The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has urged State Governments to prioritise water safety plans at all times, so as to reduce contamination from point of production to consumption.

Mrs Abosede Orimoloye, Assistant Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Collaborations, made the call at a Workshop for the Development of Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan in Asaba, Delta.

She said people who use alternative water sources apart from public water points should treat their water sources four times in a year, saying new innovation had been recorded in treating water in the country.

She said the importance of water safety plan was to minimise contamination of drinking water sources, prevent contamination during storage, distribution and handling.

She said Nigerians ought to be aware of the risks posed along the water chain and how to manage those risks, saying this would reduce the prevalence of water borne diseases.

“We must all do what we can to prevent contamination, don’t wait for it to happen, multiple barriers can be used so that if one barrier fails, the water stays safe.

“We must use management systems that are improved and worth it, this helps to improve public health especially in reducing water borne diseases.”

The assistant director however stressed the need for more research on water treatments, adding that this would modify systems that would suit different settings.

Orimoloye said safe water chain could be achieved from water source, transport and consumption, saying communities to benefit from Water safety plans must be open defecation-free, safe from insurgence and communal conflicts.

A staff of the ministry, Mr Charles Ebofin, said states must develop Cholera Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan, so as to forestall possible illnesses and deaths.

He said the plan would help in cholera forecasting and preparedness so as to know areas of interventions.

“The 2022 floods came with a lot of problems, many states delayed in giving accurate information that would help us in managing emergency interventions, so we want a change”.

The Road Transport Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has expressed optimism that the emergence of Sen. Bola Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria would usher in progress and development in the country.

The Executive National President of RTEAN, Dr Musa Maitakobi, stated this in a congratulatory message to Tinubu, issued by the association’s Deputy National President in charge of Administration, Amb. Muhammed Bishara, on Sunday in Abuja.

Maitakobi said Tinubu would transform Nigeria like he had done in Lagos State between 1999 to 2007, where he demonstrated a consistent fidelity to progressive and welfarist ideals, and an ability to build bridges across several divides.

He urged candidates in the various parties in the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections to accept the outcome of the election in good faith.

He stressed the need for both the contestants and their supporters to keep their minds open and be ready to take whatever be the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly polls.

Similarly, Maitakobi enjoined members of the association and the Nigerian youths to remain law abiding and eschew conducts capable of leading to disturbance of public peace.

He also appealed to religious, traditional leaders and principals of schools and NGOs to join RTEAN in sensitizing the youths against embarking on any criminal act that might destroy their future.

Maitakobi, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth conduct of the elections, described the voting process as good and well arranged.

He added that the deployment of technology has made the elections different from previous ones.

Maitakobi also commended the effort of the Nigeria Police Force, alongside other security agencies deployed for election security management, for their commitment to ensuring a secured electioneering process in the country.

He also applauded the security agencies for exhibiting neutrality during the presidential and national assembly elections in the country.

According to him, reports from different parts of the country indicated that the Armed forces of Nigeria had kept to its promise and indeed not only that they were apolitical, but collaborated with other security agencies.

“The RTEAN National President, on behalf of the National Executive, Zonal Coordinators and State Coordinators of the organization, wishes to convey RTEAN’s heartfelt congratulations to Sen. Ahmed Tinubu, on his election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“We are very optimistic that the emergence of Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria would usher in progress and development in the country as he had done in Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 where he demonstrated a consistent fidelity to progressive and welfarist ideals, and an ability to build bridges across several divides.

“We also congratulated Sen. Kashim Shettima on his declaration as Vice President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Prof. Emmanuel Fasakin, the outgoing Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji, Ondo State, says that Nigeria cannot develop without polytechnic education.

Fasakin stated that if polytechnic education was scrapped the country would be doomed, pointing out that the bedrock of industrialisation was polytechnic.

The outgoing rector, who spoke on Sunday in Akure at the launching of his memoir to mark the end of a successful two-term tenure as the pioneer rector of the polytechnic, explained that it was polytechnic education that would produce manpower needed in factories.

The book is entitled: “Beyond the Ordinary: The Journey of My Life and Experience at Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji.”

Fasakin said that Nigeria should not rely on manpower from outside the country for its industries to survive.

According to him, abolishing polytechnic education is tantamount to suicide.

He, therefore, asked the Nigerian government to provide conducive and enabling environment for Nigerian citizens to work and thrive in their respective academic endeavours.

Fasakin noted that Nigerian scholars were leaving the shores of the country to where their potential would be harnessed and well remunerated.

On his memoir, he said that he documented the book to tell his life story so that people that wanted to be transformational leaders and pioneers of institutions could know challenges and proffer solutions to them.

Fasakin said that he had laid a good foundation in the institution in terms of infrastructure, human development through team work and provided transformational leadership.

The outgoing rector stated that the institution, which took off in 2015, was ranked among the best in Nigeria, running the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.

Also speaking, the guest lecturer, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, described Fasakin as humble, hardworking and diligent.

Ajibefun, a former Vice Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, said that the outgoing rector had been able to develop the polytechnic as an institution admired by all.

According to him, through Fasakin, the institution has been put on the right path in pursuing its mission and vision.

He added that within eight years of the institution’s establishment, the polytechnic had overtaken its three other contemporaries.

“Prof. Fasakin has provided exemplary leadership, working with stakeholders to develop it to an enviable institution of today.

“It is very obvious that Fasakin has guided the core values of the institution.

“The polytechnic will rank among the best three in Nigeria in future going by the foundation laid by Fasakin,” he stated.

Ajibefun implored the nation’s leadership to give total autonomy to higher institutions for better results.

He said that bad leadership had caused grave havoc to education system in the country.

Also, Prof. Adebisi Balogun, the Chairman of the occasion said that Fasakin had made the polytechnic a beauty where teaching and learning were taking place.

Balogun asked the incoming rector to build on the good foundation laid by the pioneer rector.

Others at the occasion are were Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Gbenga Ale and a former Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Ali Olanusi.