News

CSOs Condemn Planned Resumption Of Oil Extraction In Ogoniland, Demand A Halt

Published

10 months ago

January 21, 2025

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Concerned civil society organisations in the Niger Delta have condemned in its entirety the planned resumption of oil exploration and production activities in Ogoniland, River State.

This follows an invitation by the office of the National Security Adviser to the President, Mr Nuhu Ribadu to some Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to a private meeting in Abuja where alleged resumption of oil production in Ogoniland were to be discussed.

The concerned civil society organisations who met in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently to deliberate on the invite of the Ogoni leaders and intent of the meeting, said: “It is however insensitive for this administration to open any form of discussion with a handpicked group of Ogoni leaders for such talks.”

The outcome of their meeting, which was contained in a statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor,
Communication Lead, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the civil society organisations said in discussing anything that has that do with all production in Ogoniland, the overall will of the majority of Ogonis should be taken into consideration rather than inviting a few for deliberation.

The groups explained that they had expected that the administration would have called for a multi stakeholder meeting in Ogoni land to listen to the plight of the Ogonis and also agree with them on how best to tackle the poverty and hunger occasioned by their loss of livelihoods caused by years of pollution and resultant poisoning of their land and waters.

The statement signed by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), We The People, Ogoni Solidarity Forum – Nigeria, Social Action, and 16 other civil society organisations, the group, while recognising and condemning the nations dependence on fossil fuel, noted that the decision to resume oil production in the area “disregards the enduring environmental, social, and economic injustices faced by the Ogoni people and undermines efforts toward sustainable development, environmental justice, community empowerment and cleanup of the devastated environment,” adding that “Ogoniland has been a symbol of environmental degradation caused by decades of reckless oil exploitation and decrepit equipment.”

“The livelihoods and health of the Ogoni people have suffered immeasurably, with no substantial accountability from the oil industry or adequate redress from the government,” it added.

The group, while lamenting that “despite numerous calls for justice and transparency, the Nigerian government has been slow in the implementation of the UNEP report recommendations to clean up the land effectively,” declared that any “attempt to resume oil extraction in a region already ravaged by environmental neglect further exacerbates the suffering of the people and is a affront on their right to a safe environment.”

“It also disregards their right to free, prior, and informed consent of a fundamental principle under international law.”

Their demand

The civil society organisations, while calling for a halt to the planned resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland until meaningful consultation with the Ogoni people and full remediation of the damaged environment is carried out, further demanded that no oil well should be drilled in the Niger Delta.

They urged the government and the oil companies to commence immediate and total cleanup of the region, adding that one trillion United States Dollars should be earmarked for immediate clean up of the Niger Delta and compensation for loss of livelihoods.

They further demanded the “full Implementation of the UNEP Report and ensuring that the clean-up and restoration of Ogoniland are prioritized and carried out transparently and effectively.”

They demanded further, “More funding should be allocated to HYPREP to hasten up their actions on the clean up.
Ensure justice for the Ogoni People by address historical grievances, including compensation for environmental and economic losses and accountability for decades of ecological destruction.

“Holding oil companies, particularly Shell, accountable for past environmental damages and human rights violations.

“Demilitarization of the Niger Delta and an end to the intimidation and harassment of environmental activists and local communities.

“Enforcing strict regulations on oil companies operating in Nigeria.

“Halt all discussions on divestment until the polluted Niger Delta region is cleaned up.”

News

N200b Agric Credit Dispute: Appeal Court Slams NAIC, Upholds First Bank Victory

Published

8 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) against First Bank of Nigeria in the long-running dispute over the disbursement of the Federal Government’s N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

The decision was one of seven precedent-setting judgments delivered in six hours on Friday by Justice Okon Abang, underscoring his reputation as a hardworking, firm, and uncompromisingly principled jurist whose rulings continue to shape Nigeria’s legal landscape across criminal, human rights, banking, and civil litigation.

In 2013, the NAIC dragged First Bank before the Federal High Court via originating summons, alleging that the bank failed to deduct the mandatory 2.5 per cent premium under the agriculture credit scheme. First Bank promptly filed a counter-affidavit and written address, with both sides joining issues and exchanging further processes over the years.

But when the case was ripe for hearing, NAIC sought to suddenly withdraw its suit—claiming an unnamed Bankers’ Committee representative had approached it for an out-of-court settlement.

First Bank objected, insisting that once pleadings had been exchanged, withdrawal without consent should lead to dismissal, not a mere striking out. To strike out, the bank argued, would allow NAIC a second bite at the cherry—an abuse of process.

The Federal High Court agreed and dismissed the suit, prompting NAIC to head to the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Abang held that NAIC’s appeal was “grossly misconceived” and that, having seen the bank’s defence, NAIC attempted to retreat and re-strategise, “only being smart, believing that it could cunningly manipulate judicial proceedings to save a suit that appears weak and manifestly unsupported.”

He stressed that, once a defendant’s counter-affidavit has been served, any withdrawal by the claimant must naturally lead to dismissal, not striking out, to avoid overreaching the respondent.

Justice Abang agreed with the trial court that, “Since issues have been joined and the matter has previously been adjourned on several occasions, the proper order to make on the application of the plaintiff is to dismiss the suit.”

The Court of Appeal also questioned NAIC’s reliance on an alleged intervention by the Bankers’ Committee—a non-party that had earlier resisted being joined in the matter.

The appellate court concluded that NAIC, having sighted the bank’s counter-affidavit, simply lost confidence in its case and sought a “soft landing” to refile later.

News

Nigeria Records One Of Africa’s Widest Gaps In Policy Reputation Index

Published

8 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has been identified as one of the African nations suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, a finding described as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent, according to the inaugural RPI African Policy Index 2025 released by Reputation Poll International (RPI).

The comprehensive Index, which evaluates governance and policy performance across all 54 African countries, places Nigeria in the middle tier of “Strugglers” with an overall score of 52.3. This category reflects nations that achieve partial policy results but fail to earn public confidence.

Drawing from hard data on policy implementation and perception surveys involving over 25,000 Africans, the report shows that Nigeria records one of the continent’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence.

The report flags Nigeria alongside South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe as countries with the most severe mismatches.

In Nigeria, anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement.

Similar patterns exist across these nations, where oil wealth, infrastructure spending, and progressive legislation do not convince ordinary citizens that governments genuinely serve their interests. This trust deficit is highlighted as Africa’s core governance challenge.

The Index emphasises that without deliberate measures to close the gap—through transparent data, citizen audits, and visible accountability—policy ambitions alone cannot produce stable or legitimate outcomes.

By contrast, a small group of nations scoring above 70 demonstrate that world-class governance is achievable when delivery is matched by citizen belief.

Mauritius leads with 78.9, followed by Seychelles at 76.4, Cabo Verde at 74.8, and Botswana at 73.2. These countries excel because strong economic management, high vaccination rates, transparent institutions, and consistent progress in education and digital reforms are reinforced by equally high public trust.

Botswana and Mauritius succeed not because they are wealthy, but because they systematically include citizens in monitoring and feedback, narrowing the trust deficit to near zero.

Over half of Africa, however, remains far from this standard. The Strugglers tier (50–69.9) encompasses 30 countries, while 18 “Systemic Challengers” score below 50, from Sierra Leone at 49.2 to South Sudan at 28.4.

In these countries, structural breakdowns, chronic insecurity, and collapsed legitimacy produce average Trust Gaps of 35 points, undermining even modest policy efforts amid daily experiences of violence and exclusion.

Central Africa records the lowest regional average at 41.2, while Southern Africa dominates the top tier. West, East, and North Africa deliver mixed results.

For Nigerian leadership, the Index sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. As the country grapples with debt, youth unemployment, and climate pressures, bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.

The RPI African Policy Index 2025 stands as both a warning and a roadmap: unless the trust deficit is addressed, Africa’s governance crisis will only deepen.
(GUARDIAN)