Water Resources
Nigerian government determined to eradicate poverty, unemployment – minister
The federal government has reiterated its determination to eradicate poverty as well as tackling unemployment in the country to the barest minimum, saying its many programmes designed to tackle the issues have had tremendous success. The government said the alarming rate of out-of-school children witnessed some years ago had considerably reduced due mainly to some of its initiatives, among which it said, was the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme. The government’s position came as it inaugurated an expanded committee on National Home Grown School Feeding Programme with a task on members to make meaningful contributions to stamp the problems out of the country. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, speaking at the event i...
NiMet chief appointed permanent representative to WMO
Following his appointment as the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, has been appointed the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the World Meteorological Organization, WMO. The appointment is in line with the provision of the General Regulations (Regulation 5a) of the World Meteorological Organization Basic Documents No. 1 (WMO – No 15) 2019 Edition which states that “Each member shall designate by written notification of the Secretary-General, a Permanent Representative who shall be the Director of the Meteorological or Hydrometeorological services to act on technical matters for the member between the sessions of congress. Subject to the approval of their respective government, Permanent Representative sho...
NIWE advocates partnership to address Nigeria’s water challenges
File Photo The Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) has sought for effective partnership between all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to resolve Nigeria’s water challenges especially in the rural areas. Chairman of NIWE, Abuja chapter, Engr Douglas Oloton stated this in Abuja yesterday at a talent hunt organised by the chapter to commemorate the 2021 World Water Day (WWD), with the theme, “Valuing Water”. He noted that population explosion, climate change, high demand on industry and agriculture is threatening the limited water resources, saying that water makes up 60 percent of human body and its fundamental for human, social and economic development. Oloton quoted the United Nations as saying that WWD raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without acces...
Coronavirus: Niger government directs civil servants to resume work March 1
Niger State Government on Thursday directed all civil servants to resume work from March 1. The State Commissioner for Information, Malam Sani Idris, disclosed this during a press conference in Minna. He said the Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello gave the directives during Thursday’s weekly State Executive Council Meeting. Newsmen report that the state government had on Dec. 21 directed civil servants to stay at home as a result of the upsurge of the second wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. Also, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, the State Commissioner for Water Resources said the ministry presented a memo seeking approval to establish Small Towns Water and Sewage Agency. He said the memo was approved by the council which would be translated to the state house of assembly to come up with a bi...
Nigerian government begins three-month special public works scheme in Jigawa
The federal government on Friday inaugurated the Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme in Jigawa with 1,000 unskilled youth benefiting from the 27 local government areas of the state. Each participant will receive N20,000 monthly for three months for the duration of the programme. The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who made this known at the ceremony in Dutse, said that the extended programme was an outcome of the pilot SPW in rural areas approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020. Mr. Adamu said that the programme was introduced following the emergence of the novel COVID-19 pandemic, as a measure to cushion the adverse socio-economic effects on citizens. “It aimed at shielding the vulnerable from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic which included, but are ...
Guinea court declares Alpha Conde elected president
Guinea’s Constitutional Court on Saturday declared incumbent Alpha Conde had been re-elected for a controversial third term as president at the age of 82, while his main opponent called for resistance “by all legal means”. With 59.5 percent of the votes cast, Conde’s support was above the absolute majority needed to win in the first round, judges found, throwing out challenges to the October 18 ballot from figures including his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo. The official count from the Ceni national election commission gave Diallo 33.5 percent. But the 68-year-old insists that data his activists gathered at polling stations shows he won the vote and is the victim of fraud. While observers from other African countries have backed the official results, France, the European Union and Uni...
Water Resources Bill: Minister decries misinformation of Nigerians
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, has said that Nigerians are being misinformed about the Water Resources Control Bill. The minister made the statement while interfacing with the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources in Abuja, following the public outcry that trailed the passage of the bill. Newsmen recall that sequel to a motion of personal explanation by Rep. Benjamin Mzondu (PDP-Benue) the house withdrew the bill which had already been passed on the grounds that it was not gazetted. The minister recalled that the bill was presented in the 8th Assembly and there was a two-day public hearing with Rep. Aliyu Ahman-Pategi as chairman. According to him, there was no issue at all until some unpatriotic Nigerians gave bad and dangerous colouration, and tried t...
NOA mobilizes Sokoto communities against open defecation
File Photo The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has commenced active community engagements against open defecations in rural communities in Sokoto State. The state Director of NOA, Alhaji Maude Danchadi disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting on ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ campaign, held on Wednesday in Sokoto. He said that the campaign was in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. He said that NOA would deploy its robust structures and officials in local government areas to promote reorientation and mobilise Nigerians for social change and prevention of open defecations. Danchadi noted that open defecation and poor sanitation have implication on public health, especially in the outbreak of water-borne diseases, and high mortality rate in rural areas. According to...
TUC begs police chief to release report of rape allegation against Kogi commissioner
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), has urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, not to sweep under the carpet the rape case allegedly leveled against the Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Abdumumini Danga. The Kogi State Chairman of the TUC, Comrade Ranti Ojo, made the call yesterday during a peaceful protest in Lokoja that was tagged “Say no to Rape and all Forms of Gender Based Violence.” Ojo lamented that the Nigerian Police under the leadership of Adamu has failed to tell the country the outcome of their investigation five months after the former Miss Kogi made the allegation, which drew public condemnation from far and near. He described rape as a grievous offence, which should be condemned in its entirety no matter how highly placed the culprit might be...
