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Foreign

UNFPA reiterates call to rescind evacuation order from Northern Gaza

 

By Folasade Akpan

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reiterated calls by the United Nations

Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to rescind the evacuation order from northern Gaza, which is making a dire humanitarian situation even worse.

 

The Fund’s Executive Director, Dr Natalia Kanem, made the call in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

by UNFPA Nigeria’s Media Associate, Hajiya Kori Habib in Abuja on Wednesday.

 

According to her, UNFPA deplores the loss of lives in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and deeply concerned about

the safety and wellbeing of all civilians caught up in the crisis, especially women and girls.

 

She stated that the evacuation order from Northern Gaza is making a dire humanitarian situation even worse.

 

She added that “for the thousands of women about to give birth, and those who are sick and critically injured, being forced from

their homes with nowhere safe to go and no food or water, it is extremely dangerous.

 

“Gaza is home to 50,000 pregnant women who are struggling to access essential health services, as hospitals teeter on the brink of collapse,

with no electricity and few if any vital supplies or medicines.

 

“UNFPA supports pregnant women and newborns by providing essential medicines and deploying midwives. This can only continue if lifesaving aid can reach them.

 

“We call for immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access so that food, medicines, water and fuel can reach everyone in need.”

 

Kanem also called on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law, and for the immediate release of all hostages, adding that

attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure must cease, and healthcare facilities must never be a target.

 

NAN reports that Isreal started launching attacks on Gaza after a major assault on Isreal by the Palestinian organisation Hamas on

Oct. 7.

 

Several hospitals in Gaza City, therefore, became refugee centres for hundreds of people, hoping they would be spared the bombardment

after Israel ordered all residents of the city and surrounding areas to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip.

 

Thereafter, an Israeli air force bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza strip on Tuesday, where at least 500 people were reportedly

killed, the deadliest Israeli airstrike in five wars fought since 2008.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

 

 

Community

Kwara Govt evacuates street beggars from Ilorin metropolis  

 

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

 

The Kwara Government on Wednesday commenced the evacuation of street beggars from the Ilorin metropolis.

 

 

 

Speaking at one of the locations of the exercise, Mrs Kemi Afolashade, Kwara Commissioner for Social Development, said the areas affected are: Tipper Garage, Tanke, Offa Garage, Geri-Alimi and Challenge in Ilorin.

 

 

 

She said that these were areas where the street beggars were domiciled, adding that the exercise was one of the core mandates of her ministry.

 

 

 

Afolashade said the leadership of Gov. Abdulraham Abdulrazaq prohibits street begging and therefore beggars are prohibited to stay in these areas.

 

 

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the exercise, the commissioner rescued a mentally challenged woman sleeping under the bridge.

 

 

 

The commissioner who provided food and other needs to the mentally challenged woman also offered to rehabilitate and empower her with a vocation of her choice. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam) Julius Toba-Jegede

Evacuation of foreigners from Niger after military takeover
Foreign

France, Italy to evacuate citizens from Niger

France will begin evacuating its citizens from Niger, which was taken over by the military in a coup, on Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry said.

It said it would also evacuate other Europeans who wanted to leave the country, a former French colony.

About 500 to 600 French citizens are in Niger.

Italy also said it would fly its citizens out of Niger on a special flight, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Twitter.

He said that its embassy in the Nigerien capital Niamey would remain open.

Tajani did not say when the Italian evacuation would begin.

On Wednesday last week, officers from General Omar Tchiani’s elite unit detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and declared him deposed.

Tchiani decleared himself the new ruler on Friday.

Over the weekend there were pro-coup protests in Niamey.

According to reports, demonstrators gathered in front of the French embassy.

Some reportedly tore down the embassy plaque, trampled on it and replaced it with Nigerien and Russian flags.

Paris had condemned the violence.

In Berlin, a German government crisis team is to discuss the situation in Niger again at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT).

It would make an up-to-date assessment of the security situation for the nearly 100 German civilians in the country.

The French offer to take other citizens with them is expected to be discussed.

France can land several planes with the approval of the Nigerien authorities, although flight operations at Niamey airport are banned until Friday.

Germany on Tuesday had still not activated its own plans for an evacuation.

The coup has been internationally condemned.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders on Sunday.

If Bazoum is not released and reinstated within a week, ECOWAS would take measures that could include the use of force, it said.

On Monday, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali warned ECOWAS against intervening.

The countries warned that any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against them, a joint statement by the two transitional governments said.

They also said if ECOWAS intervened militarily in Niger, they would withdraw from ECOWAS.

The two nations said they would institute self-defence measures to support the Nigerien armed forces and people if ECOWAS intervened with force.

Shortly after Tchiani’s coup, he declared himself the de facto president and suspended the West African country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions.

The former colonial power France has about 2,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as well as in neighbouring Chad.

Niger was recently one of its last local partners in the counterterrorism fight in the wider Sahel region.

The country is also of interest to France because of its uranium. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==============
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Evacuation

General News

FG begins eviction of illegal structures encroaching on projects

By Grace Alegba

The Federal Government on Sunday began the evacuation of shanties, illegal structures encroaching on its Right of Way (RoW) following the expiration of the ultimatum issued by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fashola on Jan. 14 while inspecting the Airport flyover damaged by tanker fire also visited artisans, mechanics and other businesses in the axis.

He had given them two weeks to vacate the RoW of the bridge and the ongoing Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway reconstruction project.

He advised them to relocate to the Matori Industrial Estate in Ladipo purposely built by the Jakande government for commercial activities, warning that they both jeopardised their safety and that of the the highway by being on the road sides.

Enforcing the eviction alongside the Lagos State Task Force, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola said the traders did not obey all notices served on them hence the evacuation.

Popoola said after the minister’s visit to the Ladipo axis on Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway project to address the traders, they failed to comply with negotiation terms.

He said that government had embarked on recovery of its Right of Way (RoW) nationwide and also the ongoing Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway reconstruction project being handled by the Dangote Group.

He said beautification was also part of the project and the contractor was ready to move to site to begin work and except the RoW was free, the project would be stalled.

“After the Honorable Minister addressed them, we gave them two weeks, we came and served them notices which expired on the 29th of January, 2020.

” Before that day I called a meeting of all the unions which I also reiterated the Honorable Minister’s directive to every one of them. They all agreed that they will move away.

“Now, after that, the Task Force gave them notices which expired on the 7th of February but as at today they remained adamant, they refused to remove all their properties, goods and vehicles.

” And that is why the Task Force was invited to come here and do the clearing of all the shanties so that we will be able to do our work on the service lane, so as to beautify the RoW and that is the purpose of coming to this place today, ” he said.

He said that the federal government was serious recovery of its RoW across the country and would sustain action in Lagos to ensure illegal businesses do not return to the road.

Popoola added that the enforcement would be extended to Apapa through the entire corridor to Oworonsoki to remove all impediments on the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway project.

He advised businesses interested in beautification of the highway to approach the office of the minister for approval, adding that, that was the only approved initiative on the RoW.

The controller assured that owners of trucks and abandoned vehicles and other properties could recover them from the Task Force office, but would be made to promise not to return them to the highway.

NAN reports that the Lagos State Task team led by Mr Shola Jejeloye towed abandoned and illegally parked vehicles on the RoW and removed other valuable items before destroying make shift stalls and shanties.

Some business owners who spoke to journalists appealed for government’s understanding of their plight.

Mr Martins Obidiozor, Manager of Unity Ware House along Toyota Bus stop said that the warehouse did not have space for vehicles to offload wares.

Obidiozor begged that his customers heavy duty equipment and goods be allowed to stay some more days on the highway before gradual removal to the warehouse.

Also, Mallam Ismaila Sule, a soft drinks vendor appealed to government to regulate thier businesses instead of evacuating them from the road setback.

“If there is go slow and people want to drink water or soft drinks can they enter the big market? No. That is why we are begging government to help us,” he said. (NAN)