Team Nigeria Returns From World Championships Without Medal For 11th Time!

By

-

August 30, 2023

For the 11th time in 19 editions, Team Nigeria is returning home from the World Athletics Championships without a medal after the country’s contingent failed to make it to the podium in Budapest, Hungary.

The team’s medals hopes were pinned to the shoulders of long jumper, Ese Brume and sprint hurdler, Tobi Amusan.

Brume brought Nigeria back to the podium in 2019 with a bronze medal after two medalless editions (2015 and 2017) and she helped in getting Nigeria twice to the podium three years later in Oregon, USA where she upgraded her bronze medal win in 2019 to silver.

Amusan joined the party in Oregon after placing fourth in 2019 but her appearance at the World Athletics Championships podium was historic.
She first made history as the first Nigerian to set a world outdoor record when she ran 12.12 seconds in the semifinals of the 100m hurdles event in Oregon.

The then 25-year-old followed up with a first-ever gold medal by a Nigerian at World Athletics’ flagship event.
However, following the inability of the duo to get to the podium, the team, led by Tonobok Okowa, president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, turned prayer warriors, seeking a miracle for the relay teams.

Wishes failed to become horses and team Nigeria’s horses could not ride as the men’s and women’s 4x100m failed to make it to the final with the women’s team even dropping the baton.

All hopes were now placed on the women’s 4x400m team to make it to Sunday’s final where winning a medal would be the focus.

Two of the athletes who qualified the team for the Championships were turned to ‘used and dumped’ because the AFN failed to include them in the registered pool of athletes to be tested for three out-of-competition tests which was a pre-condition for any Nigerian athlete to fulfil before they can compete in any major international competitions and Games.

Obviously being an impartial God that rewards hard work and proper planning and not indiscipline and planlessness, the Nigerian 4x400m team, an obvious victim of an unruly federation failed to make it to the final.

Overall, Team Nigeria had only two athletes in the final which makes this edition one of the worst in terms of performance.

Team Nigeria started on the wrong foot when the mixed relay team, a finalist at the last edition, failed to make it to the final, placing seventh (3:14.38) in the second semifinal. Then followed Shot Putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who, for the first time in three editions, failed to make it to the final, finishing 13th in the final classification.

The women’s Discus throw trio of Chioma Onyekwere, Ashley Anumba and Obiageri Pamela Amaechi failed to extend their historic participation (the first time Nigeria has three throwers in the same event) to at least a spot at the podium.

Onyekwere, the Commonwealth Games champion finished 21st (58.58m), Anumba, the 2022 National Sports Festival queen 25th (57.77m) and Amaechi (51.60m) finished 37th, the last spot in the overall classification.

n the 400m, Imaobong Nse Uko and Dubem Nwachkwu failed to race beyond the first round in the women’s and men’s races while Ezekiel Nathaniel’s bid to become the second Nigerian after Henry Amike (1987) to make the final of the 400m hurdles ended at the semifinal stage.

While the duo of Ushoritse Itshekiri and Seye Ogunlewe failed to make it to the final in the 100m, Favour Ashe was disqualified in the first round for a false start.

In the women’s version, Rosemary Chukwuma failed to advance to the final, exiting at the semifinal stage.
Alaba Akintola and Favour Ofili did not advance beyond the semifinal while only the duo of Brume and Amusan made it to the final.

Nigeria first failed to make the podium in 1991 in Tokyo, Japan and repeated the same feat two years later in Stuttgart, Germany.
Sunday Bada, now late, anchored Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team to a bronze medal finish in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden and Davidson Ezinwa followed suit two years later in Athens, Greece where he led the 4x100m team to an African record and a silver medal.

The duo of Glory Alozie and Francis Obikwelu returned Team Nigeria to individual podium finishes in Seville, Spain in 1999, 12 years after Innocent Egbunike won Nigeria’s second individual medal at the Championships (after Ajayi Agbebaku won a triple jump bronze in 1983). Alozie won a silver medal in the 100m hurdles while Obikwelu settled for bronze after raising hopes of a first-ever gold medal in the 200m with his 19.84 run in the semifinal.

Then followed six editions without a medal, from 2001 in Edmonton, Canada to 2011 in Daegu, South Korea before Blessing Okagbare popped up with two individual medals in Moscow, Russia in 2013.

As the AFN has always done, it failed to build on the success of 2013 and ended the next two editions without a podium finish. Brume turned the saviour in 2019 to return Nigeria to the podium before she combined with Amusan for another podium finish in Oregon.

UN Seeks ECOWAS Exemption for Relief Supplies to Niger Republic

By

Cleopatra Okohai

-

August 30, 2023

0

The United Nations said an exemptions request for relief supplies to Niger Republic has been submitted to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The UN said sanctions on Niger were blocking vital humanitarian aid such as food and medicine.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative for Niger, Emmanuel Gignac, stated this at a press briefing during a visit to Geneva.

According to reports, trucks with food and humanitarian aid have been piling up at Niger’s land borders since a military coup on July 26, driving up food prices, in a sign of the impact of the sanctions.

The blockade is designed to pressure the junta to restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to office.

According to Gignac, “There is no way to bring humanitarian aid into the country. The immediate goods (affected) is going to be food and then it’s going to be access to medicine, to drugs.”

He said a formal letter from the UN. Aid Chief, Martin Griffiths, had been addressed to ECOWAS for exemptions.

ECOWAS spokesperson, Emos Lungu, declined to comment, according to report obtained by LN247.

UN aid flights have also been grounded because they cannot get access to jet fuel because of the sanctions, complicating aid efforts in the giant country.

Some agencies are using trucks, said World Food Programme regional spokesperson, Djaounsede Madjiangar, but that takes extra time.

Requests for special ECOWAS clearance for aid supplies have so far not been granted, he added.

A UN children’s agency spokesperson said UNICEF has some 50 containers with immunization, cold chain equipment and therapeutic food stuck at different entry points, unable to get into the country, while more than a million doses of yellow fever and rotavirus vaccines cannot be flown in from Europe due to the airspace closure.

He added that the agency was concerned about some 28 million vaccine doses stocked inside the country, with 95 per cent of warehouses currently hit by power outages.

Gignac also voiced concerns about the security of Niger’s population, especially among its 700,000 forcibly displaced people, describing a sharp increase in protection incidents such as kidnapping and sexual violence since the coup.

Health Ministry Backs 20% tax Increment on Sugar-sweetened Beverages

By

Cleopatra Okohai

-

August 30, 2023

0

The Federal Ministry of Health has expressed commitment to increase tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) from the current rate of 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

This is in a bid to combat the rising public health concerns associated with excessive sugar consumption.

The Ministry added that the tax would deter consumers from purchasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and instead, encourage healthier beverages as alternatives.

The Director and Head, Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, disclosed this at the Pro-Health Tax Policy Campaign on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, held at the Federal Ministries of Finance and Health respectively on Tuesday, in Abuja.

She said, “Taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages has been successfully implemented in countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, and so many others to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks.

“The introduction and sustenance of the tax in Nigeria will also reduce excess consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and thus reduce the burden of NCDs. We are committed to attaining the global best practice of at least 20% of the final retail price on all Sugar-Sweetened Beverages as the current 10 naira per liter price fails to achieve that. This campaign aligns with other government efforts in improving the public health of the Nigerian populace to meet up with the global priority of significantly reducing NCDs”, she said.

Peter Agada, who spoke on behalf of persons with diabetes, advised Nigerians to stay off carbonated drinks, saying that the cost of purchasing the products is cheap but the cost of treating diabetes is more expensive.

He called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, subsidise the cost of diabetes management, including medications and monitoring devices, to reduce preventable deaths.

He said “If there’s anything the government can do, things like making the health insurance scheme easily accessible to people that are non-government staff like myself; I am not in the government. I don’t work in the public sector. But I don’t have an NHIS for example. I know that there are several people now providing that service, but it’s not easily available to the majority of people.

“One out of 17 Nigerians are living with diabetes or are pre-diabetes, and are going to become diabetic very, very soon. So, this is a pandemic and diabetes is a killer disease. We’re not looking at it that way. It’s a destroyer of lives all over the world right now. People are losing their limbs, eyes, and all kinds of things. So, it’s something that makes you to really wake up and take it very seriously.”

On his part, a representative of the National Action and Sugar Reduction Coalition, Edozie Chukwuma, reiterated the need for the current administration to increase the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages tax as part of an effort to discourage patronage of sweetened products.

He said, “Basically, we’re calling on the government to enact laws to put together a tax that prohibits or that would, in the end, reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, and how will this tax work?

“It simply works by increasing the affordability of sugary drinks, thereby providing revenue that could be used to support healthcare, especially with regards to non-communicable disease burden in the country. It is an epidemic and it needs to be addressed. Out-of-pocket payments are at an all-time high, with over 75% of Nigerians paying from their pockets for treatment of different ailments”.

Cameroon Dam: CBN Farmers’ Loan Under Threat In Flooded States

By

faith Jegede

-

August 30, 2023

0

Following the opening of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon and as flooding hits some frontlines states, about 3.04 million Nigerian farmers may struggle to repay over N700bn Anchor Borrowers’ Programme loan of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The opening of the dam is expected to affect 13 frontline states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

Already, water levels have risen in some states including Benue and Anambra, while Niger is already experiencing flooding.

Speaking with reporters some farmers say the development might make it difficult for them to repay their Anchor Borrowers’ loan.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it kicked against the opening of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon by the authorities of the neighbouring country without informing the Nigerian government.

Asked whether the Federal Government registered its grievance over the opening of the Lagdo Dam by Cameroon without informing Nigeria, the Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency Clement Nze replied, “Of course yes, expectedly Nigeria wasn’t pleased with the fact that Cameroon opened their dam without notifying Nigeria, ,

The NIHSA boss who disclosed this to journalists, explained that the same occurred severally in time past

“It happened in 2012, which though they informed Nigeria, but because of the pressure on the dam in that year, they had to open it before the scheduled date, in order to relieve the dam from any breach.

“In 2019, they opened the dam on October 10 till October 31 without informing Nigeria and there was flood. So we now know that whenever there is flood of a certain magnitude we begin to ask questions.

“The same thing happened in 2022, and again in 2023 after the information got to us that Cameroon had opened the dam. I got across to them, that was when they had to confirm to us in writing that they had opened it on August 14, 2023.” He said

Nze also said that what Nigeria has with Cameroon is a Memorandum of Understanding which doesn’t give you powers to do anything if the other party violates some terms.

“Although in the MoU, there is no section of it that says Cameroon must notify us before they release water. But based on professional collaboration between my agency and the relevant agencies in Cameroon, they are supposed to inform us.”

Data obtained from the CBN showed that at least 1.25 million farmers in the 19 states received a total of N289.19bn as of December 2022.

The data showed that out of the 19 states, Sokoto got the highest (N49.25bn to 179,914 farmers), then Jigawa (N48.14bn for 175,685 farmers) and Zamfara (N34.46bn for 115,894 farmers).

Others include Taraba (N31.1bn for 154,407 farmers) and Adamawa (N30.69bn for 317,513 farmers).

The lowest loan was received by Lagos (N483m for 2,460 farmers), Imo (N1.07bn for 4,415.81 farmers), Osun (N1.26bn for 4,621 farmers), Anambra (N1.43bn for 6,647 farmers) and Abia (N2.67bn for 8,152 farmers).

Of the sum, a total of N411.49bn was loaned to 1.79 million farmers in eight northern states, who may struggle to make repayments due to insecurity caused by bandits.

Out of the eight states, Kaduna got the highest loan (N139.94bn for 510,664 farmers), then Niger (N61.75bn for 287,044 farmers), and Kano (N58.18bn for 322,452 farmers).

The lowest loan was received by Plateau (N8.49bn for 34,103 farmers), Yobe (21.55bn for 94,372 farmers) and Borno (N36.48bn for 177,752 farmers).

The CBN earlier said it disbursed N12.65bn to farmers under its anchor borrowers’ programme in the first two months of 2023.

The suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, at the end of the 290th meeting of the apex bank’s monetary policy committee, said that a total of N1.09tn had been disbursed through the ABP since its inception in 2015.

He said 4.6 million smallholder farmers cultivating or rearing 21 agricultural commodities have benefitted from the programme so far.

The CBN disclosed that N503bn representing 52.39 per cent has been repaid by farmers under the Anchor borrowers programme as of February 2023. This figure contradicts claims by the IMF that only 24 per cent of loans disbursed under the Programme have been repaid.

With the flood-threatening farming activities, a number of farmers may struggle to repay their loans.

The President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabiru Ibrahim, in a recent interview, urged President Bola Tinubu to tackle flooding and erosion in order to ensure food security, following the declaration of a state of emergency on food security.

Ibrahim said, “The announcement of the President is such a very encouraging and very welcome development. The farmers and all Nigerians are hopeful that the attainment of food security is around the corner now.

“Increasing what we produce and eating what we produce is the only available pathway to the attainment of any form of National prosperity today.”

The former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Management, Sadiya Farouq, had said that in 2022, 676,945 farmlands were destroyed as a result of flooding.

In Anambra, people in local government areas such as Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Anambra East and West, Onitsha North and South, Awka North, Idemilli South, Ekwusigo and Ihiala, located along the River Niger coastline are always the worst hit during the annual flooding.

The water levels around these coastal communities have already started rising over a week ago, according to the information gathered from residents.

Apart from flood sacking the residents from their homes, it also destroys farmlands, homes and property as well as businesses.

Some of the residents who spoke, said there has been growing panic since the water levels have started rising in their areas, thereby forcing them to relocate their families and businesses.

The farmers and fishermen said they have started harvesting their produce prematurely for fear of losing everything to the flood as it happened in 2022.

Meta Rejects Suspending Ex Cambodian PM From Facebook

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

-

August 30, 2023

0

Facebook’s parent Meta Platforms (MERA.O) has rejected a recommendation from its oversight Board to suspend the account of Cambodia’s Former Prime Minister Hun Sen over allegations he used it to threaten opponents.

Meta said it had determined that “suspending accounts outside our regular enforcement framework would not be consistent with our policies, including our protocol on restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest.”

The Board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, had advised in June that the company suspend Hun Sen’s account for six months over a video that it said violated rules on violent threats.

Meta, in a written statement, agreed to take down the video but said it would respond to the Board’s recommendation to suspend Hun Sen after a review.

Gabon Crises: Soldiers stage coup, declare election ‘fraud’

By

Mana Balagbogbo

-

August 30, 2023

0

Soldiers appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic”.
The apparent coup follows shortly after the national election authority’s announcement on Wednesday that Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been re-elected for a third term.
A soldier appearing on TV channel Gabon 24 said, “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime”.
Gunfire is reported in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, according to media reports.
Gabon’s political opposition branded the election a “fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters”.

A nationwide internet shutdown was imposed by President Ali Bongo’s government as polling drew to a close late Saturday on the grounds that it would prevent the spread of “false news” and possible violence.

‘This is a big issue for Europe’
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says defence ministers from the bloc are to discuss the situation in Gabon.

“If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region,” Borrell, speaking at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo, said.

“The whole area, starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers … have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy in respect with these countries,” he said.

“This is a big issue for Europe,” he added.

Gabon’s army officers who claimed to have seized power say the country is “on the road to happiness”, adding that Libreville will respect its commitments “to the national and international community”.

“We call for calm and serenity from the public, the communities of sister countries settled in Gabon, and the Gabonese diaspora,” an officer reading a statement on state TV said.

“We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community,” he added.

1970 Bridge Collapses In Plateau After Heavy Downpour

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 29, 2023

0

A bridge that links some towns and villages in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State has collapsed following a heavy downpour on Sunday.

Reports indicated that the bridge collapsed on Sunday around 1pm while motorists were on it.

A resident of Shendam, Aliyu Baga, who confirmed the development said the collapse of the bridge had inflicted more hardship on the people of the area although no life was lost.

He stated that the bridge was constructed around 1970.

“The people of the LGA have to look for alternate roads to go into the town and other local government councils. The incident has indeed added another hardship. The bridge is linking many places, including hospitals, and markets among others.

“It is the only bridge that eases the movement of farm inputs and all other important economic and social activities in the LG. We appeal to relevant authorities to come to the rescue of the people of the council,” he said

Enugu Traditional Ruler To Donate Land For Proposed Naval Base

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 29, 2023

0

The traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Egwuaba, and stakeholders of Ogurugu community in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State have promised to support as well as donate their land for the proposed naval base and its operations in the area.

The development was disclosed by the traditional ruler, alongside his people, when a joint committee set up by both the federal and the state governments paid a working visit to the community on Sunday.

The committee, led by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, on the side of the Enugu State Government, and Rear Admiral Chijioke Onyemaobi, who represented the federal government, was welcomed by the jubilant members of the community who hosted them with fanfare.

Igwe Egwuaba while convening his people’s happiness to the government for its intervention in the community, said if and when sited, the naval base would boost the economy of the area through the attraction of investors and other social amenities such as hospital, school and market.

He further added that the community had earlier resolved to cooperate and support the government by ceding their land and ensuring that the project was successfully executed.

According to the royal father: “As you can see yourself, the entire community members came out to welcome these government officials because of the news of the naval base they are coming to site here. It is a thing to celebrate because the government has remembered us.

“All of us in Ogurugu Community have resolved to support this project, and we want to assure the government that whatever is required from us, we will make it available. We have equally told them that we have large hectares of land and we are ready to give out our land for this project.

“This project will have many positive impacts on the lives of our people and the general economy of this place. You know we are dominantly into agriculture and we produce food staples such as rice, cassava, maize, among other agricultural produce. So, this proposed base by the Nigerian Navy will open up our area and expand the economy. We can easily move our farm produce to the market through the waterways.

“Ogurugu community is made up of 9 villages and we all share the same communal land. We have agreed that whatever the government is planning here in Ogurugu we’re ready to support it. We have pledged to give our land for the project because it’s all about the development of our community.

“Let me emphasize this for the umpteenth time; we, the people of Ogurugu community in Uzo Uwani Local Local Area of Enugu State are happy with the way Governor Peter Mbah is leading us by example. He is spreading his good governance across every community.

“We are also appealing to Governor Mbah to come and invest in agriculture in Ogurugu. We have fertile land for whatever agricultural purpose the governor is planning.”

On his part, a former chairman of the local government area and stakeholder from the community, Chief James Ademu, noted that the news about the proposed project had already brought together the different villages in the community in order to ensure maximum cooperation with the government officials, saying it was a much anticipated project by the people.

He further disclosed that they had held several meetings among themselves in anticipation of the committee and arrived at a conclusion that they were ready to donate any part of the community the Nigerian Navy chooses for the project.

“This project is going to help our people, empower us economically, and we will not take it for granted,” Chief Ademu said.

Speaking earlier, Rear Admiral Onyemaobi said the committee had visited the Igwe’s palace to pay homage and also seek the support and cooperation of the people in making sure the naval base operations were actualized.

He appealed to the people to work in synergy with the military personnel who would be visiting the area from time to time by assisting them with required support and information.

Lagos Ranked 5th In Best African Cities To Live In, London Is Best In The World

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 29, 2023

0

Lagos has emerged as the fifth best African city with high desirability by people to live, work, and invest, according to a report by Brand Finance City Index 2023.

The survey puts Lagos at 56.7per cent behind Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Casablanca (Morocco) as the first four best African cities with 62.9, 60.7, 59.7, and 59.3 per cents respectively.

Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, also makes the chart by coming behind Nigeria, as the sixth African city with 55.1 per cent.

Cape Town, Cairo, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Lagos and Nairobi are the only six African countries that appear on the 100 world’s best cities as numbers 60, 67, 72, 76, 90, and 94 respectively on global rankings.

Meanwhile, London (England) is crowned as the world’s best city brand in the ranking scoring 84.6 per cent, while New York (the United States) and Paris (France) come as 2nd and 3rd garnering 83.0 and 79.7 per cents respectively.

“The ranking is based on a global survey of close to 15,000 members of the public conducted in April 2023 in 20 countries on all continents to measure perceptions of the world’s top 100 cities,” the report reveals.

Abuja Airport: FCTA To Pay N825.8m Compensation For Construction Of 2nd Runway

By

Angel Gimalo

-

August 29, 2023

0

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration (FCTA) will pay N825.8 million as compensation for the construction of a second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while briefing newsmen at the end of a closed-door meeting with members of the Jiwa community and other stakeholders.

He said that the amount would be paid through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for compensation and resettlement of the people of the community affected by the project.

He added that as part of the incentive, 12 people from the community would be employed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and its agencies and 10 by FCTA.

He added that the government would also construct the Tunga Madaki bridge along with a five-kilometre road from the bridge to the community for easy movement of the people.

The minister explained that the project would be captured in the 2024 budget of the FCTA.

Wike also said that FCTA would equally provide a modern health facility to provide quality health care services for people of the community.

He said that an undertaking would be signed based on the agreement between the government and the community.

He identified the signatories as the permanent secretaries of FCTA and Ministry of aviation, the Chief of Jiwa, the Chairman, of Abuja Municipal Council and the Commissioner, of Public Complaint Commission.

“If that is done today, and tomorrow or next tomorrow the money is paid to them, contractors will no longer delay.

“So, the second runway has come to stay,” he said.

He said that the current administration was determined to ensure that the second runway was delivered.

He commended the Chief of Jiwa, Alhaji Isa Idris, for mobilising his people to attend the meeting to resolve the crises.

His counterpart, Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said that he met the issue on his table, adding that the project ought to have been delivered in July.

Keyamo said that the contractors could not be mobilised because of the issue of compensation.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, said that the completion of the project requires the support of all relevant stakeholders.

Adesola commended Wike for the intervention to ensure a quick resolution of the issue.

Dr Emmanuel Meribole, Permanent Secretary, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said that the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2022.

Meribole said that the project was awarded to four contractors in April, with CCECC Nigeria Limited as the major contractor.

He, however, said that the project was stalled because of the disagreement over compensation to the affected community members.

Earlier, the Chief of Jiwa, said that the Ministry of aviation through its consultant had earlier pegged the compensation at N2.5 million per hectare, for the 12,000 hectares allocated for the project.

Idris further said that the amount was later reviewed downward to N700,000 per hectare when FCTA took over the discussion as the rightful authority to determine how much compensation to be paid.

He said that the community took the matter to the Public Complaint Commission with a view to resolving the issue amicably.

The community leader said that his people were concerned that the N700,000 being offered per hectare would not be enough for the affected persons to acquire another land.