Business
Masts Erection NESREA Goes Tough On Telecoms Operators
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has said that it will crackdown on more telecommunication companies for flouting the country‘s Environmental Impact Assessment regulations.
The Director-General, NESREA, Dr.Ngeri Benebo, stated this during a stakeholders meeting on the Review of the Draft National Environmental Standards For Telecommunications Facilities Regulations 2010, in Abuja, on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), MTN, Etisalat, Globacom, Multilinks Telkom, Visafone, and Helios Towers.
According to Benebo, “The Minister of Environment had during a stakeholders’ meeting last year, directed that Environmental Impact Assessment should be enforced from January 1, 2010. Since that time, we have written to the telecommunications operators and even given them deadline to comply. But none of them has complied.
“The last deadline expires by August 27, 2010. After that deadline, we will crackdown on those telecommunications companies that fail to comply.”
“Nobody can say that he or she is not a beneficiary of the growth and development that have taken place in the telecommunications sector within the last few years. This development is welcomed. But while we are all happy at this, we have to be mindful of the safety and health of the citizenry and the environment in particular. This is because every insult on our environment rebounds on us as human beings.”
“To say that because NESREA is regulating the environmental insults arising from the sector is discouraging investors from Nigeria is a wrong statement in the sense that any investment that does not take sustainable investment into consideration is not good for Nigeria.”
Business
Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.