NIGERIANS EAT EXPIRED IMPORTED RICE MEANT FOR ANIMALS ― LAI MOHAMMED

Lai Mohammed

MINISTER of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has raised the alarm that expired rice meant for animals is being exposed to Nigerians to consume in their countries of origin.

Speaking with journalists in his Oro country home on Tuesday, the minister blamed the development on smuggling pointing out that if the affected rice had been put under scrutiny they would have failed NAFDAC test because most of them have been on the shelf more than six years and had expired.

“The rice being imported now are not fit for consumption in their countries of origin.

They are also being subsidised and sent here even in credit because those people know that they are unfit for consumption; they are only fit for animals.

“Imported rice are mostly smuggled into the country because they cannot pass NAFDAC test. No Nigerian rice is more than one year old but the imported ones have spent even six years in their countries”, he said.

But he promised by in the next one and half years Nigeria will become self-sufficient in rice production given the commitment of the administration to agriculture.

“In the area of agriculture, it has been a huge revolution. Let’s take one of our national staples, such as rice, as an example. When we came in, there were 5 million rice farmers.

Today, we have in excess of 11 million rice farmers. Our rice import has been cut by over 80 per cent. These didn’t happen by accident. It was a result of our Anchor Borrowers Programme. There are more millionaire farmers today than at any other time in the history of our nation.

Today, Nigeria is close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice than at any other time in the history of our country.

“This Administration has employed 500,000 unemployed graduates under its Social Intervention Programme (SIP). No government in our country’s history has ever done that.

This Administration has been daily feeding 8.5 million school children in 23 states. That has never been done before in Nigeria. This Administration has been proving 10,000 Naira every two months to over 300,000 families as social security for the most vulnerable. This has never been done before in Nigeria.

This Administration, realising that SMEs are the biggest employers of labour, has been growing such enterprises at an astronomical rate through its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. This is unprecedented”, he said.

OUTBREAK: FIGHTING EBOLA IN A CONFLICT ZONE

For the second time in a matter of months, Ebola once again threatens lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This time the deadly Ebola has struck North Kivu, an area rife with armed conflict and violence that could make the virus even more devastating.

"This will be a highly complex operation because it is occurring in an area that has been embroiled in armed conflict for 20 years," Hanna Leskinen, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross told the Associated Press. "People are regularly moving as waves of violence force new communities to flee. This makes tracing infected cases much harder."

The area surrounding Beni and Mangina—the epicentre of the outbreak—is more or less surrounded by armed groups. The ICRC—working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and DRC Red Cross—is fighting to stop the spread of the virus before it penetrates areas where armed groups are present.

The immediate focus of the Red Cross team is to support safe and dignified burials. Ebola is most infectious in the moments after death. This is why the safe handling of people who are suspected to have died from Ebola is crucial to halting the spread. In the past few days, the Red Cross team has trained 48 Red Cross volunteers from Beni and Mangina to safely manage the collection and burials of those who are suspected to have died of Ebola.

The Red Cross team is also sharing information with communities about Ebola, improving the water and sanitation systems, specifically in prisons, and supporting hospitals and health facilities with infection prevention and control measures.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

- AP

POLICY GUIDELINES ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 2005

POLICY GUIDELINES ON

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

DEVELOPED BY

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

ABUJA

JULY 2005

PREFACE

Solid Waste Management remains one of the most daunting Environmental Sanitation challenges facing the country today and it has continually remained at its lowest ebb despite huge investments in the sector. Currently, as a result of industrialisation and rapid population growth in many cities and towns, wastes are generated faster than they are collected, transported and disposed.

The National Environmental Sanitation Policy sets out to achieve a clean and healthy environment for all Nigerians. In tackling the underlying problems of solid waste management, this Policy Guidelines has recommended effective, efficient and sustainable waste management strategies. Such strategies include, waste minimisation at source through re-use, recycle and energy recovery before final disposal. Due emphasis has also been given to the use of locally available, appropriate and easily affordable technologies. Criteria for standardisation of the technologies have also been put in place.

Furthermore, since the type and volume of waste generated vary with location and season of the year, the preferred waste management options also vary from place to place and season to season. Thus, the methods of solid waste management have been hinged on the diverse socio-cultural, religious and topographical considerations that exist in the country.

The roles expected of all Stakeholders are clearly spelt out in the Policy Guidelines with special emphasis on the role of the private sector for their full participation. A clear call for adequate funding of the various strategies has been made to all Stakeholders. Sanctions and enforcement mechanisms shall be strengthened and decentralised for better efficiency while rewards for best practices shall be institutionalised.

The ultimate aim of the Policy Guidelines is to ensure that solid waste management is private sector driven with a potential to create employment and wealth. This no doubt shall enhance sustainability.

Col. Bala Mande (rtd.)
Honourable Minister of Environment.
July 2004

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The growth of human population coupled with increased economic activities in towns and cities result in high rate of solid waste generation. A fundamental attribute of solid waste is that it is inevitable as almost every human activity involves the generation of waste in solid, liquid and gaseous forms. Social dynamics such as modernisation and economic development influence waste generation. This calls for careful planning and adequate resource allocation to forestall a mismatch between the rates of waste generation, rate of collection and disposal.

1.2 The management of solid waste is far from being satisfactory in Nigeria. Many parts of our cities and towns do not benefit from any organised waste management services and therefore wastes are unattended to, buried, burnt or disposed haphazardly. In areas where the authorities do the collection, it is often irregular and sporadic. Recycling of waste is negligible while the methods used for collection, transportation and final disposal are very unsatisfactory. Waste when left unattended for a long time constitutes serious health hazard, causes offensive odour, pollutes underground water sources and decreases environmental aesthetics and quality.

1.3 The waste burden has indeed become critical with waste products often containing materials that are toxic and not readily biodegradable. Such materials include various types of industrial chemical wastes, which can contaminate soil and underground water sources indefinitely if not properly disposed. Biomedical wastes from health care institutions also contain infectious/hazardous materials that can pose potential hazards to the environment and human health, when not properly disposed. The improper handling and disposal of medical wastes is a major threat to refuse collectors and scavengers and can result in infections such as HIV/AIDS, Tetanus, Hepatitis, etc. This in turn undermines productivity and reduces national income, thereby perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty.

1.4 Effective and efficient Solid Waste Management is based on a hierarchy of management options: the reduction of waste, its reuse wherever possible, recycling, composting and energy recovery, and final disposal. However, there will always be certain wastes for which incineration is the most reasonable environmental and economic option. The Government policy shall seek to choose the best options for waste management that will minimise the risk of environmental pollution and harm to human health.

2.0 AIM
To improve and safeguard public health and welfare through efficient sanitary Solid Waste Management methods that will be economical, sustainable and guarantee sound environmental quality.

3.0 OBJECTIVES

3.1 To develop Policy Guidelines for efficient and sustainable Solid Waste Management in Nigeria.

3.2 To promote a healthy environment by ensuring sanitary Solid Waste Management.

3.3 To minimize waste generation and promote sorting at source, reuse, recycling and energy recovery.

3.4 To ensure safe and nuisance-free disposal of (urban and rural) domestic, medical, and industrial wastes in order to adequately protect public health during and after collection, transportation, treatment and final disposal.

3.5 To promote effective Stakeholders participation in Solid Waste Management.

3.6 To generate employment opportunities, improve the standard of living and thus reduce poverty.

3.7 To optimize labour and equipment in waste management to enhance increased productivity.
3.8 To facilitate cost recovery in waste management investment and ensure project replication and sustainability.

3.9 To build an institutional framework capable of ensuring an efficient waste management system.

3.10 To evolve and maintain an indigenous waste management system based on the physical and socio-cultural characteristics of communities.

3.11 To maintain adequate and regular waste management services at affordable cost.

4.0 JUSTIFICATION

4.1 The alarming rate at which heaps of solid wastes occupy most of our cities, coupled with the fact that 87% of Nigerians use methods adjudged as insanitary, has not only constituted visual blight and odour nuisance, but also encouraged the breeding of rodents, mosquitoes and other pests of public health importance with their attendant disease outbreaks.

4.2 It is common knowledge that markets and motor parks used by hundreds of Nigerians daily are seldom provided with facilities used for solid waste collection and disposal. As a result of this men and women in markets and motor parks often result into indiscriminate disposal of solid waste into public drains, around street corners, etc.

4.3 Flooding on our major roads is due largely to silt and solid waste blocking the drains and other outlets provided. The stagnant water in the blocked drains serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes.

4.4 The high incidence of improper waste management related diseases, e.g cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, malaria etc, have become a source of embarrassment to Government. It is a known fact that a dirty environment with its attendant health consequences that prevails in most of our cities could scare away tourists and investors.

4.5 The World Health Organization (WHO) is also concerned about poor sanitation in member countries. In a resolution by the Regional Committee for Africa during the Forty-third session stated in its document AFR/RC43/R2 of 7th September 1993, that it is expedient to affirm that proper sanitation and sound waste management are crucial in the promotion and protection of human health and of the environment, both of which are necessary for sustainable development.

5.0 STRATEGIES

5.1 Promote waste minimization at household and community levels, through reduction at source, reuse, recycling and resource recovery.

5.2 Evolve and promote appropriate technologies for recycling of waste components such as bottles, glass, metals, paper, plastic and organic matter.

5.3 Foster the establishment of small-scale waste recycling plants at household and community levels, to source for and convert recyclable waste.

5.4 Develop technical capacity of public and private sector agencies in Solid Waste Management.

5.5 Conduct research to determine per capita waste generation and build a database on Solid Waste Management.

5.6 Establish regulations, sanctions and enforcement mechanisms for Solid Waste Management from source of generation to the point of disposal.

5.7 Develop a Solid Waste Master Plan as a national blue print for effective Solid Waste Management.

5.8 Evolve realistic and sustainable funding mechanisms.

5.9 Create public awareness and sensitisation on efficient municipal Solid Waste Management practices.

5.10 Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of municipal Solid Waste Management practices
5.11 Set health criteria for manual sorting of wastes at household and community levels

6.0 INSTITUTIONAL ROLES

6.1 The Federal Government shall:

6.1.1 Develop, periodically review and update the Policy Guidelines on Solid Waste Management.

6.1.2 Develop and circulate set standards for equipment procurement and maintenance in Solid Waste Management.

6.1.3 Develop and circulate set standards on private sector participation in Solid Waste Management services

6.1.4 Prepare a Solid Waste Master Plan as a national blue print for effective Solid Waste Management and ensure its implementation at the appropriate levels of Government.

6.1.5 Enact appropriate Legislation that will foster successful implementation of the Policy Guidelines and Master Plan.

6.1.6 Source for funds for programme development, specialized studies and capacity building on Solid Waste Management.

6.1.7 Provide technical assistance to States and LGAs in Solid Waste Management.

6.1.8 Initiate relevant programmes for improved Solid Waste Management practises

6.1.9 Establish a national data bank on Solid Waste Management for planning and development.

6.1.10 Provide environmental education and awareness on sound Solid Waste Management.

6.1.11 Collaborate with relevant Stakeholders and ESAs on Solid Waste Management

6.1.12 Register Solid Waste Management facilities that require EIA certification

6.2 The State Government shall:

6.2.1 Support and ensure the implementation of the Policy Guidelines on Solid Waste Management.

6.2.2 Facilitate the implementation of the National Solid Waste Master Plan

6.2.3 Enact relevant State Legislation

6.2.4 Provide technical support to the LGAs through training and manpower development programmes for capacity building and institutional strengthening.

6.2.5 Support the provision of logistics including financial instruments to facilitate private sector participation in Solid Waste Management.

6.2.6 Conduct public education and enlightenment on sound Solid Waste Management.

6.2.7 Conduct research into local options for Solid Waste Management to guide LGAs.

6.2.8 Establish data bank on Solid Waste Management.

6.2.9 Provide land for siting waste management facilities.

6.3 Local Government shall:

6.3.1 Implement the Policy Guidelines on Solid Waste Management as a statutory obligation.

6.3.2 Implement the National Solid Waste Master Plan.

6.3.3 Enact appropriate legislative instruments and establish necessary sanctions and enforcement mechanisms for efficient service delivery.

6.3.4 Enlist the services of the private sector and other Stakeholders in Solid Waste Management.

6.3.5 Register and license all operators of waste management facilities and services.

6.3.6 Make adequate annual budgetary provisions for Solid Waste Management

6.3.7 Recruit, train and retrain staff for efficient service delivery.

6.3.8 Establish a consultative forum with members of the public to build consensus on appropriate strategies for waste management.

6.3.9 Develop IEC materials on solid waste handling techniques at household level

6.3.10 Promote private sector participation in the delivery of waste management options.

6.4 The Private Sector shall:

6.4.1 Comply with the provisions of the National Policy Guidelines and Master Plan on Solid Waste Management.

6.4.2 Participate in Solid Waste Management on cost recovery basis.

6.4.3 Undertake waste recycling activities in an environmentally sound manner.

6.4.4 Engage in partnership with Local Governments for better service delivery.

6.4.5 Undertake research, specialized studies and product development in Solid Waste Management.

6.4.6 Promote public enlightenment campaigns.

6.5 Civil Society Organisations shall:

6.5.1 Undertake grassroots mobilization to support appropriate waste management options.

6.5.2 Promote the adoption of waste separation and resource recovery at household level.

6.5.3 Promote public enlightenment campaigns on appropriate strategies for waste storage, collection and disposal.

6.6 The Public shall:

6.6.1 Adopt environment friendly habits and practices.

6.6.2 Comply with existing Legislation on Solid Waste Management.

6.6.3 Comply with the provisions of the Policy Guidelines

6.6.4 Cooperate with other Stakeholders to ensure sustainable Solid Waste Management systems.

6.6.5 Patronise recycled goods and biodegradable packages.

6.6.6 Undertake sorting of recyclable components at source and dispose residue at designated sites.

6.6.7 Segregate hazardous wastes and ensure hygienic and safe disposal.

6.6.8 Maintain sanitary dustbins in homes

6.6.9 Adopt the technology of converting local waste into energy generation including biogas.

6.6.10 Adopt the use of compost as soil conditioner.

6.6.11 Pay for Solid Waste Management services to ensure its sustainability.

7.0 GUIDELINES FOR EFFICIENT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICE DELIVERY AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL

The strategies adopted for waste management at the Local Government level shall relate to the culture, land use types, economic base, climatic conditions, level of urbanization and the existing institutional arrangement. However, the following guidelines are provided as a broad statement to make for strategic interventions in Solid Waste Management in Nigeria.

7.1 WASTE STORAGE

7.1.1 Household sanitary dustbins or disposable refuse bags for collection and storage of household wastes shall be promoted. The sanitary dustbins either galvanized or plastic of about 20kg capacity shall be fitted with two handles and a well fitting cover to prevent fly infestation and odour nuisance. The bins shall be kept out of reach of domestic animals, to prevent spillage of refuse. The galvanized dustbin shall be kept in a non-moist area to prevent corrosion. The dustbins shall be emptied into designated solid waste depot located within the area. Appropriate colour codes shall be adopted for segregation or sorting of domestic and hazardous wastes.

7.1.2 For commercial areas e.g. Market, etc, mammoth bins shall be placed at strategic locations to accommodate the large volume of solid waste generated at the market place.

7.1.3 For industrial premises dinosaur bins of about 1500kg should be placed at strategic locations within such premises to retain solid wastes generated.

7.2 WASTE COLLECTION

The Local Government shall:
7.2.1 Conduct studies and classify all settlements according to their level of urbanization, size, function and economic base into urban, semi-urban and rural.

7.2.2 Review existing collection equipment, method, and frequencies, as well as the tradition and labour practices.

7.2.3 Determine the most efficient system of waste collection for each settlement category and:
i. Set out the method of refuse pick,
ii. Determine manpower and equipment needs,
iii. Determine vehicle type and routing system.

7.2.4 Integrate as much as possible, the various waste collection methods adopted for the different levels of settlements.

7.2.5 Introduce standardized waste storage bins but where this is not immediately possible, existing storage bins shall be made functional and safe.

7.2.6 Implement collection methods that take into account differences in residential districts of a city as indicated below:

Residential Area Collection method

Well planned, high income, low density areas House to house

Medium density residential layouts Kerb side

High density low income districts Communal depots

In case of communal depots, adequate numbers shall be provided within 200 to 250 meters walking distance to residences.

7.2.7 Set up an efficient system for sanctioning and enforcement.

7.2.8 Monitor, evaluate and re-plan at regular intervals

7.3 COLLECTION EQUIPMENT

7.3.1 In the choice of waste collection vehicles and equipment, emphasis shall be on optimizing vehicle and labour for improved productivity. The following guidelines are offered for vehicle choice:
i. A variety of non-motorised vehicles, which are human or animal powered are the most appropriate to be used as primary refuse collection vehicles in areas inaccessible to motor vehicles, such as in high density areas with poor road access; or when haul distance is short. Examples of such vehicles include:

a) Handcarts – with container capacity of about 200kg have economic radius of operation of about 1km.
b) Pedal tricycles – with container capacity up to 500kg, have economic operation radius of about 2-3 km.
c) Animal drawn carts – have limited capacity of about 2 cubic meter, with an economic radius of operation of about 3km.
ii. In densely populated areas, heavy motorized vehicles often create problems. In such circumstances and particularly where haul distance is long, the collected intra settlement wastes can be transferred from a small vehicle to a large one at the periphery of settlements or at an appropriate location created as transfer station.
iii. The compactor truck is uneconomical and inappropriate in most areas because non-compaction vehicles can adequately collect our type of waste.

7.3.2 The choice of solid waste handling machine and equipment shall comply with the set guidelines of the Federal Government

7.3.3 The programme of equipment procurement shall be accompanied by maintenance agreement.

7.4 TRANSFER STATIONS

7.4.1 The need for transfer stations has been recognized particularly for some large metropolitan centers. Transfer stations shall be established where any of the following conditions subsist:
i. Where disposal sites cannot be located near the sources of solid waste generation.
ii. Where the responsibilities for waste mangement are separated and in the hands of different agencies.
iii. Where labour and transportation costs are high, particularly for haulage business.

7.4.2 Transfer station shall be built where public objection to its construction is limited and transport cost is optimized.

7.5 WASTE TRANSPORTATION

Intra-city and inter-city transportation of solid waste shall comply with the following guidelines:

7.5.1 Choice of vehicles shall comply with set guidelines on equipment procurement.
13

7.5.2 Transport vehicles shall be covered to prevent unhealthy spread and dispersal of waste.

7.5.3 Transport itinerary shall be planned and properly routed in a manner that will not encumber intra-city mobility.

7.6 WASTE MANAGEMENT METHODS

7.6.1 Sanitary landfill remains the most cost-effective means of Solid Waste Management. Local Governments shall identify suitable landfill sites. The management of the site shall be public or private but the LGA shall monitor and supervise the sites to ensure compliance with standards.

7.6.2 The biological decomposition of organic wastes to produce biogas and/or compost shall be encouraged.

7.6.3 The large potential for recycling that has been found for municipal waste in Nigeria shall be tapped.

7.6.4 Incineration as a method of waste treatment shall be employed only where the local environment permits and for selected wastes.

7.7 MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

7.7.1 Four (4) management options are recommended:
i. By Local Government/Municipal Agencies;
ii. By Private Companies on contract with the LGA/Municipality;
iii. By Private Companies on contract with Home Owners.
iv. By public/private partnership

7.7.2 Direct operations of waste management by LGA/Municipal Agencies may be embarked upon where the private initiative is low. This practice is often bedeviled with frequent personnel turnover and the use of incompetent or untrained officials. Although money may be saved, it may be at the expense of satisfactory performance.

7.7.3 Contracting out waste collection to private contractors by the LGA/ Municipal Agency has its advantages. First, waste collection is conducted as a business venture without political considerations. Similarly, the burden of expenditure for equipment and capital outlay is placed on private companies while collection is effective. However, it may sometimes be counter-productive, as profit is the object of service. Also, contractual obligations are fixed and inflexible to changing conditions, as alterations in collection practices will require review in terms of contract. Furthermore, there are dual risks. One occurs in case of non-renewal of contract in spite of high capital outlay by the private contractor. The other is the risk to Government in case the private contractor fails.

7.7.4 Contract with individual house-owners is a frequent occurrence in sub-urban or rural areas where the LGA/Municipality does not usually render waste collection services. The practice has been found to be highly competitive and often uneconomic. There is usually price cutting by operators, which leads to low service standard. However, if properly organized and well monitored by the LGA, the service can be very effective in ridding the city of waste.

7.7.5 Public private partnership which is the latest practice the world over, shall be encouraged as this service will without doubt complement the efforts of the Government at getting rid of solid waste heaps in the city. Apart from the fact that the system will create more employment and alleviate poverty of the operators, the revenue base of the LGA will be significantly increased through the registration and licensing of such operators. However, the Government on its part shall promote and organize this sector through creation of appropriate enabling environment.

7.8 PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION

Private sector participation shall be hinged on the principle of fair play and transparency that is devoid of political undertones. The selection of private sector participants in Solid Waste Management shall be organised as follows:

7.8.1 Franchised area shall be planned and mapped.

7.8.2 Criteria for company qualification and selection shall be clearly stated.

7.83 Indicators for franchised performance shall be specified.

7.8.4 Terms of Reference and Conditions of Engagement of the private sector participant shall be well defined.

7.8.5 Monitoring and evaluation procedures shall be outlined.

7.8.6 Entire operations shall be backed by Legislation.

7.9 SANCTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS

Mobile Sanitation Courts have become necessary to encourage public compliance with set rules and regulations, enforce standards and ensure positive attitudinal changes. In this regard, the following shall be put in place:

7.9.1 Bye-laws on Solid Waste Management stipulating service standards and operations as well as citizen’s obligations, shall be enacted.
15

7.9.2 The Bye-laws shall be adequately disseminated to all communities.

7.9.3 Local and mobile courts shall be established where they do not exist, to try offenders and impose sanctions.

7.9.4 Sanctions shall be strictly enforced.

7.10 REWARD FOR BEST PRACTICES

7.10.1 Each tier of Government shall identify best practices based on set criteria for exposition and reward.

7.10.2 Replication of best practices shall be encouraged.

LEAD, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER

Lead, Environmental Health Officer

86698BR

Job Description

To supervises the public health unit and employees engaged in the work of public health services in SPDC, assure food and drinking Water safety in SPDC operations and assure compliance with applicable and binding  directives as per public health legal instruments.

Country of Work Location

Nigeria

City, State (if applicable)

Lagos, Lagos State.

Work Location

Lagos

Company Description

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is the pioneer and a leader in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. We invest heavily in our employees, which is reflected in our industry-leading development programmes.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years post qualification experience with either B.Sc. or HND in Environmental Health, Leadership, supervisory, IT, budget management and communication/interpersonal skills

National Professional license by EHORECON

Competence:
 Skilled in the Health Risk Management, Health Protocol and Guidance. 

Skilled in HSE Management Systems 

Skilled in analyzing and solving problems, communicating and persuading and being personally creative and innovative 

Leadership  skills – e.g. can deliver through others Behaviors: Good team player/resourceful Good inter-personal relationship Smart/respectful, ability to go extra mile Enterprise First.

No. of Positions

1

Disclaimer

Please note: We occasionally amend or withdraw Shell jobs and reserve the right to do so at any time, including prior to the advertised closing date.

Before applying, you are advised to read our data protection policy. This policy describes the processing that may be associated with your personal data and informs you that your personal data may be transferred to Royal Dutch/Shell Group companies around the world.

The Shell Group and its approved recruitment consultants will never ask you for a fee to process or consider your application for a career with Shell. Anyone who demands such a fee is not an authorised Shell representative and you are strongly advised to refuse any such demand.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Expires

31-Aug-2018

Apply here: 

(Copy link and paste on your browser if the link doesn't work on your device) 

https://krb-sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?PageType=JobDetails&noback=0&partnerid=30030&siteid=5798&jobid=1373897#jobDetails=1373897_5798

N1.1BN TRUCKLOAD OF CODEINE COUGH SYRUP IMPOUNDED IN LAGOS

THE Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday said its officers impounded a MAN diesel truck with registration number XB 286 BEN along Afromedia Estate by Egbeda Junction beside Alaba International, carrying 2,748 cartons of DSP Codeine Cough Syrup 100mg (100 per carton) and 95 cartons of Chaka pain Xtra worth N1,175,200,000.00.

This is even as the Unit said it’s anti-smuggling drive in the South West zone, between July 25th to August 7th 2018 resulted in the interception of various contraband with a duty paid value (DPV) of N2,055,321,389.84 in two weeks.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, Controller of the Unit, Mohammed Uba explained that this is the second time in a row the unit is intercepting this substance since the Federal Government banned the importation of cough syrup that contains codeine.

According to Mohammed Uba, “The driver of the truck on sighting our officers abandoned the truck and fled. Also, 49 cartons of tramadol capsules (100mg) were evacuated from the warehouse in Ajao Estate based on the information. The drugs will be handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation.

“Similarly and more remarkably among the seizure was the evacuation, by the Warehouse Operations team led by AC Mutalib Sule, of 21 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 1,031kg and 4 pieces of elephant tusk weighing 29.35kg from a shop located in Tejuosho market in Victoria Island based on the information. ”

“The occupant of the shop fled and still is at large, but the investigation is already ongoing towards getting the culprit arrested and prosecuted.

“The seized endangered species have a DPV of N253,566,056.7. You will recall that the Minister of State for Environment, Mallam Usman Jibril accompanied by the CITES Delegates from UN visited the Unit, inspected the previous seizure of such endangered species this year and even commended us for a job well done.

The trade on such endangered species is globally prohibited, hence the need for us all to fight against such illegality so that such endangered species do not go into extinction.

“Also within the weeks under review, the unit intercepted a Ford Transit Bus with engine no. XL32452L along Olorunda axis, Idiroko, Ogun State conveying 39 sacks and 1,220 parcels of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as Indian Hemp weighing 1, 610 kg concealed with baskets of Fresh Tomatoes, pepper and vegetables. 

In the spirit of interagency relationship, the seized substance will be handed over to NDLEA for further investigation. Other seized items include 17 units of exotic vehicles, 1,380 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 1, 126 pieces of used shoes, and 140 jerrycans of vegetable oil.

“Among the detained vehicles include 7 Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps (2015-2018), 4 Toyota Hiace Bus (2017), 2 Toyota Coaster Bus (2017), and 4 Toyota Camry (2014).

These 17 Exotic Vehicles have a duty paid value of N384,291,251.94 only. While 4 of the vehicles were intercepted along Ijebu Ode expressway, 13 were evacuated from House Plot 1, Akintailor Close, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, based on credible information. 8 Suspects were arrested in connection with these 25 seizures “As partners in progress, let me thank you, members, of the media for your continued support in your reportage of our anti-smuggling drives.

I wish to also appreciate other security agencies that have been rendering necessary support especially the Nigerian Army and Police. Most importantly, we thank the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and his management for their logistics support that brought about all these feats during my tenure here as Controller FOU A and I prayed that this relationship is sustained even as I take a new mantle of leadership at Seme Area Command.”

Credit - Tribune Online

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/158942/

MALARIA SCOURGE: EHOAN BELIEVES SANITATION, PERSONAL HYGIENE CAN SAVE NIGERIAN GOVT $300m

Mosquito, Malaria agent

There will not be the need for the Federal Government to commit $300 million to eliminating malaria, if the citizens can ensure sanitation and personal hygiene, an association said on Friday.

The Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) made the assertion in Lagos.

        Samuel Akingbehin, 
        National President, EHOAN

The National President of EHOAN, Mr Samuel Akingbehin, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that environmental health was essential to eliminating malaria.

”It was in the news few days ago that the Federal Government earmarked $300 million for elimination of malaria.

”Such money should be used for other capital projects because environmental health – sanitation and personal hygiene – is capable of reducing the burden of malaria.

”Every individual, every government should embrace it because what you throw to the environment, the environment will throw back at you,” he said.

The EHOAN president said that there was correlation between waste in the environment and malaria, hence, the need for environmental sanitation and personal hygiene.

According to him, waste comprises miscellaneous articles, rubbish, bottles, water retaining items and others.

He said that when waste retained water, it would breed malaria, noting that malaria-causing mosquitoes – female anopheles mosquitoes – developed rapidly in such a condition.

”Apart from water retaining items, refuse blocking our drains also results in stagnant water. When that happens, it creates a veritable avenue for breeding of mosquitoes, and these mosquitoes will transmit malaria to man.

”Malaria can be controlled through effective environmental sanitation.

“If our water bodies are made free-flowing, the vector which is mosquito will not breed there, and when the vector is eliminated or reduced drastically, it translates to reduction of malaria and malaria burden.

”If living rooms or houses are spread with net in the windows, mosquitoes will be prevented from coming in contact with human blood,” Akingbehin explained.

He also advocated the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent mosquitoes from having contact with man.

The EHOAN president advised that flowers in the environment should be regularly trimmed to avoid mosquitoes.

He said that water-retaining plants such as like banana, plantain and cocoyam should be removed from the immediate environment to reduce breeding of mosquitoes.

According to him, another veritable action is chemical control of mosquitoes – the use of mosquito repellents and insecticides to reduce mosquitoes.

”It is the duty of every individual to make sure that water does not stagnate in his premises.

”People should fill up lowline portions of their compounds to ensure that drainage systems are flowing free.

”People should make sure that wells are covered and that refuse within the compounds are closed in a tight-fitting receptacle to avoid breeding of mosquitoes so that, together, we can chase malaria out,” he said.

The 2018 World Malaria Day was celebrated on Wednesday with the theme: ”Ready To Beat Malaria”.

The Federal Government had on April 22 committed to securing $300 million from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to eliminate malaria.

EBOLA CASES IN DR CONGO ‘WILL RISE IN COMING DAYS' – WHO

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, a health worker as he examines patients for Ebola inside a screening tent, at the Kenema Government Hospital situated in the Eastern Province around 300km, (186 miles), from the capital city of Freetown in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Over the decades, Ebola cases have been confirmed in 10 African countries, including Congo where the disease was first reported in 1976. But until this year, Ebola had never come to West Africa. (AP Photo/ Michael Duff)
[Photo Source: VOA News]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm that cases from the resurgent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are expected to rise in the coming days.

WHO’s Deputy Director General of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Peter Salama, said in Geneva that there had been around 20 deaths as a result of the Ebola virus.

Mr Salama also said protecting vulnerable people in eastern DRC from the latest Ebola Virus outbreak was going to be “very, very complex”, given the huge logistical challenges and ongoing conflict there.

The WHO emergency preparedness and response chief said: “We know for example that there have been around 20 deaths. We can’t at this stage confirm whether they are all confirmed or probable Ebola cases.

“We expect however that the overall case count will rise in coming days to weeks, based on the trajectory of epidemics at this stage in their development.”

Salama said that WHO was unaware of the public health emergency in North Kivu province when the UN agency a week ago declared the last Ebola episode over.

The outbreak on the western side of the country in June, infected dozens, and led to 33 deaths, but in spite of several cases appearing in a major city on the Congo River, it was fully contained after a massive international and national response.

The top WHO official said that there was “no evidence” to suggest a link between the two outbreaks, although it appeared “very likely” that they shared the same deadly Zaire strain.

“The death toll from the current Kivu episode is likely to rise,” the WHO official said, adding that the alert was raised on July 25 after a woman and many members of her immediate family died after exhibiting symptoms consistent with Ebola.

“That event appears to have been a woman who was admitted to hospital around Beni, and on discharge had recovered from the original complaint.

“After leaving however, she came down with a fever and other symptoms that were clinically consistent with Ebola, and later on, seven of her direct relatives also contracted the disease,” he added.

Salama explained how longstanding conflict in Eastern DRC – involving more than 100 armed groups in the Kivu area and elsewhere – created an additional level of difficulty in trying to contain the deadly disease.

In the first week of February 2018 alone around Beni, attacks displaced more than 2,200, in addition to 1,500 displaced at the end of January.

In the Djugu Territory to the south of North Kivu, inter-ethnic violence led nearly 30,000 to flee their homes to the provincial capital Bunia, at the beginning of 2018.

“It’s going to be a very, very complex operation,” he said, noting that the vast country is home to the UN’s largest peacekeeping operation, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

One million of the province’s eight million inhabitants are displaced and getting access to some of those in danger of coming into contact with Ebola, will require an armed escort in some cases, the WHO official explained.

There is also the additional threat that those fleeing violence may also head into nearby Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, taking the infection with them, Salama said, noting that additional surveillance measures are being implemented at crossing points.

“On the scale of difficulty, trying to extinguish a deadly outbreak pathogen in a war zone is at the top of the scale,” he added.

In the most recent Ebola outbreak, a key part of the emergency response involved tracing anyone who had come into contact with suspected carriers of the disease, he said.

WHO staff could travel hundreds of miles on a motorbike to do this vital work, but this is likely to be much more difficult in view of the high level of insecurity in the Kivus.

One immediate priority is to confirm whether the latest outbreak involves the Zaire strain, since this can be treated with the same vaccine that was employed in Equateur province.

“It’s good news and it’s very bad news. The bad news is that this strain of Ebola carries with it the highest case-fatality-rate of any of the strains of Ebola, anywhere above 50 per cent and higher, according to previous outbreaks.

“So, it’s the most-deadly variant of the Ebola virus strains that we have, that’s the bad news. The good news is that we do have – although it’s still an investigational product – a safe and effective vaccine, that we were able to deploy last time around,” Salama said.

-(NAN)

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH: OVER 20 CHILDREN FACING RISK OF BLINDNESS DUE TO BLINDNESS CAUSING EPIDEMIC

These children in Ruga are going blind with itchy eye infections

RUGA ABANDONED!

-  No statement from the Environmental Health Authority in Nigeria, especially the house-to-house inspection service, till press time. 

-  No statement yet from the Public Health Authority in Nigeria 

-  No statement yet from the Federal Ministry of Health till press time. 

-  No statement yet from World Health Organization till press time 

Five days ago, Baratu Ibrahim woke to see her one-year-old Mohammed with a discharge from his right eye. She quickly sent a neighbour to buy eye drops from a nearby patent medicine store which she administered on him.  The following day, Mohammed’s eye bulged. She discarded the eye drops.

As the eye drops worsened her child’s eye, Ibrahim switched to another procedure. She dissolved salt into hot water and used a piece of cloth to clean the eye with the warm water.  But her effort has resulted in the child’s eye being shut.

“I’m still applying hot water and salt on the eye,” says Ibrahim in Hausa.  She lives with her husband and two other children in a shack.  She has lived here for five years with her husband who married her from a village in Katsina State. Her surroundings are smelly with dark water streaming from the narrow passages around the shacks.

It begins with itching. Swelling of the eyes follows. The swollen eyelids tighten up and the children are unable to open their eyes. More than 20 children are having an eye infection in Ruga, a remote settlement around the Abuja City Gate, close to the National Stadium. Some of the affected children have gone blind.

Baratu Ibrahim back carrying her one-year-old son whose one eye is already shut by an infection

Ibrahim’s child is one of the many children going blind in the sprawling settlement.

“There are many children with this problem here,” says Mark Okere who has a makeshift learning centre in Ruga. Along with his wife, Chinwe, who is a trained teacher, they had begun the school under a mango tree before putting up a make-do structure to protect the children from the rain.

Okeke’s school is the only form of organised learning in Ruga which has an estimated population of over 5,000 residents. The school has grown to more than 100 hundred pupils but the itchy eye infection is making many of them stay away from the school.

On Monday, when four-year-old Fatima Ibrahim arrives at the school, she is scratching her puffy left eye. She has been absent in the school for some days, Okere says. He adds that about eight other pupils are having the eye infection.

Fatima’s mother, Aisha said that the eye problem started with Fatima before her younger son contracted it too. She has been applying Gentamycin eye drops and Nuru Subah, a black powder concoction, to the affected eyes.  But she is dismayed by the worsening eyes of her only children. Her husband died two years ago in a car crash.

Aisha Ibrahim with her two affected children

“WE DON’T KNOW THE CAUSE”

The extent of the eye infection in Ruga became known when one of the children was taken to Kaduna for eye treatment.

Chika Offor, the founder of Vaccine Network, had gone with her team to the community for an outreach programme where they met two-year-old Buhari Aliyu who is now sightless. She supported Aliyu’s family to take the child to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi. They were, however, referred to Kaduna.

“It was in Kaduna that they told us that the optic nerves were dead and there was nothing they could do about the child,” Offor revealed.

When other parents heard that Buhari had returned from Kaduna, they brought their children who have a similar infection to Offor. “We discovered that other children in the community were already blind while others were blind in one eye and others are about going blind,” she says.

“We don’t know what has caused the blindness because we are not doctors,” Offor concluded.

Buhari’s father, Suleiman, says two of his other younger children have the same eye infection but they have not gone blind. He explained that he noticed Buhari’s eye problem when he was one-year-old. I have taken him to various hospitals in Abuja and Zaria in Kaduna State, he says.

Suleiman does not know the cause of the blindness but he believes it is from God. “Allah knows,” says Suleiman in Hausa. He is a labourer and smallholder farmer who comes from Keffi in Nasarawa State. He lives in the shack with his wife and eight children, including Buhari who has become completely blind. Suleiman revealed that there is no history of blindness in his family.

Usman Abubakar, secretary to the chief of the community, believes that the eye infection is caused by the unhealthy environment. Open defecation is a common practice in the community and many of them fetch water from contaminated sources. They fetch water from the railway drainage and dirty stream because they cannot afford to buy a 25-litre gallon of water for N40 in the private borehole in the community.

One of the contaminated water sources in Ruga

So far, Offor has alerted the Primary Health Care Development Agency and Abuja Municipal Area Council about the plight of the children. Last Friday, she sent a letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO). They are yet to intervene.

Before the end of this week, some of the affected children will be taken to Asokoro General Hospital, she says. Until then, she does not know why more than 20 children in Ruga are going blind. But she knows that majority of the affected children are in the Fulani villages by the hilly parts of the community.

Although it has not been clinically confirmed, the infection shows symptoms of trachoma. The infectious eye disease is  the leading cause of blindness worldwide, according to WHO. It is caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and mostly affect pre-school aged children.

The disease is a public health problem in northern Nigeria, according to International Trachoma Initiative . It is caused mainly by dirty face as well as other water and sanitation related problems.

VAGINAL STEAMING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Women doing V-steaming or yoni steaming

Vaginal steaming involves exposing the vagina to steam to cleanse it and enhance its health. Other names for the practice include V-steaming or yoni steaming.

The practice has recently made the news due to celebrity reports that tout a variety of benefits, ranging from relieving period discomfort to improving fertility.

However, there is not any scientific evidence to prove that vaginal steaming works. No research studies have tested vaginal steaming or its benefits.

There are also a lot of dangers involved in vaginal steaming, especially burning very delicate tissues.

Learn more about vaginal steaming in this article.

How does vaginal steaming really work?

Vaginal steaming involves exposing the vagina to steam.

Vaginal steaming involves sitting over a steaming pot of water that often contains added herbs. Possible herbs may include basil, mugwort, rosemary, and wormwood.

People who practice vaginal steaming believe the herbs can penetrate vaginal tissues and offer a variety of benefits.

Some people try vaginal steaming at home, but it is also available at spas. The treatment typically lasts between 20 and 45 minutes.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS:

Some people believe vaginal steaming offers many health benefits and have called the practice a "facial" for the vagina.

Some of the reported benefits of vaginal steaming include:

1. Reducing menstrual symptoms, such as bloating, cramps, exhaustion, and heavy bleeding

2. Boosting fertility

3. Promoting healing after childbirth 

4. Reducing stress 

5. Treating hemorrhoid 

6. Increasing energy and reducing fatigue

7. Treating headaches etc

Currently, there are no scientific studies that prove these purported benefits. However, some people say it works by enhancing blood flow to the vaginal tissues, which can promote healing.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS?

1.  The primary safety concern is that the steam could burn the sensitive vaginal tissues if it is too hot.

2.   Adding extra moist heat to the vagina and exposing the vagina to certain additives within the steam could also increase a woman's risk for yeast or bacterial infections.

3.   If the vaginal steaming equipment is not kept clean, a person could also be at risk for infections and other side effects. Therefore, it is essential to clean all equipment thoroughly before using it.

4.   If a person goes to a spa for a vaginal steaming, they should ask the spa staff how they clean their equipment and what steps they take to reduce infection risk.

5.   Vaginal steaming can be dangerous if a woman is pregnant. This is because the vaginal steam could affect the growing fetus.

6.   It is generally recommended by health professionals that pregnant women avoid using hot tubs, saunas, and heating pads around the pelvis for the same reason.

7.  If a person does try vaginal steaming, it is essential to avoid getting too close to the steam or using water that is too hot.

If the steam feels uncomfortable or as if it is getting too hot, a person should move away from the steam.

Women who are trying to restore pH balance to their vagina due to frequent infections should see their doctor before they try vaginal steaming.

There are prescription treatments available to help restore pH balances where necessary. These are more likely to be effective than vaginal steaming.

CONCLUSION :
The vagina is a self-cleaning organ that regularly maintains pH balance. Additional interventions, such as vaginal steaming or douching, are not necessary to maintain vaginal health.

Keeping the vagina clean, dry, and free of perfumes is the best way to keep the vagina healthy. Therefore, most people should not try vaginal steaming.

If they do try it, it is best to exercise extreme caution to reduce the risk of burns and infections.

71% of NIGERIANS HAVE NO ACCESS TO WATER — WATER RESOURCES MINISTER

The minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu has stated that access of Nigerians to pipe-borne water has dropped from 32 percent in 1990 to 7 percent in 2015, adding that about 71 percent of Nigerians have no access to quality water sanitation.

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu

He also said that only 69 percent of the people have access to improved water supply in Nigeria.

Adamu said this at the signing of Memoranda of Understanding on Ota Water Supply Project and Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene,  PEWASH, in Arobieye in Ado-Odo Ota local government area of Ogun State.

He said: “Recent statistics show that only 69 percent of our population has access to improved water supply from all sources. For piped water, the situation has been on the dramatic decline from 32 percent know 1990 to 7 percent in 2015.

“The case of sanitation is even worse as only 29 percent of the population has access to improved sanitation. Our country did not meet MDG targets for water supply and sanitation that ended in 2015.

“It is against this backdrop that our country takes proactive steps towards implementing projects that will ensure that we meet the SDG-WASH targets.

Adamu said the federal government felt the need to revisit the Ota Regional Water Supply Project 30 years after it was established.

He also said the  PEWASH  programme is in three stages including the preparatory phase between 2016 and 2018, the expansion phase between 2019 and 2025 and consolidation stage between 2026 and 2030.

“We are executing a MoU for the continuation and completion of the Ota Regional Water Supply project. Execution of this project started in June 2006.

“The FG has so far expended N810.9 million on the project and when completed, it will have the capacity to deliver 15 million litres per day.”

“Ogun State is the first state where  PEWASH  agreement will be signed. Ogun and Kano states were shortlisted as flagship states based on first come first served amongst 22 states that have signed and submitted  PEWASH  protocols,” Adamu added.

Also speaking at the event Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State commended the Federal Government for deeming it fit to rehabilitate of the waterworks, double its capacity, strengthen and extend its distribution system.

Amosun said the project will improve the living standard and will attract investors to the state upon completion.