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2013 Flood: RSG Identifies Relief Camps
Following this year’s flood prediction by the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in some parts of the country, Rivers State is now reassessing the flood camps in the state.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr Dickson Umunakwe during a tour to some flood camps at Ahoada East Local Government Area, said the state was prepared to reduce the impact of the impending flood as plans were also in top gear to deploy a marine ambulance and six flying boats in each of the flood prone LGAs for prompt evacuation.
The commissioner represented by the Director of Administration in the ministry, Mr Victor Charles said the state government was working round the clock to ensure that the flood relief camps were habitable.
Corroborating, one of the Administration officers in the ministry, Mr Anthony Oghani said the aim of the identification of the flood relief camps was to take stock of the basic amenities at the camps for the comfort of the would-be flood victims should the disaster finally step in.
A press release by the ministry’s Press Officer, Mrs Martha Igbiks said the exercise would continue in Abua/Odual, Ahoada West and Ogba/Emgbema/Ndoni LGAs.
It would be recalled that the Ministry of Special Duties had earlier embarked on sensitisation to the flood prone LGAs where the inhabitants were enjoined to identify higher grounds in their various communities as muster points for easier evacuation and ensure the safe keeping of their vital documents, including birth and marriage certificates, Certificates of Occupancy or other title deeds before the flood.
Meanwhile, The Rivers State Ministry of Education says the study of French will provide the students in the state an opportunity to learn other foreign languages outside English Language.
The Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi stated this while on an inspection tour of facilities at the new site of Alliance Francaise at the Amadi Flats in Port Harcourt.
The commissioner said the world was now a global village and the need to give our students an alternative was necessary.
The Commissioner said the project when completed would enable Rivers people to have access to the facilities in the institute especially those who want to learn the French Language.
She also said that the Ministry of Education had been collaborating with the French Institute in the area of teacher training and organising of summer holiday school for pupils and students in the state.
“We have been working with them since I became the Commissioner for Education. We have sent quite a number of our teachers for courses and also have sent our students on holiday tours and summer schools to enable them speak the French language. You know the world is now a global village and the need to give our students the opportunity to learn an alternative foreign language outside English was necessary”, she said.
The Consul General of France in Lagos, Francois Sastourne said the French Institute has very good relationship with the Ministry of Education and believe that the partnership will bring positive results.
He said that partnership with the Rivers State Government would bring a new face in teaching of French Language in Port Harcourt and the Eastern Nigeria.
“It is a good thing that we have very good cooperation with the Government of Rivers State and the Commissioner for Education on this issue of developing French Language.
There has been a long standing cooperation but in the years past, there have been few hitches especially on the location of the premises of Alliance Francaise but this has been resolved. We now have a new place which is going to be completed soon and we should bring new face to the teaching of French Language in Port Harcourt and the Eastern Nigeria”, he stated.
The Director Alliance Francaise in Port Harcourt, Helene Geneau-Okutue said the partnership with the Ministry of Education had been very fruitful.
She said that the French Institute had trained some French teachers in the Rivers State-owned schools and stated that they would continue to promote the study of the language in the state.
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.