Dr Felicia Mogo, founder AFMESI
… As Lagos Assembly appeals to President Buhari on protection of shorelines***
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki will lead maritime stakeholders and industry experts on the discourse, “African Blue World”.
Dr Felicia Mogo, Founder, African Marine Environment Sustainable Initiative (AFMESI) made this known in a statement in Lagos.
Mogo noted that Akpabio and Saraki would be the Chairman of the occasion and keynote speaker respectively.
She said that the discourse would take place at the 3rd edition of AFMESI on Oct 7.
According to Mogo, the one-day event will feature several pertinent maritime topics such as; Impact Of Security And Piracy in Maritime Business; Integrated Ocean Management, Science And Governance; Ocean Science And Governance In Marine Environment.
Others are Accounting For The Values And Wealth Of The Maritime; and Africa’s position within various ocean-related international laws (int’l).
“The event themed, ‘African Blue World: Which Way To Go?” has the Chairman, House Committee on Maritime and Education, Ms Linda Ikpeazu as the Special Guest of Honour; the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh as the Chief Host.
“Chairman of Starz Group, Mr Greg Ogbeifun is slated as a Guest of Honour,” she said.
She listed some of the panelists for the event as Dr Pierre Failer, a professor of Economics at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom and Director, Centre for Blue Governance; Prof. Susan Kholeif, a Marine Geologist, Oceanographer and Ecologist at the National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Egypt.
Others, she said are Prof. Rasheed Sumaila, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Economics Research Unit , Ocean Canada Partnership; rtd Lt.-Gen India Garba, a trained Combatant, Strategist Logistician, Administrator and Member of AFMESI Advisory Board.
Others are Nigeria’s Co-Champion for AfCFTA on Transportation, Madam Funmi Folorunsho, President of African Women in Maritime (WIMAFRICA) and Principal Counsel, Jean-Chiazor&Co (Ofianyi Chambers), Mrs Jean-Chiazor Anishere, SAN.
In its previous annual conferences, AFMESI, a non-profit organization, availed the maritime sector robust platforms for holistic deliberations on sustainable approaches in managing the nation’s marine environment for optimum value.
Recall that at the last event the Nigerian government and other African nations were urged to address the menace of plastic pollution on the marine environment from the producing companies.
In another development, the Lagos State House of Assembly has appealed to President Muhammad Buhari to intervene on the protection of shorelines of Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Ibeju Lekki, Badagry and others in the state.
The House made the appealed sequel to a motion raised by the prime mover, Hon. Noheem Adams, representing Eti-Osa Constituency 1, during plenary session in Lagos on Tuesday.
The newsmen report that ocean surge had displaced lots of lives in the coastal areas of the state, especially during the rainy season.
The lawmakers also urged the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to release the ecological fund meant for the state, and on Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the relevant ministry to come up with modalities to address the shoreline issues, adding that a state of emergency should be declared on the communities.
Adams disclosed that Lagos was excluded from the ecological fund, while states such as Abia, Imo, Adamawa, Jigawa, Niger, the FCT and others benefited from it.
“These communities have been displaced due to ocean surge. Our communities are calling on the necessary bodies to save our souls. We need an emergency to be declared in those areas.
“Ecological fund was established and 1 per cent of it was set aside to take care of these ecological issues but Lagos State was excluded from the fund.
The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said that the House Committee on Waterfront should evaluate dredging activities in the state and think of how to be involved in championing this cause.
Agunbiade explained that there was poor disposal of solid waste in the state; hence, the public should be sensitised on its unavoidable effect.
“The committee on waterfront needs to do a lot by calling for the evaluation of dredging activities in the state.
“The waterfront committee should sit back and think of how to be involved in championing this cause.
“There should be a resolve on how to address improper disposal of solid waste in the state. We are also calling on members of the public to dispose their waste according to the law,” he said.
Commenting, Hon. Tobun Abiodun, representing Epe Constituency 1, said that investigations should be made into how the money previously allocated for the protection of shoreline in the state was utilized.
Abiodun said this was necessary so that the problem could be thoroughly addressed.
“We need to investigate the money previously allocated for shoreline protection across the states.
“We need to naturally investigate what is going on so that we can put the problem to rest,” he said.
Also, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, representing Shomolu Constituency 1, suggested the need for the communities to be catered for to prevent them from going into extinction.
Olowo noted that the federal government could not be blamed if no application had been made, and called on the governor to do the needful by applying for the fund as the state could not do it alone.
Reacting, Hon. Mojeed Fatai, representing Ibeju-Lekki 1, attributed the ocean surge issue to the mismanagement of drainages, adding that a task force should be set up to look into it.
Fatai noted that the local governments have the right to request for the fund in addendum to what the state can do.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, asked the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko, to forward the suggestions made by the House to the president, vice president and the governor so that appropriate actions could be taken.
