Metro
ERA, Others Want Coca Cola, Others Held Accountable For Plastic Pollution
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged the Edo State government to compel Coca Cola Company, Seven Up Bottling Company and other producers of plastic to engage in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) by taking responsibility of the plastic waste they produce.
This demand was the highpoint of a Return-To-Sender Action organised by ERA/FoEN on Thursday, September 28, 2023, in Benin City, as an extended action of a Brand Audit Exercise in four different markets in Benin.
The event was held in collaboration with Zero Waste Ambassadors (ZEWA); Edo Civil Society Organization (EdOCSO) and Students Environmental Assembly of Nigeria (SEAN), University of Benin Chapter.
READ ALSO: Gas Flaring: Edo Oil Producing Community Demands N500bn Compensation, Threatens Eviction
INFO DAILY reports that the exercise was targeted at determining the highest polluting brands, and at the end, it was discovered that Coca Cola and Seven Up were the highest polluters, with a frequency rate of 33% and 23% respectively.
The exercise involved the collection of discarded plastic bottles which were returned to Coca Cola and Seven Up facilities in Benin City.
Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Chima Williams, represented by Babawale Obayanju stated that the flooding experienced in Benin City and its environs is aggravated by the plastic waste materials that have found their way to the drainage systems and water ways.
READ ALSO: Zero Waste: All Hands Must Be On Deck – Says Environmental activist
He added that statistics clearly show that the identified companies are making lots of money and are equally contributing heavily to the plastic waste menace in Benin, without any waste management systems in place.
“We brought their plastic waste back to them as it is polluting our environment and based on our findings during the brand audit, the Coca-Cola Company, Seven Up Bottling Company and others primarily use plastics for their packaging, including PET bottles with plastic caps.
“It is very crucial for these companies to design and develop a take-back or withdrawal scheme for their products as there are no active withdrawal schemes currently in place. Implementing the take-back/withdrawal schemes and exploring circular economy models can enhance recycling rates and reduce plastic pollution.”
“We also request that The Coca-Cola Company and the other brands should have a squint at further research and development into eco-friendly packaging materials, collaborate with recycling partners, and engage with consumers to achieve its plastic reduction targets and contribute to a cleaner environment”, he stated.
READ ALSO: CSOs Visit Delta Ministry Of Environment, Wants End To Plastic Pollution, Open Waste Dumping
He called on Coca-Cola Company, Seven Up, CWAY Group and others to transition to sustainable packaging alternatives such as biodegradable materials, reusable containers, or reduced plastic packaging
Also speaking during the action, Project Officer, Waste Management of ERA/FoEN, Melody Enyinnaya stated that the plastic pollution experienced in Benin City is appalling because manufacturers produce without retrieving their waste.
This, according to her, has thrown the environment into a dumping ground for plastics especially drainage systems and our rivers.
She demanded that coca cola, Seven Up and all other manufacturers should withdraw their plastics waste from the environment, saying fishes are needed in the rivers and not plastics.
She admonished them to participate in recycling programmes and encourage customers/consumers to recycle their products’ waste as all the waste materials found during the brand audit are all recyclables.
She also urged them to engage in awareness campaigns to educate consumers about plastic pollution and the brand’s commitment to sustainability.
The Brand Audit and Return-To-Sender exercise was organised to hold plastic producers accountable for the waste they produce, to draw attention to the dangers of plastic waste in the environment, and to call on producers to replace single use plastics with reusable or biodegradable plastics.
You may like
Edo: ERA Trains Women Impacted By Deforestation, Industrial Plantation Expansion
Why ERA Is Against Multinational Oil Companies’ Divestment – Chima Williams
Compel Shell To Stop Ongoing Eco-Terrorism In Gbarantoru, ERA Tells FG
Hold Shell Accountable For Environmental Crimes Before Divesting, Era Urges FG
Climate Change: Reject All Forms Of Geoengineering Technology, Environmental Activists Urge African Leaders
ERA Chides Shell For Slow Response To Multiple Crude Oil Spills In Bayelsa Community
Metro
BREAKING: Benue IDPs block Highway, Demand Return To Ancestral Homes
Published
1 day agoon
July 30, 2025By
Editor
Vehicular movement along the Yelwata axis of the Benue–Nasarawa highway was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, staged a protest, demanding immediate return to their ancestral homes.
The protesters, believed to be victims of persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the busy highway for several hours, chanting “We want to go back home”.
The protest caused disruption, leaving hundreds of motorists and passengers stranded.
Eyewitnesses said the displaced persons, many of whom have spent years in overcrowded IDP camps, are expressing deep frustration over the government’s delay in restoring security to their communities.
READ ALSO:Gunmen Abduct 6 Law School Students In Benue
“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one of the protesters told reporters at the scene.
Security personnel were reportedly deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any escalation, though tensions remained high as of press time.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful.
Metro
‘Nigerians Must Go,’ Ghanaians Protest Alleged Prostitution, Ritual Killings
Published
2 days agoon
July 29, 2025By
Editor
Some Ghanaians have protested against Nigerians for allegedly engaging in mass prostitution and ritual killings in their country.
In a viral video on Tuesday, the protesters in their large numbers, were seen wielding placards with various inscriptions such as “Armed robbery and violent attacks must stop; “Our health at stake due to mass prostitution; “Who protects the right and freedom of Ghanaians; “Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals; “Our kids are getting missing because of Igbos,” among others.
They also displayed a picture of a man who was allegedly killed by a Nigerian in the Accra area of the country.
Speaking in the video, a lady in her mid-30s said Nigerians must go because of their anyhowness in their country.
READ ALSO:Ghanaians Protest, Decry ‘State-sponsored’ Harassment In Abuja
“Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be doing anyhow. Nigerians must go,” she yelled.
Another protester said Nigerians have taken over their major markets and are perpetrating evil of sorts in their country.
“These Igbo, they are in every part of the country and have targeted our markets. Not just Igbo, Nigerians are in almost every village, and our laws have not allowed foreigners to engage in real dealings. They are perpetrating evil in our country. They even have a Igbo king in Ghana. They have hijacked our lands. It is just a matter of time; we will conquer them and take over our country,” he stressed.
Recall that a similar occurrence popularly christened “Ghana must go” happened in 1983 when the Nigerian government under President Shehu Shagari enacted a directive ordering about two million undocumented immigrants, many of whom were Ghanaians, to leave the country.
READ ALSO:June 12 Protest: Security Operatives Barricade N’Assembly Gate
“If they don’t leave, they should be arrested, tried and sent back to their homes.
“Illegal immigrants, under normal circumstances, should not be given any notice whatsoever. If you break a law, then you have to pay for it,” the President had said.
This action gave birth to a checked bag called “Ghana must go” into which the Ghanaians packed their belongings, and in turn became a symbol of exclusion and intolerance.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ghanaian government has yet to comment on the situation and the plight of their countrymen on returning Nigerians to their country, irrespective of their status.

Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have abducted a businessman, Ifesinachi Onyekere, at the Okpuno community in the Awka area of Anambra State.
A security expert, Zagazola Makama, made this known via his X handle on Monday.
According to him, the attackers invaded the victim’s residence around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, shot him in the leg, and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
He further stated that Onyekere is the Managing Director of Fish Magnet and the son of the Women Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
READ ALSO:Anambra Guber: No Competition, Other Candidates Just Raising Funds – Soludo
He wrote, “Armed men abducted a prominent Anambra businessman, Ifesinachi Onyekere, on Saturday night in Okpuno community near Awka, shooting him in the leg before taking him to an unknown location.
“Onyekere, who is the Managing Director of Fish Magnet and son of the Women Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, was reportedly attacked at about 10:30 p.m. at his residence in Ezinifite Village, a remote part of the town.
“Eyewitnesses said the gunmen, who arrived in an ash-coloured Lexus SUV, forced their way into the compound, shot the victim in the leg, and fled with him in his own navy blue Toyota Corolla. The vehicle’s registration number remains unknown.”
While quoting sources, he stated that the assailants escaped through bush paths in the direction of Nawfia, sparking fear among residents.
READ ALSO:Three Rescued As Police Foil Kidnap Plot In Anambra
Local volunteers and security watch groups were also said to have been combing the area in search of the victim, while efforts are being made to trace his phone and contact the abductors.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, requested a text. The text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
The PUNCH reported in June that a 24-year-old suspect, Muanaenye Victor, was arrested for luring his friend to be kidnapped by his criminal gang.
READ ALSO:Anambra Revenue Service Faults Obi’s Claim On Brewery’s Tax Ranking
The suspect was said to have planned the kidnapping and collected a ransom in dollars, the equivalent of N5.3m, with his gang members before the victim was released.
Ikenga, however, disclosed that police operatives attached to the Uli Divisional Headquarters arrested the suspect, who also helped the police by providing information to help apprehend his accomplices.
- JUST IN: Dino Melaye Resigns From PDP, Cites Party’s ‘Lack Of Potency’
- JUST IN: Tinubu Approves Tenure Extension For Customs CG
- [OPINION] The Gaffe And The Uproar: Okpebholo In The Public Eye
- Otuaro Lauds Tinubu For Backing PAP’s Peacebuilding Process In Niger Delta
- BREAKING: Benue IDPs block Highway, Demand Return To Ancestral Homes
- BREAKING: Tinubu Appoints New Federal Fire Service Boss
- [OPINION] Northern Amnesia: Governor Sani, The Table Shaker
- Edo Assures Pensioners Of Improved Welfare, Universal Health Coverage
- NYSC Deploys 1,700 Corps Members To Bauchi State
- BBNaija 10: Mercy Eke Reveals Housemate Who’s 10/10
About Us
Trending
- News3 days ago
Project ‘HOPE’: Investigate Ogbuku, NDDC Management, Ijaw Media Body Urges EFCC
- Sports5 days ago
[BREAKING] WAFCON Final: Super Falcons’ Starting XI Against Morocco Unveiled
- News4 days ago
Full List: 57 Lawyers Nominated For SAN Status
- News3 days ago
FRSC Lacks Power To Seize Drivers’ Licences, Vehicles, Court Rules
- Politics3 days ago
JUST IN: SDP Expels El-Rufai, Bans Ex-Gov For 30 Years
- Metro3 days ago
Bandits Kill 38 Hostages After Collecting N50m Ransom
- News3 days ago
JUST IN: Tinubu Confers National Honours On Super Falcons
- Politics4 days ago
2027: Why Obi Will Never Be President – Political Analyst
- News2 days ago
JUST IN: Okpebholo Removes EDOFEWMA CEO, Appoints New Director
- Politics4 days ago
ADC Slams Tinubu Over Mounting Debts, Demands Audit