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Environmentalist To Govt: Declare State Of Emergency In Our Ecosystem

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Laws To Protect Our Ecosystem Must Be Put In Place – Ex-FIDA President

By Joseph Kanjo

The need for the government to urgently declare a state of emergency for Ecosystem Restoration (SEER) inorder to preserve the ecosystem and its services has been emphasised.

The Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo, made the submission in a speech titled ‘A State of Environmental Emergency for Ecosystem Restoration’ delivered on Tuesday in Benin City, Edo State, during an event to mark the 2021 World Environment Day.

According to him, SEEER was informed by the need for national environmental emergency to raise awareness and restore living in harmony with nature.

Dr Ojo, while underlining the need to embark on some radical and deep transformation in global production and consumption patterns, said it requires concerted actions at local, national, and international levels focused on a pragmatic shift towards a sustainable development pathway before it is too late.

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READ ALSO: World Environment Day: Protect Our Ecosystem From Extinction – ERA/FoEN

“For decades, scientific evidence show that the impacts and pressures of our productive activities related to our addictive dependence on mining and fossil fuels extraction, extensive livestock farming, industrial agriculture, gigantic infrastructure, fisheries, forestry hence these harmful activities require a roll back,” said Dr Ojo.

A cross section of participants at the event

While listing the benefits of ecosystem restoration, he emphasised that restoring the ecosystem protects and improves the livelihoods of millions of people and maintains the earth’s biological diversity.

He added that healthier ecosystems enhance richer biodiversity, yielding greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish.

“Humans depend on the rich biodiversity for food, water, energy, medicine, clothes, building and construction materials and an enhanced capacity to store greenhouse gases from the atmosphere,” he said.

According to Dr Ojo, a roadmap towards identifying and setting targets and indicators to measuring Nigeria’s commitment to the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is urgently required.

READ ALSO: Ogoni Cleanup: Establish Centre Of Excellence, ERA/FoEN Urges Newly Appointed HYPREP Governing Council

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He stressed that Nigeria must focus on restoring the major ecosystems facing collapse by urgently developing a national 10-year Ecosystem Restoration Roadmap, set targets and timelines in consonance with the United Nations plans.

Participants in an excursion to UNIBEN ecosystem.

He added that government, corporations and relevant agencies must show in clear terms their SEER goal and how they intend to slow down the rate of deforestation in the next 10 years, just as he added that the government must be committed to energy transition from its addition to fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to reduce the rate of environmental degradation and ecosystem disturbance.

“Government should ensure that Shell and other oil multinationals that have been divesting from their ruinous onshore operations are made to pay for any damage caused by their operations to the ecosystem before they are allowed to operate the offshore facilities.

“Enhance the implementation of the Great Green Wall project in the northern part of the country to stop the advance of the Sahara Desert,” he submitted.

Also speaking, Prof Gideon Emelue of the University of Benin who happens to be the Guest Speaker said, the essence of ecosystem is to give human a livelihood but unfortunately in Nigeria reverse is the case.

He noted that in a standard, a country should have 25% forest covered but unfortunately it is far below that in Nigeria, lamenting that all the trees that ought to serve as cover are being cute down on daily basis.

READ ALSO: Ogoniland: Environmental Rights Organisation Welcomes FG’s Approval Of N6b To Provide Portable Water

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While Advocating for tree planning and wood logging, the ecosystem expert said in actualising this, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders must be all involved.

Prof. Gideon Emelue planting a tree at the UNIBEN ecosystem

On her part, Stella Ojeme, Esq, said laws that protect the ecosystem must be put in place to preserve the ecosystem.

The former president, Federation Of Women Lawyers (FIDA) added that restoration of the ecosystem is everyone’s business hence there was the need to create a regorious awareness, saying “All stakeholders in our different communities must be involved.”

 

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

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However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

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He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

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Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

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The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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