National Waste = Human Waste

In the thick of issue facing Nigeria today, the recent death of Police Sergeant Sunday Badang (Anti-Bomb Unit) is another evidence that the collective elements needed for proper functioning of our society are rotten.

 What led to the death of this illustrious citizen is but an aftermath of insensitive, mismanagement. 

Bomb disposal is never a child's play hence anti bomb squads are trained to glittering perfection. The case is not the same with what happened on Tuesday 14, February, 2012 when Sergeant Sunday approached an IED casually, gun dangling on his neck and a rod in his hand. On getting to the bomb site, he poke the IED with the rod then his hand without any investigation.

 

Within seconds, the ground vibrated, sending the sergeant's shattered body in all directions.

"Respect your enemy" is a popular saying among army elites, this is because both side might have undergo the same training, use same weapon and may be employing same tactics. In the case of bombs, especially IED, crude methods which had abuse the internationally agreed colour code used in bombs now make bomb disarming a difficult job so, the reason why a Plan B is never out of any bomb disarming units. 

BOMB DISPOSING SUIT

The use of bomb disposal suit increase the bomb technician's survival rate by improving the fragment protection characteristics of the suit without increasing overall weight. It has been proven that the greatest threat faced in a blast situation is the threat of fragments of different sizes and shapes tearing into the human body at supersonic velocities.

According to www.securityprousa.com/bodipr.html, an EOD suit is sold for $17,985.00 and that is the costlier ones, there is a Light EOD Suit that goes for $7,950.

BOMB CONTAINMENT SYSTEM

Without going through the rigorous process of disarming a bomb that might have false colour wire which will ultimately lead to the death of the anti-bomb personnel, there is also the option of the Universal Containment System (UCS), or blast tent, 

The UCS is designed to be placed over a suspect Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and then filled with CASCAD foam to mitigate explosions, decontaminate hazardous materials and encapsulate Radiological particles.

The CASCAD foam has the capabilities to suppress a blast, neutralize any Chemical or Biological (C/B) agents and encapsulate Radiological particles for safe disposal. It also come with a ballistic blanket cover can be placed over the Enclosure as a precaution against fragmentation.

 

With a security budget running into millions of dollars, it is surprising that the Nigerian Government can't provide the Bomb Squad Police Officers with the proper equipment for Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

An unwarranted death of a citizen thus raised questions such as,

    Why will an anti-Bomb 'expert' be sent into action without proper gear?

    If the police officer is truly in the bomb disposing unit, is this the procedure of disarming a bomb? (poking with a rod)

    Why is there no emergency unit on ground?

    

Like every other sector that is begging for attention, neglect of these issues may ultimately lead the country to attainment of a fail state.

 

Climate Change, African Development Bank step up

The President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka has assured representatives of nations that participated in the last UN climate change summit of the institution's support in fighting climate change.

This was expressed during an after-summit meeting with the African Group of Negotiators recently when the ADB announced that the institution is investing USD 8 billion a year to support development investment in Africa.

"Out of this, 60 percent is allocated to infrastructure, especially for providing clean energy and rural electrification facilities to African countries", he said.

Chairman of AGN, Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, appreciated the Bank’s continuous support and solidarity to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN).

President Kaberuka also assured the AGN, as he did in Copenhagen, that his role in Durban was to re-affirm the necessity of building  the capacity of African negotiators that included the technical support provided. He, however, want to improve on this by increasing the number of African delegates attending the negotiation meetings and other climate-related events.

It will be remembered that Africa Development bank had provided funding for participation to about twenty negotiators at every COP meeting and other related meetings. This is in conjunction with provision of interpretation services to negotiators, support for Africa members of the of the Green Climate Fund Transitional Committee for their effective participation in the creation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Speaking further, Donald Kaberuka highlighted the Bank’s climate-related interventions in Africa that include, among others, financing clean energy and adaptation projects and programmes in Africa, and support for the forestry sector through the Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF)

He also emphasized that the Bank stands ready to consolidate its financing instruments related to climate change, including the Africa Green Fund, which is being designed as a useful mechanism to finance climate-related interventions in Africa in the coming years. 

"The importance of Africa’s development in the coming decade is vital, and the Bank is ready to ensure that adaptation and climate financing issues are fully taken into consideration in the development process."

The AGN unanimously commended the Bank for the services provided to the Africa Group and to support climate-related interventions in Africa. They urged the Bank to continue with the creation of the Africa Green Fund as Africa‘s specific mechanism to address climate finance challenges in Africa. 

They also called upon the Bank to focus on adaptation and reducing vulnerability while continuing its efforts to address mitigation in Africa, especially in the forestry sector to support sustainable land management and increase access to carbon market

 On the broad framework of the Africa Green Fund, Donald Kaberuka mentioned that creating a new fund is not the problem, but the bottom line is to increase access to existing and future funds. The request of African Heads of States to establish the Africa Green Fund is a response to this challenge

As the President sees it, the Africa Green Fund is not competing with the Green Climate Fund, which is currently being negotiated in Durban. The Bank already has several funding mechanisms, most of them being adaptation-related. These mechanisms are being streamlined through the design of the Africa Green Fund platform. Through that Fund, the Bank is seeking to increase the access of African countries to fast start and long-term financing. For the President, the challenge is not the creation of a Fund but “to fund the Fund”.

Nigeria, Pawn in the game of international chess

The Nigeria protest (OccupyNigeria) is here and gone but it aurora will lingers for a while. While many politicians are finding it aftermath hard to cope with, secrets are being exposed and analyze, many of these which will ripple for generations to come.

While teeming Nigerian  youths demand for changes across board, several elements, both local and international, will be remembered as the decider of the future of their.

PENGASSAN's announcement of it readiness to join the strike pushed many to believed that the fury of the citizens has finally hold the Federal Government by it ball. In real time, events in the international scene, coupled with the PENGASSAN threat would have ripple not just in Nigeria but through the US, Europe and China. The catastrophe would have chained many countries while uprising would have begun in others.

Such was the case which put the citizen on an advantageous position to have their demands met by the FG. Abroad, faceoff between US and Iran over the Straight of Oman threatened 40% of world total oil output. This alone will ground China industrial production, causes further sweeping change in Europe and other part of the world.


Take for example, on New year's Eve, Obama signed new sanctions that would block any institution dealing with Iran's central bank from the U.S. financial system into law. The European Union announced similar measures a week later.

The sanctions, when fully implemented, would make it impossible for countries to buy Iranian oil.

In response, Iran began a military buildup that will shut Strait of Oman.
"In response to threats of oil embargo and war, we have our own threats to impose at the right time," Khamenei told worshipers in his televised speech.

Iranian 'response' was the treathening of closing Strait of Oman which is the gateway to about 40% of the world total oil. This, coupled with Nigeria's proposed shut down is a sucidal mission on the part of the US and the remaining countries tapping their energy from fossil fuel.

To prevent havoc on energy markets, US, Nigeria's main ally on the international scene, will not allow any of Nigeria's crisis, be it just or unjust, to wreck havoc on it production.

"We have to make sure we are ready for any situation and have all options on the table," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, addressing a soldier's question about the overall risk of war with Iran.

Evidently, the international body foresee a bleak and chaotic uprising in many countries if the unthinkable happened. With chaos dragging governments to edge in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and many other European countries after the Euro crash in the market, a further knock on a dangling economy may be critical. Greece has confirmed it status as a failed nation with Britain and Germany running here and there to salvage a rescue package.

 
It, however, was a shock to many when PENGASSAN announced it back-off from the proposed strike and the subsequent failure of the protest.


While some sees this as a sacrifice for a higher goal (stability in many countries), others cried foul on the manipulation of other countries for self gratitude.

Let not go into blabbing about Nuclear weapon, Iran, Israel etc... It is evident that the hand-twist of the NLC/TUC and the subsequent 50% partial subsidy removal is a taming excuse from the FG through the deed of 'powers to be' who need precious time to clear impending 'issues'.

However, the point here is, are other countries' affairs more important than ours? What will the international organisations gain from lingering Nigeria internal crisis for it and other European countries' present solution?

If the oil crisis that may arise from the Iran-US face-off will ricochet to an international crisis level, what is the international community putting on table as incentive for the Nigerians and Nigeria government?

If the above is right, then it is a vital oppourtunity for the FG to place Boko Haram, Cabal issues that he said 'are growing beyond it power', on the table of those seeking a postponement of our solution to 'save the world'.

This is no blackmail, While embargo was placed on Iranian oil, China declared it readiness to patronise Iran. This was met with incentives in other deter China from Iran.

If this is let go on some millions of dollars to some selected few (FG officials), it then shows a gross blindness in term of leadership on Nigerian part, a missed-opportunity and more should be expected this insulting approach that will continue crippling our nation and image on the international scene.

Don Abiodun Odedeyi is an Environmental Journalist with Change Media Project Limited, Ikeja, Lagos.

Kudirat Abiola's Murder: Al-Mustapha Sentenced To Death By Hanging

Hamza Al Mustapha

A Lagos High Court  has ruled that Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to maximum dictator, Sanni Abacha must die by hanging for the 1994 murder of Hajia Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the late business mogul and winner of the June 12 election, Bashorun MKO Abiola.