AKSG Press Release from the Deputy Governors Office on March 11, 2010 (Posted: March 14, 2010)
By Essien Ndueso Demining Team Governor Godswill Akpabio has lauded the creativity of the Humanitarian Demining Team from the Ministry of Defence, which has helped a great deal, in ridding Akwa Ibom of explosive remnants of war. Chief Akpabio lauded the team, led by a consultant to the Ministry of Defence, Dr Bala Yakubu, when he was paid a courtesy call at the Government House, Uyo. Represented by his deputy, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu,Governor Akpabio mentioned that prior to the initiative of the team, it was not realized that 40 years after the Nigerian Civil War, there were still explosives within the environment which endangered the living condition of the people. He also noted that from identified explosive remnants of war removed for destruction in the state within the 21 days, which the team worked, it was glaring that the team effectively proved to be equal to its assigned task. Assuring the team of maximum support from the State Government, the Governor praised the team for accepting the challenge of clearing landmines in affected states, especially in Akwa Ibom, in line with the Ottawa Convention and the United Nation Protocol 5 on Removal of Explosive Remnant of War. On his part, the Chief consultant, Dr. Bala Yakubu, while briefing the governor, mentioned that the 30 months Nigerian Civil War "left behind an unprecedented number of Landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War to the risk of lives of innocent citizens who accidentally detonate these ordinances, leaving many of them dead and some incapacitated." His team’s initiative, Dr Yakubu mentioned, stemmed from the 1997 UN place of "total ban on the use of Landmines in wars the world over..." The UN, he said, also compel all member nations "to carry out a Humanitarian Demining Exercise in their various countries to enable them clear their land of the dangerous ordinances." Consequently, he said President Musa Yar’Adua "directed the Ministry of Defence to do everything possible to remove Landmines and Unxploded Ordinances from the soil of the former Eastern Region." Commending the response of the people of Akwa Ibom to his team’s Mine Awareness and Mine Risk Education on Radio and Television, he noted that calls from interested members of the public, "gave us useful information leading to the recoveries of Landmines and UXO." According to him, a total of 289 Landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War were recovered in the State within its 21 days of work, which covered 27 local government areas. Dr. Yakubu who observed that "the Landmines laid in our land during the Nigeria Civil War will continue to kill our people until we recover all of then and destroy them," he promised to be back in the state with his team to continue from where they stopped. He commended the development strides of the present administration in the state, especially in the area of road construction, which he said made it easy to move men and equipment around for the arduous of demining exercise. The Consultant appealed to the Governor to assist the 31 Landmine victims already identified in the state. Idris Mabadeje |
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