acute malnutrition this year is estimated at 385,000.
However, the situation remains dire. Thousands are falling sick every day. Sustained efforts are required to stop the spread of disease. Nearly 80 percent of Yemen’s children need immediate humanitarian assistance.
When we met with Yemeni leaders – in Aden and in Sana’a – we called on them to give humanitarian workers access to areas affected by fighting. And we urged them – more than anything – to find a peaceful political solution to the conflict.
The Yemeni crisis requires an unprecedented response. Our three agencies have teamed up with the Yemeni authorities and other partners to coordinate our activities in new ways of working to save lives and to prepare for future emergencies.
We now call on the international community to redouble its support for the people of Yemen. If we fail to do so, the catastrophe we have seen unfolding before our eyes will not only continue to claim lives but will scar future generations and the country for years to come.
Recent expansion of assistance by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to countries preparing to implement climate finance is targeting Africa and the Pacific.
Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF), Howard Bamsey
The GCF has provided $700,000 to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Rwanda, a GCF direct access Accredited Entity, to assist the development of projects under the Fund’s Project Preparation Facility (PPF). This is an additional tranche within a $1.5 million grant under this funding package, which GCF provides to support various phases in developing climate finance projects.
The Fund has also disbursed $120,000 to Mauritania for activities under GCF’s Readiness Programme, which provides developing countries with resources to enhance country ownership and access to climate finance.
Through a partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over $1.4 million have been disbursed to help boost the capacities for climate programmes in Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Maldives, Nepal and Tonga.
GCF also has provided $130,000 in Readiness assistance, the second part of a $300,000 grant, to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), an organisation governed by 26 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that coordinates the design and implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects across the Pacific.
To date, the Green Climate Fund has disbursed more than $9 million for Readiness activities in developing countries across all regions.
Nigeria’s Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, July 27, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, inaugurated an imposing fertiliser plant, built by Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited at the cost of $1.5 billion.
The Indorama Fertiliser Plant in Port Harcourt, River State
The Acting President used the opportunity to remind all Nigerians that time has come for them to grow whatever they eat and produce whatever they consume.
“What Indorama is accomplishing today is very much in line with President Buhari’s vision for a country that produces what it consumes and grows what it eats. If you had to sum up our vision for the Nigerian economy in a few words, these would suffice. Grow what we eat, produce what we consume,” he said.
Prof Osinbajo commended Indorama for keying into the Presidential Fertiliser initiative which President Buhari launched last year to make fertilisers cheaper nationwide.
“At the end of last year, the President launched a Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, to ensure the availability of cheaper fertiliser to our farmers, to support what we’re doing in agriculture, in the production of rice and wheat and other staples.
“That Fertiliser Initiative, now well underway, has created significant economic opportunities for companies like Indorama Eleme Fertiliser & Chemicals Limited.
“I have been informed that Indorama will this year alone supply about 360,000 Metric Tons of Urea to Fertiliser blenders, which, in turn, will produce NPK fertiliser for the benefit of farmers across the country.
“This is the kind of economic progress we’re after, in which every unlocked opportunity proceeds to unlock several others, across multiple sectors of the economy.”
The Acting President said that the Buhari administration will continue to support Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, which was privatised in 2006 by the Federal Government.
According to him, the company has turned out to be a huge success story. “I am glad that we’re here today to see one of the success stories of the Federal Government’s privatisation programme,” he said.
“We will continue to support Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited’s expansion ambitions. Our commitment to the privatisation programme is equally assured, and we will continue to do everything to support investors to maximise the potential of their assets,” he said.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of Indorama Corporation, Mr Sri Prakash Lohia, said that the plant which has capacity to produce 1.5 million metric tons of fertiliser per annum is the largest single-train Urea plant in the world.
The Acting President also presented a Certificate of Discharge to Mr Lohia and the Managing Director, Mr Manish Mundra, for successfully accomplishing the post purchase agreement entered into with the Bureau of Public Enterprises on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Following the 2006 handover, the BPE carried out routine monitoring on the enterprise to ensure that the core investor adhered to and implemented the post-acquisition plan it had laid out for the company.”
“Today is the culmination of that process of monitoring and oversight by the BPE. I am delighted that it is taking place on an inspiring and hopeful note, and that we are all here today celebrating a thriving and promising company. We should not take this state of affairs for granted,” he said.
The Plant has a production capacity of 4000 metric tons (MT) of nitrogenous fertilisers per day or 1.5 MT per annum. The world-scale plant has been built with an investment of $1.5 billion, a huge Foreign Direct Investment, funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and a consortium of 15 European and African banks and financial institutions.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in his speech said that for Indorama to invest a whopping $1.5 billion in the state, it shows that the state is safe for investors and their investments. He called on other investors to emulate the footsteps of Indorama.
The fertiliser plant is well supported by Port Terminal at the nearby Onne Port Complex, and a gas pipeline of 83.5KM for gas supply.
The plant will bring about a green revolution in the agriculture sector not only in Nigeria but also in other parts of Africa and world at large.
Besides, making the fertiliser products to be available at affordable cost, the plant will boost crop yield to farmers and greatly help in minimising the food grain deficit in Nigeria.
The plant is said to have generated job opportunities, thereby contributing to the economic prosperity of Nigeria.
The construction of the plant commenced in April 2013 and was completed in December 2015. The commissioning activities were concluded in March 2016 and the commercial production started in June 2016.
The Government of the United Kingdom confirmed on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 that it will end the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, as it unveiled new plans to tackle air pollution.
Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations produced by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Transport outlines how councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots must take robust action.
Wednesday’s announcement is focused on delivering nitrogen dioxide (NO2) compliance at the roadside in the shortest amount of time. This, according to the Government, is one part of its programme to deliver clean air – next year it says it will publish a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy which will address other sources of air pollution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the authorities say air quality in the UK has been improving significantly in recent decades, with reductions in emissions of all of the key pollutants, and NO2 levels down by half in the last 15 years.
Despite this, an analysis of over 1,800 of Britain’s major roads show that a small number of these – 81 or 4% – are due to breach legal pollution limits for NO2, with 33 of these outside of London.
To accelerate action, local areas will be asked to produce initial plans within eight months and final plans by the end of next year.
The Government adds that it will help towns and cities by providing £255 million to implement their plans, in addition to the £2.7 billion we are already investing.
Due to the highly localised nature of the problem local knowledge will be crucial in solving pollution problems in these hotspots. The government will require councils to produce local air quality plans which reduce nitrogen dioxide levels in the fastest possible time.
Local authorities will be able to bid for money from a new Clean Air Fund to support improvements which will reduce the need for restrictions on polluting vehicles. This could include changing road layouts, removing traffic lights and speed humps, or upgrading bus fleets.
Air pollution continues to have an unnecessary and avoidable impact on people’s health and evidence shows that poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, costing the country up to £2.7 billion in lost productivity in 2012, notes the statement.
The UK is one of 17 EU countries said to be breaching annual targets for nitrogen dioxide, a problem which has been made worse by the failure of the European testing regime for vehicle emissions.
The government will also issue a consultation in the autumn to gather views on measures to support motorists, residents and businesses affected by local plans – such as retrofitting, subsidised car club memberships, exemptions from any vehicles restrictions, or a targeted scrappage scheme for car and van drivers.
Measures considered will need to target those most in need of support, provide strong value for the taxpayer and be resistant to fraud.
Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, was quoted as saying: “Today’s plan sets out how we will work with local authorities to tackle the effects of roadside pollution caused by dirty diesels, in particular nitrogen dioxide.
“This is one element of the government’s £3 billion programme to clean up the air and reduce vehicle emissions.
“Improving air quality is about more than just transport, so next year we will publish a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy. This will set out how we will address all forms of air pollution, delivering clean air for the whole country.”
Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said: “We are determined to deliver a green revolution in transport and reduce pollution in our towns and cities.
“We are taking bold action and want nearly every car and van on UK roads to be zero emission by 2050 which is why we’ve committed to investing more than £600 million in the development, manufacture and use of ultra-low emission vehicles by 2020.
“Today, we commit £100 million towards new low emission buses and retrofitting older buses with cleaner engines.
“We are also putting forward proposals for van drivers to have the right to use heavier vehicles if they are electric or gas-powered, making it easier for businesses to opt for cleaner commercial vehicles.
“Local authorities will have access to a range of options to tackle poor air quality in their plans such as changing road layouts to reduce congestion, encouraging uptake of ultra-low emissions vehicles and retrofitting public transport.
“If these measures are not sufficient to ensure legal compliance, local authorities may also need to consider restrictions on polluting vehicles using affected roads.
This could mean preventing polluting vehicles using some of these roads at certain times of the day or introducing charging, as the Mayor of London has already announced.
“The Government is clear that local authorities should exhaust other options before opting to impose charging. Any restrictions or charging on polluting vehicles should be time-limited and lifted as soon as air pollution is within legal limits and the risk of future breaches has passed.
“Plans will be assessed by government to make sure they are effective, fair, good value and will deliver the required improvements in air quality in the shortest time possible. If local plans do not meet that test, government will require councils to take action to achieve legal compliance.”
Government is supporting councils to develop these plans through:
A £255 million implementation fund for all immediate work required to deliver plans within eight months to address poor air quality in the shortest time possible;
A Clean Air Fund for councils to bid for money to introduce new measures such as changing road layouts to cut congestion and reduce idling vehicles, new park and ride services, introducing concessionary travel schemes and improving bus fleets. More details will be announced later this year.
A £40 million Clean Bus Technology Fund grant scheme – part of a £290 million National Productivity Investment Fund announced in the Autumn Statement – to limit emissions from up to 2350 older buses.
Government says it remains committed to putting the public finances back on a sustainable footing: so all money spent on air quality measures will be funded through changes to the tax treatment for new diesel vehicles or through reprioritisation within existing departmental budgets.
Also announced
Van drivers are set to be given the right to use heavier vehicles if they are electric or gas-powered, in measures that will help improve air quality in towns and cities across the country.
Manufacturers found to be using devices on their vehicles to cheat emissions tests could face criminal and civil charges, with fines of up to £50,000 for every device installed, under proposed new laws.
Nigeria is in the first group of A5 countries that want to replace HCFCs with ozone-friendly hydrocarbons, according to the Montreal Protocol. Innocent Anoruo was at a workshop in Lagos where stakeholders gave their nod to the treaty
L-R: Amir Sabry, Bert Veenendaal and Etienne Gonin
“We are here today to validate all the work we have done” to stop the depletion of the ozone layer, were the words of Mrs. Ozunimi Iti, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) representative who came from Vienna, Austria, to attend the event.
In her goodwill message from the UN body at the Stakeholders’ Workshop for the Validation of Nigeria’s HPMP Stage II Proposal, Iti said UNIDO’s projects go beyond stopping the depletion of the ozone layer, to helping stakeholders adjust to new trends that protect the environment from dangerous gases.
The workshop that took place on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 in Lagos was attended by about 150 participants from Ministries Departments and Agencies (both federal and states), United Nations bodies, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Services (RACS) industrialists and the media.
A view of participants at the workshop
The Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan, or HPMP, for Nigeria was approved at the 62nd meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, which will result in the complete phase-out of 407.7 ODP tonnes of HCFC in the country by January 1, 2040. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the lead Implementing Agency (IA) while UNIDO is the Cooperating Agency (CA).
Declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Shehu Usman, urged the participants to brainstorm on the strategies for HPMP Stage II and make meaningful contributions for a quality document.
Represented by the Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Charles Ikea, he said: “We have made considerable progress in the implementation of Stage I of the HPMP project. The Pilot Plant for the production of High Grade Hydrocarbon Refrigerants to be used as alternatives to HCFCs in the R&AC servicing sector has since been completed and commissioned in 2015.
“We are in the process of fashioning out ways of commercialisation of the plant. The System House project has also been completed this year, and we are preparing for commissioning of the project later next year.”
The Montreal Protocol (MP) on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was signed by 46 countries in September 1987.
Usman noted that the government of Italy has also offered to support the HPMP Stage II project as a bilateral partner, adding that all sectors will be continuously sensitised and engaged in the process, particularly the foam and RACS sectors. “We also encourage the acquisition of skills for refrigeration technicians and improve service delivery through the development of a certificate scheme for the technicians.”
He informed the participants that the Kigali Amendment was adopted at the 28th MOP to the MP in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda. “By the amendment, HFCs, which are potent greenhouse gases are now added to the list of substances to be controlled under the Protocol. Parties agreed to cut the use of HFCs by 85 per cent by the late 2040s. First reductions by most developed countries are expected in 2019. Most developing countries will follow with a freeze of HFCs consumption levels in 2024.”
He re-affirmed the ministry’s commitment to the MP and its ODS phase-out programme.
UNDP Programme analyst, Montreal Protocol and Chemicals Unit, Etienne Gonin, disclosed that submission from the workshop would be submitted to MLF latest August 7, 2017 (Montreal time), for it to be discussed at the next meeting. “And we want it discussed,” he added.
Gonin said the production facility of the HC in commercial scale, which cost Egypt $5 million, may cost Nigeria up to $8 million. This, he told EnviroNews, is because of differences in production in different countries.
UNDP Senior Expert, Foams, Bert Veenendaal, added that the risk in the project is low, and that the process can be replicated anywhere in the world.
David Omotosho, fondly referred to as Father of Ozone, who came in from the United States for the workshop, said the phase-out strategic plan for the foam sector is expected to be approved by MLF between November and December 2017, and the conversion of thermo ware phases II and III in parallel up to February 2018. He added that the project is expected to be completed in 2021.
After a break, the stakeholders came back to demand that sensitisation should be taken to the grassroots, especially in the rural areas, who use these chemicals in their homes, not focusing only on industrialists.
However, Idris Abdullahi of the National Ozone Office (NOO) promised that when funding comes, “we plan to use task force to implement the Kigali Amendment.”
Before giving his vote of thanks, Abdullahi said the adoption of the Kigali Amendment “is a win-win situation for Nigeria, as we are aware of natural hydrocarbon sources for refrigeration.”
Countries like the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Mali have ratified the Kigali Amendment.
The Kigali Amendment was adopted in October 2016, and will enter into force on January 1, 2019 if 20 or more parties to the Montreal Protocol ratify it by that time.
Countries that ratify the Kigali Amendment commit to cut the production and consumption of HFCs by more than 80% over the next 30 years. It is expected that this will avoid up to 0.5° Celsius warming by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer, according to UN Environment.
The Ministry of Finance has secured a N3.38 billion loan for Plateau State for the mass production and development of the Irish potato value chain.
Irish potatoes
Briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings on Wednesday, July 26 2017, Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, said the loan was secured from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the development of the Irish potato value chain, and that the project is expected to create 60,000 jobs.
Adeosun revealed that Plateau State would be providing N599 million as counterpart funding for the project.
Adeosun disclosed that the loan has a five years moratorium thereafter whatever remained of the loan would be paid at the rate of 1% in 20 years.
She said the loan would be used to develop the Irish potatoes value chain in 17 local local government areas of the state.
The implementation would be jointly executed by FADAMA project and a unit in the state Ministry of Agricuture. About 70 percent of the loan would be used for the provision of infrasture, extension services, impoved planting and marketing.
The whole exercise according to the minister is aimed at boosting production and minimising wastages.
It was gathered that the idea was muted during the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government by former Minister of Agricuture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, for the development of the value chain for selected roots and tubers in the country. Adesina is currently head of AfDB.
Plateau State is Nigeria’s largest producer of Irish potatoes.
Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 ordered the immediate release of the international passport of former Nigerian minister, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, to enable her proceed to Germany for medical treatment.
Olajumoke Akinjide
Akinjide is standing trial before a Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, alongside a former Nigeria Senator, Ayo Adeseun, and one Olanrewaju Otiti over alleged N650 million fraud.
Though Akinjide was granted bail on self-recognisance, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek, had ordered her to deposit her international passport pending the conclusion of her trial.
In seeking the release of Akinjide’s international passport on Wednesday, her lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), told the court that the application, which was dated July 12, 2017, was based on the recommendation of the National Hospital, Abuja, which stated that her client needed a foreign medical treatment.
He also sought an order of the court for the release of the international passport to Akinjide, anytime she may need it for other foreign medical trips.
Ayorinde told the court that the prosecution has promised not to oppose the application.
He also told the court that his client is not a flight risk being a politician, that she will come back to the country to face the trial.
EFCC counsel, Mohammed Aliyu, confirmed being served with the application and informed the court that his Commission is not opposing the application.
But Justice Obiozor said the only condition the will make him to grant the application is if Chief Ayorinde will guarantee that the former minister will return back to Nigeria after her treatment, which the learned silk agreed to.
Upon agreeing to the court’s condition, Justice Obiozor ordered the EFCC to immediately release the former minister’s passport, to enable her travel to Germany for medical treatment.
The judge however ordered that the former minister must not stay beyond 30 days and refused her application to be traveling at will.
The former minister, Akinjide, Senator Adeseun and Olanrewaju Otiti, are standing trial before an Federal High Court, Ibadan over alleged N650 million fraud.
They were arraigned alongside the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on a 12-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful conversion and stealing of N650 million in the build up to the 2015 general elections.
During their arraignment, it was only Akinjide and Otiti that were present in court, and they both pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Following their not guilty plea, the court granted them bail on self-recognisance.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State says he intends to issue an Executive Order that will stop further deforestation and encroachment on the land belonging to the Ogba Zoological Garden and Nature Park in Benin City, the state capital.
The Ogba Zoological Garden and Nature Park in Benin City, Edo State
The governor made the disclosure recently while receiving the report of a committee set up by the government to investigate the allegation of encroachment on the land belonging to the zoo.
Obaseki said his administration would no longer entertain any applications from any community for the purpose of deforestation.
“The Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, will set up a team that will ensure full effect of this report within this month, July. There will be no delay at all regarding this report,” he assured.
He maintained that his administration would set up a forestry commission that would come up with clear policies on how to protect the state’s forest resources.
The governor assured the members of the Ad-hoc committee that the patrimony (Ogba Zoo) would be re-acquired no matter who has encroached on the land.
“I want to assure you that our patrimony will be re-acquired. We will do all that is needed to re-establish the zoo the way it ought to be, no matter who is involved,” he added.
Obaseki described as sad, the attitude of those who were given the responsibility to protect the asset as they did the contrary. “We as a government have a clear mandate from the people to re-establish the essence of governance. We will implement the report without fear or favour,” he promised.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and Solicitor General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Oluwole Iyamu, said their work was hindered by the lawlessness of the people in the area where the investigation was carried out, as they had to work under the protection of the police, the Department of State Security Service (SSS) and the military.
He advised government to rely on security agencies in enforcing whatever decision that would be arrived at after studying the report because, he added, the area had become a lawless zone.
Iyamu said the committee observed that the major challenge facing the Zoo was the failure of institutions, governance and the people in authority.
He expressed shock “that an institution like Ogba Zoological Garden and Nature Park has no survey plan but just a sketch which attempts to demarcate or describe what the zoo should look like.”
Iyamu added: “The crisis of the Zoo began in year 2,000 during the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion which reserved land for some communities for deforestation. The lack of coordination between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Lands and Survey led to the encroachment on over 17 hectares of land belonging to the zoo. As at today, over 60 per cent of the original land belonging to Ogba Zoo has been taken over by land developers with construction work currently on-going.”
The healthymagination Mother and Child Programme has announced its second cohort of social enterprises that will receive training and mentorship aimed at improving and accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in Africa.
Robert Wells, Executive Director of healthymagination
Launched in March 2016 by GE and Santa Clara University’s Miller Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, the programme aims to continue to accelerate health innovations in sub-Saharan Africa.
After a rigorous application and evaluation process, 14 organisations were selected to be in the programme’s second cohort of social entrepreneurs and accelerate maternal health outcomes across Africa with impact areas.
The organisations represent Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, among others. The second cohort of entrepreneurs is currently attending a three-day, in-person workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The kick-off workshop, according to the organisers, packs core business principles into a powerful forum facilitated by senior-level Miller Centre mentors and GE business leaders. The programme is designed to help the organisations acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic thought processes, and articulate business plans that demonstrate impact, growth and long-term financial sustainability.
“Solving local health challenges calls for locally-adapted interventions and innovations, and Social Entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa are playing a major role in this regard.” said Robert Wells, Executive Director of healthymagination. “The healthymagination Mother and Child programme will continue to provide them with mentorship and in-depth training, accelerating health innovation and furthering our goal to increase the quality, access and affordability of maternal and child health.”
“GE’s mission to work on better health for more people is evidenced by our continuing partnership to help social enterprises scale their impact,” commented Dr Thane Kreiner, executive director of Miller Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. “This cohort’s impact aligns with the target indicators for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3. Miller Centre is honoured such amazing social enterprises applied to this Mother & Child accelerator programme.”
The kick-off workshop will be followed by a six-month, online accelerator programme with in-depth mentorship from Silicon Valley-based executives and local GE business leaders. The accelerator and mentorship programme will culminate in a “Premier Pitch” event in Africa where the 14 organisations will present their respective enterprises to an audience of potential investors.
“Nurturing a vibrant social entrepreneurship ecosystem is key for sustainable healthcare development and is a major focus area for GE in Africa,” said Farid Fezoua, President & CEO, GE Healthcare Africa. “Through their various initiatives to strengthen mother and child care, these social entrepreneurs are bringing innovative approaches to tackle some of Africa’s biggest challenges and this is truly exciting. By leveraging GE’s domain expertise and the business-building skills imparted by Miller Centre’s Silicon Valley mentors, we are honoured to provide mentorship and guidance to these great organisations.”
