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Commercial Felling Of Trees Crime Against Nature – Group

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State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya (left) briefing journalists at end of April 2016 Sanitation monitoring in the state. With her are State Director National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr Oliver Worlugbum. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya (left) briefing journalists at end of April 2016 Sanitation monitoring in the state. With her are State Director National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr Oliver Worlugbum. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

Ghraizi and Partners, an
International NGO, has appealed to Nigerians to avoid felling trees for financial gain as it is a crime against nature.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mohammed Ghraizi, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Abuja while speaking on the 2016 World Earth Day.
He said that because climate change was real, the government must begin to implement “policies that have been put in place to help preserve the environment for our future generations’’.
“It is a crime to cut a tree because you want to use it for financial gain; it is a crime against nature.
“Before you even have to think about cutting down a tree why don’t you just take a good look at it and ask why it is there?
“Because I have seen some trees maybe hundreds of years old and if I had that in my home land I would preserve it.
“So why would you cut such a tree down? Try not to cut the tree down in the first place.
“We hope it would not fall on deaf ears and someone in the right authority, government stand will actually try and implement the policies that have been put there to help preserve the environment for our future generations.
“Global warming and climate change is real, so wake up people, wake up.’’
He also urged home owners to make provision for gardens and tress in their housing plans.
“It is really sad to see that land owners and home owners at the end of the day want to develop their land and they will maximise it, put the whole structure without allocating part of it for a nice garden and trees.
“The land is 700 square meters; they will build on 650 square meters, not even a parking lot, not even a flower. It’s such a sad thing.
“This is Africa; why don’t you integrate Africa into your living style; why can’t we be original in this, because what we have here in Africa nobody in the world has.’’
According to Ghraizi, Nigeria has the capacity to become one of the world’s best tourist destinations given the natural resources it has.
Also speaking Rosaline Agiamoh, the Co-founder of the organisation, said that there were more sustainable and cost effective ways of producing furniture without having to log trees.
Agiamoh spoke of the need to sensitise the public to the need to recycle furniture.
According to her, the recycling of furniture is better than cutting down trees and using the wood to produce furniture.
She said: “If you really have to log a tree, it has to be for a very unique job, not just let’s just log a tree to provide roofing.
“ It is sad when you see such trees being cut down for very mere purpose and you could use other sustainable materials.
“The whole world is pushing for more sustainability. There are a lot of other materials that do not cost us as much in terms of our environment and could be used in housing, construction and so on.
“So having policies that also support that, I think is important.’’

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Maritime

Fall Off Container Crushes Woman To Death

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Tragedy struck on Friday, when a fully loaded 40ft container fell from a Mack truck and crushed a woman to death along Lagos, Ibadan Expressway.
The Tide gathered  that the Mack truck was on high speed when the incident occurred around NNPC inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
A statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightment Department of Lagos State traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, said a fully loaded 40ft Mack articulated truck fell on a Nissan car with registration number ABJ 692BG and instantly killed a woman at the rear of the car, while the car driver survived unhurt with the support of LASTMA officials.
Taofiq confirmed that the driver of the Mack articulated truck with his motor-boy ran away immediately the fatal accident occurred.
He said, according to preliminary investigation, the truck while on a high speed lost control as a result of a brake failure and rammed into a moving Nissan car on motion by N.N.P.C inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos.
The rescue agencies at the scene of the crash were the LASEMA, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Police.
Also at the accident scene were the LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, LASTMA Director of Traffic Incidents, Event Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance, Mr. Hakeem Adeosun, and the LASTMA rescue team.
General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare Oki, however, warned motoring public, particularly truck drivers, to stop over speeding and ensure their vehicles are properly checked, including the braking system, before embarking on any journey within or outside the State.
The incident attracted passers-by, who thronged the scene lamenting the unfortunate incident, accusing men of the ports task force of negligence.

 

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

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PTML Customs Posts N66.92bn Revenue In First Quarter 2024

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The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has presented an impressive revenue record collection for the first quarter of 2024.
According to the Command, it collected the sum of N66,920,181,586.30 as total revenue for the quarter of 2024, which is N22,198,965,809.55 higher than N44,721,215,776.75 collected between January and March 2023, representing 49.6 percent increase.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command , Compt. Saidu Abba Yusuf, who described the increase in revenue collection as a laudable feat , said the Command is more committed towards trade facilitation and support government drive for ease of doing business.
Comptroller Yusuf, who thanked the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for initiating strategies to achieve faster cargo clearance, reiterared that PTML Command under his watch aims to surpass its record of three hour cargo clearance for compliant traders.
According to Yusuf, the launching of time release study (TRS), which is ongoing, and other deliberate efforts by the Comptroller General have contributed in the expansion of terminal space and promoting ease of doing business in PTML.
He also disclosed that the PTML Command has potentials to achieve two hour cargo clearance and surpass its existing three hours record, if port users compliance level is improved upon.
Comptroller Yusuf, who described PTML as one of the safest and most secure environment for RoRo (Roll On Roll Off) and general cargoes, also advised importets and their agents to take advantage of the incentives available for compliant traders such as fast track, advance ruling and possible migration to the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.
He reminded port users in PTML of the robust and time conscious dispute resolution mechanism, which has contributed immensely to the revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti smuggling functions of the Command.
While commending the various government and private sector stakeholders for their cooperation and support towards realisation of government goal of revenue collection and prevention of unlawful activities, Comptroller Yusuf expressed optimism that the Command will surpass its annual target for the year.

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Customs Comptroller Lauds Scanning Officers Over Efficiency

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The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba, has commended the officers of the Non Intrusive Inspection Technology Unit (NIITU) for their invaluable contributions to the overall success of the Command.
Comptroller Jaiyeoba, who was on an unscheduled visit to the scanner site, reminded the officers of the importance of team work as a strong basis to sustain the gains of compliance and revenue collection recently recorded by the Command.
According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Command, CSC Abubakar Usman, Comptroller Jaiyeoba thanked Deputy Comptroller, Salamatu Atuluku, the Officer in Charge of scanning site, and encouraged the unit not to be deterred by complaints coming from persons who were made to pay accurate duties to government after issuance of demand notices.
The Customs boss stated that no business person who is made to part with money will be happy with officers that refused compromising the ethics of their job.
He noted that “The main reason for me coming here is to appreciate you. I may not see you, but I have seen your work and I won’t keep quiet about what I have seen about your work. You are doing very well. I just want to encourage you to work as a team. If you don’t work as a team, you give room for outsiders to come in and when they come in, they divide you, and when they divide you, achieving success will be very difficult.
“Do your work without blemish. Once you keep your arm straight, you can stand before anybody. Your work as a Customs Officer is to ensure that you do the correct thing.
“For those of you doing intervention in the form of Demand Notice (DN), there is no body who part with money that will be happy with you. They will want to play intelligent by hiding somewhere. When you fetch them from their hiding place, they become your enemy.
Whatever they write about anybody here will still come down to me and if anybody works well, the onus on me is to defend such a person .
“Just have it at the back of your mind that you owe yourself the duty of doing your work diligently whether anyone comes around as a friend or enemy. It is not enough for you to rest. The reward for hard work is more work. These demands require sacrifice so that you can maintain the status”.

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