News
Bassey First Nigerian To Be Honoured With Wallenberg Medal, HOMEF Celebrates
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
The Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has been honoured with the prestigious 2024 Wallenberg Medal.
The award which took place on 10 September 2024, at the Ross School of Business Robertson Auditorium, at the University of Michigan, was in recognition of Bassey’s long list of accomplishments.
Bassey is the first Nigerian and the fifth African to have received the award.
The Wallenberg Medal is a tribute to outstanding humanitarians who have gone above and beyond to protect the vulnerable and oppressed, much like
Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during World War II, whom the award was named after.
Earlier, the Swedish Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador
Urban Ahlin, extolled the virtues of Raoul Wallenberg and enjoined the
audience to dedicate their lives to the cause of humanity so that they
may be remembered just as Wallenberg was being recognized.
READ ALSO: NNPCL-Dangote Refineries Rift: HOMEF Demands Transparency, Investigation
In his acceptance speech and lecture title We Are Relatives, Dr Nnimmo Bassey stressed “love, humility, dignity, and respect” as core to his vision of a livable future for all beings.”
He stated that “as an
environmental justice advocate whose work has been based on
understanding the polycrisis confronting us, we have a duty to always seek to uncover the roots of the crises rather than treating the
symptoms.”
He continued, “Seeking out those roots helps us avoid superficial
responses and pursue real solutions, some of which may be unattainable in our lifetimes. One of our key struggles has been understanding the mindset that permits inequalities in our societies. The mindset that elevates might over care and love. The mindset that promotes the
individual rather than the community. The mindset that refuses to understand that we are relatives. The mindset that grabs, trashes, and feeds on the misery of others. The mindset that permits environmental racism.
READ ALSO: HOMEF Applauds NASS On Decision To Investigate GMOs In Nigeria
“Understanding the roots of polycrisis helps us to see the phenomenon of expanding sacrifice zones in our world today. It also
placed on us the duty of standing with the oppressed to halt the
expansion of sacrifice zones in Nigeria, in Africa, and elsewhere by
seeking to overcome the energy and other hegemonic transitions that sacrifice nature and are driven by colonial extractivism built on
embedded geopolitical power imbalances”.
Bassey further stated, “Climate action and inaction provide pictures
that help us see the difficulties we face in trying to build a consensus
that the climate crisis is a global crisis and not a national crisis. It
also shows that the world is not yet ready to make the hard decisions by accepting that the pursuit of infinite growth on a finite planet is a
false dream.”
Celebrating the Bassey on behalf of other staff members, Director of Programmes, HOMEF, Joyce
Brown, applauded the executive director for his outstanding performance, stating that Bassey’s exceptional work and contributions have led to undeniable global recognition.
“It was also a veritable opportunity to showcase the work that HOMEF does and show the key place that cultural tools like poetry play in healing a hurting world, ‘ she stated.
Besides being an environmental activist, Bassey’s work includes
significant environmental books like To Cook a Continent: Destructive Extraction and The Climate Crisis in Africa (2012), and Oil Politics: Echoes of Ecological War. His poetry, including We Thought It Was Oil But It Was Blood (1998), I Will Not Dance to Your Beat (2010), and the
latest I See the Invisible (2024), continue to inspire the spirit of
resistance and hope in all who read or listen to him.
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News
Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X
Published
34 minutes agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.
The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.
“Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.
READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X
Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”
READ ALSO:‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book
Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
News
Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead
Published
58 minutes agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.
Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.
Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.
READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi
“A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.
“Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”
Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.
READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra
Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.
Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.
This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.
Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.
News
Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management
Published
3 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.
Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.
Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”
But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power
He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.
According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”
“The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.
“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down
Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.
“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”
He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”
He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”
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