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ENGR. O. E. S AJANI BECOMES 12^TH NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF NIEE

BY MILES OLU and ELIJAH OKONKWO

 Engineer Olalekan Emeka Sulaiman Ajani became the 12^th National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers with the inauguration ceremony at NECA House, Central Business District, (CBD) Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. 

The inauguration ceremony had a scholarly lecture which was delivered by the former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, Lagos, Professor Lateef Hussain and the theme of the academic lecture dwelled on “The Environment: Climate Change and Flooding”. 

Speaking to the audience with his presentations of the lecture prof. Hussain said that Nigeria’s climate has been changing evident in increases in temperature, rise in sea level and flooding, drought and desertification, land degradation, more frequent extreme weather events affected fresh water resources and loss of biodiversity as he added that flooding is an overflowing or irruption great body of water over land not usually submerged. 

Speaking again prof. Hussain said that it is an extreme event naturally caused by rising global temperature which results in heavy rainfall, thermal expansion of the ocean and glacier melts, which in turn result in rise in sea level, thereby causing salt water to inundate coastal lands. 

He said that on 8^th of February 2020 Cable News Network CNN News reported a record breaking temperature of 18.3 degrees centigrade at the Anteretica adding that flooding is the most common of all environmental hazards which had regularly claimed over 20, 000 lives per year and adversely affected around 75 million people globally.

Speaking again prof. Hussain said that across the world, floods had posed serious danger to people’s lives and properties as floods caused about one third of all deaths, one third of all injuries and one third of all damages from natural disasters as he added that since 1900 floods had claimed more than 10, 000 lives in the United States of America alone. 

He said that in Chaina, some of the globes most disastrous floods had been caused by the unstable Huana He (Yellow River) adding that 1970, 1985 and 1991 hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh were killed when the combination of high tides and a tropical cyclone storm surge caused widespread flooding of the low – lying delta of the Granges and Bradmaptra runs.

He said again that humans had just lived through the hottest decade on record as data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed adding that the data released January 15^th, 2020 showed that the past five years had been the time warmest since record began 140 years ago. 

He said that in Nigeria the pattern is similar with the rest of globes excluding drought almost 99% of damages are related to natural disasters which were caused directly or indirectly by floods. 

He says that records showed that more than200 people had lost their lives to flooding while hundreds of thousand had been homeless and properties worth billions of Naira had been destroyed as a result of devastating floods across the country adding that Oyo State Ministry of Information in 1989 and in the defunct Daily Sketch of 1979 flooding in various parts of the nation had forced thousands of people from their homes, businesses, polluted water resources and also increased the risk of deadly diseases. 

Prof. Hussain submitted that the last three decades, the impact of flooding had been increasingly assumed from significant to threatening proportions, resulting in loss of lives and properties as he added that the planet is warming faster than any time during the history of human civilization on this planet as climate change is not just a science issue or an environmental issue. 

He concurred that it is a human issue that matters to all sundry living on this planet today.

Speaking to the audience the immediate past National Chairman NIEE Engr. Yinusa thanked all and sundry for the uncommon support, solidarity and understandings accorded to him while he held sway as the 11^th National Chairman of NIEE. 

He formally inaugurated the 12^th National Chairman of NIEE, Engr. Ajani with the Oaths taking in the full view of all sundry that graced the inauguration ceremony. Speaking to the audience the newly inaugurated 12^th National Chairman of NIEE Engr. 

Ajani pleasantly and uncommonly commended all and sundry in the engineering world for the love and trust they had bestowed on him as the 12^th National Chairman of NIEE and he added that many committees would be set up to tackle the issues the guest speaker prof. Hussain raised in his erudite lecture. 

Speaking to the audience the special guest of honour, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment Mrs. Ibukun Odusote said that she really wished to express her deepest appreciation to be invited as a special guest of honour adding that the Abuja Chapter of Environmental Engineers paid a courtesy visit to her office and issues of climate change were discussed. She said that creativity transforms nation from poor nation to a rich nation adding that the government is waiting and willing to work with environmental engineers. 

She said that issues of climate, waste resources and safety management should deftly handle by environmental engineers for the good of all and sundry. Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonlineportal the Lagos State Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(NIEEE) Engr. Bayo Olusodo said that a senior colleague of his in the person of Engr. Ajani has emerged to be the 12^th National Chairman of NIEE and he said that he knows that Engr. Ajani has the capacities to move the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers higher because he is loaded with expertise and clouts. 

He said that all hands of engineers should always show competencies when dealing with the government of the land so that they would not be looked down and taken for granted in matters that would largely benefit the engineers. He said again that they the engineers should come together always so as to share ideas in order to promote their works smoothly and be able to speak back to the powers that be.

Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonlineportal the Financial Secretary of Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers(NIEE) Engr. Afolabi Gege said that the theme of the lecture is really apt for discussion and he is quite gladdened that Prof. Hussain had eruditely handled the subject matter very lucidly to the audience thereby all and sundry are now adequately informed about environment: Climate Change and Flooding adding that the newly inaugurated 12^th National Chairman of NIEE Engr. Ajani should keep the flag flying higher in all ramifications. 

Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonlineportal Assistant Director, Ministry of Transport Lagos State Government as well as National General Secretary of NIEE Engr. Olasunkanmi Ojoworo said that the 12^th National Chairman of NIEE Engr. Ajani is scholarly qualified to lead the group of egg heads to greater proportions because there are lots of challenges ahead of the group as a body of Environmental Engineers. 

He avers that all hands must be on the deck to make sure that their aims and objectives are achieved thereby making life more meaningful for all and sundry. He commended the guest lecturer prof. Hussain for his style of delivery of the subject matter, The Environment: Climate Change and Flooding. He also prayed for God’s blessing upon the newly inaugurated 12^th National Chairman of NIEE Engr. Ajani and others.