Day: June 23, 2023

The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says 116 houses have been affected by flood at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja.

The Director-General, FEMA, Dr Abbas Idriss, who said this in a statement by Nkechi Isa, Head, Public Affairs, FEMA, however said no life was lost in the incident.

“No fewer than 116 houses were submerged, but no life was lost, following a heavy downpour which started in the early hours of the day.”

He said that the flood which was caused by infractions on the water channels, had made the Estate to be vulnerable to flooding.

The FEMA boss dismissed social media reports alleging that a resident of the estate was missing as a result of the flood.

He however appealed to residents whose houses were built on water channels to relocate.

Idriss who said that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had predicted heavy flooding in the FCT this year, also advised residents living on flood prone areas to relocate.

He called on the residents to use the 112 Emergency toll free number to report emergencies.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has assumed command of Nigerian Army as the 23rd army chief with pledge to discharge responsibilities with fairness.

Lagabaja took the baton from the 22nd Chief, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya who had been in command since May 2021.

He said that God had made it his turn to receive the mantle of leadership of the Nigerian army, an aspiration of every combatant army officer.

The new army chief said the Nigerian army had in the past 25 months, witnessed milestone transformation under his predecessor, Gen. Yahaya

He said these included unprecedented procurement of equipment and prudent management of human and material resources, which Nigeria had begun to reap the dividends.

Lagbaja thanked the former COAS for mentorship and empowering his military career.

According to him, following the leadership style of Gen. Faruk Yahaya, repentant terrorists have been surrendering in droves like never before.

“Currently we are witnessing more than ever before massive surrender by repentant insurgents in the North East in a manner that beats the expectation of any observer locally and internationally.

“There is no doubt that the experience and exposure garnered under you will help in the discharge of my duties as the chief of army staff, as you transit into retirement on this glorious day.

“I wish to assure you that I shall do everything within my power to improve on your legacy of a proficient, effective and admirable Nigerian Army,” he said.

Lagbaja also promised to improve on the legacies of his predecessors of a proficient and professional Nigeria army, adding that hard work would be rewarded under his watch.

“I promise that I shall discharge my responsibilities as COAS with fairness; merit and hard work shall be dully rewarded while appropriate measures taken to bring back in line anyone that errs,” he added.

Earlier, the former chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Yahaya said he was leaving the Nigerian Army better than he met it, adding that the army made remarkable successes in the fight against insecurity.

He said that the adversaries are currently in disarray across all theatres of operations, and charged officers and men to maintain the tempo.

“You must always conduct yourselves professionally in accordance with the ethics, customs and traditions,” he added.

Yahaya said, “You must continue to make deliberate efforts to improve your performance for heightened security, especially at this time of a new administration in our growing democracy.

“I charge you all to re-double your efforts in supporting the incoming Chief of Army Staff to achieve even greater heights.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has urged indigenes living in Nigeria and abroad to work together to make the state a destination point for commercial and industrial development.

Soludo said this during a town hall organised by a group under the aegis, ‘Ndi Anambra Residents in Lagos State’, at the Collonades Hotel, Ikoyi.

Soludo said that all, irrespective of socio-economic status, must join hands in developing the state and making it a destination point for significant investments in critical sectors.

“I urge Ndi Anambra to take that resolution and return to join hands in the development of the state including okada, keke riders, petty traders among others.

“Part of our mission in Anambra is to make our place to become a departure lounge. We must turn Anambra to become a destination point.

“We must change the narrative; we must change the story for our place to become a point of departure and all of us have something to do in this mission,” the governor said.

Soludo emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to key into his agenda of making the state a prosperous homeland by realising the objectives of the five major agenda of his administration.

The governor highlighted them as: security, law and order; economic transformation and infrastructural development; education and youth skill acquisition; governance; rule of law; and sustainable environment.

“I recall how past nationalists like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Michael Okpara succeeded in creating a sustainable economy in the region in the 60s through investments in agriculture, industry, education and human capital.

“We have all it takes to develop the state, but what is lacking is home consciousness,” he said.

Soludo noted that the menace of insecurity had rocked his administration at the inception.

“However, we were able to surmount the challenge through launching operations that made it possible to recover over nine local government areas that have been overrun by criminals.

“Efforts are in top gear through various approaches including the armed forces, intelligence, and community vigilante to ensure that the state is secured for development to be in place,” he said.

The governor also highlighted other projects such as construction, industrial parks, commercial hubs, roads, real estate development, and renewal of urban areas in line with his vision of creating a prosperous and liveable homeland.

He added that currently, there was an ongoing training of about 20,000 youths on digital skills in collaboration with private partners such as Microsoft Corporation among others.

“I also encourage people to come and identify with projects which they can invest in because Anambra is ready for business.

“With the campaign slogan, “Think Home and Bring Home”, the state government rolled out a real estate development scheme.

“This scheme encourages people to invest in housing development, anchored by the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation (ASHDC),” the governor said.

Soludo said that the the state was working on shortening the time it took to process acquisition of land for investment purposes.

He also assured that the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) would help create an enabling business environment for investors.

Also, Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the event, Mr Charles Odunukwe, said that keying into the agenda of the state government was for the good of the entire state.

Odunukwe said the goal of the event tagged, “Aku Ruo Ulo”, meaning “think home”, is to encourage the people to come and invest in development projects in the state.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A group, Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), has called on President Bola Tinubu to include persons with disabilities (PWDs) in his administration to ensure fairness and equity.

The group made the call at a press conference in Abuja on the state of Affairs of Nigerians with Disabilities.

The National President, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, said there was the need to build barriers against the stigma that persons with disabilities were confronted with.

Aliyu said that it was an unfortunate reality that PWDs in Nigeria often face significant barriers to accessing basic rights and opportunities.

“In spite of the progress made in recent years, we continue to witness the marginalisation and exclusion of this significant population.

“As the leader of our great nation, you have the power to change this narrative and make a resounding statement about the values and potentials of PWDs.

“By including PWDs in your cabinet, you would not only ensure their representation in decision-making processes but also harness their unique perspectives and expertise,” he said.

According to him, the experiences and insights of PWDs can greatly contribute to the development and implementation of policies that address the specific needs and challenges faced by the community.

He added that their inclusion would bring about more comprehensive and effective governance, fostering a society that truly upholds the principles of equality, diversity and social justice.

“Furthermore, appointing PWDs to influential positions in your government would serve as a powerful symbol of inclusivity, sending a clear message that Nigeria embraces and values the contribution of every citizen, regardless of their abilities.

“This act of leadership would inspire other sectors of the society to follow suit and create a ripple effect of positive change that extends far beyond the political realm.

“It will also send a powerful message to the society, dispel misconceptions and prejudices surrounding disability as well as serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless PWDs who often face systemic barriers and limited opportunities due to societal attitudes and biases.

The group also urged the new administration to consider the operations of the National Coordinator, People With Disabilities, under the office of the President, particularly with the continuation of Mr James Lalu as the Executive Secretary of the commission.

It said achieving this would definitely serve to sustain multiple-sectoral correspondence for addressing the Systmatic barriers militating against PWDs in Nigeria.

The group further called on government to design measures to cushion the effect of subsidy removal as it affects PWDs.

It said PWDs must have access to the existing and proposed social protection programmes with focus on women and children with disabilities.

“This also implies developing specific schemes that explicitly promote social inclusion, while providing the required additional support to under represented groups within the movement such as also persons with deaf, blindness and others.

They also want an immediate dialogue between stakeholders and meaningful participation of employers, trade unions and other civil society groups and PWDs inclusive.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The new Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, on Friday pledged to ensure safer maritime domain as he assumed office as the 22nd indigenous naval chief.

Ogalla took over leadership of the Navy from Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, who has been in command since January 2021.

In his remarks, the new naval chief thanked God for the privilege and pledged to ensure that the Nigerian navy sustain the aspiration of being the best.

He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility, and pledged unwavering commitment to the security and prosperity of the nation in line with the vision of the President.

Ogalla therefore expressed his commitment to serve Nigeria with utmost dedication and integrity.

He said the navy under his predecessor had made remarkable strides in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain, protecting national interests, and contributing to regional peace and stability.

“Most auspiciously are the fleet recapitalization efforts culminating in the hosting of a Presidential Fleet Review.

“Infrastructural development milestones and gladly as a hydrography officer, the establishment of the National Hydrographic Agency amongst several significant achievements, are worthy of mention.

“Sir, your dedication, strategic vision, and tireless efforts have set a high standard for all of us in Nigerian navy.”

The new CNS solicited the cooperation of all personnel in ensuring the success of the navy and upholding highest standard of professionalism, integrity, and dedication to duties.

He however said the task ahead was still challenging, as Nigeria face significant threats such as crude oil theft, illegal refineries and unregulated fishing, piracy, sea robbery, various forms of trafficking and other maritime crimes.

According to him, these are not just threats to maritime security, but also to Nigeria’s economic stability and development.

“We are committed to tackling these security challenges head-on and we will intensify our efforts to curb crude oil theft and put an end to illegal refining.

“We will enhance our capabilities to combat piracy and sea robbery and ensure the general safety of our maritime domain,” he said.

The outgone CNS, Rear Adm. Gambo said the navy under him pursued a single purpose target to address the subversive and nefarious activities in the nations’ maritime domain.

He said the service evolved more stringent operations, concepts and strategies to tackle the devastating impacts of piracy, sea robbery, proliferation of illegal refinery, brazen crude oil theft, destruction of critical oil and gas infrastructure, among others.

“To this end, we heightened our commitment to anti-piracy operations, anti-COT operations, choke point operations as well as riverine and swamp operations.

“To give impetus to this resolve, we embarked on massive fleet renewal, robust logistics management, acquisition of additional platforms, human capital enhancement and holistic infrastructural development and effective collaboration with local and international partners.

“Our determination to face the several maritime security challenges will have been weakened if not for the immense support we received from the various quarters,” he said.

Gambo expressed gratitude to the personnel for their dedication, teamwork and professionalism, urging them to keep up the high standards and remain devoted to the service.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria