Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Ecological Project Office has received a request to intervene in the flooding issue threatening the Defense Space School, Orogun, Delta State and the Space Innovation, Assembling and Test Centre, Epe, Lagos State.
The Chief of Defence Space Administration (DSA), Real Admiral Nnamdi Muogilim made the request during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, EPO, Malam Shehu Ibrahim on Tuesday.
The Defence Chief explained that these were part of the critical ground structures established in its satellite launch system.
He further explained that the centres were key in building critical capacity to assist the Federal Government achieve its security mandate to Nigerians, adding that the agency is tasked to use the cyber space defence mechanism to implement Mr President’s directive in tackling the security challenge in the country.
According to him, “the Federal Government wants to hand over a country free of security challenges to the incoming administration, therefore the security agencies were tasked and our task at the Defence Space is to use the cyber and space domains to support the defense and security agencies operations towards achieving the Commander-in-Chief’s directives on a security free country”.
Receiving the visitor, the Permanent Secretary EPO commended the Federal Government for providing such critical infrastructure and capacity to secure the country’s air and land space, explaining that security of the nation was one the nine priorities areas of the government that needs priority attention. He assured that efforts will be made to ensure that the concerns were addressed and remedied.
He commended the Chief of Defense Space Administration for the visit and request for intervention, stating that it is a watershed engagement in the relationship between the office and the security agency. He however advised the agency to follow up on the request by putting in writing a formal request with accompanying drawings, Bill of Engineering and Measurement Evaluation (BEME) and the cost estimates for the required intervention to enable the office in the critical evaluation of the problem.
Similarly, Chairman of Hadejia Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Umar during a visit to the EPO solicited assistance to tackle the perennial flooding affecting the state.
The Chairman said the Council was grappling with the huge issue of annual flooding, land degradation and erosion scourge. He said the challenges were enormous and beyond the financial capacity of the council and the state as a whole, hence the plea for assistance at the Federal level.
The Permanent Secretary said the Jigawa perennial flooding is well known in the country with Hadejia being one of the worst locations in the State most affected annually.
