NEWS
Coca-Cola Foundation Doles Out $175m for Flood Victims
The Coca-Cola Foundation is through the Whitefield Foundation’ Operation Ladder providing assistance and relief to over 5,000 homes impacted by the devastating floods in Anambra and Delta State, with a $175,000 grant.
Funmi Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Whitefield Foundation, said, “With the devastating floods recorded across the 36 states, resulting in fatalities, population displacement, and extensive destruction of homes, farms, and infrastructure, it has become imperative to provide humanitarian interventions to these victims.”
In response, the Anambra State government commended the efforts of The Coca-Cola System on its timely intervention to ameliorate the suffering of those adversely affected by flood in the state.
Deputy Governor, Anambra State, Dr. Onyeka Ibezima expressed gratitude for the Foundations’ timely intervention and urged the beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity maximally.
He said, “On behalf of the Anambra State government, I would like to register our gratitude to The Coca-Cola Foundation, Nigerian Bottling Company and the Whitefield Foundation for identifying with our people during this trying period. I also urge the people to try and make the most of the intervention, particularly the counseling and agricultural seedlings which cannot be quantified in monetary terms.”
He maintained that the food and medicaments would be depleted but knowledge impacted via counseling would live forever with the beneficiaries.
Similarly, Commissioner for Health, Anambra State, Dr. Afam Ben Obidike commended the humanitarian aid, which he described as an investment in humanity.
“We are appreciative of Operation Ladder, funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation because it is an investment in humanity, which is the best from our point of view as minders of public health,” he said.
According to the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 4.4 million people have been affected with 2.4 million people displaced and 660 dead due to the worst flooding the country has seen in over a decade.
Johnson explained the importance of the initiative adding that the WFF had mapped out the program to address the needs of affected communities in Delta and the Anambra States.
“Within the next three months, we would visit communities in Anambra State such as Ayamelum LGA, Ogbaru LGA, Umueri Anambra East LGA, Anambra East LGA, Anambra West LGA and for Delta State, we should reach out to Isoko South LGA and Ughelli South LGA.
She added, “The interventions will focus on providing immediate food and healthcare assistance to 5,000 households and implement a series of mitigating measures to reduce the risk of disease spread in communities. Participants would be counseled, to guard against becoming victims of gender-based violence under similar circumstances in the future.
It was learned that the initiative, which is anticipated to last three months, will focus on vulnerable groups such as mothers and children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, with at least 30,000 people from 5,000 households receiving nutritional food packages.
In what political watchers perceive as part of efforts to discomfit and scatter the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the feeling that its National Working Committee (NWC) antagonises him, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the rights to occupy the land on which the party’s national secretariat, Abuja is sited.
Biztelers reports that Wike’s revocation notice was conveyed in a letter released in Abuja on Tuesday, dated March 13, 2025.
The letter was titled, “Notice of right of occupancy with file no: MISC 81346 in respect of plot no: 243 within central area district, Abuja.”
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The letter was signed by the Director, Land Administration (FTC), Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
Wike, it was gathered predicated his action on the PDP’s failure to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025.
The negligence on the part of the opposition party, the letter claimed was despite many publications in several national dailies and electronic media to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on its property.
The letter read, “I have been directed to refer to the above Right of Occupancy granted to PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT and inform you that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory has in the exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, revoked your rights, interests and privileges over Plot No. 243 within Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja.
“The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from Ist of January 2006 to 1st of January 2025. This is despite the many publications made by the FCT Administration since 2023 in several national dailies and on electronic media requesting all allottees of plots in the Federal Capital Territory to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on their property.
“You would please note that the said breaches by PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT (MISC 81346) run contrary to the provisions of Section 28, Subsection 5 (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.”
There are palpable fears that the PDP’s national secretariat might be demolished or vandalised, sooner than later because Wike added that the FCTA administration would take immediate possession of the party secretariat until all bills are settled.
A massive explosion has rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, sending plumes of fire and smoke into the sky.
The incident, which occurred on Monday night, has left a section of the major crude oil transport pipeline in flames, though the exact cause of the explosion remains unknown.
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Authorities have yet to determine whether the explosion was due to sabotage, equipment failure, or other factors.
However, concerns have been raised over possible human interference, particularly in light of recent threats by militant groups to attack oil infrastructure.
The threats were issued as a response to the Federal Government’s decision to withhold Rivers State’s allocation amid the ongoing political crisis in the region.
More to follow………
With the commencement of the rainy season, the Osun State Government has issued modalities for the operations of tractors across farmlands in Osun State.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Tola Faseru, according to a government house statement on Monday in Osogbo, confirmed the development.
Faseru said interested farmers should reach out to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry or the General Manager of Osun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEC) through virtual or physical applications.
He noted that the government was subsidizing the operational rate per acre to lower the cost of farm operations, explaining further that the tractors will be domiciled at the OSSADEC farm centre located across the state.
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Faseru pointed out that some of the tractors were already in operation in some farmlands, and noted that the ministry was working to set up technical centres at designated locations for maintenance of the tractors.
He narrated further that tractor drivers are being assembled, trained and retrained for seamless operation even as he explained that the administration adopted a public private partnership approach for the management of the tractors.
“We are happy to inform the public that the tractors are out for the rainy season. We are conscious of the question of sustainability, hence the careful approach to inject private sector practices.
“In 14 or so years, this is the first time Osun is having new fleet of tractors. We have learnt from what caused the failure of the past efforts. We won’t repeat the same mistakes.
“We know we are not there yet. But Governor Adeleke has blazed the trail by procuring the first set of tractors. We innovated also because of ongoing issues at the local government level.
“We don’t want it to be managed in unsustainable manner. Hence, Mr Governor insisted the tractors be managed like a business although with public subsidy”, the Commissioner posited.
He stated that the ministry is reaching out to stakeholders among the farming community to ensure accelerated access for users within the state.
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