News

FG, Oil Majors Insensitive To Niger Deltans Plights – NGO

Published

2 years ago

October 21, 2022

The Community Development Advocacy Foundation, CODAF, also known as the Rural Community Empowerment Initiative, has accused the Federal Government of Nigeria and the oil majors operating in the Niger Delta of insensitivity for allowing the region to continue to experience environmental degradation and climate inaction.

CODAF made the accusation an during an event to commemorate the 2nd African Peoples Counter COP 2022 which held from Monday, October 17th to Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in two riverine communities – Okutun and Odimodi, both in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.

The event which was supported by the Africa Climate Justice Group (ACJG) and Friends of the Earth, was tagged a “Climate Action/Peoples Assembly”.

INFO DAILY reports that the action was aimed at amplifying the voices of indigenous people and fisher folks, including women, in the creeks of the Niger Delta and creating an advocacy platform for them to tell their pollution stories and neglect to the world.

Addressing the communities engaged, the Executive Director of CODAF, Richard Benin urged the women to speak up about the environmental injustices being meted on them, just as he told them that they are the only ones who can tell their stories to the world.

In his reaction, the Okuntu community Chairman, Mr. Save Azor, narrated their ordeal, and said that a couple of years ago the abundance of fish in the ocean was unimaginable, as women did not need to go deep into the ocean to catch fish as fish were readily available for catching at the shores.

He expressed his displeasure over the difficulty of getting fish these days, even if one goes deep into the ocean, as the fish have all died or have migrated.

He was of the belief that as a result of the pollution caused by constant crude oil spills and discharge of waste water into the ocean by Shell, Agip, and other oil exploration companies, biodiversity of the community and their wellbeing have been adversely affected.

Also, Mrs Abigail from Okuntu, also talked about the pollution of the waters by Shell activities.

Lamenting her ordeal, she showed the team a bag of contaminated crayfish that was caught from the sea, saying it cannot be sold or consumed by her family.

Mr. Kessington Temewei (Former Chairman) lamented about the Shell pollution of their water and how they (Shell) lie about the level of damage done to the environment, even when the negative effect is glaring.

He complained of the scarcity and absence of sea foods such as molluscs, which were common around the sea shore before pollution.

He mentioned that money spent on fuel to sail their boat into the deep sea is alarming because the waste water, which is mixed with other chemicals from Shell, is disposed directly into the sea, therefore leading to the loss of aquatic life.

He, therefore, called on the government to regulate the activities of oil companies to enable the community to survive and regain their source of livelihood.

On her part, Mrs. Juliet Egbele, decried absence of clean drinking water in the community, saying that the water installed by Shell in Odimodi community is contaminated and the level of salt is high.

She said the impact of crude oil is devastating, even when they request a loan to support farmers, but the oil majors did not oblige their request.

“The impact of the oil has caused the loss of fish and other aquatic life. Due to the pollution of the water, they could barely find periwinkles, crayfish, and other sea foods around the sea shores,” she narrated.

The CODAF Director, therefore, called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the oil majors to be more proactive rather than reactive.

He said the ecological crisis the people of the Niger Delta are facing presently needs serious commitment and quick attention, and goes beyond standing on a podium at the UN general assembly and making statements that will not be implemented back at home.

News

Why Yahaya Bello Was Absent In Court — Lawyer

Published

3 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

Act through the National Assembly. He added that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly to ratify the act before it could become operative.

Counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Phinheiro, however, urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the warrant of arrest should not be set aside until the defendant makes himself available for trial.

He argued that Bello did not have the legal ground to file numerous applications while in hiding.

The senior lawyer added that the applications he was filing, were tactics intended to delay his arraignment, as the main issue was to determine his whereabouts.

He adds that if Bello wanted the order of his arrest to be discharged, he should come before the court and make the application.

Justice Nwite then ordered that the charge sheet of the N84bn fraud allegation against Bello be served on his lawyer.

The EFCC added that it would not execute the arrest warrant until the counsel to Bello undertakes to ensure his presence at the next adjourned date.

Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court, and for evading the criminal charges against him.

News

Nollywood Actress, Kate Henshaw Calls For Establishment Of More PHCs In Bauchi

Published

4 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

Nigerian Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw has called for the establishment of more Primary Healthcare Centres in Bauchi state to enhance immunization exercise in the state.

The UNICEF ambassador made the call in Bauchi on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on her field trip with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office to observe immunization exercises in Bauchi state.

Kate Henshaw, who was very impressed with the turnout of women for the vaccine in the state, commended UNICEF and the Bauchi state government for their commitment to fight malnutrition and improve the health status of mothers and children in the state.

The 2008 Africa Movie Academy Award winner said “there is the need for the establishment of more Primary Healthcare Centres because I could guess that maybe the distance that the women have to travel in order to get care or to take their children could be a barrier.

“Also, I observed that the mode of transportation is motorcycles and I wouldn’t feel too comfortable carrying my baby on a bike going all the way.

“So, there has to be a better incentive which is bringing the care to them closer. Even if you will have to bring skilled workers to them at home but also make sure that they come to the hospital to deliver

“Bring it closer to them so that they don’t have an excuse not to bring their child either for nutritional stuff or immunization.

“More of the community health centres and primary healthcare centres closer to the people is important”.

Also, Dr Rane Tushar, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi commended the medical practitioners in the state for amplifying its intervention and sought for more collaboration.

He urged them to keep sensitizing mothers through their reportage, the importance of immunization both the routine and the periodical on their children.

News

World Earth Day: Environmentalist Advocates End to Plastic Wastes to Save Mother Earth

Published

4 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

In commemoration of the 2024 World Earth Day, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) – Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has called for a drastic reduction in the use of plastics to save planet Earth from suffocation.

World Earth Day is an annual event celebrated April 22, and it is designed to shed light on serious environmental problems faced from the climate crisis to air pollution and deforestation. This year’s World Earth Day was themed: ‘Planet Vs Plastic.’

In commemoration of the Day, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director, HOMEF, in a statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communication Lead, HOMEF, advocated for urgent action to ban the production and
usage of single-use plastics.

Bassey, while calling on everyone to be involved in efforts to kick out plastics, urged humans to build a liveable future for humans, other beings, and natural systems.

He said: “World Earth Day reminds us as humans that the Earth is ours to protect and preserve but over time humans have abandoned their roles in protecting the planet because of selfishness and drive for profit.

“We stand united in our fight against non-biodegradable waste pollution. Our addiction to single-use plastics suffocates the planet.

“Plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose, clog our water bodies, and cause harmful impacts as a result of their chemical composition. Sadly, the
world is literally a plastic civilisation due to a vested interest in hydrocarbons and ease of application.”

He continued: “Now is a critical time to choose between planet and plastic. Good sense tells us to choose the planet, our Mother Earth that sustains all lives. A poor sense driven by profit urges humans to choose plastics because of the ease they bring, despite the harmful impacts on our health, climate, and overall health of the planet.

“As we mark World Earth Day 2024, the alarm must be sounded that it is time to uproot plastics from their fossil base or be ready to be turned
into plastic humans living plastic lives and heading to an infernal
plastic future. At HOMEF, we are all for the planet, people, and all
life forms,” Bassey said.

The Executive Director noted that research has shown that 380 million tonnes of plastic are now produced every year, while only nine percent of plastic ever produced has been recycled.

He added: “Campaigns around the world calling for a 60 percent reduction in plastic by 2040 are commendable and worthy of support.

“At Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), we believe in the intrinsic Rights of Mother Earth and the rights of humans and other
beings to be respected and to live in dignity.

“It is time to build up courage and to preserve and protect our health,
and our livelihoods by embracing alternatives that are sustainable,
healthy, and safe for the planet. We must stop all forms of destructive
extractive activities in Nigeria, Africa, and the World.

“The Planet vs Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being on our planet.

“We are submerged in a sea of plastic wastes, from our creeks to the ocean. It’s time we did better!”