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DAILY TRUST
Thursday, May 12, 2011
environment@dailytrust.com . HOILi NE: 08036417326
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100 nabbed for sanitation offences in Kogi f
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From Isiaka Wakill, Lokoja ONE hunderd people have been punished for various sanitation offences in Kogi State between last September and March this year. Director-General Environmental Sanitation and Waste Man·
agement Board of the state A1haji YusufYahaya, has said. Yahaya, who expressed concern over the negative attitude of members of the public to environmental sanitation, said stiffer measures would soon be put in place to further enforce compliance.
He said those caught violating sanitation rules during the monthly sanitation exercise in the state had been fined accordingly. According to him, "Many people are yet to know the importance of maintaining a clean environment Our officers are working day
and night to ensure a clean environment, but there is little we can do without the cooperation of the people of the state:' Yahaya noted that the recent outbreak of cholera epidemic in some areas in the state would have been averted if people had mail.-
tained a positive attitude towards their environment. He appealed to the authorities of the 21 local government areas in the state to help enlighten people on the need to keep their environments' clean, saying that it is the responsibility of all to do so.
NCF takes World Environment Day to Lagos schools THE Nigerian Conserva tio n Foundation will host a World Enviro nment . Day (WED) Competition among secondary schools in Lagos. The competition is scheduled to hold th is
month. School children will partici pate in different categories both at the Pre-WED competition on Friday May 20, 2011 and the grand finale on Tuesday June, 7,
201L WED is an environmental awareness programme aimed at promoting ingenuity, teamwo rk, environmental friendliness and environmental educa-
tion among children and youths. T he theme for this year's WED is 'Forest for People, Forest for Green growth'. It highlights the importance of forest to livelihood
and sustain able d evelopm ent. Interested Schools should con tact the organizers at the NCF headquarters in Lekki, Lagos to participate in one or all of the categories.
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FARMLAND destroyed by floods .
NEMA cautions on flooding Stakeholders tasked on .i
DR. Barnidele Onimode, South-east coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has cautioned Nigerians to be on the alert to manage disasters during .the heavy rains anticipated this year. Speaking witll newsmen in Enugu, Onimode said that this year's rainy season would be heavier than in previous years. "Tltis rai ny season is lil<e1y to come with three major problems; that is the issue of windstorm destroying peopies' property, the issue of nooding, and possibly, outbreak of epidemics. So people must reinforce
their buildings; the roonng, I believe should be reinforced, gutters that are blocked should be cleared to allow free flow of water.
State governments should please, pay more attention to their disaster manage ment outfits;' he pleaded. Onjmode appealed .to state governments··to make their State Emergency Man- . age ment Agencie&: (SEMA) more functional a!ld effective with a view to reducing disasters across the i:ountry. He observed that many SEMAs do not haye functional offices and o~rer logistics lil<e vehicles and office equjpmenl. . The coordinator said the agency would continue to collaborate with the NYSC fo r continued use of corps members in tackHng disasters in rural areas. He said that many ~orps members who had (or med Emergency Management
Vanguards had been trained to sensitise rural dwellers on gutter evacuation, tree planting and other disaster management measures. On post-election crises in parts of the country, Onimode said the agency provided relief materials to more than 3,300 Internally Displaced Persons in .Ooitsha, Anambra State and Owerri in Imo State. , The relief inaterials included food items, blankets and drugs, which were also distributed to some victims of political crises in the northern part of the country who ra n to army bar,F3cks for safety. . He said the agency had taken proactive measures to handle disasters .across the country. (NAN)
orest preservation
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WIFE of the Katsina State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Shema, has urged stakeholders in forest preser vation and afforestation to assist government to resuscitate the Rugu Forest Reserves in the state. Hajiya Fatima made the call in Katsina at a meeting with officials of her NGO, 'Service to Humanity Foundation' and the participating local ' governments bordering the
wo rldng plan to ensure the survival of the planted 'trees as well as to protect the forest reserves:'
Special Adviser to the state governor on environment, Alhaji Aminu Safana, said that the government wo uld support the NGO to achie"e its aims and objectives. He commended the efforts of the founder of the organ ization in complemenHng the acHvities of his department in forest preservation and fore~t. She said that the call became environmen tal protection. The meeting attrac ted imperative in v iew of tJIe fact that the forest was in serious need of rep resentatives of the state Ministry rehabil itation. of Ag ri culture and acting chairmen of According to'her, concerted efforts the· local governments bordering the Rugu Forest Reserves, among others. have been made 'towards resuscitating Rugu Forest Reserves, popularly the forest; including tree planting and . fencing of the planted trees to protect called 'Dajin Rug" ; is one of the major . forest reserves in the northern part of them and -Ijurture.them to maturity. She urged stakeholders to adop t a the coun try. (NAN)