Day: October 1, 2023

South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation’s hydrological report significant improvement across the Western Cape dam system following heavy rainfall in the past few days.

The Cape Town System Dams increased by more than 7% compared to last week, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said.

The Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) — comprising six dams (Theewaterskloof, Bergriver dam, Upper and Lower Steebras, Voelvlei and Wemershoek dams) supplying water to the City of Cape Town and its surroundings — is sitting at 109.38%, a significant improvement compared to 85% same time last year.

On individual dams, Theewaterskloof, the biggest dam in the Western Cape, which accounts for 54% of the province’s water supply, is at 100% and spilling.

Other dam levels are standing as follows: Misverstand Dam 152.67%; Brandvlei Dam 80.91%; Ceres Dam 101.16%; Gamka Dam 102.49%; Clanwilliam Dam 101.38% and Miertjieskraal 111.71%.

The Olifants / Doorn River Catchment has reached the 100% mark, a very healthy water yield compared to 86.71% of last year.

“It is pleasing to see that Gouritz River Catchment is hovering above 80%, as the system was below 50% at the same time last year.

“Some dams have sluice gates, while others do not have sluice gates. When the dams are full or overflowing, water is automatically released through spillways to control the flow downstream,” the department said.

While DWS is pleased with the significant rainfall, it has acknowledged that the heavy rains and adverse weather conditions have led to significant damage of infrastructure and detrimentally affected lives and livelihoods, especially those in riverbanks and low-lying areas.

“DWS continues to urge citizens to be careful near water resources and facilities, including crossing low-lying bridges.

“The department is currently conducting assessments on the infrastructure and there are no immediate reports of extensive water infrastructure (gauging stations) being damaged or washed away.

“DWS, together with other stakeholders, is monitoring the situation

Source: Nam News Network

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab on Saturday re-opened the Alayabiagba Market in Boundary, Ajegunle, after adherence to all prescribed sanitation measures by the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mrs Folashade Kadiri, Director, Public Affairs, of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and made available to newsmen in Lagos.

Speaking at Ajegunle, Kadiri quoted Wahab as saying that the government decided to re-open the market after it certified that all checklist given to the officials of the market had been fully addressed.

Wahab said that the checklist included placement of Double Dino Bin within the market as well as the erection of a fence at the entrance of the market.

According to him, the government will further ensure sustainability of all sanitation laws guiding the establishment of market spaces.

He urged traders in the market to respect the environment and ensure proper waste disposal at all times.

“We must stop littering our market with wastes, segregate and bag our wastes and always patronise PSP operators, stopping illegal dumpsites on road medians, kerbs, open spaces, and road setbacks and start policing our environment,” Wahab said.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the commissioner and his team alongside executives of Lekki Residents Association went round some of the drainage channels and black spots to inspect indiscriminate refuse dumping.

The team discovered contravention in terms of construction on drainage alignments as well as sealing up of setbacks for drains with concrete by the property owners.

Wahab said that the ultimate goal of clearing and dredging of all drainage channels and canals was to allow easy passage of rainstorm water.

“This explains why government has made continuous dredging of major drainage channels and canals spread across the state a priority,” Wahab said.

He said that directives had been given for contravention notices to be served on some of the commercial property owners on Admiralty Way for contravening the state environmental laws

He stressed that the poor state of the drainage system management by commercial buildings had seriously affected the road networks in Lekki axis in spite of the continuous rehabilitation of the roads by the state government.

He emphasised that government has zero tolerance to environmental abuse, especially drainage blockage using a classic example of the Durosimi Etti channel which is littered with waste and parked shuttle buses, asking that the space should be beautified.

He also dislodged an illegal mechanic workshop on a setback at Admiralty Way opposite Parktonian Hotels, adding that if they attempted to return, all the vehicles would be towed away.

The statement quoted the Special Adviser on Environment, Mr. Olakunle Rotimi – Akodu, as appealing to the people to desist from dumping refuse into the drains.

Rotimi-Akiodu added that clogging of the drains had been compounded by the activities of residents who had turned many major drainage channels into refuse dumps including tertiary drains across the state.

He also reiterated the warning issued to all property owners who had built on setbacks of drainage channels or drainage alignments to remove such structures as they constitute major impediments to free flow of water into the various drainage channels.

The statement quoted the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbedegesin, as saying that the authority is now better positioned to ensure a cleaner Lagos at all times.

The locations visited included Durosimi-Etti, Kayode Animashawun/Olubunmi Owa amongst others, all on Admiralty Road.

The statement said that the commissioner was accompanied on the inspection by the Permanent Secretary Drainage Services, Lekan Shodeinde and thePermanent Secretary Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, on Saturday flagged off the Federal Government’s verification of the National Social Register in Makoko, Lagos state.

According to the minister, the exercise will ensure that the federal government’s social register is accurate and captures the people that deserve to be on the register.

Edu said she was in the community to flag-off the Social Register verification for the Vulnerable People Living in the Makoko Area of the state.

She said: “We are here today in Makoko area of Lagos state because President Bola Tinubu has asked us to come here and verify the National Social Register.

“The President desires to ensure that the social register is accurate and indeed captures the people that deserve to be on that register.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria is trying to put monies in the hands of Nigerians.

“This is to assist them in terms of their businesses, livelihood, job creation, of course, to help them afford basic things like sending their children to school and ensuring that they can access to quality health services.’’

“For us to do this, we need to verify the National Social Register.”

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, visits Makoko area of Lagos State on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.

According to the minister, the president is determined to ensure that those on the national social register are truly poor and live under one dollar per day.

“The president has approved that we go down to the grassroots and ensure that the national social register is a true reflection of people who are poor, who live under one dollar a day, and people who live in remote areas and areas that truly need help.

“Those who should not be on the register should be removed. Those who need to be on the register should be included.

“And so, we are taking this as one of the samples. We are doing both the community targeting and geographical targeting.

“This is our first sample and we have gone round and we have seen that certain aspects of the Makoko was covered under the national register.

“However, the last area that we came for was not reflected on the national social register and so, we will be coming back to do a targeted capturing of the people in this area,” Edu said.

She also said that the exercise would be carried out across the country to ensure that a National Social Register in Nigeria has integrity.

“We will work with the governors, we will work with the states, we will work with the local governments and we will work with the community heads.

“And we can be sure that those who are being captured and those we will be making the conditional cash transfers to are those who truly need it devoid of political interference, devoid of social interference and devoid personal interest.”

Some food items distributed to residents of Makoko , Lagos State,by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 (NAN)

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister distributed some food items to the affected residents of the area and conducted a free health outreach on the sidelines of her visit.

Some residents of Makoko , Lagos, with food items distributed on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.(NAN)

Edu also said: “We won’t just come here empty-handed and we have tried to see that we can send in some food items, some palliative to them.

Some food items distributed to residents of Makoko , Lagos State, on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu

“The distribution will still continue. They will go house-to-house using the boats and drop the items at their various locations.

“This is actually what we need to do to ensure that we target the right persons as we make the move to end poverty in Nigeria and reduce humanitarian crises.

“We are also working with the National Population Commission, so we can go all the way to the grassroots.

“They (the population commission) have individuals in all the 8,200 polling units, wards, communities across the country.

“So, we have persons there that will truly verify the register for us, identify the human beings, then tell us areas that have not been captured,” the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has approved a provisional wage increment for workers in the country as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

Tinubu mage this known while addressing Nigerians on the 63rd Independence Anniversary of the country in Abuja on Sunday.

The president said that the average low-grade worker would receive an additional N25,000 per month for the next six month.

‘’Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation.

‘’For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month,’’ he said.

The president said that the present administration was committed to relieving the hardship faced by Nigerians, adding that various measures had been taken by all tiers of government to mitigate them.

‘’There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.

‘’We have embarked on several public sector reforms to stabilize the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to fight inflation, encourage production, ensure the security of lives and property and lend more support to the poor and the vulnerable.

‘’To ensure better grassroots development, we set up an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in critical areas. States have already received funds to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices,’’ Tinubu said.

He said that other efforts were being taken by government to touch all aspects that would impact directly on the lives of Nigerians to ease the pains of the new economic reforms.

The president said that on the issue of transportation, a cheaper and safer Compressed Natural Gas buses would be deployed across the country.

‘’These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares. New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process.

‘’We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.

‘’This is a ground breaking moment where, as a nation, we embrace more efficient means to power our economy. In making this change, we also make history.’’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu said that the Federal Government has been taking the paths to economic greatness since his administration assumed office in May.

Tinubu stated this in an address on the occasion of the nation’s 63rd Independence Anniversary on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the actualisation of these objectives would be pursued without fear or hatred but for the good of all Nigerians irrespective of religion, culture or class.

‘’At my inauguration, I made important promises about how I would govern this great nation. Among those promises, were pledges to reshape and modernize our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people.

‘’I said that bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy.

‘’I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment.

‘’Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp.

‘’I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.’’

He said that the support and patience of all Nigerians was paramount in the success of the economic reforms that would lead to the reality of Nigeria of our dream.

He said that the Augean stable at the Central Bank of Nigeria was being cleaned while tax reform and other fiscal policies are being designed to attract Foreign Direct Investment.

‘’I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway. A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted.

‘’Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences.

‘’Henceforth, monetary policy shall be for the benefit of all and not the exclusive province of the powerful and wealthy.

‘’I have inaugurated a Committee on Tax Reforms to improve the efficiency of tax administration in the country and address fiscal policies that are unfair or hinder the business environment and slow our growth.

‘’To boost employment and urban incomes, we are providing investment funding for enterprises with great potential. Similarly, we are increasing investment in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

‘’Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programmes to an additional 15 million vulnerable households,’’ he said.

Tinubu said that all citizens are welcomed to join hands toward a better country, adding that ‘’we can do it. We must do it. We shall do it’’.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria