Nation
FEMA Reopens Five Barricaded Roads
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reopened the barricaded slip road interchange and four other roads in the FCT, Abuja, to ease the flow of traffic.
The roads are Galadimawa interchange, Dogon Gada, Dogon Ruwa, Apo-Dutse, and Gada Biyu.
The TIde’s source reports that the roads were barricaded during the rainy season as a mitigating measure against flooding and to prevent loss of lives and properties.
Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation (FEMA) told journalists after the exercise in Abuja on Saturday, that opening of the roads would ease the flow of traffic in the affected areas of the city.
Wenegieme said the roads were barricaded on May 11, because of the recurrent flooding of the roads during the rainy season.
“The onset of the rain in Abuja is usually in the month of May hence the need to barricade the roads. You are all aware of what has been happening around this slip road every year.
“To the glory of God, no life was lost in this area from 2020 to 2022 because we made a tradition to block the road during the rainy season.
“It has become part of our mitigating measures to save lives and properties in the FCT by making sure that this slip road and other vulnerable roads are barricaded.
“This is to stop vehicular movement, pedestrians and those using motorcycles from using this road during the rainy seasons.
“Now we decided to open them to ease traffic since the rainy season is over”, she said.
She commended stakeholders and residents for their understanding and support throughout the raining season, adding that the removal of the temporary barricades would reduce traffic gridlock in the affected areas.
The director also announced the commencement of 2023 dry season sensitisation campaign against incessant fire outbreaks in the FCT.
She pointed out that the season was characterised by fire outbreaks, stressing the need for residents to be cautious while handling cooking gas, petroleum products, electrical appliances, and other inflatable items.
She urged residents to switch off all electrical appliances, keep a fire extinguisher at homes and shopping malls and advised against keeping petroleum and other flammable substances at homes and shops.
Wenegieme also warned residents against bush burning and operating businesses under high tension electric cables.
She appealed for the full cooperation of residents during rescue efforts in the FCT.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.