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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

Over 60 Youth Groups Dissociate Selves From The October 1 Protest

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Editor

Over 60 youth organisations have declared that their members will not participate in the national protest being planned by some persons and groups for October 1 against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The president of Nigeria Youth Organization, Duke Alamboye, made the position of the youth leaders known when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, in Abuja on Thursday.

Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to the statement, youth bodies include the National Youth Congress, Arewa Youth Council, Yoruba Youth Council, Ohaneze Youth Council, South-South Advocate, Niger Delta Coalition, the Nigeria Nexus, Youth Parliament of Nigeria, Green Africa Youth Initiative, Youth Foundation for Non-Violence in Nigeria, Niger Delta Youth Parliament, National Association of Nigerian Students, and Youth Empowerment for Peace and Security, among others.

Alamboye in the statement said that they would work together with a network of other youth groups to “ensure that Nigerian youths were not misled into taking part in any ill-advised protest against the government of Tinubu.”

He said they would carry out a series of activities in the days ahead, including a world press conference and a youth summit, to sensitize Nigerians on the need to shun any demonstration in the country.

Alamboye, who urged youths to embrace constructive dialogue, explored them.go use available channels of engagement with the government to express their views instead of disrupting the peace and stability of the nation.

He said, “Concerning the state of the nation, we are not unaware of the agitation from certain quarters calling for a nationwide protest on October 1, 2024. It is a protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

“As youth leaders and lovers of peace and national advancement, the Nigeria Youth Organization would like to inform you of our plan and intention to hold a world press conference on the 23rd of September, 2024, geared towards sensitizing the average Nigerian youth on the need to shun the planned protest.

“We want people to seek dialogue as a better reconciliation tool for venting their grievances. We also hope to organise a summit on October 1st, 2024, as a follow-up to the world press conference. We anticipate that all well-meaning stakeholders will play vital roles in charting a better cause for our youths.”

The youth leader congratulated Otuaro on his appointment and commended the President for putting a square peg in a square hole through the appointment of Otuaro.

He stressed that they were solidly behind Tinubu and the PAP boss.

Also speaking, Henry Okonkwo of the Ohaneze Youth Council, Tobi Bakare (Yoruba Youth Council), Ifon Daniel (Niger Delta Youth Parliament), and Nasir Lawal (Arewa Youth Council), among others, corroborated Alamboye and expressed support for the president.

Responding, the PAP Administrator praised the youth leaders for dissociating themselves from the planned protest, noting that Tinubu was is youth-friendly leader who had appointed several youths to serve in different capacities in his government.

Otuaro urged them not to allow themselves to be manipulated into unpatriotic activities in the name of protest, as the president needs more time for the benefits of his people-oriented reforms, policies, and programmes to manifest.

While thanking the youth groups for their decision and support for Tinubu, he said, “Mr. President means well for the country. It is reassuring to know that Nigerian youths are with Mr President, who has been in office for a little over a year.

“As youths, we should organise ourselves and present our grievances and concerns through constructive dialogues. Nobody should manipulate you to achieve their ulterior goals. Most of those championing the so-called protest are only seeking attention and they thrive under the guise of anti-government protests to get attention. Youths should be watchful.”

News

BREAKING: NECO Releases 2024 Internal Examination Results

Published

8 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Editor

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2024 SSCE internal results.

This was disclosed on Thursday, September 19, by the NECO’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, while briefing journalists in Minna during the release of the 2024 SSCE internal results.

Wushishi also said that NECO blacklisted 21 supervisors in 12 states and de-recognized one school in Ekiti state for mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.

According to him, the Supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence.

He said: “40 schools were round to have been involved in whole-school mass cheating in 17 states adding that the schools will be invited to the council for discussion after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.”

Details shortly…

News

Rotary Club Embarks On Tree Planting To Save Environment In Bauchi

Published

9 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Editor

The Rotary Club International on Wednesday, embarked on planting 110 forest species trees in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

Speaking during the flagging off of the planting exercise, Mr Morris Choji, Rotary Club International President in Bauchi state, said the gesture was to prevent the environment from desertification.

According to him, the club decided to embark on the project in order to see how it could contribute to saving the environment by planting the trees to serve as windbreaks and to avoid erosion.

Morris, who encouraged the people of Dass to also plant more trees, promised that the club would plant more if the ones planted are well taken care of.

“Today, we are witnessing a tree planting project that we as Rotarians do from time to time to see how we can save the environment.

“As Rotary club, we have seven areas of focus such as Polio eradication, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child health, among others and protecting the environment is one of them.

“We are planting 110 forest species trees in the Dass Local Government Area of the state and I would like to call on the benefiting community to take very good care of the trees.

“From time to time, we will be coming here to see how far they are faring and we have gotten assurance from the local government that they will be taken care of and we appreciate the energy,” he said.

In her reaction toward the gesture, Mrs Victoria Joshua, Head of Administration, Dass LGA, said that the project is very important to the people of Dass and to humanity at large.

“We are witnessing great deforestation globally, there is great climate change and what Rotary club is doing right now by planting these trees is a way to serve humanity and to curb the deforestation taking place in our locality and globally.

“We appreciate the club for their efforts to serve humanity and we call on them to bring not only this plantation but more benefiting programmes into Dass LGA,” she said.

She assured that the local government would mobilise forestry staff under the Agric section in the LGA to take very good care of the planted trees so as to achieve the purpose they were planted.