Environment

Climate activists crossed the line with roadblocks, says minister

Climate change protesters “crossed the line” between their right to protest and their responsibility towards the rest of the public when they caused huge tailbacks by blocking three key London roads on Monday, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse has said.

New measures will be announced to crack down on protesters who target road networks and critical national infrastructure, which “is of a different scale of damage than you would otherwise find with a normal protest”, the junior minister said.

On Monday, 54 members of Insulate Britain staged blockades at Hanger Lane, Wandsworth Bridge and the Blackwall tunnel at the height of rush-hour. On LBC radio on Tuesday morning, Boris Johnson called the group “irresponsible crusties”.

Malthouse, speaking on Sky News, said: “While we obviously all value the right to protest, there is a difference between causing disruption and causing damage. We believe that these protesters and some of the others that we’ve seen in the last couple of years have crossed the line between exercising their right but also their responsibility towards the rest of us, and something needs to be done.

“So today we’re going to be announcing a raft of new measures alongside those that are already in the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill that’s going through the House of Lords at the moment that we think will help deal with this problem, specifically recognising the disruption of infrastructure and disruption of the strategic road network is of a different scale of damage than you would otherwise find with a normal protest.”

In recent weeks, the home secretary, Priti Patel, has applied for court injunctions to stop Insulate Britain campaigners from bringing motorways to a standstill. The current fines for blocking a highway are up to £1,000.

However, breaching such an injunction is not in itself an arrestable offence. Later on Tuesday, Insulate Britain protesters are expected to visit London’s high court for a hearing about an injunction banning them from blocking the M25.

When asked on Sky why high court injunctions were not enough to bring an end to the protests, Malthouse said the “consequences step” had to follow a number of other legal steps, giving protesters a “legal loophole”.

“In the meantime, while the police can arrest these protesters and charge them for obstructing the highway, the charge at the moment isn’t severe enough that they can be detained in custody pending an appearance in court. That means that these people in particular are then free to go repeat offend, as we’ve seen.

“Eventually, given that they are as far as I can see in breach of that injunction, they will appear in front of a judge and face the wrath of that judge, but in the meantime we need to think about this particular legal loophole to give police more power to deal with this very severe disruption.”

Patel is expected to say in a speech to the Conservative party conference on Tuesday that new powers will be given to police to prevent protesters who have been disrupting motorways from travelling around the country.

She will promise new orders giving courts the power to ban individuals with a history of disruption, or where there is intelligence suggesting they are likely to commit a criminal offence, from attending particular protests.

She will also outline a new offence of disrupting critical national infrastructure. This will stop protesters from targeting power stations, media organisations or airports, Patel will say.

Environment

NEMA warns against bush burning in Harmattan period

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned members of the public against bush burning during the harmattan period to avoid the destruction of property and loss of life.

DAILY POST reports that the NEMA Head of Operations, Edo Office, Ojuedene Kenoma, gave the warning at the training of officials of local governments and volunteers in Edo State on disaster prevention, response, and control measures.

Kenoma said the training was aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness, response, and recovery at the grassroots level.

He opined that disasters such as tanker accidents, fire outbreaks, or other emergencies do not wait for the opportune moment.

“It is essential that “we foster a culture of preparedness, awareness, and response across every level of society, especially at the grassroots level.”

“This workshop is a critical step toward empowering our communities with the knowledge and tools they need to respond to disasters.”

“By training and mobilising volunteers within these communities, our Director-General Zubaida Umar is building a network of emergency responders who can take swift and effective action when emergencies arise.”

“The workshop is aimed at raising public awareness, particularly around the high risks associated with tanker accidents and fire outbreaks, both of which present significant challenges in Edo State,” he said.

He further explained that NEMA is taking disaster management to the grassroots by training local government officials and volunteers at the grassroots level.

He added that the agency expects the participants to cascade the training down to the grassroots and sensitise the local population on how to prevent and respond to fire incidents.

One of the resource persons, Superintendent Asimu Sumaila, in his lecture that safety is everybody’s responsibility and that the knowledge of fire one has determines the chance of survival when it happens.

Sumaila explained that 80 per cent of fire incidents happen as a result of carelessness and negligence by individuals.

He said that in fighting fire disasters, one has to know the right solution to use, as using the wrong solution can create more problems.

He stated that the solution to extinguish ordinary fire is different from PMS (petrol) fire.

“Most people leave their houses without removing appliances from the socket or turning them off, and while burning refuse, people will not be there to control it. The embers from that fire can flow in different directions and ignite fires elsewhere,” he said.

He, however, cautioned the people against leaving their appliances on when leaving home and against bush burning, especially near residential areas, as it can destroy houses and result in loss of lives.

Environment

NiMet forecasts 3-day sunshine and dust haze

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted weather conditions featuring sunshine, dust haze, and isolated thunderstorms across the country from Monday to Wednesday.

In its weather outlook, NiMet predicted slight dust haze for the northern region on Monday, with localized visibility expected to range from 2 to 5 kilometers throughout the day.

The North Central region is expected to experience sunny skies with a hazy atmosphere, while the southern region will see sunny skies with patches of clouds. Thunderstorms and light rains are anticipated in parts of Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states during the afternoon and evening hours.

On Tuesday, November 26, moderate dust haze is forecasted for the northern region, with localized visibility potentially dropping below 1,000 meters. Slight dust haze is expected in the North Central region, while the southern region is likely to experience sunny skies with scattered clouds. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms, accompanied by light rains, are expected in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

NiMet’s outlook for Wednesday, November 27, indicates continued moderate dust haze in the northern region, with localized visibility below 1,000 meters. The North Central region will experience slight dust haze, with visibility between 2 to 5 kilometers. The southern region is forecasted to have sunny skies with patches of clouds and potential thunderstorms with light rains in parts of Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

The agency cautioned the public about suspended dust particles and advised individuals with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, to take precautions during this period.

NiMet also warned of strong winds potentially accompanying thunderstorms in some areas, urging residents to stay safe and adhere to weather advisories.

Airline operators were advised to obtain airport-specific weather reports from NiMet for effective flight planning.

Environment

KAI demolishes 138 Shanties, dislodges 169 illegal Lagos residents

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI on Thursday demolished 138 shanties, subsequently dislodging 169 illegal residents occupying the Ajao Estate Canal bank in the State.

This development was made known by the Corps Marshal of the Agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd) at the Agency’s Command Headquarters, Bolade-Oshodi.

He said, ‘‘our intelligence sources identified the humongous infractions across the Ajao Estate Canal banks stretching several metres where people were living illegally in shanties and paid rents between 60,000 to 100,000 Naira to a particular syndicate and this made us activate our enforcement teams for a total dislodgement’’.

Cole expressed dismay at the brazen level of disregard for public health and safety due to the clustered illegal encampment, citing the development as a catalyst for the spread of communicable diseases, sexual violence and social issues resulting from the accommodation of miscreants in such hidden areas.

The Corps Marshal reiterated the Agency’s commitment to upholding the THEMES+ agenda of Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu which seeks to make Lagos cleaner and habitable for business, a mandate that KAI exhausts all resources on a daily to achieve in the State.

In his final comments, the KAI top man admonished Lagosians to desist from patronising illegal public encampments as he affirmed that many infractions will be identified and demolitions will be activated in due course.