News
NAZAP Lauds Wike On Planned Revamp Of PH Zoo …Urges Involvement Of Experts For Standard
Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks (NAZAP) has lauded Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike on the government’s planned rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt Zoo to further enhance tourism potentials of the state.
The National President of the professional body, Francis Abioye who made the commendation in a statement in Owerri at the weekend described it as a welcome development to see the Port Harcourt Zoo come back to life through the determined effort of the Governor who had earmarked N472million for the rehabilitation of the Zoo.
“We must appreciate and congratulate the Governor for looking into the deplorable state of Port-Harcourt Zoo which has been neglected by successive Governments in the State thus creating bad image for us over decades, stating that any society that cares for helpless animals would definitely care for its citizens,” he said.
Abioye, however, advised the state government against contracting non experts for the execution of the project, saying that such move may encourage possible violation of standards should the Government fail to consult Wildlife experts during implementation.
The association also urged the state government to apply existing local and international laws which regulate the operations and establishment of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks to achieve the desired result, adding that any violation of conventional principles may attract both local and international sanctions from regulatory bodies during accreditation.
According to the President of the association, a letter jointly signed by the association’s National President Francis Abioye, the Secretary Prince Sakiru Raji and the PRO Vitalis Ortese has already been sent to the Governor stating the association’s input to the effort of the government to revamp the zoo.
“We hope that the Bureau for Public Procurement and Intelligence in River State will ensure that such projects are carried out by experienced conservation experts. It will be counterproductive if experts in conservation are not engaged in the project implementation. Engagement of experienced professionals will guarantee the execution of the approved project in line with new guidelines for 21st century Zoo. Any unprofessional work may deny River State Zoo accreditation soonest.
“The association seeks to properly guide the government on the dangers of carrying out the upgrade of a Zoo in the 21st century without a well profiled and experience experts. It could expose members of the public, tourists and Zoo staff to serious hazards.
“As a professional body, it is one of our mandates to institutionalize standards and enforce acceptable best practice among the operators of Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Nigeria.
“We also monitor Government policies as it affects Zoos and Wildlife facilities in Nigeria and provide professional guidance to the Government. Therefore, we strive to ensure that every Zoo and Wildlife facility in Nigeria operates with acceptable best practices.
“There are new guidelines enshrined by Federal Ministry of Environment with active involvement of NAZAP. There are also international laws guiding enclosure of wild animals in captivity to place the animals in an environment most suitable for their continuous survival”, the association said.
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.