FG to Create Sustainable Future for Environmental Sanitation Practices

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Ministry of Environment has revealed its intention to create a sustainable future for environmental sanitation practices in Nigeria by breathing life into the evaluation of students’ knowledge on environmental sanitation and hygiene.

The Ministry while stating that the evaluation would help the Nigerian students in strengthening their knowledge of the importance of personal hygiene, a clean environment and a lifestyle that protects climate as well as enhancing their critical thinking skills on environmental sanitation issues, said the essence of environmental sanitation is to develop and maintain a clean, safe, healthy and pleasant environment in all human settlements, and promote the social, economic and physical well-being of the populations.

Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Ministry of Environment, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya in a speech at the “2024 National Environmental Sanitation Day Junior Secondary School Quiz Competition” held in Abuja on Tuesday said: “Therefore, I, urge you to use this opportunity to showcase your knowledge and know that every question is a privilege to learn and grow as an agent of change. At the end of this event, please take the message, (“Go Greener, Stay Clean, Climate Change is Real” ) to your respective schools, homes and everywhere you go.”

Olusanya while urging the student to keep their environment clean at all times, stressed that the current outbreak of cholera in the country is a consequence of poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
He said Environmental Sanitation practices such as regular cleaning of the environment would help to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses.

He said: “Let me use this opportunity to express the Ministry’s appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education, the management and teachers of the schools participating in this quiz competition for their dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders and change-makers. Our gratitude also goes to Breakthrough Action Nigeria for their unwavering support towards making today’s event a success.”

Representative of Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Mailafiya Danlami Hassana explained that the quiz competition on ‘’Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene, and Climate Change’’, is to help the students reflect on the significance of sanitation and hygiene practices.
Mrs Danlami said Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene are not just words, but pillars of a healthy and sustainable life.

FG to Create Sustainable Future for Environmental Sanitation Practices

Democracy Day: Borno Speaker expresses distress over inability of military to restore civil authority in Guzamala LG

By Ndahi Marama

The Speaker, Borno House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan has expressed deep grieve over the inability of the Nigerian Military and other security agencies to restore civil authority or return back thousands of people hitherto displaced by insurgents for the past 10 years to Guzamala local government headquarters.

The Speaker who also hails from Guzamala disclosed this on Wednesday while delivering his goodwill message at the celebration of the Democracy Day which took place at Ramat Square in Maiduguri, the state capital.

He said, although relative peace has been restored in many parts of the state, in which, Governor Babagana Zulum with support from members of the House of Assembly and other stakeholders, are relentlessly providing dividends of democracy at all levels, Guzamala Local Government Area in Northern part of the state, including Abadam council area have been denied all the opportunity, as they continue witness ‘zero- project’ for over decade.

Recall that Governor Zulum inaugurated a resettlement committee on 4th July 2022 to reconstruct and resettle the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Gudumbali town which is the headquarter of Guzamala LGA of Borno State.

Governor Zulum had charged the Nigerian Army to recapture the town to enable the ongoing rebuilding and resettlement process, but to no avail.

Also lamenting, the Speaker said, “I have been appealing to the Federal Government and the military time without numbers to restore civil authority in Guzamala Council area, but all my plea to the military and other security agencies failed woefully.

“As long as we appreciate the good efforts put in place by Governor Zulum and the cordial working relationship that exists between the Executives, Legislature and the Judiciary in transforming all hitherto liberated communities in Borno, especially in the area of construction of roads, schools, hospitals, houses, provision of Agricultural inputs, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement of our displaced people, poverty alleviation, jobs creation among others, the people of Guzamala and Abadam local government council have recorded zero-project for over decade due to its inaccessibility by civilians.

“Even Kukawa local government area where there are presence of civil authority, there is no presence of military or any security operatives in Kukawa Council headquarters, and that is why the resilient people living inside Kukawa town were served with a warning or threatened letters recently by ISWAP terrorists to vacate the town or risks their lives.

“As we celebrate the 2024 Democracy Day, I want to reiterate my appeal to the federal government under the leadership of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Military authorities to restore civil authority in Guzamala Council and other inaccessible areas, so that our displaced people taking refuge in Niger Republic or those living in host communities of Maiduguri metropolis and Gajiram, Monguno local government areas should go back to their ancestral homes and pick up their pieces”. Speaker Lawan stated.

Earlier in his address, the Acting Governor, Dr. Umar Kadafur informed the gathering that a committee set up under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Hon. Sugum Mai Mele, and the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF are working round the clock to restore normalcy and relocate back displaced people of Guzamala to their ancestral homes, Government will expediate action to resettle all Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs back to their communities before the end of its tenure.

He also said, in the spirit of the Democracy Day, 10 prisoners were pardoned, even as the state government is doing everything possible to restore the relative peace in the entire state and continue providing infrastructural development across the 27 local government areas.

Democracy Day: Borno Speaker expresses distress over inability of military to restore civil authority in Guzamala LG

NDDC FLAGS OFF THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS’ QUARTERS AT UMUECHE, IN ETCHE LGA OF RIVERS STATE

By: Chimezie Happiness

The 7th Governing Board of the NDDC today flagged off the construction of Principal and Teachers’ quarters at Community Secondary School, Umuechem, in Etche LGA of Rivers State.

The Rivers State Representative on the NDDC Board, Chief Tony C Okocha KSC JP DSSRS, who conducted the Official Flag-off/Project Handover on behalf of the 7th NDDC Governing Board, assured the Community that the project would be completed in less than four months if the community provides an enabling environment for the contractor to work. He warned the contractor handling the project against substandard work and promised that he would be inspecting the project from time to time.

Chief Okocha stated that he decided to locate the project at Umuechem because of the peaceful nature of the community and its contributions to the nation’s economy. He warned that the Commission would not hesitate to withdraw the project from the community if the contractor complains of unnecessary harassment.

The Rivers State Boss heartily thanked the Board and Management of the NDDC, ably headed by Barr. Chiedu Enie and Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku respectively, for awarding several people-oriented projects to Rivers State and for reforming the Commission into a vibrant Interventionist Agency.

Chief Tony Okocha also thanked President Tinubu for finding him and other members of the Board worthy of appointment to the 7th Governing Board of the NDDC. He specially commented the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, His Excellency, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike CON, for making Rivers State and South-South proud with the excellent work he is doing in Abuja.

The event witnessed the presence of the Executive Chairman of Etche LGA, Hon. Chief Obinna Anyawu, politicians, Chiefs and Ohnas, the Community Development Committee (CDC), Youth and Women body of Umuechem Community, among other observers.

Earlier, the Rivers NDDC Boss visited the oldest man in Etche LGA, Elder Michael Onwuka, who is 123 years old and still very strong and energetic. Chief Okocha presented food items, beverages, and money to the elated old man, who responded with prayers and blessings.

Thereafter, Chief Tony Okocha, on the invitation of the Executive Chairman of Etche LGA, commissioned the Umuechem Town Hall, one of the star projects of the administration of Hon. Chief Obinna Anyanwu, the Executive Chairman of Etche LGA.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of a Distinguished Merit Award to Chief Tony C. Okocha KSC JP DSSRS by the Stakeholders of APC Non-indigenes, Etche chapter.

NDDC FLAGS OFF THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS’ QUARTERS AT UMUECHE, IN ETCHE LGA OF RIVERS STATE