The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi (CON) has reassured the people of the North and Nigerians of the commitment of the FG to the completion  of the Abuja –Kaduna dual carriageway by 2024.

Umahi disclosed this while speaking to journalists during the  inspection of the highway as directed by Mr. President who, according to him, is so  passionate about the completion of the road as it  will alleviate the suffering and travel time of commuters plying the road.  

This was contained in a statement signed by, Blessing Lere -Adams, the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations Unit of the ministry.

The Minister added that the road is very important to Mr. President and he is committed to finishing it by 2024, adding that he will match his words with action. 

The section 1 of the highway which is 165.5km is part of the 375.4 kilometer Abuja-Kaduna –Zaria-Kano project awarded to Messers   Julius Berger Nigeria PLc in 2018 by the previous  administration but is yet to be completee like other sections of the road due to insecurity and criminal activities.

The Minister who decried any form of wastage of funds or delay during construction work stressed that there should be a meaningful reason for any  change in the approved  design of a project to take place. 

Umahi emphasised the need to quicken  the approval process of payments for contractors and not make  contractors go to site when payments have not been made to them. 

The Minister who acknowledged the central role of security in the progress of any nation has assured Nigerians that this administration will do everything within available means to provide security for lives and properties on the roads. 

He promised that efforts will be made  to provide solar light on the completed sections of the road for the safety of road users and its environs if the contingency funds are available. 

The Minister encouraged the use of concrete road pavement as an alternative to the use of asphalt in road construction describing it as durable and cheaper. 

He urged citizens to take responsibility for FG projects in their states by protecting them rather than looting and vandalising them as government cannot protect them. 

The Director Highway Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Folunsho Esan and the Director Highway North Central Engr. Bola Aganaba, all promised to monitor closely from now on the progress of work going on the road and also to meet with the deadline.

Responding, the Project Manager Messers Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd, represented by  Engr. Dwsdowki Finn, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for his visit and encouragement. He stated that the project is their major project in the country and will continue to do their best to maintain the standard and deliver the project at the scheduled time. 

The  Minister was accompanied on the  inspection by  Senators Lawal Usman representative Kaduna Central and Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi North. The Federal Controller of Works in  Kaduna State, Engr. Ibrahim Mmadu and Eng. Usman Yakubu were also in the entourage. 

The Minister also before leaving Kaduna state paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kaduna state who was represented by the Deputy Governor of the state.

Every city in the world has a story to unfold. The ancient cities have all the more tales engulfed with rich cultural heritage to share. They have an intriguing history, beautiful architecture, and showcase the imprints of evolving human civilisations.  

So let’s take a look at oldest cities in the world that are still thriving today.

Damascus, Syria – 11,000 years old

Also named as the capital of Arab culture, Damascus is the oldest city in the world that has seen many of the great civilizations rise and fall.

According to research studies and historical evidence, Damascus was first inhabited in the second half of the seventh millennia B.C.  It is the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is a prominent cultural centre of the Arab world. 

Damascus is a metropolitan area with more than two million population and was named the Arab Capital of Culture in 2008.

First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad.

Damascus saw its importance decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods.

Today, it is the seat of the central government of Syria. As of September 2019, eight years into the Syrian civil war, Damascus was named the least livable city out of 140 global cities in the Global Liveability Ranking.

As of June 2023, it was the least livable out of 173 global cities in the same Global Liveability Ranking.

Aleppo, Syria – 8,000 years old

Aleppo serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, and it has been continuously inhabited for more than 8,000 years. It is a fact that the remnants dating back to 11,000 B.C of human settlements have been found there.

Aleppo is actually located between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia, and due to its geographical location, it became an important trading hub during the ancient era.

However, due to warfare between the government and rebel forces that have killed thousands and forced many to flee from their homes, Aleppo has been facing devastation since 2012.

For centuries, Aleppo was the largest city in the Syrian region, and the Ottoman Empire’s third-largest after Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Cairo.

The city’s significance in history has been its location at one end of the Silk Road, which passed through Central Asia and Mesopotamia. When the Suez Canal was inaugurated in 1869, much trade was diverted to sea and Aleppo began its slow decline.

At the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Aleppo lost its northern hinterland to modern Turkey, as well as the important Baghdad Railway connecting it to Mosul. In the 1940s it lost its main access to the sea, by Antakya and İskenderun, also to Turkey.

The growth in importance of Damascus in the past few decades further exacerbated the situation.

Aleppo has scarcely been touched by archaeologists, since the modern city occupies its ancient site. The earliest occupation of the site was around 5000 BC, as shown by excavations in Tallet Alsauda.

The Current Metro Area Population Of Aleppo In 2023 Is 2,203,000, A 5% Increase From 2022.

The metro area population of Aleppo in 2022 was 2,098,000, a 4.69% increase from 2021. The metro area population of Aleppo in 2021 was 2,004,000, a 4.54% increase from 2020.

Byblos, Lebanon – 7,000 years old

Located around 42 kilometre north of Beirut, Byblos is the oldest and the largest city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied by humans between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC.

Also, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is believed that the first import of papyrus in Greece took place in this city. This city is also an archaeological wonder because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.

The city also known as Jbeil or Jubayl is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon.

During its history, Byblos was part of numerous civilizations, including Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Fatimid, Genoese, Mamluk and Ottoman.

The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was in ancient Byblos that the Phoenician alphabet, likely the ancestor of the Greek, Latin and all other Western alphabets, was developed.

Located about 42 km north of Beirut, Byblos is attractive to archaeologists because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.

It was first excavated by Ernest Renan in 1860, then by Pierre Montet from 1921 until 1924, followed by Maurice Dunand from 1925 over a period of forty years.

Renan’s expedition was to “provide the evidence that the city did not move and that Gebeil is Byblos”.

The site first appears to have been settled during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, approximately 8800 to 7000 BC.

Neolithic remains of some buildings can be observed at the site. According to the writer Philo of Byblos (quoting Sanchuniathon, and quoted in Eusebius), Byblos was founded by the Phoenician shrine god El, (whom the Greeks identified with their god Cronus).

During the 3rd millennium BC, the first signs of a town can be observed, with the remains of well-built houses of uniform size. This was the period when the Canaanite civilization began to develop.

Argos, Greece – 7,000 years old

Argos is a city in Argolis, the Peloponnese, Greece and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. According to research, Argos remained neutral throughout history, and did not participate in the Greco-Persian Wars. Argos hosts around 22,000 residents today and  numerous ancient monuments can be found here.

There are several proposed origins of this city. The name is associated with the legendary Argus, the third king of the city in ancient times, who renamed it after himself, thus replacing its older name Phoronikon Asty.

Both the personal name and placename are linked to the word αργός (argós), which meant “white” or “shining”; possibly, this had to do with the visual impression given of the Argolic plain during harvest time.

Argos has a wide range of educational institutes that also serve neighbouring sparsely populated areas and villages.

In particular, the city has seven dimotika (primary schools), four gymnasia (junior high), three lyceums (senior high), one vocational school, one music school as well as a Touristical Business and Cooking department and also a post-graduate ASPETE department. The city also has two public libraries.

In 700 BC there were at least 5,000 people living in the city.

In the fourth century BC, the city was home to as many as 30,000 people.

Today, According To The 2011 Greek Census, The City Has A Population Of 22,085. It Is The Largest City In Argolis, Larger Than The Capital Nafplio.

The primary economic activity in the area is agriculture. Citrus fruits are the predominant crop, followed by olives and apricots. The area is also famous for its local melon variety, Argos melons (or Argitiko). There is also important local production of dairy products, factories for fruits processing.

Considerable remains of the ancient and medieval city survive and are a popular tourist attraction.

Athens, Greece – 7,000 years old

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It dominates the Attica region with its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC. This city is also an ancient home of philosophy and the birthplace of Western civilisations.

In fact it boasts  of habitation that goes back long before the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The city  withstood the test of times and was a subject of complete destruction following the Dorian and Persian invasions.

Classical Athens was a powerful city-state. It was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political influence on the European continent—particularly Ancient Rome.

In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. In 2023, Athens metropolitan area and its surrounding municipalities (consisting the regional area of Attica) had a population of approximately 3.8 million.

Today, Athens is a sprawling metropolis and the oldest capital city in Europe.

Susa, Iran – 6,300 years old

Susa orwas an ancient city of the Proto-Elamite, and one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East (the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East). 

Its location is close to the Tigris River and hence made it one of the most important cities in the ancient world. It was believed that the city was once completely destroyed by the Assyrians but then was quickly rebuilt and then it saw its most glorious days during the Persian Empire.

The city was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about 250 km (160 mi) east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian and Sasanian periods.

The site currently consists of three archaeological mounds, covering an area of around one square kilometre. The modern Iranian town of Shush is located on the site of ancient Susa. Shush Is Identified As Shushan, Mentioned In The Book Of Esther.

Susa is also mentioned once each in the books of Ezra (Ezra 4:9), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:1) and Daniel (Daniel 8:2).

According to these texts, Nehemiah lived in Susa during the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century BC (Daniel mentions it in a prophetic vision), while Esther became queen there, married to King Ahasuerus, and saved the Jews from genocide.

A tomb presumed to be that of Daniel is located in the area, known as Shush-Daniel. However, a large portion of the current structure is actually a much later construction dated to the late nineteenth century, c. 1871.

Today, the ancient center of Susa is unoccupied, with the population living in the adjacent modern Iranian town of Shush to the west and north of the historic ruins.

Shush is the administrative capital of Shush County in Iran’s Khuzestan province. It had a population of 64,960 in 2005.

Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan – 6,000 years old

Erbil has been inhabited, over the millennia, by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols and Ottoman Turks.

At the center of the city, rests the Erbil Citadel, also known as Hawler Castle which is an ancient structure that dates back to 2,000 B.C.

The Erbil Citadel, is an artificial mound and the historical city center of Erbil. Erbil is known for its modern malls, ancient sites, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC.

At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel of Erbil and Mudhafaria Minaret.

The earliest historical reference to the region dates to the Third Dynasty of Ur of Sumer, when King Shulgi mentioned the city of Urbilum. The city was later conquered by the Assyrians.

Erbil’s archaeological museum houses a large collection of pre-Islamic artifacts, particularly the art of Mesopotamia, and is a centre for archaeological projects in the area. The city was designated as the Arab Tourism Capital 2014 by the Arab Council of Tourism.

In July 2014, the Citadel of Erbil was inscribed as a World Heritage Site.

The city is predominantly Kurdish and has minorities of local Turkmen and Assyrians, as well as Arabs.

The Turkmen population in Erbil is estimated to be around 300,000. They mainly reside in the neighbourhoods of Taci, Mareke and Three Tak in Erbil’s city centre, around the citadel. Until 2006, they were living in the Tophane, Tekke and Saray neighborhoods of the Citadel, which contained almost 700 houses.

In 2006, the citadel was emptied, and the Turkmen in the citadel were relocated to other neighbourhoods. Turkmens participate in the political institutions of the KRG, including the Parliament.

Iraq’s first two Turkmen schools were opened on 17 November 1993, one in Erbil and the other in Kifri.

Erbil’s citadel also contains the Turkmen Culture House. It’s Ankawa district is mainly populated by Christian Assyrians. The district houses approximately 40 churches.

Erbil International Airport is one of Iraq’s busiest airports. Services include direct flights to many domestic destinations such as Baghdad international airport. There are international flights from Erbil to many countries; such as the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Turkey, Jordan and elsewhere around the world.

Sidon, Lebanon – 6,000 years old

Inhabited for at least the last 6,000 years, Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities because of its location as a crucial port on the Mediterranean. Sidon is the third-largest city in Lebanon and is located in the South Governorate.

Glass production had made Sidon both rich and famous and the city came to be known for being progressive. Also, the Phoenicians were known for their skill in ship-building and navigating the Mediterranean Sea.

Sidon (/ˈsaɪdən/) or Saida (Arabic: صيدا Ṣaydā) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast.

In the Book of Genesis, Sidon was the first-born son of Canaan, who was a son of Ham, thereby making Sidon a great-grandson of Noah.

In the years before Christianity, Sidon had many conquerors: Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans.

Herod the Great visited Sidon. Both Jesus and Saint Paul are said to have visited it, too. The city was eventually conquered by the Arabs and then by the Ottoman Turks.

Education Of Sidon

Sidon is home to numerous educational facilities ranging from public elementary schools to private universities.

According to a 2006 study, the city is home to 29 schools that serve a total of 18,731 students: 37% are in public schools, 63% are in private schools. Sidon also contains 10 universities, 5 of which are private universities.

Tyre to the south and Lebanese capital Beirut to the north are both about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria – 6,000 years old

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria.  Plovdivs’ history spans across more than six millenniums, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe. Excavations show that people have been inhabiting the ancient town on the Nebet Tepe Hill since 4000.C.

Plovdiv is situated in a fertile region of south-central Bulgaria on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven syenite hills, some of which are 250 metres (820 feet) high.

The city is located on the banks of the Maritsa river, southeast of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The city is in the southern part of the Plain of Plovdiv, an alluvial plain that forms the western portion of the Upper Thracian Plain.

From there, the peaks of the Sredna Gora mountain range rise to the northwest, the Chirpan Heights to the east, and the Rhodope mountains to the south.

Because of these hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as “The City of the Seven Hills”. There is evidence of habitation in the area dating back to the 6th millennium BCE, when the first Neolithic settlements were established.

The city was an important Persian, Thracian, Macedonian, and Ottoman hub.

As of the 1887 census, Plovdiv was the largest city in the country for several years with 33,032 inhabitants compared to 30,428 for Sofia. According to the 1946 census, Plovdiv was the second largest city with 126,563 inhabitants compared to 487,000 for the capital.

The city has more than 200 archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. There are many remains from antiquity. Plovdiv is among the few cities with two ancient theatres; remains of the medieval walls and towers; Ottoman baths and mosques; a well-preserved old quarter from the National Revival period with beautiful houses; churches; and narrow paved streets. There are numerous museums, art, galleries and cultural institutions. Plovdiv is host to musical, theatrical, and film events.

Today, Plovdiv is the second biggest city in Bulgaria and an up-and-coming tourist hub.

Varanasi, India – 5,000 years old

Varanasi is the oldest city in India and also the birthplace of the oldest religion – Hinduism. Also known as Benares, Banaras  or Kashi this  city is located on the banks of the river Ganges in the Uttar Pradesh state of North India and dates back to the 11th century B.C.

Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha’s first sermon there in the fifth century BCE.

Excavations in 2014 led to the discovery of artefacts dating back to 800 BCE. Further excavations at Aktha And Ramnagar, two sites in the vicinity of the city, unearthed artefacts dating back to 1800 BCE, supporting the view that the area was inhabited by this time.

Tourism is Varanasi’s second most important industry.

Most domestic tourists are from Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh, while the majority of foreign tourists are from Sri Lanka and Japan.

The peak tourist season falls between October and March.

In total, there are around 12,000 beds available in the city, of which about one half are in inexpensive budget hotels and one third in dharamsalas.

Overall, Varanasi’s tourist infrastructure is not well developed.

Conclusion

Most of the ancient cities in the world have stood the test of time apart from human invasions and geographical calamities.

How old is your city?

Talk to us on our social media platforms especially on Kingschat.

For Environmental Commendations And Concerns:

FOLLOW US ON KINGSCHAT: LN247 AND SPACE.COMLN247

LN247 UHF 36 LAGOS

LN247 UHF 33 ABUJA

Or Send A Mail/Picture/Video To: Info2@Ln247.News

Always remember that cleanliness is next to godliness, therefore be clean in thoughts, in words and in deeds.

A catastrophic die-off of emperor penguin chicks has been observed in the Antarctic, with up to 10,000 young birds estimated to have been killed.

The sea-ice underneath the chicks melted and broke apart before they could develop the waterproof feathers needed to swim in the ocean.

The birds most likely drowned or froze to death.

The event, in late 2022, occurred in the west of the continent in an area fronting on to the Bellingshausen Sea and was recorded by satellites.

Passengers on Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, Hampshire, said their vessel “collided with a freight ship in Palma, Mallorca”.

One man on board said they were “being pushed ashore by tugs whilst confined to our cabins”.

A company spokesperson said that the captain was keeping guests “updated”.

People aboard the ship recorded videos and images of the incident.

Passenger Gavin McCoy said the “unexpected drama” happened while “the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill”.

He said that at about 11:00 BST “a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea”.

“Ingy and I were sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air,” Mr McCoy added.

“We’ve drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship.”

The storm is likely to be one of the severe thunderstorms, affecting the Balearic Islands.

The captain informed passengers that “there’s no structural compromise, but deck 5 has sustained a small amount of damage” on the PA system.

P&O Cruises spokesperson said they were “aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning” and were “working to assess the situation”.

Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was “no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship”.

“The many people on coach excursions will be able to get back on again,” he added.

Britannia has headed back to port to pick up passengers who had been ashore.

The cruise started in Southampton and is due back on 1 September.

This is the second time an emergency has happened on a Southampton ship due to bad weather in recent weeks, with the Queen Mary 2 breaking free from its bow mooring line and drifting off the quay on 4 August.

As of Sunday at 11 a.m., Idalia will meander near the Yucatan Peninsula through the start of tomorrow before lifting northward into the Gulf of Mexico late Monday into Tuesday, where additional strengthening is likely.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center still has Idalia making landfall as a 90mph Category 1 hurricane near the Big Bend area of Florida.

However, strong winds and heavy rain will still extend to the east of the center, which will lead to some fringe impacts here in South Florida.

Locally, storms will start to increase Monday, as tropical moisture moves into the area.

By Monday night, we’ll begin to see some of the far outerbands move in, bringing squally bands of rain and gusty winds.

This will continue through Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday is looking like the windiest day, with gusts of 35 – 45 mph.

We’ll continue to monitor the localized flood threat, with heavy rain possible under training tropical downpours. We’ll also have to watch for the potential of seeing quick tropical spin-up tornadoes as bands push onshore.

Changes in both track and intensity will result in changes to our forecast. So we’ll continue to nail down specifics over the next day or so.

Italy’s northern city of Milan registered a new record high average daily temperature of 33 Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday as a heatwave which began around mid-August reached its peak, the regional environmental protection agency (ARPA) said on Friday.

It was the hottest day since the Milano Brera weather station started recording temperatures in 1763. Milan’s previous record of 32.8 C was set on Aug. 11, 2003.

The Italian capital Rome registered a record peak of 41.8 Celsius (°C) in July, as much of southern Europe broiled this summer, fuelling wildfires, prompting governments to issue health warnings, and disrupting holidays for many tourists.

ARPA said in a statement that Aug. 23 and 24 have been the hottest days of the summer across the whole of the Lombardy region which surrounds Milan, with several towns registering peak temperatures above 40 C.

It added that “intense and abnormal” temperatures also hit the Italian Alps.

The heatwave is about to end though, the agency said, giving way to heavy thunderstorms and a sharp drop in temperatures of up to 10-15 C early next week.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on Saturday briefly issued an evacuation order for West Maui due to brush fire.

The order was in place for Anapuni Loop to West Mahipulu, the agency said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The order was subsequently lifted after firefighters stopped forward movement of the fire, the agency said in a follow-up post.

“Evacuate your family and pets now, do not delay. Expect conditions that may make driving difficult and watch for public safety personnel operating in the area,” the order said.

The island of Maui was devastated earlier this month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century swept through the resort town of Lahaina, leaving 115 people dead and 338 missing.

Search teams are still sifting through Lahaina’s blackened ruins, although officials said on Friday that process was nearly complete.

Wildfires in Canada’s Northwest Territories on Friday forced the evacuation of the entire town of Hay River, a community of about 4,000 people on the Great Slave Lake, authorities said.

The government of the Northwest Territories ordered everyone in town, including essential workers, to go to the Hay River Merlyn Carter Airport and await further instructions.

“Anyone who remains in Hay River is doing so at their own risk,” the Northwest Territories government said in an alert posted at 3:23 p.m. local time on Friday. “There will be no emergency services or response available.”

Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record and in the past week more than 50,000 people, including the entire population of the Northwest Territories’ capital Yellowknife, have been forced to flee their homes.

Mail service to numerous communities in the Northwest Territories has also been impacted by the fires, the government said in a later alert.