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ERA Applauds Rivers Govt’s Actions Against Oil Theft, Soot Pollution

Published

4 years ago

January 19, 2022

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has applauded the current action by the Rivers State Government to address the vexed issues of oil theft and refining of stolen crude oil and the consequent release of soot into the environment.

Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, who made the applaud in a statement made available to INFO DAILY on Wednesday by Nosa Tokunbo, spokesperson of the organisation, stated that “Although the current action of the Rivers State government is a welcomed respite for the people of the state, more still needs to be done.

While calling for the development of a holistic framework that would address both the supply of artisanal products and the high demands for these products in communities, Dr. Ojo identified rising cost of living, unemployment, and severe impact from hydrocarbon pollution on rural livelihoods as parts of the problem the menace has caused in the society.

He said, “There is the need for providing alternative income generation sources for these youths to discourage them from the illegal act, hence Governments at all levels must as a matter of necessity diversify our economy from oil and gas dependence and towards a transition to renewable energy sources such as solar mini-grid and off-grid systems.”

He continues, “Although artisanal refining of stolen crude oil is indicated as the current accelerator of soot and ambient air pollution in the Niger Delta region, it is also important to point out that decades of reckless exploration and production activities by multinational companies such as Shell, ill maintained oil pipelines and facilities, routine gas flaring and lax regulatory framework are responsible for the dangerous situation in which millions of people who reside in the Niger Delta region now find themselves.

“A 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on ambient air pollution, states that air pollution around the world is responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths globally every year. The report further states that exposure to air pollution is also responsible for increasing rates of stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.”

The Environmental group lamented that hospitals across Rivers State are reporting a marked uptick in patients presenting with respiratory illnesses especially young children whose lungs are unable to withstand the constant poisoning from air pollution.

“There are also reports of increase in patients suffering severe burns from explosions resulting from utilizing improperly refined kerosene from artisanal refining processes.”

The environmental Organisation recalled that civil society groups, local communities, the media, and youths under the auspices of the Young Friends of the Earth Nigeria (YFoEN), had in the last five years been engaged in sustained research and advocacy with the aim of getting the different tiers of governments and its regulatory institutions to take decisive actions to halt the persistent ambient air pollution witnessed in Rivers state.

It added that that four years after local communities, civic groups, the media and youths dissatisfied by government’s refusal to act, protested on the streets of Port Harcourt and to the offices of the governor, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Shell; the government of Rivers State finally decided to take the first tentative steps on the road to dealing with this hydra-headed monster.

Headline

9 Most-requested Documents For Work Visas

Published

10 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

Planning to work abroad? Whether you’re heading to Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, or the UAE, securing a work visa is a critical step and the process often comes with a long list of required documents.

While specifics vary by country, most immigration offices demand a core set of paperwork before granting a work visa. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly requested documents:

1. Valid Passport

Your passport must typically have at least six months’ validity beyond your intended stay. Some countries require blank visa pages as well, so double-check the requirements.

2. Job Offer Letter

This is one of the most important documents in your visa application. It must come from a verified employer or government-approved sponsor. The letter should include details such as your job title, salary, and terms of employment.

3. Educational Certificates

These include your university degrees, diplomas, and any vocational qualifications relevant to the job you’re applying for. In some cases, you may need to have these credentials assessed or authenticated.

4. Proof of Work Experience

Most countries will want to see evidence of your past employment. This could include:

Reference letters from previous employers
Employment contracts
Payslips

5. Language Proficiency Test Results

If you’re going to an English-speaking country like the UK, Canada, or Australia, proof of English proficiency is often required. Commonly accepted tests include:

IELTS
TOEFL
PTE Academic

Some non-English-speaking countries may ask for proof of proficiency in their official language.

6. Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

This is a document issued by law enforcement to confirm that you have no criminal record. It’s essential to prove your good character and legal standing in your home country.

7. Medical Certificate

Many countries require a medical exam to ensure you’re fit to work and free from contagious diseases. The test is usually conducted by a panel physician authorized by the destination country’s immigration authority.

8. Proof of Funds

You may need to show bank statements or other financial documents to prove you can support yourself (and your dependents, if applicable) until you start earning.

9. Professional Accreditation or Licensing

If you’re applying for jobs in regulated sectors like healthcare, education, or engineering, you may need proof of accreditation or registration with a professional body in the destination country.
(VANGUARD)

Headline

Over 1.3 Million Return To Homes In Sudan – UN

Published

10 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

More than 1.3 million people who fled the fighting in Sudan have headed home, the United Nations said Friday, pleading for greater international aid to help returnees rebuild shattered lives.

Over a million internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to their homes in recent months, UN agencies said.

A further 320,000 refugees have crossed back into Sudan this year, mainly from neighbouring Egypt and South Sudan.

While fighting has subsided in the “pockets of relative safety” that people are beginning to return to, the situation remains highly precarious, the UN said.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has killed tens of thousands.

The RSF lost control of the capital, Khartoum, in March and the regular army now controls Sudan’s centre, north and east.

In a joint statement, the UN’s IOM migration agency, UNHCR refugee agency and UNDP development agency called for an urgent increase in financial support to pay for the recovery as people begin to return, with humanitarian operations “massively underfunded”.

Sudan has 10 million IDPs, including 7.7 million forced from their homes by the current conflict, they said.

More than four million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

– ‘Living nightmare’ –

Sudan is “the largest humanitarian catastrophe facing our world and also the least remembered”, the IOM’s regional director Othman Belbeisi, speaking from Port Sudan, told a media briefing in Geneva.

He said 71 percent of returns had been to Al-Jazira state, with eight percent to Khartoum.

Other returnees were mostly heading for Sennar state.

Both Al-Jazira and Sennar are located southeast of the capital.

“We expect 2.1 million to return to Khartoum by the end of this year but this will depend on many factors, especially the security situation and the ability to restore services,” Belbeisi said.

With the RSF holding nearly all of the western Darfur region, Kordofan in the south has become the war’s main battleground in recent weeks.

He said the “vicious, horrifying civil war continues to take lives with impunity”, imploring the warring factions to put down their guns.

“The war has unleashed hell for millions and millions of ordinary people,” he said.

“Sudan is a living nightmare. The violence needs to stop.”

– ‘Massive’ UXO contamination –

After visiting Khartoum and the Egyptian border, Mamadou Dian Balde, the UNHCR’s regional refugee coordinator for the Sudan crisis, said people were coming back to destroyed public infrastructure, making rebuilding their lives extremely challenging.

Those returning from Egypt were typically coming back “empty handed”, he said, speaking from Nairobi.

Luca Renda, UNDP’s resident representative in Sudan, warned of further cholera outbreaks in Khartoum if broken services were not restored.

“What we need is for the international community to support us,” he said.

Renda said around 1,700 wells needed rehabilitating, while at least six Khartoum hospitals and at least 35 schools needed urgent repairs.

He also sounded the alarm on the “massive” amount of unexploded ordnance littering the city and the need for decontamination.

He said anti-personnel mines had also been found in at least five locations in Khartoum.

“It will take years to fully decontaminate the city,” he said, speaking from Port Sudan.

Headline

Trump Says Hamas Doesn’t Want A Deal, ‘Want To Die’

Published

11 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

President Donald Trump said Friday that Hamas did not want a ceasefire deal in Gaza, after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with the Palestinian militant group.

“It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die,” Trump said.

In Qatar, mediators had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations for more than two weeks in a bid to secure a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages after nearly two years of fighting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was still seeking a deal despite recalling its negotiators from Doha.

Trump blamed Hamas, saying “now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”

The US president also dismissed the decision by France’s Emmanuel Macron to recognize a Palestinian state.

“He’s a very good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,” Trump said.