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FG, Oil Majors Insensitive To Niger Deltans Plights – NGO

Published

2 years ago

October 21, 2022

Editor

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

2023: Why INEC Servers Failed To Work – Peter Obi

Published

16 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, servers failed to work during the 2023 presidential election.

He said the ‘establishment of criminality’ made the INEC servers not work during the last last general elections.

Obi stated this, while addressing the issues of the 2023 elections, including the IREV servers, in Canada during the weekend.

The Labour Party flagbearer in 2023 said people must intensify engagement with all the stakeholders to make the system work.

The former Anambra State governor explained that Amazon testified there were no glitches recorded globally on the day of the presidential election.

He said: “Where did we go wrong in the last election? We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We did the right things.

“But as I can always tell people: when you bring a change, you fight all those who live off the old order. They don’t go away; they gang up. And don’t think it’s a straight race to remove an establishment.

“It’s a long-distance journey anywhere in the world. Go and check anywhere, whether you are looking at what happened in India, with Mandela in South Africa, or America. No change has happened overnight, it takes time.

“I urge all of you, if you really want change, we have just begun. We just have to continue from where we are.

“Yes, there might be one or two things we will correct, those things we will correct. I assure you we are correcting them without naming them.It’s not going to be easy.”

News

INC Vows To Internationalise Ijaw Struggle

Published

17 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) says time has come to internationalise the “Ijaw struggle” beyond rhetoric.

Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC, said this in a communique of the 2024 edition of the Ijaw National Day celebration held in Bayelsa.

Okaba said that the vexatious factors that provoked grievances between the late Maj. Adaka Boro and the federal government in the improper management of the oil political economy of Nigeria, have remained unmitigated.

He noted that the situation had worsened with its attendant impunity.

According to him, the Ijaw environment continues to bear the brunt of petroleum resources exploitation-related pollution without concomitant remediation or reparations of the heavily despoiled ecosystem.

“Instead, Ijaw communities still face the adverse effects of uncontrollable spills, perennial flooding, ocean encroachment and so on,” he said.

The INC president noted that at different forums, it had been made clear that the Ijaw agenda of self-determination was premised on resource and environmental justice.

“What all Ijaw people seek is for a fair, just and justifiable reward for our resources and sacrifices.

“The Ijaw Congress has articulated a set of prescient conditions for its continuous commitment to the Nigerian project and these include restoration of true federalism (fiscal federalism).

“Devolution of power and repel of all obnoxious and discriminatory environmental and resource related laws (Land Use, PIA), as well as restoration of Ijaw Territory as non-balkanised, administrative and politically generated unit(s).

“This is for the reassurance and promotion of Ijaw developmental pursuits by creating at least two additional states, more local government areas and wards for the Ijaws.

“Remediation of our massively polluted and endangered environment and the enforcement of adherence to international environmental best practices by IOC’s operating in Ijaw territories,” he said.

Okaba also demanded for the relocation of the administrative headquarters of all oil companies and their subsidiaries to their operational bases in Ijaw territory and Niger Delta.

He further called for proper funding and management of the Interventionist Agencies such as the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Niger Delta Development Commission.

“We call for the promotion of modular refineries owned by our people.

“We also want a balance in appointment at the federal levels (the civil service, military and oil companies) as well as equitable distribution of critical infrastructure, to reflect the true principles of federal character.”

He said it was against this backdrop that the theme of the 2024 Ijaw National Day “Re-Invigorating Our Resolve to take the Ijaw struggle for Self-determination beyond Rhetoric” was derived.

News

Drake Gives Condition To Quit Music As Feud With Kendrick Lamar Thickens

Published

17 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

US rapper Drake has vowed to quit his music career if allegations regarding a secret daughter are substantiated.

The controversy started when rival artiste Kendrick Lamar, in his diss track ‘Meet The Grahams,’ levied accusations suggesting Drake’s involvement with an 11-year-old secret daughter.

Lamar branded the Canadian rapper a “deadbeat” for purportedly neglecting his paternal responsibilities

Renowned American media personality Akademiks, however, disclosed rapper’s response to the allegations during a recent broadcast.

According to Akademiks, Drake denied the claims, going as far as promising to leave the music industry and work for Akademiks if any evidence of the alleged secret daughter emerged.

During his Saturday night show, Akademiks shared the rapper’s direct message, stating, “Drake hit [texted] me, he said, ‘Ak, if you or anybody can prove that I have an 11-year-old daughter, I’ll quit rapping and come work for you.’”