Clearing mysterious Ogun River weeds to take Months

weed clearing bulldozer develops fault  four days after work started

It will take more than two Months to clear the thick water weeds that covered a section of the Ogun River on the Kara cattle market, Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

Decomposing piles of weeds on Ogun River

Workers involved in clearing the weeds described as mysterious by residents, said the weeds extended many meters towards the death, more than their expectations.

A visit to the Kara cattle market, end of the Ogun River, which has been under thick water weeds for more than two weeks now, four young men dressed for work were seen idle ,sitting on the weed clearing bulldozer.

It was 10 o’clock on a Monday Morning.

The men, who said they were contract workers involved in clearing the water weeds, stated that they were idle because their bulldozer which began work about four days ago developed a fault and that the engineer in charge went to buy materials for repairing the equipment.

One of them simply known as Goodluck from Cross River State, said it was early to ascertain when the work would be completed, stating that it would definitely take Months because of the thickness of the weeds.

Another worker, Terry who hails from Bayelsa State also believed that the work would take longer period to complete.

Terry said he was still in shock how water was able to transport such thick piles of weeds and deposited them under the bridge, at kara cattle market.

In recent times , people in different parts of the world have been confronted by strange environmental challenges.

Lagos and Rivers State residents feel the sudden weed invasion of Ogun River is one of the strange occurrences.

 They wondered how a river of about 300 meters in diameter , that served as means of transportation, could suddenly be covered by a field of weeds, thick enough that  some boys were playing football on it, while others rode motor cycles across it.

Terry confirmed the concerns of residents.

Discarded items waged by thick weeds

The weed invasion of Ogun River has revealed the environmentally unfriendly attitude of Lagos and ogun residents, as the weed waged large collections of discarded items, especially empty water bottles and takes away plates.

Waste collectors were seen walking on the field of water weeds and picking discarded empty water bottles.

One of them had gathered three big bags of the waste materials, before Radio Nigeria left the scene at noon.

Efforts to speak with the engineer in charge of the work proved abortive, as he did not return from the market in time.

A banner of the Ogun State Ministry of the Environment was seen displayed at the project site.

Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Bolaji Oyeleye had cleared the air on the weed inversion, saying what actually happened was that strong water currents from a dam that was opened to release excess water, washed down the huge pile of weed and deposited it there.

Mr. Bolaji Oyeleye, has also advised people who have turned the Kara river scene to a tourist centre to desist from doing so, because dangerous animals capable of harming people could be hiding under the weeds.

From Lagos Innocent Onoh

135 Year Old tortoise found in a Lagos Zoo

135 Year old tortoise

A one hundred and thirty five year old tortoise has been found in a private zoo in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

The giant tortoise of about the size of a microwave was able to crawl with a woman weighing eighty-two kilogram on its back.

"Its age is determined by counting the lines on its shells", says One of the zoo attendants.

Correspondent Innocent Onoh pointing at Ostrich

The Old tortoise crawled about freely on the sandy surface just like other younger ones, not minding the huge human presence at the zoo.

Children were particularly excited about the old tortoise as well as  two playerful Chimpanzees which were performing acrobatics and shaking hands with human beings.

“I love the tortoise. Daddy said it’s the wisest animal on earth”, said a seven year old child who sat on the back of the tortoise together with his younger sister. 

Other creatures at the zoo were a  lion, two crocodiles, monkeys, peacocks, porcupines, a Hyena, a Jackal and an ostrich.

The owner of the zoo, Prince Abiola Kosoko said plans were being made to move to a more spacious environment that will accommodate more animals such as elephants, Zebra and gorillas, which according to him have already been bought.

 “ We have the animals , but the challenge now is land where we will keep them. As you can see here is small. It can’t contain the animals".

"We have approached the Lagos State government for a land. But the amount they are calling is too much. They are demanding millions of naira which we cannot provide”.

Prince Kosoko appealed to Lagos State government to be of help by providing the land for the project, so that together such endangered species would be saved from going into extinction.

“The State should assist us. That is the only way we can preserve these animals. Most of them are seriously threatened and would go into extinction if efforts are not put in place to preserve them”.

When asked how lucrative the business was, Prince Kosoko replied, 

“what we do, we do out of passion. We are not making any gain. But indeed, this is a multi-billion naira project. However, beyond the profit, we should save the animals from extinction so that the we would have something to leave behind for the coming generation”.

“Aside the care, the monetary involvement in feeding the animals is the greatest challenge of running the zoo”, so said another zoo  attendants". 

He continued: “They eat a lot and if you do not feed them well enough, they begin to lose weight, look unkempt or even die. So we spend a lot just to feed them”, he concluded.

Visitors to the zoo are charged Five hundred naira per person to gain entrance.

 But the zoo's receptionist who sold entry tickets said the cost of entrance would change when they move to bigger place that is being planned.

“The price will definitely change. It may be double or thereabout. I cannot say until then. The place we are planning is much bigger. We intend to keep more animals, including gorillas, elephants and zebras. Visitors will have a good experience, but they will pay higher”.

By Innocent Onoh

Multiple attacks on Oil and gas pipileines by Avengers

There appears to be no end in sight to the accelerated blowing up oil pipelines which deplete crude oil production and sinking the country deeper into the abyss of economic hardship.

Reports say the Niger Delta Avengers, have carried out a multiple attack on oil and gas installations, blowing up facilities belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and Nigeria Petroleum Development Company and oil wells in Delta State.

The militant group allegedly confirmed the attack on its twitter handle, that it actually bombed two major NNPC crude oil trunk lines to Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, Warri, on Friday at about 9.15 pm.

It said: “At 11:26pm on Saturday @NDAvengers blow up two NPDC major crude trunk lines close to Batan flow station in Delta state.”
“At 1:15am on Sunday @NDAvengers blow up two major Chevron Oil Wells. Well 7 and Well 8, close to Abiteye flow station in Delta state,” it added.

The militant group in a tweet congratulating its fighters for a good job, asserted:”All five operations was carried out by @NDAvengers strike team

Should Kenya import men to Impregnate its Women?

They say when the mouth is affected; the nose is also affected because they are siblings.

This explains why some men in Nigeria appeared to have lost sleep ever since Kenyan women trooped to the street in protest of insufficient sex they received from their men.

Kenyan women cried out to the world that their men have fallen deeply in love to anything alcohol, which has drastically reduced their sexual performance, thus denying them the opportunity to have children.

Most Nigerian men who read the news online showed compassion to the women, condemning their Kenyan counterparts for such act of irresponsibility.

Anthony Nnaemeka Ebube  wrote, “Everybody has his/her own worries in life. Whilst Nigerians are battling tyranny and clueless government, in Kenya the ladies are battling deserted villages of men. All that matters to these ladies is simply love and pregnancy. All the women want is daily banging, which they can’t get. It is unfortunate”.

Also concerned was Uba King  who noted that the women were right for not keeping quiet and dying in silence.

“The primary purpose of marriage is to have children; the ladies are right in their request”

Shigo Ogbonna said “let them come and borrow some from Nigeria now to do that job for them”.

Basil Emmy Mbadinuju also shared similar view as Shigo Ogbonna. Let them try it in Nigeria.

On the other hand, Prince Chukwuemeka Emmanuel condemned Kenyan women for coming public in their demand, which could dent the image of their husbands.

Environment Track wants you to kindly drop your view on the protest by the Sex starved women in Kenya.

Sex-starved Kenyan women protest

At a time when Nigerian females are worried of threat of rape and forceful impregnation by their male counterparts, elsewhere in Kenya , women are crying over depletion of capable men to service and make them pregnant.

Kenyan women in Ndeiya ward held a protest, saying their drunkard husbands were unable to make children with them , which may cause them look elsewhere for sexually strong bed-mates. 

 The women said instead of minding the home-front to allow babies come, their husbands preferred to leave the house to drink alcohol all day.

Speaking during the peaceful protest at Thigio shopping centre, one of the demonstrators said younger women were the worst .

“If you walk in this village, you will find so many young married women, but only a few are pregnant. Those who are not are suffering in silence because their men cannot perform,” resident Nancy Wangare said.

She said men have been drinking anything alcoholic to keep them high, but society bore the consequences of their sexual dysfunction.

“It would not be a wonder if we start looking for men to sire our children. Our husbands will not know anything. We will trick them that the pregnancies are theirs and they will support us,” Wangari said. The 32-year-old mother of one separated from her husband four years ago