Tag: Road

  • Police close four roads in PJ

    Police close four roads in PJ

    Police close four roads in PJ 3

    KUALA LUMPUR: Police today closed four roads in the Petaling Jaya area under the Movement Control Order (MCO).

    They are Jalan 5/46 Gasing Indah (Petaling Jaya); Jalan Persiaran Mahogani (Section 9); Jalan Persiaran Jati (Section 8); and Jalan Persiaran Sungai Buloh (TSB) in Kota Damansara.

    Petaling Jaya District Police chief ACP Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said the closures were to control the movement of residents and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.

    He said motorists could use alternative routes like Jalan Pantai-New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Jalan Persiaran Kenanga-Kota Damansara Toll, Jalan Persiaran Surian-Palm Spring Kota Damansara and Jalan Persiaran Tropicana-Casa Tropicana.

    “After 11 days of the MCO, we found that people are beginning to get used to it and becoming more responsible, although there are defiant individuals who used alternative routes to avoid the six road blocks that have been set up,” he said in a statement today, adding that the road closures were being carried out after reviewing the Health Ministry’s infection trend and statistics.

    He, however, said that the closed roads could still be accessed by ambulances, police vehicles and those from the Fire and Rescue Department and Petaling Jaya City Council.

    “We suggest that those affected by the closures obey the MCO and be patient in facing the difficulties in a bid to stem the spread of the virus,” he said, adding that four personnel would be stationed at each road closure for 24 hours daily. — Bernama

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  • Abule Ado Explosion – Have We Moved On? By Oduche Azih

    Abule Ado Explosion – Have We Moved On? By Oduche Azih

    Abule Ado Explosion – Have We Moved On? By Oduche Azih 4

    Abule Ado Explosion – Have We Moved On? By Oduche Azih 5


    Does Nigeria possess the relevant forensic expertise to deduce the size of the explosive that devastated Abule Ado? I am referring here not to the trigger which could jolly well be a match stick, box of matches, a cigarette, a 12.5 or even a 50kg cylinder of LPG. If could also be a 2-ton industrial LPG storage. 

    Let’s leave the trigger alone for now. 

    Even as a layman viewing the field of devastation, I have deduced that the explosion proper cannot be less than 5kilotons TNT equivalent. No, I have no proof. At this point, I request professional backups or refutation? Please!

    What exactly was this explosive? The statement by the NNPC boss at the scene that “it was gas” was unscientific, in view of the fact that the NNPC swears that none of its pipelines was involved.

    Whether it was gas or not, it has been two weeks and the NNPC is yet to identify the ownership of the pipeline spewing those highly inflammable fluids (liquids or gas, we’ve not been told), burning over the next several days? How deep was that particular pipe buried? Is that standard? This is most doubtful. If the pipeline was carrying Natural Gas which the NNPC does NOT transfer from the Atlas Cove to Ejigbo and then to Mosimi and Ibadan, then it seems likely that the suspect pipeline must have been a natural gas line belonging to Gaslink Ltd, a subsidiary of Oando Plc flowing north to south toward the Dangote and other industrial operations on the shorelines by the lagoons. Was it a conspiracy that the ownership of this poorly installed gas delivery pipeline has been kept under wraps. I hope that Oando Plc, which is the ONLY gas distributor South of Ikorodu and the newer Igbesa cement plants in Ogun State, will come out with a statement. Was it one of their gas pipelines?

    Other questions begging for answers:

    – What part did the DPR play in the poor installation practices, now revealed?

    – Since we have been made to understand that a truck was involved, was the sparking incident at a pipeline road crossing?

    – Was there a provision in the design for a steel casing of the correct size and thickness in that location?

    – Was it installed?

    – At the Spec Standard depth?

    – Was the Casing breached?

    – Was there an Earthing Requirement for any/or all of the components?

    – Was the Earthing implemented?

    – Was there prior damage and dislocation there due to Soil Erosion and/or Wilful Trespass by property developers?

    – Can we locate the last Right Of Way Inspection Report where this problem was indicated?

    – When was that?

    – What Remedial Action if any was recommended?

    – Was it implemented?

    – If not, why not?

    My colleagues in the Nigerian Society of Engineers would have their hands full with this Case Study.

    The leadership at the topmost echelons of the NNPC must recognise that what the people of Abule Ado, Lagos and indeed Nigeria need and want is JUSTICE not sympathy. That’s where the Attorney General of Lagos State needs to step in.

    When the Dupont plant in Bhopal blew up more than three decades ago, the Indian government spearheaded by the Engineering Safety community rallied to find answers. Unlike here, every professional did not insist on being involved in the humanitarian relief effort, joining the CBN Governor to mobilize funds. Note that a good part of what we lost at Abule Ado cannot be redeemed by money. Ultimately at Bhopal heads rolled. The plant, manufacturing methyl isocyanate, was closed down permanently. Dupont paid billions in damages and I believe is still paying to this day.

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    Abule Ado Explosion – Have We Moved On? By Oduche Azih
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  • Sabah, Sarawak not excluded from Prihatin

    Sabah, Sarawak not excluded from Prihatin

    Sabah, Sarawak not excluded from Prihatin 6

    PUTRAJAYA: The Federal government will cooperate with state governments, specifically in Sabah and Sarawak, to ensure all assistance announced under the people-centric economic stimulus package (Prihatin) reaches them as quickly as possible.

    Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pix) said he was aware that those living in longhouses in Sarawak, Orang Asal settlements and in remote areas in every part of the country might worry that aid would reach them late.

    “The Federal government will cooperate with state governments, specifically in Sabah and Sarawak, to ensure all assistance provided by the government will reach them fast,” he said in announcing the RM250 billion package on live television today.

    Muhyiddin said besides ensuring the country’s economic activity continued, the government will also pay attention to domestic investment activities that had high multiplier effects and maintained employment.

    For that purpose, the government has identified several small-scale projects such as improving road conditions, upgrading dilapidated schools in Sabah and Sarawak, cleaning places of worships and police stations as well as enhancing tourism facilities that would benefit G1 to G4 Grade contractors.

    “For that, an allocation of RM2 billion has been set aside,” he said, adding that small-scale projects worth RM2 billion as announced in the previous package would be implemented this April.

    He said these included the RM600 million infrastructure projects in Felda and other areas, RM350 million upgrading of dilapidated schools in Sabah and Sarawak and RM150 million upgrading of public housing for the hardcore poor. — Bernama

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  • Things You Should Know To Succeed as a Publisher in Affiliate Marketing

    Success as an affiliate publisher requires a lot of time and effort at the front end in order to achieve incremental and hard-earned success down the road. If you view affiliate marketing as an easy way to earn money, you should probably move on to something that requires less effort and time (because affiliate marketing requires both)…

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  • Schistosomiasis elimination: refocusing on snail control to sustain progress

    Schistosomiasis elimination: refocusing on snail control to sustain progress

    Substantial progress has been made during the past decade to prevent and control schistosomiasis (also known as bilharziasis) globally. The disease affects more than 230 million people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Progress is mainly due to large-scale periodic treatment of affected populations with praziquantel, the only medicine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) against all forms of schistosomiasis. Regular treatment cures mild symptoms and prevents
    progression to severe, chronic disease.

    “Through progressive scale-up of periodic large-scale treatment
    to control morbidity in many endemic countries, we are closer to
    achieving the minimum target of 75% global coverage of all school‐aged
    children,
    ” said Dr Amadou Garba Djirmay, who leads WHO’s global schistosomiasis control programme. “But
    if we want to achieve elimination, we must go a step further to
    introduce snail control in hot spots and in areas targeting elimination.
    This is bound to increase impact and accelerate progress towards
    interruption of transmission
    .”

    Expansion of treatment is largely supported by donated praziquantel from Merck KGaA of up to 250 million tablets annually. In 2018, almost 78 million children were treated, representing 63% of all school‐aged children eligible for treatment.

    Transmission: role of snails

    Schistosomiasis is an acute, chronic parasitic disease caused by infection with trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma. It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in poor, rural communities that have little or no access to
    safe drinking‐water and basic sanitation. Infection is transmitted when people suffering from schistosomiasis contaminate freshwater sources when evacuating urine and faeces containing the parasite’s eggs.

    Once an egg comes into contact with fresh water, it releases miracidia (hatchlings) which enter a snail and produce hundreds of cercariae (larvae) daily. The cercariae enter the human body on contact with the skin and develop into adult worms.

    Besides treatment with praziquantel, eliminating snail hosts and improving sanitation are important methods for sustainable prevention of the disease. Dam and irrigation projects are known to be potential sites for outbreaks of the disease. Snail management,
    often achieved through mollusciciding, can help to reduce transmission by eliminating these intermediate snail hosts.

    Vector control

    In 2017, the World Health Assembly – WHO’s decision making body – adopted resolution WHA70.16 on the Global Vector Control
    Response, calling on Member States to develop or adapt national vector control strategies and operational plans. The strategy aims to reduce by at least 40% the incidence of vector borne diseases, including schistosomiasis, by 2025.

    In response, WHO is reinforcing snail control as part of its strategic approach to achieve the target of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem and, ultimately, the goal of elimination of transmission. Snail control will complement mass
    treatment campaigns and sustain the public health impact of this core intervention.

    To facilitate implementation of snail control, in 2019 WHO published on specific, standardized procedures and criteria for efficacy
    testing and evaluation and in 2017 a manual on the use of molluscicides in the field. WHO is also planning to strengthen capacities
    of health staff in medical malacology in order to reinforce snail control activities in countries.

    In the past, molluscicides (particularly niclosamide1 based products) were widely used in schistosomiasis control programmes. For example, in China programmes largely relied on snail control for over 30 years to overcome the disease as a public
    health problem. In other parts of the world, however, snail control programmes were gradually discontinued and competencies faded away.

    “Snail control is a crucial component of the global schistosomiasis elimination strategy,” said Dr Rajpal Yadav, Scientist, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “It
    is time we look for new snail control products that are cost–effective
    and of low risk to humans and the environment. Some efforts are being
    made to explore molluscicide compounds from plants, marine algae and
    microorganisms
    .”

    An integrated control strategy involving mass treatment with praziquantel, snail control and environmental modification, wider access to sanitation and safe water, economic and environmental development, health education and poverty-alleviation can greatly
    contribute to sustainable control and elimination of schistosomiasis.

    WHO’s new road map on neglected tropical diseases for 2021–2030, due to be launched later this year, advocates enhanced financial and political support to achieve the target of interruption of transmission. Additional research to address gaps,
    develop tools and optimize the impact of existing programmes with snail control will complement the core strategic approach.

    Schistosomiasis: forms of the disease

    There are two major forms of schistosomiasis – intestinal and urogenital.

    Intestinal schistosomiasis usually results in diarrhoea and blood in the stool; enlargement of the liver and of the spleen and portal hypertension are common in advanced cases.

    Urogenital schistosomiasis is characterized by the presence of blood in the urine. Chronic infection results in fibrosis of the bladder and ureter that can evolve to hydronephrosis and create conditions for bladder cancer.

    In women, urogenital schistosomiasis can cause vaginal bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse and nodules in the vulva, a condition now described as female genital schistosomiasis. In men, urogenital schistosomiasis can induce disease in the seminal
    vesicles and prostate.


    1Limitations with the use of formulations based on niclosamide include restrictions on the usage of water immediately after application and temporary toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms including
    fish, amphibians and invertebrates. 

     

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      • Coronavirus: Anxiety As Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Self-isolates, Cancels Official Engagements

        Coronavirus: Anxiety As Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Self-isolates, Cancels Official Engagements

        Coronavirus: Anxiety As Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Self-isolates, Cancels Official Engagements 7

        Coronavirus: Anxiety As Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Self-isolates, Cancels Official Engagements 8


        Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is currently in self-isolation to erase any possibility of him contracting Coronavirus, SaharaReporters can report. 

        Also, the governor on Tuesday cancelled all official engagements for 14 days. 

        It was reliably gathered from top government sources that fears that Akeredolu may have contracted the pandemic became rife after the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday. 

        “The governor (Akeredolu) was in Abuja last week and even met with President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other APC governors in the wake of the dreaded Coronavirus. 

        “So, he has to take precaution and when the governor of Bauchi tested positive, he has to tactically isolate himself because no one can say if there was close contact during their meeting in Abuja,” a source said. 

        However, in a statement on Tuesday night, spokesperson for the Ondo State Government, Donald Ojogo, confirmed that the governor had directed the immediate cancellation of all official engagements to his office. 

        According to him, the governor had also ordered the immediate closure of all markets and malls across the state in order to stem the spread of Coronavirus. 

        “Under this fresh directive which is for a period of seven days in the first instance, only the sale of life-saving and sustaining items like food, water and medicals shall be allowed.

        “Similarly, Governor Akeredolu reiterates that the suspension of political gatherings and meetings is still in force. 

        “The governor seeks the cooperation and understanding of all residents in the state to keep Ondo safe from COVID-19,” the statement reads. 

        Already, Governor Akeredolu has activated the Infectious Disease Hospital along Igbotoro Road in Akure in order to attend to both suspected and confirmed cases in the state.
         

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        Coronavirus: Anxiety As Ondo Governor, Akeredolu, Self-isolates, Cancels Official Engagements
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      • Special lanes for priority vehicles at road blocks

        Special lanes for priority vehicles at road blocks

        Special lanes for priority vehicles at road blocks 9

        KOTA TINGGI: Police have set up special lanes at roadblocks in the district so that those with priority can use them during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

        Kota Tinggi district police chief Supt Ahsmon Bajah said this was to ensure that those with priority would not get stuck in traffic congestion during the roadblocks.

        For now, roadblocks have been set up at three locations in the district.

        “Beginning today, a special route or lane has been set up to give priority to relevant agency personnel to carry out important tasks, including for ambulances, health ministry employees and hearses.

        “We can identify them through the vehicles they use or from the identification documents and letters they carry with them,” he said after observing how the roadblock near the Desaru-Senai Toll Plaza here was being carried out today.

        Ahsmon said the other two road blocks were at areas near the Jalan Kota Tinggi-Johor Bahru Army Combat Training Centre (Pulada) and the Kota Tinggi-Bandar Tenggara border. – Bernama

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      • Renewal of expiring road tax and driving licence exempted during MCO period

        Renewal of expiring road tax and driving licence exempted during MCO period

        Renewal of expiring road tax and driving licence exempted during MCO period 10

        KUALA LUMPUR: Vehicle owners whose road tax or driving licence expires from today can breathe easy as the Transport Ministry has exempted their renewal until the movement control order (MCO) is lifted.

        Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said today the renewal exemption was applicable to driver’s licence, motor vehicle licence or road tax and vocational licences (GDL & PSV).

        However, he said although the renewal of road tax is exempted, it is compulsory for the vehicles to have insurance coverage.

        Wee said the renewal of expired road tax and driver’s licence will only be required to be done within 30 days after the MCO is declared over or called off.

        “Prior to this, motorists were asked to renew their driving licence online. With this special exemption, we advise motorists to carry a copy of their motor insurance policy or e-cover note when they choose to drive during the MCO period. Those with an expired driving licence can still drive as long as the vehicle is covered with valid insurance,” he said.

        Wee said the same exemptions are applicable to commercial vehicles and commercial vehicle drivers.

        “With this exemption, the need for a health report for those who hold a Goods Driver’s Licence (GDL) and a Puspakom vehicle inspection approval for commercial vehicle owners no longer arises. They only need to ensure the vehicle is covered with motor insurance,” he said.

        Wee said between today and March 31, the GDL validity of 2,753 commercial vehicle drivers will expire.

        He said his ministry is aware of the setback faced by the public in the renewal of license and road tax during the MCO period and the decision to offer the exemptions were made after dicussions with relevant parties including the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) and Takaful Malaysia.

        “Most importantly, it is to ensure the supply chain of essential goods especially food for the masses is unaffected throughout the MCO period. I would like to advice drivers and their assistant drivers to be watchful of their health throughout the time they are carrying out their duties in the frontline. Your service is very meaningful to the people and country during these trying times.” he said.

        He said those who wish to make enquiries or lodge complaint can do so at, email: aduan@mot.gov.my , or WhatsApp ke 0192907723.

        Hotline : 1800-88-7723 (8am-8pm) or contact the National Security Council operations centre 03-88882010

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      • JUST IN: Enyimba Player, One Other Person Abducted In Ondo

        JUST IN: Enyimba Player, One Other Person Abducted In Ondo

        JUST IN: Enyimba Player, One Other Person Abducted In Ondo 11

        JUST IN: Enyimba Player, One Other Person Abducted In Ondo 12


        Dayo Ojo, a football player with Enyimba Football Club of Aba, has been abducted by gunmen in Ondo State. 

        Ojo was kidnapped on Sunday alongside a friend identified as Benjamin Iluyomade of Abia Comet. 

        SaharaReporters learnt that the two footballers were waylaid on Benin-Owo Road in Ondo State.

        Another player identified as Emma James, who escaped the attack,  confirmed the kidnap to journalists.  

        He said, “We were traveling on the road when the gunmen came out from the bush and attacked us.

        “They shot sporadically before abducting some people in the vehicle including the two players but I managed to escape.”

        It was gathered that the gunmen had reached out to Enyimba coach for ransom payment. 

        Tee-Leo Ikoro, Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, confirmed the incident.
         

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