Monarch Launches Environmental Sanitation Programme In Ife

The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over the weekend launched an environmental sanitation programme ‎tagged ‘Gba’femo’, that is ‘Sweep Ife Clean’.

The sanitation programme, which worth millions of Naira includes a cleaning competition where residents will be encourage to get involved in cleaning the streets of Ife town.

According to the programme, the cleanest street in Ile-Ife and its environs when chosen would receive a cash reward of 100,000 Naira every month.

‎At the commissioning of the project held in front of the Ile-Oodua, Enuwa Square in Ile Ife, Osun State, Oba Ogunwusi, who was accompanied by his queen, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, said the provision of the two new Leyland trucks and waste disposal bins was to encourage the people of Ile-Ife to take the issue of sanitation very seriously.

He said that “environmental sanitation or cleanliness is crucial in the drive to make Ile-Ife a tourist destination. And Ile-Ife has to be prepared ahead for the millions of tourists expected to visit the ancient historical city from next year”.

About 200 youths have also been selected and enlisted for the take-off of the programme in collaboration with Local Government Authorities.

Oba Ogunwusi emphasised that environmental sanitation and cleanliness in all ramifications should be properly observed and carried out in all the nooks and crannies of Ile-Ife.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Mr Tunde Awoyemi, while addressing the crowd at the event said that Ooni Ogunwusi had challenged the youths, women and elders of the community to be actively involved in environmental sanitation and cleanliness of Ile-Ife and environs.

Also the Ife Traditional Council led by Obalufe of Iremo, Oba Idowu Adediwura and Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Julius Omisakin, spoke glowingly in support of the programme initiated by Ooni Ogunwusi.

They also appealed for support and co-operation of all and sundry in Ile-Ife and its environs to make the programme successful.

This initiative is coming days after flood destroyed property in the state’s capital city, Osogbo, leading to the death of one person.

The incident had been blamed on indiscriminate waste disposal by residents, something that the Ooni is trying to address in Ife town.

Dredging work has, however, started in Osogbo to guard against recurrence of the incident that occurred after flood warning was issued.

Channels Television. 

AFROSAI CALLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

The African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, AFROSAI, has called for the implementation of laws and regulations on environmental protection on the African continent.

The organisation also designed some programmes to aid the quick implementation of the environmental protection laws.

AFROSAI emphasised that the execution of the necessary environmental laws will bring down the economic hardships on African citizens and its resultant increase in societal ills.

This is following the successful completion of cooperative environment audit on the drying up of Lake Chad by the AFROSAI working group on environmental auditing meeting in Abuja.

Representatives of about 54 supreme audit institutions attended the meeting.

They looked at the possibilities for a proper environmental impact re-assessment that will ensure strict monitoring and control of activities in the basin and beyond.

They also focused on the role of both the citizens and government, especially towards ensuring implementation of multilateral agreements on environment arising from environmental audits.

The Acting Auditor-General of the Federation, Ms Florence Anyanwu, said that terrorism, poverty, unemployment and increasing economic discomfort are direct effects of the failure of governments so far to implement recommendations and environmental plans of action in the continent.

She maintained that the only way to progress is to ensure implementation of the recommendations.

Talks are already on-going for the cooperative environmental audit project on Niger by the Niger Basin Authority and the supreme audit institutions of the nine member countries.

Source: Channels Television

FRANCE URGES ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

France has launched a threefold appeal at the United Nations General Assembly for the swift implementation of last December’s Paris accord on climate change, a major increase in aid for Africa, and an immediate ceasefire in Syria and the provision of humanitarian aid.

President François Hollande of France made the appeal while addressing the Seventy-first UN Assembly’s general debate on its opening day, calling on all countries to speedily conclude all steps before the end of the year.

On Africa, he proposed an “Agenda 2020” to give all Africans access to electricity, and warned that there will be no development there without security being guaranteed, noting France’s own intervention in 2013 that prevented terrorists from seizing control of Mali.

“Today the threat is posed mainly by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, and organizations linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant,” he said.

President Hollande reiterated France’s support for countries of West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad region.

“Faced with this scourge the countries of West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad region know they can count on France. We are at their sides, we are training them, we are supporting them in all fields, including the crucial need for intelligence,” he added.

On Syria, Mr. Hollande said France would call on the UN Security Council to meet and advance four demands: impose a ceasefire, demand the immediate and unconditional provision of humanitarian aid to Aleppo and other besieged cities, allow for the resumption of political negotiations, and denounce and impose sanction on the regime’s recent use of chemical weapons.

Mr. Hollande said France also sought a meeting by the end of the year where Israel and then Palestinians will have both the capacity and responsibility to negotiate a solution to their conflict based on two states living side by side in peace and security.