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Apapa Bridge to be closed for repairs

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The Apapa Bridge will be closed for permanent repairs as soon as stakeholders come up with alternative routes for commuters to ply.

The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

He said that Julius Berger Plc., the contractor handling the project, was ready to move to site.

The controller said that the ministry was working on effective traffic diversion alternatives that would ensure minimal stresses on users then.

He explained that the bridge was still in use because of an earlier emergency repair work done by Julius Berger to stabilise it.

He said that Messrs Buildwell Nigeria Ltd., had completed permanent repairs on an extension of the bridge which was damaged by fire.

He said that when Julius Berger returned to site, it would carry out permanent repairs on the portion of the bridge awarded to it.

“The repair work will be done on the bridge slab on the outbound Apapa carriageway.

“The situation we have found ourselves now is that for Julius Berger to start work, it means we have to divert traffic and we are still looking for the best alternatives.

“We have all sorts of trucks; lorries on this Apapa road, and as a result of that,  we are having problems of diversion and that is what we are still looking at.

“We hope that very soon, we will be able to come up with the best solution on how to solve the traffic situation there.

“We are grateful to the Federal Government that has intervened by awarding the contract for the permanent repairs of the bridge to Julius Berger Construction Company.

“We will be coming up with solutions on traffic diversions in the next few days,” he told NAN.

Kuti said that meetings were already ongoing with stakeholders and traffic regulatory agencies on how best to tackle the problem and ensure minimal stress for road users.

He explained that some materials needed for the repairs of the bridge could not be sourced locally.

Hence, the contractor could not work on the bridge during its earlier closure to traffic, he said.

The controller said that adequate announcements would be made when the diversion of traffic would be made.

He appealed to road users to comply with directives of law enforcement and traffic agencies then.

NAN reports that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Aug. 5, 2016, inspected the dilapidated Apapa Bridge which was damaged by fire.

The effect of the fire exposed some of brudge’s steel layers and made it to cave.

Fashola after a meeting with relevant stakeholders on Aug. 7, 2016 ordered the immediate closure of the bridge.

Julius Berger Plc moved to site the following day to begin emergency repair works.

An impact assessment of the bridge was thereafter carried out by Julius Berger which advised the Federal Government to embark on its permanent repairs.

This was despite the emergency work then.

However, in February 2017, the Federal Government ordered the closure of another extended portion of the bridge four months for total rehabilitation.

The closed portion was about 700 metres long from the portion repaired by Julius Berger for four months.

However, due to paucity of funds, the contractor abandoned site but the project was captured in 2017 budget leading to its award and subsequent permanent repair by Buildwell Nigeria Ltd.

NAN reports that the Apapa Bridge and the Marine Beach Bridge are jointly referred to as the Apapa-Ijora Bridge.

Both bridges had been damaged by fire at different times in the past. (NAN)

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France Urged to Address Colonial Legacy as Senegalese Activists Call for Reparations in Dakar Roundtable

Reporter: Sandra Ani

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France Urged to Address Colonial Legacy in Senegal
Babacar Dioh, representative of the Thiaroye 44 Movement, speaks during the Dakar roundtable on reparations. The movement brings together descendants of Senegalese tirailleurs and advocates for historical justice.

France’s colonial legacy came under renewed scrutiny as journalists, historians, and pan-African activists gathered at African Memorial Square in Dakar for a powerful roundtable advocating reparations and economic justice. 

The event highlighted growing demands for France to take full responsibility for its historical role in Senegal and across West Africa.

France Urged to Address Colonial Legacy - Senegal
Attribution: Babacar Dioh, representative of the Thiaroye 44 Movement – a coalition advocating reparations and justice for descendants of colonial-era African soldiers.

Organized by advocacy groups including the Association of Descendants of Senegalese Soldiers, the Front for the Withdrawal of French Military Bases (GASSI), and JIF’AFRIK, the roundtable brought together influential voices pushing for reparatory justice and structural transformation.

Among the key speakers were Babacar Dioh of the Thiaroye 44 Movement—a coalition of descendants of Senegalese tirailleurs—and Souleymane Jules Diallo, leader of JIF’AFRIK. Discussions centered on two central demands: official reparations for colonial-era injustices and the urgent renegotiation of trade and military agreements that activists say perpetuate economic dependence.

“The time for symbolic gestures is over,” said Dioh. “We are now filing an official reparations claim and taking concrete steps to hold France accountable.”

Speakers called for the dismantling of existing neocolonial frameworks, stressing the ecological, financial, and social harm that has endured beyond the colonial period. The roundtable marks a turning point in Dakar’s positioning as a hub for coordinated African-led advocacy aimed at restoring historical justice.

This event adds momentum to a growing continental movement seeking tangible reparative action from former colonial powers and reinforces the call for equity, autonomy, and acknowledgment of historical truths.

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Gov Mbah Inaugurates Committee to End Gender-Based Violence in Enugu

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The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.

The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.

The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.

Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.

Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.

“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.

“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”

He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.

“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.

“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.

In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.

“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.

“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.

“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.

“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.

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Emulate Christ’s virtues, Glo urges Christians at Easter

Reporter: Sandra Ani

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Glo and Globacom
Globacom

Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.  

The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ. 

“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added. 

The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all. 

Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.

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