Connect with us

Environment

LASG Engages Amuwo-Odofin Stakeholders On New Jetty Construction

Published

on

The Lagos State Government last Thursday said that the proposed jetty project in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government (AOLG) area would create several opportunities when actualised.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Gaji Omobolaji, said this at a meeting with stakeholders on the proposed construction of a Barge Jetty and Stacking Bay at Beachland Estate in Amuwo-Odofin.
He said the Barge/ Container Terminal would improve connectivity, create jobs, enhance commerce, decongest existing ports, increase government revenue and boost infrastructure development in the area.
The permanent secretary, represented by Mr Lasisi Adedoyin, a Deputy Director, said the project being handled by Beachland Consilium Ltd was to develop a Barge/Bonded Container Terminal at Beachland Estate, Ibafon.
He said an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been conducted and the meeting was to seek the input and support of the community toward the project.
Omobolaji said the meeting was organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to create awareness on the EIA report and encourage participation of the host community and the public on location of the project.
He said that the meeting was also to document concerns and observations of the communities and relevant stakeholders.
“This is to assess the potential impacts of the project and to put in place measures to mitigate them as a way of ensuring that the project is implemented in a sustainable manner,” he said.
The permanent secretary said the site is bordered to the west by Kirikiri Creek while to the south are Rhamaniya storage facility and Lagos Lagoon, and the project will occupy 342 hectares of land.
He said the project would ensure faster evacuation, storage, transfer of imports, exports and also act as an empty return holding bay for containers to/fro the Lagos Lagoon while also listing anticipated negative consequences.
“The proposed Beachland barge terminal/integrated logistics park when operational will help minimise use of road transportation and decongest the existing Apapa roads by making use of inland waterways which offers faster delivery time to the various industrial and commercial hubs in Alaba, Tradefair complex and Agbara,” he said.
The Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Mr Valentine Buraimoh, said the terminal would boost development and help decongest the roads within the community.
Buraimoh, who was represented by the Chief of Staff of the Council, Mr Segun Idris, said the project would also help reduce security risks in the community.
“It will reduce the congestion on our roads and the lifespan will be increased.
“We are not happy with the issue of tank farm; so if there is another way to convey petrol to various fuelling stations, we are happy with it,” he said.
Mr Ajasa Oluwa, a representative of the Oluwa family – landowners of the area where the terminal will be situated – said the project was a welcome development to the community.
He, however urged the ministry of environment to ensure that members of the community got a good representation when staff were being recruited during and after the project.
Oluwa also urged the ministry to put the traders along the route of the project into consideration, so they don’t lose their source of livelihood.
Another member of the family, Mr Oyebowale Oluwa, said the family would welcome the terminal, as long as the ministry followed through all proper and legal steps necessary for the project. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Environment

Waste Recycling: Minister Lauds UNEP, GEF

Published

on

The Federal Ministry of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in collaboration with some e-waste recyclers have recycled some 300 tonnes of e-waste in Lagos.
Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, stated this at the closing ceremony of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project on Circular Economy Approaches for the Electronics Sector in Nigeria, held in Lagos
Abdullahi  expressed gratitude to UNEP/GEF for the technical and financial support for the project.
He also commended the Lagos State Government for providing the enabling environment for the successful implementation of the project.
Abdullahi said that the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) played critical role for the project.
He said that their effort made it easy to achieve the project target of recycling 300 tonnes of e-waste in the state.
According to the Tide source the minister represented by Mallam Stanley Jonah, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Environmen said that e-waste was one of the fastest growing waste streams globally.
He said that most developing nations have been turned to a dumping ground with the influx of both new and used electrical and electronics.
The minister further noted that e-waste management for most developing countries including Nigeria was primarily handled by the informal sector, who scavenges for valuable material using crude methods.
“They retrieve the economically viable components through dismantling and dispose of the part that is not valuable to them either at open dumpsite or by burning or burying with municipal waste.
“Besides adding harmful element components to the environment, indiscriminate disposal of waste is a lost opportunity for recycling.
“Most solid waste contains some form of recycling materials, including plastics, glass, precious materials and metal.
“This call for concern on the resources efficiency and the attendant problems it poses to human health and the environment,” Abdullahi said.
Also, the Director-General, NESREA, Prof Aliyu Jauro, said that the environmental and health problems associated with e-waste are due to the hazardous material contained in them.

Continue Reading

Environment

Committee Scores Self High On Refuse Evacuation

Published

on

The Port Harcourt City Enviromental Sanitation Committee has given itself a pass mark in refuse evacuation and desilting of drainages in the city.
Chairman of the committee, Sir Christian Mgbamoka, who scored the committee high in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said within the last two years  of operations by the committee, the level of cleaniness in the city has improved tremendously.
“Two years now, well, I think we have made some marks”
He said it was obvious that within the past two years, the level of flooding has reduced in the city and blamed it on the regular desilting of drainages across the city by the committee.
“It is obvious that for the past two years we have been embarking on desilting of of our drainages which has reduced flooding within some critical or very important areas in port Harcourt City.
He said areas such as Dr Peter Odili road, the central bank road including front of the state high courts have been affected positively by the committee’s activities.
Mgbamoka also said regular desilting exercise has been carried out within the Dline areas of the city and mile 3.
He said the committee’s plan was to connect all the areas to the interwoba creek with the view to ensuring the free flow of waters
On the incessant flooding at the mile 1market, Mgbamoka blamed the problem on the designing of the drainages in the area.
He said the committee has interfaced with the ministry of works on the issue, adding that the ministry has promised to look into the issue.
The chairman also said the committee has also partnered with the Rivers State waste management Agency (RiWAMA) on prompt evacuation of refuse.
He commended the mayor of the city Sir Alwell Ihunda for his support, adding without him, the committee would have been left with no achievements.
Mgbamoka also commended some residents of the city for their regular supports to the committee.
He said while some of the residents have been of tremendous helps , others have shown no zeal in the cleanup of their environment.
Meanwhile Some youth Corpse members in port Harcourt City local Government council under”The Rivgreen Community Development service (CDS) of the National Youth Service Corpse have carried out a sanitisation exercise at Abali park in port Harcourt City local Government council.
Over 50 corp members were involved in the cleanup exercise.
President Rivgreen CDS of the Nysc Omagbele Fabulous told the Tide that the exercise will be a continuous one .
He added that the next phase of their programm will involve tree planting around the garden city of port Harcourt so that the name will be in tandem with the present state of things in the city.

Continue Reading

Environment

Group Wants Audit Of Ogoni Clean-Up Project

Published

on

An environmental group, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, has called on Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to commence a comprehensive health and environmental audit of the Ogoni clean-up project.
This was contained in a statement made available to news men in port Harcourt.
The statement also regretted that the clean-up of Ogoniland has taken longer than necessary despite the available resources and manpower made available to the coordinating agency.
The statement congratulated the newly appointed HYPREP Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, adding that he must do things differently, focus on inclusion of stakeholders in the operations.
It qouted  the Director of the foundation Dr Nnimmo Bassey as saying “While we congratulate Prof. Zabbey, we equally take the opportunity to register some key urgent demands and hope that he uses his good office to advocate cleanup of the entire Niger Delta.
“Government should take coordinated action to end pollution including gas flaring.”
According to the statement Nnimo Bassey noted that with Zabbey’s pedigree as an academician and activist, the expectations of stakeholders are high and failure is not an option, calling for regular consultations to complex pollution sites.
“We applaud the appointment, as he has deep knowledge of the Ogoni environment and has done important researches in the area and in the wider Niger Delta region, coming 12 years after the UNEP report and sluggish manner by which the clean-up has been approached,” Bassey added.

Continue Reading

Trending