News
River Kaduna dredging project mitigated flooding – Official
The Kaduna Capital Territory Authority (KCTA) says the dredging of River Kaduna has helped in checking flooding in Kaduna metropolis and its environs.
Hafiz Bayero, Administrator, KCTA, told newsmen in Kaduna that the dredging became necessary as the river could not contain the mass of water flow, resulting in flooding in the past years.
He said the initiative was yielding the desired result as Kaduna metropolis and its environs recorded few cases of flooding in 2022.
The Administrator said dredging of rivers around flood-prone communities would be a continuous process in order to avert flooding in the state.
He mentioned the flood-prone communities as Hayin Danmani, Kamazou, Kabala West, Rafin guza and other flood plains within Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun and Igabi Local Government Areas.
Also, Dr Haira’u Umar, Director, Municipal Waste Management, KCTA, said that the agency’s proactive environmental sensitisation programmes had enhanced the sanitary habits of residents.
”The result of this positive impact is that the state experienced only flash flooding during the year,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Yusuf Muazu, a Director with Kaduna State Ministry for Environment, said the state was collaborating with stakeholders to check flooding.
He said the ministry, in collaboration with Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), had installed Automated Flood Early Warning System and Weather Station as part of efforts to mitigate flooding.
Muazu stated that the stations were installed in Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Chikun LGAs to build resilience to disasters.
On its part, Kano State Government said it had made adequate emergency response plan to mitigate flooding as the rainy season drew closer.
Executive Secretary, Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Saleh Jili, told newsmen in Kano that the agency would meet with stakeholders to map out strategies.
He said SEMA would embark on sensitisation campaigns across the 44 local government areas of the state, to encourage the clearing of water ways to minimise flooding.
Jili also assured that the Agency had set aside, funds and relief materials to provide the needs of victims should disasters occur.
He explained that last year, flooding and windstorm claimed the lives of 23 persons, destroying 20,399 houses in 25 Local Government Areas of the state.
“In addition, 20 persons were injured, 14, 364 farms and N2.1 billion worth of properties were destroyed”, he claimed.
On his part, the Territorial Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Kano, Dr Nuradeen Abdullahi, called for strict enforcement of environmental regulations to mitigate flooding.
He also advised residents to avoid using substandard building materials that could not stand the test of time, noting that such materials were responsible for collapse of buildings whenever windstorm or flooding occurred.
Also, Kano State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Kabiru Getso, said the state had adopted proactive mechanisms to mitigate risk and disaster across the state.
He called on members of the public to adhere to building codes and environmental regulations, clear blocked water ways, and desists from dumping garbage in drains.
Meanwhile, Katsina State Government, World Bank and French Development Agency, have constructed 2.5km road from Danja to Bazanga to Nahuce in Danja Local Government Area.
According to the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry for Works, Alhaji Abubakar Gene, the project will aid smooth flow of traffic and address some environmental challenges.
Also, the Ward Head of Inwala Jarbango in the state, Alhaji Muhmmad Musa, advised residents to desist from dumping Refuse in culverts.
Musa explained that such habit was partly responsible for flooding and erosion.
Reports state that the authorities in Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States, were responding to enquirers on their level of preparedness to address the challenges of flooding this year.
This is against the backdrop of prediction by NIMET that the rainy season might commence early in some states of the Federation this year.
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, said it was the ‘establishment of criminality’ that made the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, servers not work during the last presidential election.
Obi, who insisted that the people must one day make it to work, explained that Amazon testified there were no glitches recorded globally on the day of the presidential election.
The former Anambra State governor made the statement on Friday in Canada while addressing the issues about the last general election, including IREV servers.
DAILY POST reports that the LP presidential candidate was in Canada for a “thank you” tour to appreciate Nigerians living in the country for their support offered him during the 2023 campaign/ general elections.
He said: “Where did we go wrong in the last election? We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We did the right things. But as I can always tell people: when you bring a change, you fight all those who live off the old order. They don’t go away; they gang up. And don’t think it’s a straight race to remove an establishment. It’s a long-distance journey anywhere in the world. Go and check anywhere, whether you are looking at what happened in India, with Mandela in South Africa, or America. No change has happened overnight, it takes time. I urge all of you, if you really want change, we have just begun. We just have to continue from where we are.
“Yes, there might be one or two things we will correct, those things we will correct. I assure you we are correcting them without naming them.
It’s not going to be easy.
“The INEC server was the same as the establishment. The server would not work because it was the establishment that made it so it wouldn’t work. It’s ours to continue to say that it would work. But there was no glitch. Amazon came and said there was no glitch. Amazon glitch is noticed globally – it’s recorded globally. And at that period, we brought down an Amazon person who said this is the number of glitches we have had since inception. And there was none that it reported that day. We know it didn’t occur. It was the glitch of the establishment criminality that was in the system. And we must one day make it work.”
Dr Chuma Ezedinma, Agricultural Economist at African Development Bank (AFDB), says the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme (SAPZ), will create jobs for no fewer than 200,000 residents in Anambra.
Ezedinma spoke with newsmen on the sidelines of a meeting tagged “Preparation Mission for the Development of the second phase of SPAZ programme” on Saturday in Anambra.
The meeting on the SPAZ-2 programme had officials from the Federal Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Food Safety, AFDB, and the Anambra State Government.
According to him, AFDB is very much interested in what is happening in the state because Anambra’s presentation on the SPAZ project is the best seen so far, and shows the state’s readiness to run.
“From what we have seen, about 450 hectres of land will be dedicated to the industrial site.
“We are looking at approximately 5,000 farm families per zone. Multiply it by three zones, you have 15,000 farm families in the state.
“If you also add other secondary jobs that will be created in the park itself, you will see that we are creating real massive employment for more than 200,000 people over the next five years.
“The state government had already committed resources to put infrastructure in place and there is also a private sector interest to deliver this programme within a very short time,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Louis Enaberue from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, commended Anambra State Government for its preparedness for the phase two of the SAPZ programme.
“What we saw in Anambra’s presentation shows they are ready for the phase two of SPAZ and I hope and pray they meet the grade.
“The state government is expected to pay 50 per cent counterpart fund, provide the land and other infrastructure for the project, and they are already working towards achieving them,” he said.
Similarly, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, said that the state’s Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Industry were working tirelessly to ensure that the SPAZ project was ready to go in Anambra.
“Clearly, we are ready because this project will transform agriculture in the state as it will increase farmers’ incomes, foster job creation and enhance food security in the state and country at large,” Ihejiofor said.
The delegation visited the three proposed sites for the SPAZ-2 project in Ayamelum, Ogboji in Orumba South and Ufuma in Orumba North Local Government Areas of the state.
‘I love freedom of being single’ – DJ Cuppy
Banditry: Idris vows to sign death warrant of convicted informants
‘Establishment of criminality’ did not allow INEC server work – Peter Obi
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
UNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
capital market2 years ago
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
-
Finance3 months ago
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
-
Abuja Update2 months agoUNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
Abuja Update1 month ago
Banks drive stock market performance with N147bn gain
-
Business2 weeks ago
Tingo Group unveils Tingo Electric, Tingo Cola drink at Lagos launch
-
Health3 weeks ago
Capacity training will reduce migration of health workers- NPHCDA
-
News4 months ago
Oil thieves sponsoring malicious media campaign against Navy – Spokesman
-
Infotech1 month ago
World Backup Day: NITDA urges Nigerians to ensure backup of data
