Outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Prof Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, spoke to a team of Vanguard reporters on his achievements and challenges. Ozumba, who would be bowing out after a term of five years, said his ambition was to make UNN financially self-sufficient and stop it from going cap in hand to the Federal Government for funds for research, salaries and allowances. Excerpts: Prof Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba Can you tell us the highpoints of your five-year administration? I don’t even know where to start. When I…
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THIS LAGOS SCHOOL NOW TAKES USED PLASTIC BOTTLES IN LIEU OF SCHOOL FEES
An agreement has been reached between parents of students of Morit International School, Ajegunle, Lagos, and the school management to pay their wards’ fees with waste plastic bottles. This became possible after the school adopted the RecyclesPay Education Project, an initiative of African Clean Up Initiative (ACI), an environmental non-governmental organisational in Lagos. The school management embraced the initiative to ease the burden of parents finding it hard to pay their wards’ fees. Over 25 parents of the low-income school have reportedly embraced the initiative whereby parents bring plastic wastes…
Read More46 MILLION NIGERIANS STILL PRACTICE OPEN DEFECATION: UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 46 million people in the country still practice open defecation. Moustapha Niang, UNICEF official, said this while presenting an overview of the UNICEF supported water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme in Nigeria at the EU-UNICEF WASH media dialogue in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. Moustapha also disclosed that 15 million Nigerian still drink water from rivers, lakes, ponds, streams and irrigation canals while 57 million Nigerians do not have access to safe water supply and 45,000 children under the age of five die annually…
Read MoreFLOODING: OVER 10,000 DISPLACED IN KOGI
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Tuesday said that no fewer than 10,000 families had been displaced by flooding in seven local government areas of the state. Bello, who spoke during a tour of flood ravaged areas of Lokoja, listed the affected local governments to include Lokoja, Ibaji, Igalamela -Odolu, Ajaokuta, Kogi and Bassa. He said that farmers were particularly hard hit as they lost their houses, farmlands and livestock to the floods. The governor said that many communities in the state were always at the receiving end anytime…
Read MorePRESIDENCY ASSURES ON PROMPT RELEASE OF ECOLOGICAL FUND
…To distribute 4m fertilisers before year end From: Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja The Presidency has assured that the Ecological Fund will be release to states on time to enable them address pressing ecological challenges in their localities. It has also assured that through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) will deliver four million bags of 50kg Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer to farmers, at an affordable price, before the end of the year. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made the disclosure at the weekend on Hannu…
Read MoreBENUE RADIO, MARKET, 7 COMMUNITIES GO UNDER WATER IN MASSIVE FLOOD
Floods inflict damages across the country Benue Radio Station, Wurukum Market and seven other communities have being submerged following Saturday night heavy downpour in Makurdi. The State Commissioners for Land, Survey and Solid Minerals, Mr Bernard Unenge, and Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph Utsev went round the town for situation report on Sunday. Ustev explained that the ministry needed adequate funds to mitigate the situation, adding that the disaster was caused by blocked drainages in some areas. He said that the Transmission House of Radio Benue, Wurukum Market, and…
Read MoreOYO SEALS 3 CHURCHES IN IBADAN OVER NOISE POLLUTION
The Oyo State Government yesterday sealed off three churches in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, over noise pollution. The State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola who disclosed this, said the churches flouted the prescribed noise level in the state. Speaking with reporters in his office at the weekend, the commissioner said his ministry would no longer tolerate impunity as any religious body found exceeding the prescribed noise level would be shut. The commissioner who said he was harassed by one of the general overseers of one…
Read MoreSEE PHOTOS: RESIDENTS IN TEARS AS LAGOS STATE DEMOLISHES ILLEGAL SHANTIES IN OBALENDE
Yesterday, Lagos State Government began the demolition of illegal structures and shanties in Obalende after it served another 48 hours‘Abatement Notice’, Tuesday, 25th to Thursday, 27th of July, 2017, to all owners of illegal structures and shanties including containerised shops around Obalende to remove them immediately or face demolition and prosecution. Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force Superintendent of Police, Olayinka Egbeyemi said the illegal structures and shanties including containerised shops were directly constructed right on water channels thereby, blocking free flow of water through drainage and canals around Obalende with resultant floods…
Read MoreFLOODING: LAGOS EARMARKS 7 ESTATES FOR DEMOLITION
The Lagos State Government has ordered owners of buildings erected on drainage alignments and channels in several upscale areas to vacate their properties or face forceful demolition. Some of the affected areas include: 1. Dolphin Estate, 2. Osborne Foreshore Estate, 3. Lekki, 4. Osapa London, 5. Ikota, 6. Ogombo and 7. Ikoyi. The announcement given by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, comes as the aftermath of devastating floods that put several lives in danger and wrecked severe damage on properties in the state a few weeks ago.…
Read MoreOUTRAGE, DESPERATION AS FLOOD SACK CITIES NATIONWIDE
•Flood submerges parts of Asaba, as residents battle torrential rains The rains returned to Lagos yesterday with fresh flooding in many parts. The situation hampered human movement on a day set aside for election into the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas. The rain, accompanied with thunderstorms, lasted for more than two hours, confining many residents to their apartments, until it subsided. The flooding of the roads compelled road users to drive against traffic in some areas as people rushed to beat the 7a.m. restriction of movement time.…
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