News

CSOs Rally Against GMOs In Edo, Expose Their Dangers, Want A Ban

Published

9 months ago

December 13, 2024

Joseph Ebi Kanjo| Benin

The Nigerian government has been called upon to ban Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods, support and promote Agroecology, saying it is the viable alternative for food sovereignty and climate resilience in the country.

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) made the call during an awareness campaign held in Benin City on Friday in collaboration with Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO).

The GMO-free Nigeria awareness campaign which was held across 10 states of the federation, took the campaigners in Benin City to the state House of Assembly, Government House, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security where they submitted their petitions.

The campaigners in their large numbers carried placards with inscriptions as: ‘Food should not be grown in a Lab;’ ‘support small scale farmers;’ ‘GMOs have to go #BanGMOs;’ ‘What we eat must not eat us;’ ‘I will not be genetically modified;’ ‘We Nigerians reject GMOs;’ ‘GMO-free Nigeria’, among others.

Speaking, Executive Director, HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, who was unavoidably absent said in a statement that Nigeria does not need GMOs to address food insecurity.

He stressed that the design of those crops does not support local economic growth but promote dependency on corporate seed supply.

Bassey explained further: “In September 2024, the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) were reported to have said that they did not record any significant increase in their yields compared to the local seed varieties but instead, since the introduction of GM cotton seeds over 4 years ago, yield per hectare has remained about the same.

“Also, the farmers noted that no other plant has been able to germinate on the farmlands where the GM seeds were planted, even after four years – confirming the concerns regarding loss of biodiversity and soil degradation due to release of genetic material (proteins) into the soil which would not ordinarily occur.”

Bassey further decried the fact that farmers are not able to replant the GM seeds after harvest due to declining yields.

“They are encouraged to continuously purchase the seeds every new season from corporate entities.

“This reflects neo-colonialism and corporate capture of our food system -something we shouldn’t take lightly,” he added.

Also lending his voice through a statement, Barr. Ifeanyi Nwankwere, National Co-coordinator of GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, noted that GMOs approved in Nigeria, so far are not currently being labelled, adding that Nigeria’s socio-economic context would not allow labelling to be effective considering how food is sold in cups and basins in open markets where majority of Nigerians shop from.

Nwankwere noted that the biosafety regulatory system in Nigeria is not designed in a way that assures safety with regard to GMOs.

On the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act, Nwankwere noted that the Act has fundamental flaws including the lack of provision on strict liability, lack of adequate provision on the Precautionary Principle, inadequate provision on public participation in decision making etc.

“Another major flaw with the biosafety regulatory structure is the composition of the board of the NBMA with key promoters of GMOs e.g the National Biotechnology Development and Research Agency sitting on that board to decide on permits that agencies including the NABDA will apply for” he added.

Speaking at the Government House during the rally, Leftist Omobude Agho, Coordinator-General, EDOCSO, while expressing worry that 14 seeds have been approved for GMO by the agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating food in the country, urged Edo governor to enact an Executive Bill that would criminalise GMO foods in the state.

Agho added: “Edo State Governor must come up with an Executive Bill and send to the House of Assembly against GMOs. And in that bill, it should be stated that any shop or anybody caught selling GMO foods in the state would be seriously punished. 21 years imprisonment would be better for people caught violating the order.”

According to the Coordinator-General, EDOCSO, GMOs were introduced by the Western world in order to cause sickness in people’s bodies so that they (Western world) can sell their pharmaceutical products.

Agho added: “What they have planned is to put sickness in our bodies by all means so that they can sell their pharmaceutical products. What they have planned is to shorten our life spans.

“The secret of it all is that they want to colonise our food. Our lives will be dependent on their laboratory to eat food. We must determine to leave our lives and not the Western world determining it for us. Our lives are our rights, we must reject GMOs,” he added.

News

Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

Published

12 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved portfolios for five executive directors on the board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The appointees and their portfolios are: Hajiya Biliquis Jumoke- Administration and Human Resources, Mrs Aisha Rufai Ibrahim-Commercial and Industrial Development.

Others are, Mr James Abel Uloko-Corporate Services, Prof. Muhammad Bashar-Finance and Atika Ajanah-Projects.

The president urged the executive directors to work closely with the governing board of the commission to promote and coordinate sustainable development of the North-Central geopolitical zone.”

News

Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Published

13 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Apo, on Monday, issued a bench warrant against two lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the arrest order following repeated failure of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to appear before the court to enter their plea to the charge that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the charge marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred on June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought intervention of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled before trial Justice Samira Bature of the high court.

The IGP, in the charge, maintained that the two lawyers committed offences punishable under Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.

At the resumed proceeding of the court on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was bereaved, hence his absence for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was on the strength of an application by the defendant that the case was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered why the duo were also absent in court for the case to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the court that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a letter that was accompanied with a medical report dated September 3, indicating that he had a health challenge he described as “Degenerative disorder of the lumber vertebrae,” in addition to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd defendant equally went to the hospital on Monday morning to keep to a routine appointment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, he drew attention of the court to an application the defendants earlier filed to challenge its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the court to issue a warrant for the defendants to be arrested y security agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to both parties, he was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He court stressed that the medical report did indicate that the 1st defendant would not be able to attend court, adding that the 2nd defendant did not adduce any material to justify her absence.

Consequently, relying on the provision of section 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the defendants to be arrested and produced before the court on October 8.
(VANGUARD)

News

Community Attributes Access Road To Reduction In Maternal Mortality In Bauchi

Published

16 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A cross-section of residents in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has attributed the reduction in maternal mortality to the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Kirjaule–Lame roads.

Mr. Samila Jauro, who spoke on behalf of the community, made the disclosure during a media tour of ongoing Bauchi State projects in the area.

He explained that in the past, no fewer than 50 pregnant women and their babies had lost their lives due to delays in accessing healthcare caused by the poor condition of roads.

“We have lost many of our pregnant women and their unborn babies in the past because of bad roads.

“But the present administration has changed our lives through its infrastructural development,” Jauro said.

While commending the state government, he appealed for the electrification of Kirjauke community.

“We are grateful for the road project, but we still call on the governor to provide us with electricity.

For the past 18 years, we have had no source of power,” he added.

The Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Works, in 2023 awarded a 40.5-kilometer road construction and rehabilitation projects in the aforementioned sites.

Speaking on the progress of the projects, the Site Engineer, Mr. Ado Shehu, said the project had reached 75 percent completion.

“The Kirjaule–Lame and Magama–Gumau roads were awarded at the end of November 2023.

“Some portions are already completed, while others are at the second layer and shoulder stage to ensure a successful outcome.

“The duration of the project according to the contract is 36 months.

” But with 75 percent already completed, the project will be finished ahead of schedule,” he said.