Monday, February 28, 2011
citySTRINGS
THISDAY, Vol. 16, No. 5789, Page 51
As Lagos Educates Stakeholders on Climate Change ... Due to the environmental concerns of Lagos in the modem day, efforts are not being spared to educate critical sectors of the populace. The state ministry of the environment held one such activity last week. TAIWO AKINTUNDE writes oncemed citizens often examine the banes of ecological advancement in our society and also look at preventive measures that will enhance a good ecosystem in our environment. Lagos, reputed to be the "melting pot of div",,", cultures" is home to over 18 million persons. Climate Cbange on the other hand, is the bane of a sustainable environment. Many will look at the causes and effects of climate change as things that are humanly generated in our environments. Air pollution, over-popu1ation, lack of environmental ethics by citizens, just to mention a few, are some of the things that compund climate change issues in our environment. However, to properly address the issue and pass across viable information on the subject to the younger generations and other members of the society not only in Lagos State, but elsewhere, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment with the supervision of the ministry's Commissioner, Dr. Muiz Banire, organized a one-day Sectorial Summit on Climate Change with Principals and Teachers in Lagos
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State Public Schools. The summit tagged "Climate change: The Relevance of the Education Sector" according to Banire, is to educate the younger generations of our environment through their principals and teachers across public schools in Lagos State on Climate Change. ''This is part of our attempt to catch future leaders young and ingrain in them the causes and effects of climate cbange and their role towards a sustainable environment;' be said. Speaking further be said, "It is to remind us about the iroportance of not only fighting climate change but the essence of involving school children whose future is being threatened by the effects of global warming:' He said about four years ago, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola performed the official launch of Climate Change Clubs in Lagos Schools. The tJuust of this club as stated by the governor is "to re-orientate ourreeming youths and inculcate them with sanitary greening habits to enable them serve as agents of change in the larger soci-
House Member Donates Boreholes
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be Chairman House Committee on FInance, Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Adeola Solornon Olamilekan, who represents Alimosho Constituency II has donated some boreholes to belp reduce water hardship in this part of Lagos State. The boreholes, which are located across Egbe-ldimu and Igando-Ikorunlocal government areas are constructed to further support Lagos State's efforts to ensure that every part of the state enjoys fresh water. Tbese are areas, which are densely populated and water supply has been an issue as the inhabitants carry buckets looking for water from one location to the other. Olamilekan, wbo commended the good works the present Lagos State government has been doing under the leadership of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, said that water is a necessity and crucial to human existence as well as survival. He, therefore, urged the government not to relent in its effort to make pipe-bome water available to eveI)' home in the state a project which is ongoing and it is already being enjoyed in most parts of the state. He also urged cotporate organisations to support the government by being socially responsive to the plight of the people in the areas where they have business operations as this will enhance standard of living ~d translate to good busines~ for them. Hon. Olamilekan said Lagos IS such a densely populated CIty that needs everyone to contribute one way or the other to its development which is what be tries to achieve with the donation of these boreholes and other items to empower individua1s in his constituency. Some of the inhabitants of the local government areas where the boreholes are located especially women who manage the home front
By Raheem Akingbolu have expressed gratirude for this kind gesture. Mrs. Ornale who runs a store close to one of the boreholes at Mechanic Village, council area of Egbeda-Idimu said this has brought a relief to them because water is indeed a big issue in the area.
ety:' On that note, Lagos schools have done tremendously well in advocating a better way of hannonizing the factoni that brings about good environment. '''This has renewed our hope for a healthier and sustainable environment devoid of avoidable negative consequences. It is in this light that the Lagos State govemment has lined up a number of activities aimed at sustaining the achievements and taking our advocacy programme to the next level:' the commissioner said. Experts at a recent summit also analyzed that Nigeria from all indications is the only nation in the world that is threatened on all tronts by the consequences of Climate Change. The western part of the country is vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion. Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta and Cross Rivers States among others, like Chile and Haiti, which recently experienced earthquake and those that witnessed tsunami and hurricane includes India, Somalia and America are bordered by the ocean. Said Banire: "Soil erosion occasioned by the intensity of rainfall is tenibly degrading arable lands in the South East, causing gullies and destroying lives and property while the north is being ravaged by desert encroachment. In Nigeria, 11 states including Katsina, Kano, Bomo, Adamawa, Kebbi,Zamfura, Bauchi, Sokoto, Gombe,Jigawa, Yobe, are being ravaged by desertification:' He described the effects of losing arable land to desertification which are vegetal degradation, impoverished ecosystem, deceased biological productivity leading to food shortage, ill health, low per capital income, migration, conflict over fanning and grazing land, diseases and even death. The summit does nO! only focus on the education sector but have also touched some other sectors of the state such as trnnsport and health but still revolve round climate change. Tho lectures were delivered Prof. Bahajide Ala from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science University of Lagos and Mr.Ayo Tella, environmentalist at the summit. Tella, in a chat with TI1ISDAY, said: "Climate Change is a matter of world concern and not Lagos State alone. So long as the environment is not gender or race sensitive, then it is a collective responsibility by all and sundry. If an industry fouls the air, without doubts, the polluted air can travel distance and cause serious damage to the health of many and statistics have shown that children are at the highest number of vulnerability because of their inability to control their system at that time:'
Red Cross Supports Sokoto Flood Victims
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Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRC.S) with the support of the temational Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent
By Dele Ogbodo
(lFRC) through its Disaster Response Fund (DREF) has stated
that the Society is providing some medical relief and means of livelihood to support cornmunities in Tsaro Gidan Sule, Gidan Ayuba, Tsaro Mai Kasuwa, Diboni, Boald, Gawalcule, Dan Warn, Gidan Magajiya of Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State. They were affected by the 20 10 flood in Sokoto State. The livelihood support projects according to the Society, includes constroction of hand-pump boreholes, constroction of shallow boreholes, constroctlon of pit latrines, procurement of fertilizers and pesticides. The acting regional head for the West Coast Regional Representation, Mr. Jerry Niati, who was represented by the regional DM officer, Ymka Molabi, said the gesture was borne out of the deplorable living conditIon that the people were living in, after the disaster, which occurred in 2010.
Niati said the cause of deaths were due to relocation to a new area after the flood disaster which led to poor sanitation coupled with the poor water situation in the area. He said, it is expected that the provision of pit latrines and the hand-pump borehole will ease the water needs for domestic use within the communities and also improve sanitation. In addition, he said inigation, shallow boreholes were consnucted to assist the affected persons in their off-season fanns. In a remark, a community member, Alhaji Audu Muhammadu, said the movement of the communities to the new settlement area, made life unbearable for the communities due to the poor living condition~, which was without portable water and toilet and sanitary factllbes. He added that this condition which caused the spread of diseases also led to deaths.