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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014
AEPB to prosecute 37,000 residents over environmental bills
Traders selling wares at the Eagle Square, venue of the Abuja National Carnival, yesterday in Abuja.
By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
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Photo: NAN
SURE-P: House c’tee hails Women, Youth Employment project in FCT By Stanley Onyekwere
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he implementation of Community Service Women and Youth Employment (CSWYE) Project of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme (SURE-P) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has received commendation from the House Committee on Rural Development, for transforming lives of vulnerable members of the society. The commendation was given by a team of monitoring consultants to the House Committee on Rural Development, during a courtesy visit to Chairman of CSWYE project, after their oversight monitoring visit of the projects under CSWYE FCT component of SURE-P in AMAC, Abaji, Bwari, Gwagalada, Kwali and Kuje area
councils of the Territory. According to the Chief Consultant of Absolute Security and Consulting Services, the consultant to the House Committee on Rural Development, Mr. Yomi Charles, his team were impressed with the massive turn out of the beneficiaries at work in all the Six Area Council of the FCT. The Chief Consultant, who was represented by Samuel Adewoye, also promised to recommend to the House Committee on Rural Development to give a special commendation for the implementation of the CSWYE Project of the SURE-Pin the FCT. Also, the team specifically commended the State Implementation Committee (SIC), for facilitating a memorable tour of the territory. Responding, the CSWYE
Chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Suleiman, observed that the project, which is of the SURE-P in the FCT under the Federal Ministry of Labour, has regularly and consistently put food on the table of 3000 families in the territory for the past 18 months. Suleiman, who is also the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in FCT, said despite his tight schedule, he accepted to serve as the Chairman of the FCT project because of his conviction which has been vindicated that it will be beneficial to his peoples as a veritable and guaranteed channels of redistributing wealth directly to those who deserve dividends of democracy at the grassroots. “The project as a social safety net arose from the partial removal of subsidy on petroleum products
in January 2012 when the Federal Government of established the SURE-P. “So as to ensure that proceeds accruing are channeled to support palliatives measures targeted at the poor and vulnerable in the society, the Chairman, was quoted in a statement by Communication Specialist with FCT- CSWYESURE-P, Abdulrahman Mohammed, yesterday. It added that the Chairman revealed that presently, the monthly stipend of #10,000 has been paid to all the 3000 participants in the six area councils up to October 2014 adding that he welcome the oversight monitoring of the project, as it aimed at assessing and enhancing the success recorded and proffering solution to improve the health and human standard of our rural and urban environment.
Bala urges youths to shun drugs, alcohol for better future By Stanley Onyekwere
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inister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, has urged youth in the Territory to shun acts of drug abuse and other illicit lifestyle, so as to secure their future and live a fulfilled life. The minister handed down this advice while addressing secondary school students of the territory and some National Youth Corps Service (NYSC) members, at an enlightenment programme tagged; “Drug Abuse Enlightenment Campaign for FCTA Secondary Schools”, held at the Merit House, Abuja. Bala, who spoke through the Mandate Secretary of the Health
and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, who was represented by Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. M. B. Kawu, also enjoined youth to focus their energies on gainful activities. According to the minister, drug abuse is hazard that can destroy their lives if they permit any kind of peer influence make them succumb to trying it. He also noted that such lifestyle (drug addiction and alcoholism) would negatively influence their studies and mar their chances in life, hence the need for them to abstain from it. The minister who noted that they would definitely be tempted by friends and availability of these
items at some time told them to be mindful of their desire to be the best in the future and ignore all such temptation to try them. He told them they are the future of the country and they cannot afford to jeopardise their chances and that of the country in the future. “As young people the future of Nigeria is in your hands, because as future leaders, avoid anything that will deprive you of realizing your dreams and aspirations in life. “Drug abuse hinders your studies and prevents you from being useful members of your family and responsible members of the society and destroys future of otherwise very important personalities,” Bala said.
Similarly, the guest speaker of the occasion, Prof. Kunle O. O. told the youth that self restrained was critical to their ability to shun drug abuse. He stressed that close associates in classrooms are often the link to abuse as they feed on the existent trust while in some cases addicts evoke emotions to introduce one into the dangerous lifestyle. He therefore called on every youth to choose their circle of friends and define their purpose for life even as they should report any suspicious person to their teachers and school authority. Kunle pointed out that is the best way to avoid the lifestyle and save friends who may have been addicts.
ollowing the commencement of wide-ranging 10-days trial of environmental defaulters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) said no fewer than 37,000 residents are to face prosecution in the relevant FCT mobile courts over nonpayment of their waste collection bills. Our Correspondent reports that the board, which also, prosecuted 6,600 for various environmental offences, said that some of them are also going to face the magistrate court, for their non chalet attitudes towards the board’s goals and vision of sustaining a healthier clean environment for all FCT residents. According to the AEPB’s acting Director, Baba Shehu Lawan , who revealed this during one of the cort sittings, “ the administration has backlog of over 37,000 defaulters from various districts of the Federal Capital Territory to be arraigned for nonpayment of waste bills. He reiterated that the Board had embarked on the massive trial of defaulters because of the negative impact on government’s revenue. He added that it was very clear that that the board will no longer condone any of such attitudes, so as to ensure sanity in the territory, as the compliance of residents is important, but those who refuse to comply with always be taken to environmental mobile court for prosecution. Furthermore, Lawan, disclosed that in the ongoing massive trial of the defaulters, “over 487defaulters have been arraigned before the court, with 266 premises were sealed up for failing to appear in the court, while 220 cases are still standing trial in different courts in the Federal Capital City (FCC). He called on FCT residents to cooperate with Board and its waste management partners, by regularly offsetting their bills for services to them, so as to avoid being prosecuted. Meanwhile, one Mr. Aregbesola Adeboye Joshua , of Ambi plaza wuse zone 5,who is standing trail argued that AEPB “instead of charging tenants to pay environmental bills, as the owners of the plaza should be made to do so.” He lamented that the charges by the board do not commensurate with the services rendered. Peoples Daily gathered that the AEPB insisted that it will continue to partner with relevant private firms in the management of both solid and liquid wastes in the plazas and other premises, as government alone cannot do it.