In an effort to addressing poor waste management and attaining zero waste in Edo State, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) on Thursday in Benin convened a workshop for stakeholders.
The enlightenment and sensitisation programme held at Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State was themed: ‘Our Waste and Burden on the Environment.’
Advertisement
In his opening remarks, the Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Barrister Chima Williams, said the workshop, anchored on ‘zero waste’, was necessary due to the porousity of waste management in the state.
Williams, who was represented by Babawale Obayanju, Programme Officer, Media and Communication in the organisation, noted ERA/FoEN was not just concerned about attaining zero waste in the state but the need for government to put policy controlling waste in the state.
According to him, managing waste was a culture that all need to imbibe for a clean and healthy environment.
Advertisement
He said as an environmental advocate, ERA/FoEN had developed a seven year zero waste plan that could help the state overcome the environmental challenge.
The executive director regretted that the state did not leverage on the potentials in waste recycling to make fortune for the state and the people.
Plastics generation, he said, was becoming extremely high in the state and would soon begin to negatively impact the ecosystem.
Advertisement
“It is a fact that plastics do not degrade, but it photogrades, the substance which is found in the seas, impose hazard on the fish.
“We may not feel the effect now, but we will soon begin to see it because we all eat fish,” he said.
In his speech, Mr Kessingston Osifo, Chairman Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, described zero waste as a great initiative that all should embrace.
Represented by Mrs Evbu Oboh,
Director of Administration and General Services, the Chairman said the problem of waste generation had become a major challenge facing the council as a result of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places.
Also in her goodwill message, Mrs Blessing Ehigiator, Head of Department, Environment in the local government area urged the participants to adhere to the principle of Rs in environment, which include Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle among others.
Ehigiator, however, sought the support of non-state actors on environment in the area of equipment just as she noted that waste management was always capital intensive.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has disclosed the arrest of one Mr. Eze Ezenwa Benard, who was recently apprehended for circulating fake DSS recruitment past questions and answers on Facebook.
Advertisement
The agency, while warning the public in a statement on Saturday, said the suspect operated through a page known as “Jobs and Education”, where he advertised the fraudulent materials and charged unsuspecting members of the public one thousand naira (N1,000) for access.
“The public is hereby cautioned to disregard any materials, as the DSS does not sell or distribute recruitment questions, answers, or examination guides through private individuals or social media pages. Recruitment into the Service, when necessary, follows specialised procedure in accordance with extant laws and due process,” the statement reads.
READ ALSO:
Advertisement
Continuing, DSS said Ezenwa’s arrest underscores the Service’s determination to safeguard Nigerians from the fraudulent schemes of unpatriotic elements. “Citizens are therefore encouraged to remain vigilant, verify information from official sources and report suspicious recruitment adverts or individuals attempting to extort money under false pretense.”
The agency assured that it will continue to protect the integrity of its recruitment process while ensuring that perpetrators of fraud face the full weight of the law.
Singer Speed Darlington has told President Bola Tinubu that public admiration cannot be bought, warning that only those who received appointments or jobs from the government truly support him.
In a video posted on Saturday, August 23, the singer said, “Everything isn’t about the economy! There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you.”
Darlington, an Igbo man, urged Tinubu to focus on police reform and respect for human rights. “The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.
“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate. Please, before you leave office, please speak to your Yoruba brother IGP man,”he added.
Popular controversial singer Speed Darlington has called on President Bola Tinubu to reform the Nigerian Police Force, urging the government to prioritise citizens’ rights alongside economic growth.
In a video posted on Saturday, the entertainer criticised what he described as the police’s systemic human rights violations and oppressive practices.
Advertisement
“Mr President, before you leave office, whether you secure a second term or not, try your best to improve Nigeria. Everything isn’t about the economy!
“There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you,” he said.
The singer, who identifies as Igbo, urged Tinubu to engage with the Inspector-General of Police and implement reforms.
“As an Igbo man, the advice I can give you so people will know your name and remember you for something good is to reform the police. Reform the police.
“The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.
Advertisement
“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate,”he added.
Darlington also recounted his personal ordeal with law enforcement, highlighting the system’s abuse of power.
Advertisement
“I was held for two months after the judge had ordered my release. FID held me for two months. According to my lawyer, the Nigerian law gives only 28 days for investigation.
“They held me for two months. What is the extra month for? Because they can. If you give them money, they oppress your enemy. I have experienced it,”he said.