Month: July 2023

Minister Mchunu commend progress made on Masodi Waste Water Treatment Works project and the Olifantspoort Bulk Water Scheme in Limpopo

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu says the new Masodi Waste Water Treatment Works that is being constructed in Mokopane, in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Limpopo will serve as a model for other municipalities to follow suit and embrace partnerships and collaborations with private sector for socio economic development of their communities.

“We are happy on the progress made on the construction of Masodi Waste Water Treatment Works which is currently 92% complete. I am certain that by the end of the year it will be commissioned, and Mogalakwena Local Municipality will be a model to many municipalities in the country in terms of management of waste water and effluent.

“This waste water treatment works project should be a lesson for other municipalities that working with private sector is a way to go in order to improve our service delivery systems and socio economic development of our communities. We also acknowledge the input of Ivanplats in ensuring that the project is expedited and is finished on time. The expediency and the precision that they apply on the work is quite commendable. They have managed to get the project to near completion even before the scheduled timeframes,” said Minister Mchunu.

The Masodi Waste Water Treatment plant, is a multi-year a public private partnership project by Mogalakwena Municipality, and fully funded and implemented by Ivanplats Proprietary Limited Mine. The plant is being upgraded to produce 10 megalitres a day (ml/d), which will improve sanitation provision to Mokopane and the surrounding areas. It will also enable local industries to have access to the grey water for reuse from the treated effluent released from the plant.

The construction of the biological nutrient removal (BNR) plant, which consists of the plant itself, booster pump station and the pipelines that link the new plant to the existing sewer system, started in 2015 by the municipality but was halted until 2021 when Minister Mchunu intervened and enabled the project to resume.

The Municipality and Ivanplats have signed another Memorandum of Agreement to replace the asbestos sewer pipelines that will connect to the existing Masehlaneng and Sekgakgapeng Oxidation Ponds. The old sewer system is currently not efficient and prone to spillages which resulted in the municipality being taken to court by the department for non- compliance with waste water management.

Minister Mchunu and Deputy Minister Judith Tshabalala carried a site inspection at the Masodi Waste Water Treatment Works as part of a two-day visit to the province on 12- 14 July 2023, to assess the progress of the construction of the waste water treatment plant, as well as the preparation for the upgrade of Olifantspoort Water Treatment Works near Lebowakgomo in Capricorn District Municipality.

Minister Mchunu also conducted a site visit to the much-anticipated Olifantspoort Project site that will be cutting across three of the five district municipalities in Limpopo. Olifantspoort Water Treatment Works will undergo a series of refurbishment and upgrades from 60 to ultimately 280 ml/d in order to improve its performance, capacity, and to meet current and future potable water demands.

The water treatment plant forms part of the Olifants/ Ebenezer Water supply Schemes and serves as a one of the lifelines for drinking water to Polokwane in the Capricorn District.

“Polokwane is in deficit by 30 million litres per day and Olifants water treatment plant capacity is now small and does not meet water demand anymore. With Lepelle Northern Water as an implementing agent, we have come together and have finalised issues of planning, timeframes and funding of the project. So far, we are happy with the planning and preparations to upgrade this water treatment plant,” said Minister Mchunu.

The Minister also met with Lebalelo Water User Association to assess progress on the Olifants Management Model (OMM) Programme, which is a 50/50 partnership Olifants River Water Resources Development Project between the DWS and Association.

The OMM Programme involves the development of additional water resource infrastructure consisting of the De Hoop and Flag Boshielo Dams along the Steelpoort River and a bulk distribution system to benefit the Sekhukhune District and Mogalakwena Local Municipality.

For more information, contact:

Wisane Mavasa

Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation

Cell: 060 561 8935

E-mail: [email protected](link sends e-mail)

Or

Kamogelo Mogotsi

Spokesperson for the Ministry

Cell: 076 523 0085.

Source: Government of South Africa

A Fire and Disaster Management Expert, Mr Virgil Akama, has called for the implementation of proper safety regulations and standards in firefighting in the country.

Akama, who is also the Managing Director, Assetbow Limited, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the implementation of proper safety regulations and standards was necessary for better coordination and synergy in firefighting.

“As you very well know, the standards are not the same and we look forward to a nation with firefighting capabilities as obtained internationally.

“We all know that the current situation of firefighting in the country is not yet where it ought to be especially in the area of regulation,” he said.

He further said that there was need for synergy and better inter-agency collaboration to save lives and property.

“In terms of multi-agency response, we want to see a response that is properly synergised, coordinated, efficient, effective, hence, save more lives and property.

According to him, firefighting in Nigeria has not been effective to the point where citizens are confident in firefighters during emergencies.

“When there is a fire situation that involves lives, can Nigerians beat their chests that it would be effectively and efficiently managed?

“Where there are inter-agency responses, it’s a chaos, most times it’s not coordinated and there are situations where who is in charge is not glaring,” he said.

“The citizens of this country are not well educated as to how the fire service operates and I think it’s a matter of re-orientation of the populace.

“The fire service personnel are not doing themselves any good, are not even trying to educate the public about their jobs, and that’s the reason why sometimes they get to a fire scene and can’t do anything.

“No two fire incidents are exactly alike and and there are very different items and medium used to fight different types of fires; the public must be made aware of this,” he said.

He however said that as fire safety specialist, his organisation had advised the Federal Fire Service on some of its observations.

“As an organization and with the type of expertise we have, we have been able to point out a couple of our observations and proffered solutions to FFS Controller General alongside his management team.

“We have made presentations especially during conferences, seminars and workshops that relate to the fire fighting and fire extinction profession.

“We have also tried to assist in the area of capacity building of the fire service and we will not relent as we plan on strengthening our relationship to achieve better results,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Troops of 192 Battalion operating in 81 Division Nigerian Army have busted an international ammunition smuggling syndicate, while transporting a truck load of smuggled ammunition to Anambra State.

The Director, Army public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Monday, said the truck was intercepted along Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun on Saturday.

Nwachukwu said the troops, acting on actionable Intelligence conducted a meticulous and rigorous stop and search operation and uncovered the illegal ammunition in a truck with Registration number ENU 697 XY.

He said the truck was loaded with 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges of 12 Calibre, containing 25 cartridges per packet, totaling 18,000 cartridges and an additional 250 packets of live (black) cartridges containing 10 packets each, totaling 2500 cartridges of same calibre.

According to him, the suspects, identified as Mr Eric Seworvor, a Ghanaian national, and the driver, Mr Lukman Sani, have been taken into custody and are helping with ongoing investigations.

“Information gathered during preliminary investigation revealed that the ammunition, which were surreptitiously concealed in a supposed empty truck were imported from Mali, via Idiroko International Border, where the criminals had successfully beaten several other checkpoints.

“They were en-route their final destination in Onitsha, Anambra, where they intended to deliver the illegal ammunition.

“Timely intervention by the vigilant troops however thwarted the chaos that such volume of ammunition would have unleashed on innocent members of the public, if the criminals had succeeded.

“The Nigerian army therefore appeals to all law abiding citizens to continue to support the troops and other security agencies with credible and actionable information, as they combat security challenges across the country.

The Chief of Army Staff, Maj,-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, commended the troops for their commitment and urged them not to relent as they strive in synergy with other services and security agencies to provide safe and secure atmosphere for all Nigerians and socio economic development across the country.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Experts at a three-day training in Abuja have identified retraining of paediatric anaesthetists as one of the best ways to provide safer and improved anaesthesia to children during surgery.

They said that retraining of paediatric anaesthetists could help reduce morbidity and mortality during paediatric surgery.

The experts said this while speaking during a course training organised for paediatric anaesthesiologists by the Paediatric Anaesthesia Society of Nigeria (PASoN) in partnership with Smile Train, a cleft charity organisation.

The theme ìs entitled: ”Safer Anaesthesia from Education – Paediatrics ” (SAFE-Paediatrics)

Dr Maryrose Osazuwa, a Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist, National Hospital Abuja, said the issue of safety in the administration of anaesthesia especially on children could not be over- emphasised.

Osazuwa, who is also the Vice-President of PASoN, therefore, called for increased advocacy and education, as well as the training of more professionals.

“We have a limited number of paediatric anaesthetists in Nigeria.

“However, there is a need to educate other anaesthetists who also care for children to bridge the gap caused by brain drain.

“There is a need to increase the number of skilled healthcare professionals.

“Asides the PATA fellowship, which trains two doctors annually, more advocacy is needed and more training programmes for PASoN members and all health workers involved in child care will go a long way in tackling the challenge,” she said.

Also speaking, SAFE Course Director, Dr Alhassan Mohammed, who is also a Consultant Anaesthetist at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, said the training was aimed at teaching participants how to effectively manage anaesthesia in children undergoing surgery, while ensuring their safety throughout the process.

Dr Salawu Morayo, another Consultant Anaesthetist at the National Hospital Abuja, said only continuous training could guarantee safe anaesthesia.

“The administration of anaesthesia in children is particularly challenging due to their unique and delicate nature.

“Therefore, anaesthetists who handle children need to undergo continuous training and retraining to develop systematic and methodical practices that would ensure safer and better anaesthesia and reduce morbidity.

“Government should employ more anaesthetists, provide more training opportunities, and empower the professionals for effective service delivery,” Morayo, who is a facilitator of the training, said.

Speaking earlier, Victoria Awuzie, Senior Programme Manager, Smile Train, had revealed that sponsoring the training was in line with the vision of the charity organisation, which is dedicated to quality healthcare capacity building and advocacy to increase access to safer surgeries in low- and middle-income countries.

Awuzie disclosed that the training was for 80 participants who are expected to disseminate the knowledge acquired to their respective states and regions including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano.

“Smile Train has partnered with and supported hospitals across Nigeria to enhance their capacity to care for children and ensure their safety during surgeries.

“This is a significant investment, and we will continue to train doctors and nurses until we achieve our goals,” she said.

Dr Abubakar Ballah, a participant from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the knowledge gained

“I will take the knowledge gained from this training to my colleagues.

“The importance of proper procedures and safety rules that cannot be overstressed.

“I will advocate policy changes, such as involving anesthetists in trauma management, where previously they were not involved,” he said.

He thanked the organisers and sponsors of the course for the opportunity given him and other participants at the training.

The theme of the training was, “Safer Anaesthesia From Education – Paediatrics (SAFE-Paediatrics)”.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Members of the Rotary Club of Wuse Central in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday offered series of free medical services to residents of Dakwo community in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the medical outreach which took place at the Primary Health Centre, Dakwo, witnessed scores of pregnant women, nursing mothers and youths coming out to partake in the exercise.

NAN also reports that the residents were given mosquito treated nets, while each pregnant woman among them received a set of baby delivery kit.

President of the club, Kelong Alkali, said no fewer than 80 residents benefitted from the gesture which he described as synonymous to Rotary Club worldwide.

Alkali added that the gesture was part of the commemoration of Rotary Club’s maternal and child health month scheduled for July.

“This event is a key focus area in Rotary Club. As you may be aware, Rotary Club is an international organisation that carries out humanitarian services, projects friendship and conflict resolution too.

“Every month, we pick one critical area and work on. And in this month of July we are working on maternal and child birth. So today, we from the Rotary Club of Wuse Central are here to provide free medical services to the people of Dakwo community.

“Some of the items we are giving them freely are: mosquito nets, free routine drugs which include Folic Acid, iron tablets, Vitamin C and other vitamins for pregnant women and nursing mothers so that they can have safe delivery, because maternal death is a big issue in some of our rural communities,” he said.

Also, Oluwasola Ajadi, Director, Projects/ Community Services of the club, said the outreach was aimed at paying attention to the endless needs of the downtrodden especially in their healthcare requirements.

She said that the large turn-out of beneficiaries at the event gave her the fulfilment that she had touched lives.

Ajadi also attributed the high number of the beneficiaries to why additional provisions were later made in a bid to reach more residents.

“After seeing what has happened here today, especially the large turn-out; I really feel that I have been able to touch lives in conjunction with my colleagues.

“Rotary Club is about touching lives and I’m proud to be part of this noble cause.

” I’m so pleased to see how happy the beneficiaries are; especially the women among them. I can assure you that Rotary will want to do more.

“The interesting thing was that we had to increase our provisions after witnessing an increased number.

” In fact, this is a plus for everyone who made this happen, ranging from the community leaders, the health officials and Rotary Club itself,” she said.

Dr Dorothy Ihegazie, Programme Officer in Charge of Health Promotion in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), expressed appreciation to Rotary Club for the gesture, she added that it was not their first time of supporting the community.

Ihegazie who is also the Overseer of AMAC Primary Health Centres (PHCs), revealed that ante-natal mothers topped the list of beneficiaries of the outreach programme.

She, however, called on other well-to-do members of the public and organisations to emulate what Rotary Club is doing in terms of giving back to the society.

In separate interviews with NAN, two of the beneficiaries who are pregnant women expressed appreciation to the club.

They said its gesture would go a long way in reducing the economic impacts of their gestation period in view of the current economic situation in the country.

Florence Stephen, a 21-year old newly married woman said the items given to her would help her safe delivery in few weeks from now.

Also, Jemmy Joseph, 32, a housewife said it was her first time of being assisted by any organisation during pregnancy.

She therefore expressed hope that the health tips received at the event would help her during pregnancy and after childbirth, while the items and drugs would provide a succour for her household.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria