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Edo Spent Over $150 Million On Erosion Control, Says Obaseki

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The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday said his administration has spent over $150 million in addressing erosion problems which, according to him, has degraded the environment and threatened the lives and livelihoods of inhabitants.

The governor made the disclosure at the launching of Edo FEWMA, formerly known as Edo NEWMAP.

He attributed most of the environmental challenges to poor land management and decrease in forest areas.

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READ ALSO: Again, Suspected Herdsmen Kill 3, Kidnap 13 Others In Edo, Protests Rocks Govt House

He equally blamed contractors for not disclosing their plans to address erosion problems and hinted that federal agencies, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will not be allowed to work in Edo “if they do not share their plans with the state government particularly erosion plans, because they are giving us more trouble to our environment.”

“Over the last 10 years, we have spent over 150 million dollars trying to repair what we have damaged ourselves.

“Majority of the cases are all man-made. You have a contractor, who was given a contract, he decides to begin construction, he doesn’t share the plan, he doesn’t tell how the water will be terminated.

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“So, as a government, we will insist, going forward, that no agency, not federal, not local, will undertake projects without coming to register with FEWMA because you just can’t come to the state to say you have a contract, you begin to work and not letting us know the extent of engineering drawings and you are going to deal with issues of erosion control”, he said.

He added: “As you know in Edo State, over the years, due to neglect, we are now witnessing many  challenges that we didn’t see before, particularly gully erosion.

“Our number one priority is our environment because we cannot continue to behave the way we are behaving now. If our forefathers had behaved this way, we will not be living here. We can hardly see trees and this means the land cannot hold water if there are no trees.

“So, the environment is a very serious area of focus which we must pay attention to and it is because we have not being paying attention to the environment that is why we have the challenges we have today,” he added.

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The governor, while assuring the new agency of the state government’s support, explained that NEWMAP was conceived as a world Bank project to help state government with environmental sustainability and erosion control.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Herdsmen Butcher Family Of Six, Others, Eight Corpses Recovered In Benue

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Officer of Edo FEWMA, Dr. Tom Obaseki, said a total of 23 states participated under NEWMAP in the last 10 years and Edo came top in achievements, accounting for 17 per cent of the overall success.

This came to pass by true, conscious deliberate and passionate demonstration of strong will by his Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, particularly in efficient project implementation, procurement done without zero interference, demonstration of commitment to NEWMAP through prompt payment counterparts funding by the governor as well as demonstration of ownership of project.”

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2023: Why INEC Servers Failed To Work – Peter Obi

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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, servers failed to work during the 2023 presidential election.

He said the ‘establishment of criminality’ made the INEC servers not work during the last last general elections.

Obi stated this, while addressing the issues of the 2023 elections, including the IREV servers, in Canada during the weekend.

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READ ALSO: Underbridge Tenants: Lagos Govt Uncovers Identity Of Ring Leader

The Labour Party flagbearer in 2023 said people must intensify engagement with all the stakeholders to make the system work.

The former Anambra State governor explained that Amazon testified there were no glitches recorded globally on the day of the presidential election.

He said: “Where did we go wrong in the last election? We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We did the right things.

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“But as I can always tell people: when you bring a change, you fight all those who live off the old order. They don’t go away; they gang up. And don’t think it’s a straight race to remove an establishment.

READ ALSO: PDP Crisis: Why Party Members Are Resigning – Sule Lamido

“It’s a long-distance journey anywhere in the world. Go and check anywhere, whether you are looking at what happened in India, with Mandela in South Africa, or America. No change has happened overnight, it takes time.

“I urge all of you, if you really want change, we have just begun. We just have to continue from where we are.

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“Yes, there might be one or two things we will correct, those things we will correct. I assure you we are correcting them without naming them.It’s not going to be easy.”

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INC Vows To Internationalise Ijaw Struggle

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The Ijaw National Congress (INC) says time has come to internationalise the “Ijaw struggle” beyond rhetoric.

Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC, said this in a communique of the 2024 edition of the Ijaw National Day celebration held in Bayelsa.

Okaba said that the vexatious factors that provoked grievances between the late Maj. Adaka Boro and the federal government in the improper management of the oil political economy of Nigeria, have remained unmitigated.

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He noted that the situation had worsened with its attendant impunity.

READ ALSO: Ijaw Not Biafra, Count Us Out Of Your Planned Attack Military, INC Warns IPOB

According to him, the Ijaw environment continues to bear the brunt of petroleum resources exploitation-related pollution without concomitant remediation or reparations of the heavily despoiled ecosystem.

Instead, Ijaw communities still face the adverse effects of uncontrollable spills, perennial flooding, ocean encroachment and so on,” he said.

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The INC president noted that at different forums, it had been made clear that the Ijaw agenda of self-determination was premised on resource and environmental justice.

“What all Ijaw people seek is for a fair, just and justifiable reward for our resources and sacrifices.

“The Ijaw Congress has articulated a set of prescient conditions for its continuous commitment to the Nigerian project and these include restoration of true federalism (fiscal federalism).

READ ALSO: Ijaw Group Tackles OPC, CSO Over Call For Review Of Tompolo’s Surveillance Contract

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“Devolution of power and repel of all obnoxious and discriminatory environmental and resource related laws (Land Use, PIA), as well as restoration of Ijaw Territory as non-balkanised, administrative and politically generated unit(s).

“This is for the reassurance and promotion of Ijaw developmental pursuits by creating at least two additional states, more local government areas and wards for the Ijaws.

“Remediation of our massively polluted and endangered environment and the enforcement of adherence to international environmental best practices by IOC’s operating in Ijaw territories,” he said.

Okaba also demanded for the relocation of the administrative headquarters of all oil companies and their subsidiaries to their operational bases in Ijaw territory and Niger Delta.

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READ ALSO: Ijaw Demand Environmental Clean-up Before IOCs Exit Niger Delta

He further called for proper funding and management of the Interventionist Agencies such as the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Niger Delta Development Commission.

We call for the promotion of modular refineries owned by our people.

“We also want a balance in appointment at the federal levels (the civil service, military and oil companies) as well as equitable distribution of critical infrastructure, to reflect the true principles of federal character.”

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He said it was against this backdrop that the theme of the 2024 Ijaw National Day “Re-Invigorating Our Resolve to take the Ijaw struggle for Self-determination beyond Rhetoric” was derived.

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Drake Gives Condition To Quit Music As Feud With Kendrick Lamar Thickens

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US rapper Drake has vowed to quit his music career if allegations regarding a secret daughter are substantiated.

The controversy started when rival artiste Kendrick Lamar, in his diss track ‘Meet The Grahams,’ levied accusations suggesting Drake’s involvement with an 11-year-old secret daughter.

Lamar branded the Canadian rapper a “deadbeat” for purportedly neglecting his paternal responsibilities

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Renowned American media personality Akademiks, however, disclosed rapper’s response to the allegations during a recent broadcast.

According to Akademiks, Drake denied the claims, going as far as promising to leave the music industry and work for Akademiks if any evidence of the alleged secret daughter emerged.

During his Saturday night show, Akademiks shared the rapper’s direct message, stating, “Drake hit [texted] me, he said, ‘Ak, if you or anybody can prove that I have an 11-year-old daughter, I’ll quit rapping and come work for you.’”

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