Metro
NGO urges FG to make policy decisions that will benefit older persons
A group under the aegis of Greenlight Initiative has urged the Federal Government to understand that they need to start planning and incorporating decision that will further benefit and protect the lives of older persons.This is coming against the background that the Initiative embark on a 12 months research study on Mobility, Transport, and Ageing in Low and Middle-Income Countries with emphasis in Nigeria and Uganda.The Initiative which is non-profit organization that promotes good health and wellbeing; safe and sustainable transportation partnered with the Federal University of Technology Owerri and Makerere University, execute the 12 month study.According the executive Director of the Initiative Mr Simon Obi the study became imminent as available evidence suggested that not much work had been done regarding the mobility needs and safety of older persons which should compel urban developers and transport planners to put key and special consideration during designs.”Inclusive mobility is an important initiative to directly consider in the initial stages of designing and developing mobility services.
According to Mr Obi the twelve month indepth research was painstaking with series of interviews, surveys within the two countries.
“After a 12 months in-depth research study of the mobility pattern of the older people, GreenLight Initiative together with its organised a dissemination workshop for key stakeholders to review the research outcome.
“The research activities examined current transport preferences and policies affecting the mobility of the older persons and how they impact on, and are impacted by different factors, and took a broad, multidisciplinary view of these links.
“One thing we often say is that a lot of persons are too busy doing business in other fields of endeavour forgetting that they will get old one day This is one very important sector that is often neglected in the society.
“That is the rationale for us going into this research project. So in terms of policy, our research has shown that there are no much policies that support the right of older persons in the country.
“We all will get old one day. And we need to prepare for the future, and so there is need first, for government to rise to this challenge. Government must understand that they need to start planning and incorporating decision that will further benefit and protect the lives of older persons.
He also harped on the need for government to be bold enough to start investing in infrastructure that supports the rights of older persons “because our road designs, what we saw in these two countries indicated they do not support the right of the older persons.’
“So the government needs to invest in infrastructure, they also need to provide the enabling environment for these category of persons to thrive to make a meaningful life.
He said the lack of policies and lack of infrastructure are definitely affecting the older persons in Nigeria. “We don’t have structures and infrastructure that supports their wellbeing in our cities.
“The government has to come in and do something urgently because this is an emergency situation. We are losing our older persons and we all will get old one day.
He said the focus on Nigeria and Uganda drew from the fact that in low and middle income countries such as our country and Uganda, these things are not talked about.
According to him, other developed climes, have infrastructural things that support the older persons.
“The mobility system supports them. They have a community transportation system that supports the older persons. But in Africa especially Nigeria and Uganda, there are no policies and there are no transportation network that supports them.”
Obi explained that the dissemination symposium underscored their priority to not only promote safe and sustainable transportation but also inclusivity in mobility.
“It is my belief that this study would knowledge and further assist policymakers, advocates, and transport stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions regarding mobility and access for older persons.
“We continue to thank Volvo Research and Educational Foundation (VREF) for its generous support which allows us to embark on this very important but often neglected area.
According to Dr. Chinebuli Uzondu, a Researcher/Lecturer from the Federal University of Technology Owerri: “It was such a pleasant surprise. I am so thrilled and honoured that we were announced as recipients of a grant from the Volvo Research and Educational Foundation (VREF).
“This grant has enabled us to work on a very important, yet often neglected issue. Our research has explored the mobility needs of older persons in Nigeria and Uganda, to understand their travel patterns, unravelled their travel patterns, transport options available to them, needs and barriers to active mobility.
“We identified country-specific challenges and have presented evidence-based strategies and recommendations to address and improve the condition.
“This research is very important to me because I feel that VREF acknowledges the importance of this research and how it will go on to address the issues around transport inequities and exclusions.
According to Dr. Paul I. Mukwaya, a Senior Lecturer from the Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda: “For Makerere University, the grant is one of those which has opened up new opportunities, locally and internationally, as we build for the future. Most importantly the research has brought to the fore; not only, the kind of transport inequalities that older persons experience to be more specific, but also the transport policy gaps that exist at city and/or national scale.
“We have been able to network with a number of national actors and a conversation on critical transport inequality issues across Kampala City.
Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has issued a scathing response to comments made against him by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers State governor. Wike had recently accused Adeyanju of being jobless, noting that the activist once sought his support in a bid to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju didn’t hold back, describing Wike as “a bully and a coward.”
He went on to criticize Wike’s character and political approach, saying, “Wike has never worked anywhere in his life. He is a serial betrayer. The only difference between Wike and Portable is that Portable does not betray people who have helped him.”
Adeyanju praised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent actions against Wike, saying, “I commend Governor Fubara for dealing decisively with him. That’s how to deal with tyrants. Wike is nothing without politics.”
He further expressed his concerns over Wike’s influence, stating, “The reason why he is making so much noise and constituting a nuisance all over the place is because of our political patrimony that he loots. Clowns and charlatans like Nyesom Wike will open their mouths and criticize true activists.”
Adeyanju also highlighted the importance of citizens participating in politics, saying, “Wike wants everyone to leave politics to rogues like him. His idea of nation-building is where people like him control everything. All citizens of conscience should get involved in politics.”
The back-and-forth between Adeyanju and Wike highlights ongoing tensions within Nigerian political circles and has sparked discussions about the role of activists and the nature of leadership in the country.
***Emotional Farewell as Nigeria Mourns a Dedicated Military Leader
Amid deep sorrow and heartfelt tributes, the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest on Friday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
His burial concluded two days of solemn funeral rites that began in Lagos, marking the end of an impactful military career.
The casket bearing Lagbaja, draped in Nigeria’s green and white, arrived at the cemetery around 3 pm following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
His body was lowered into the earth at 4:41 pm after a ceremony lasting over two hours.
The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and other high-ranking officials.
President Tinubu, paying tribute, called Lagbaja’s appointment one of his most significant decisions and announced a posthumous national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the late COAS. He urged the military not to lose hope: “Please, do not let death defeat us, and as Commander-in-Chief, I renew my pledge that the country will always support you and your families.”
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, echoed this sentiment, calling Lagbaja’s passing a call to strengthen the military’s resolve.
“Let us ensure his sacrifice continues to guide us as we defend this nation. We are resolved to defeat all enemies of the state, whether within or outside,” he stated.
Acting COAS Oluyede expressed personal gratitude for Lagbaja’s mentorship, sharing that he had nominated him for a national honor even while facing illness.
Lagbaja’s funeral rites began with a service of songs at the Army Headquarters Garrison Parade Ground, Mogadishu Cantonment, on Thursday, following the arrival of his body at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos.
Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff for over a year, having been appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023. He passed away on November 5 after a brief illness, leaving a legacy of dedication and patriotism.
A civil society group, Good Governance Alliance – Nigeria (GGA-N), has condemned the Lagos State government following an alleged invasion of former Transportation Minister Admiral Festus Porbeni’s Lekki property by state officials on Friday morning.
They called for immediate action against alleged breach of court order on Admiral Festus Porbeni’s property.
According to the group, the invasion is in direct violation of a Federal High Court order and sets a dangerous precedent for lawlessness.
In a statement issued by GGA-N representative Nathaniel Obasi, the group reported that officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force forcefully entered Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent around 7:30 am, accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen.
Obasi noted that the task force allegedly beat, arrested, and detained several individuals on the premises, placing them in a police vehicle known as ‘Black Maria.’
The statement emphasized that this raid contradicts a Federal High Court injunction prohibiting any disruption at the property and disregards a recent Supreme Court ruling granting federal control over inland waterways and adjacent lands within 100 meters.
Despite Porbeni’s possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Task Force allegedly threatened to bulldoze structures on the property, sparking concerns over escalating conflicts between state and federal jurisdiction.
GGA-N therefore urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and federal agencies overseeing waterways to intervene, asserting that the Lagos State government’s actions could lead to “lawlessness and chaos.”
According to him, the disputed property was previously invaded in 2021.
Obasi claimed that at about 7:30am this Friday, officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force, illegally forced their way into Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki, despite the Federal High Court order, which barred any agent from entering the premises or harassing any person at the premises.
It added the Lagos State Special Task Force accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen, beat up, arrested and threw staff and other people met on the property into a police vehicle called ‘Black Maria’, which they brought “for the illegal raid”.
“The officials who cordoned off the area are now threatening to bulldoze all structures on the property, in brazen breach of the Federal High Court order (FHC/L/CS/1384/21).
“The actions of the Task Force is also in disregard of the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in January which affirmed the federal government’s exclusive control of the country’s inland waterways and all lands within 100 meters of all declared federal waterways in Nigeria.
“The question is despite Admiral Porbeni being in possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), how is the Lagos State Government allowed to flout not only an injunction from the Federal High Court but also a ruling from the Supreme Court?
“The Lagos state government’s brazen disobedience of court orders is a recipe for lawlessness and chaos. We draw the urgent attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State and relevant federal government agencies in charge of federal waterways in the country to the illegal raid and occupation by the Lagos State Special Task Force,” Obasi stated
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