News
Flood Committee Tasks Engineers On Road Design
Engineers involved in the design of road projects in Rivers State have been charged to give priority attention to drainages so as to check the menace of flooding in our environment.
Chairman, Rivers State Flood Management Committee, Prof Winston I. Bell-Gam who gave the charge in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said road projects designed without proper attention to drainages were compounding the flood problems.
Prof. Bell-Gam therefore urged appropriate agencies involved in the approval and inspection of road projects to always ensure that drainage issues were not compromised because of the adverse effect it has on the project and environment.
Prof. Bell-Gam who also expressed concern over the flood situation in the various local government areas of the state said the committee was putting up proposals on how to tackle flood problems in the rural communities as the committee’s mandate covers the hinterland.
He particularly advised members of the public with useful information on flood to take advantage of the phone numbers publicised adding that his committee was in the process of setting up a website for easy accessibility and contact to enable it deal with flood wherever it occurs.
Prof. Bell-Gam also urged the people to desist from dumping waste on the canals and drainages to avoid blockage noting that to properly tackle the challenges of flooding, residents, organised private sector and corporate organisations operating in the state should complement efforts of the government.
The flood management committee boss also emphasised the need for property owners and developers to adhere strictly to the law which stipulates that people should observe 50 metres gap from the river banks as his committee recommends that the state government should remove defaulting structures to allow free flow of water.
He also called on people to fight the negative attitude of throwing waste into the drains by calling on appropriate agencies to arrest defaulters since the act create problems that affect the generality of the people.
Describing setting up of the committee as one of the most serious things that Governor Amaechi’s administration has done within the first 100 days of his second term in office, the committee boss challenged other state governors to emulate Governor Amaechi’s step to adequately handle the scourge of flooding which according to him has assumed one of the most serious environmental challenges in the world.
He particularly called on the federal government to provide more money from the Ecological Fund to states in coastal areas to enable them fight flooding before it takes more serious dimensions as seen in some countries of the world.
Chris Oluoh
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.