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Gov Eno Orders Relocation Of Chinese Firm Over Environmental Infractions

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Charges manufacturing investors to move into the State Industrial Park

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state has ordered the immediate relocation of a Chinese manufacturing firm, Golden Tripod International Limited, located in Ikot Ebido Oku, Itu Local Government Area, in response to increasing public allegations of unhealthy emissions from its factory.

Eno as a fallout of Thursday’s flag-off construction of 2.2Km Tabernacle Road project gave the order to move the Chinese firm which deploys aluminum for production of brake pads for tricycles and motorcycles to the State Industrial Park as befitting location for such ventures.

The governor directed, “The Commissioner for Environment and Commissioner for Internal Security, I want to have a report on what this factory manufactures in the next 48 hours.

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“I understand that there is always serious emissions around here. Please, first, find out what they do and immediately relocate them to the Industrial Park. It is not proper to site factories in the middle of a city”

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Recall that the immediate past administration in Akwa Ibom had on July 2022 ordered shutdown of the firm’s operations for same violation of environmental standards.

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The penultimate directive came after then Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals, Charles Udoh led team from his ministry, the State House of Assembly Committee on Environmental Pollution and Akwa Ibom Waste Environmental Protection Management Agency (AKSEPWMA) paid an unscheduled visit to the factory.

Angered by interrogation and demand by the state government fact finding team for necessary documents authorizing the company’s operations in the state , the managers had allegedly ordered their workers to attack the government officials.

The development which created tension in the area, led to arrest and subsequent arraignment of the firm’s Managing Director, Mr. Lin ZI and the Marketing Manager, Mr. Peter Yuan at the time.

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Vanguard gathered that the state assembly had earlier invited the management of the company to appear before it following series of petitions from the host community, but the company had ignored the invitation.

Since the July 2022 encounter, the company had assured the State government that they would move out of the location even as they had pleaded for sometime to enable them move their heavy factory machines.

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The failure of the firm to meet the relocation promise had increased the agitation by residents in the area who are worried that the delayed exit of the firm portents greater environmental dangers to the public, prompting the latest response from Governor Eno.

READ ALSO: Treat Ijaw As Integral Part Of Akwa Ibom, IYC Tells Umo Eno

Urging investors in manufacturing in the State to utilize the designated lndustral Park, Eno assured, “We are going to fence it round, put police station there. We are going to put a power station there and make water available too. It will be like any industrial park anywhere in the world.

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“The park has been partitioned into one 150 plots of between four thousand and five thousand square meters. What we are saying is that those who are ready to establish industries should come and analyse the kind of industry they intend to create.

“They will tell us the time frame and the number of people that will be employed, and we will then allocate lands for them.”

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BRC Sympathises With Edo NSCDC, Family, On Painful Death Of Commandant 

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Benin Recreation Club 1933 (BRC) has sympathised with Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Command, over the painful demise of the state commandant, Agun Gbenga Joseph.

In a statement issued by the club’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, president of the club, Mr. Osayi Courage Osamuyi, described the death of commandant Gbenga as shocking and a painful loss to the security community and the state at large.

“The late Commandant’s death is indeed shocking and a painful loss. He was jovial, very accommodating, and an initiative-driven individual,” Mr. Osayi stated.

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READ ALSO:JUST IN: NSCDC Commandant, Slumps, Dies In Edo

I recall our Club’s visit to his office, where I led members of my Executive Committee to meet with him. We discussed areas of collaboration between Benin Recreation Club and the NSCDC, Edo State Command”, he said.

Osayi further urged the bereaved family and the NSCDC to draw strength from the late Commandant’s legacy of service, professionalism, and dedication to duty.

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He prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

Recall that the Commandant reportedly slumped and died on Thursday, 2nd October 2025, while delivering a goodwill message at an event organised by the International Association of World Peace Advocates held at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Benin City.

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House To Probe $20bn Shortfall In Oil Firms’ Cleanup Funds

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The House of Representatives launched an investigation on Thursday into the compliance level of oil and gas companies with decommissioning and abandonment regulations in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

This comes against the backdrop of concerns over a staggering $20 billion compliance gap and spikes in environmental, fiscal, and social risks associated with outdated infrastructure.

This followed the presentation of a motion of urgent public importance by the Chairman, House Committee on Political Parties Matters, Mr Zakaria Nyampa, at Thursday’s plenary.

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Speaking on the significance of the motion, the Adamawa lawmaker said, “Across oil-producing countries, operators are required to set aside funds during the productive phase of their assets to cover the future costs of dismantling, site remediation, and restoration.

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This principle is clearly enshrined in Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the NUPRC/NMDPRA Decommissioning and Abandonment Regulations of 2022, yet compliance remains alarmingly poor.”

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He argued that Sections 232 and 233 of the PIA mandate licensees and lessees to “Establish decommissioning programmes, maintain dedicated escrow accounts, obtain regulatory approvals, and pay penalties for non-compliance.

“Unfortunately, most operators in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors are flouting these provisions. In some cases, International Oil Companies have divested from assets in the Niger Delta without adequate D and A funding, effectively transferring future environmental and financial liabilities to the government and host communities.”

In his words, over 90 per cent of operators have failed to meet their mandatory D&A funding obligations, while regulatory agencies, particularly the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, have not shown the necessary enforcement commitment.

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We are witnessing a dangerous regulatory gap. The regulators must be held accountable for ensuring that every operator complies fully with decommissioning laws. Otherwise, Nigerians, especially host communities, will bear the brunt of environmental disasters,” he added.

He added that the cost of decommissioning in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is estimated between $500,000 and $1m per well, and up to $50 million per field, with total liabilities projected at $10bn to $15bn in the upstream sector alone.

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“Less than 20 percent of operators have established properly funded escrow accounts. The total amount contributed so far is below $1bn, leaving a massive shortfall and compliance gap of about $15bn to $20bn across the industry,” he expressed.

Nyampa raised the alarm that the midstream and downstream sectors face huge risks, with decaying refineries, depots, gas plants, and pipeline infrastructure constituting potential remediation liabilities of up to $5bn.

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“If urgent action is not taken, Nigeria risks widespread environmental degradation, oil spills, toxic contamination, and safety hazards such as fires, gas leaks, and explosions, particularly in already vulnerable host communities.”

Following the adoption of his motion, the House resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the level of compliance with decommissioning and abandonment provisions as spelt out in the PIA.

When constituted, the Committee is expected to invite relevant regulatory agencies and oil companies, scrutinise their D and A escrow accounts, and report back to the House within twelve weeks for further legislative action.

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Tinubu Approves National Honours For 959 Nigerians

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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the conferment of 959 national honours and endorsed reforms to strengthen the funding framework for the Nigeria Police Force.

This came as he presided over marathon meetings of the National Council of State and the Police Council at the State House, Abuja.

Addressing State House correspondents after the meetings, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the President approved the report of the National Honours Award Committee for 2024 and 2025, as well as special awards that were earlier bestowed by the President from January 2025 to date.

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According to Umobong, the current honours committee, reconstituted in August 2021 and chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before recommending 824 recipients for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awardees, totalling 959 honourees.

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“The award of titles of honour and decorations of dignitaries is a yearly event at which the President honours deserving nationals and non-nationals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity,” she said.

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Umobong added, “After diligent screening and selection by the committee, a total of 824 successful applicants were recommended for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awards by the President, bringing it to a total of 959 awardees.”

She noted that President Tinubu, in the spirit of inclusive national recognition, had already honoured several distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in the past year, including Bill Gates for contributions to public health, Uncle Sam Pemu for journalism, and the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for excellence in sports.

Others include the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, honoured posthumously for environmental activism, and Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing INEC Chairman, recognised for service to Nigeria’s democratic process.

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The updated list of awardees, Umobong said, would be published soon.

Following the Council of State session, President Tinubu chaired the Nigeria Police Council, where members approved major reforms to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

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In his first-ever briefing to journalists since assuming office in August 2023, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, said the Council ratified proposals to repeal and re-enact the 2019 Police Trust Fund Establishment Act to remove its six-year limit and transform it into a permanent agency.

“The sunset clause of six years in the current Act limits the lifespan of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund and impedes long-term planning, thereby constraining sustainable police reform.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Council Of State Meets As Tinubu Presents Nominees For INEC Chair

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“We also prayed that the Council approve the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Transparency Establishment Act 2025 in order to remove the sunset clause and transition it into an agency,” Geidam said.

He explained that the Council further approved an upward review of the Police Trust Fund’s allocation from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the Federation Account, as well as a directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation to incorporate all resolutions into an executive bill for submission to the National Assembly.

Established in 2019, the NPTF was designed to bridge funding gaps in policing by supporting training, welfare, technology acquisition, and logistics. However, its limited tenure and budget constraints have long hindered sustainable reforms.

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All these prayers have been approved without any omission,” Geidam confirmed, adding, “The Council also directed that the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice input all the approvals of the Council in the proposed Executive Bill.”

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