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HOMEF Sympathizes With Niger Flood Victims, Charges Government To Be Proactive

Published

4 months ago

June 4, 2025

Photo: file copy

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has sympathized with the families of the victims of the recent flood that struck Mokwa – a transit town for traders in Niger State, North Central Nigeria.

According to reports, at approximately 3:00 am on Thursday, May 29, 2025, there was intense rainfall which was followed by a hazardous flood, which was said to have displaced over 3000 residents, destroyed properties, and claimed
over 100 lives, with many individuals still unaccounted for.

HOMEF, while mourning the tragic loss in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin on Wednesday, emphasised that the government must take proactive measures to prevent similar or worse incidents from
occurring in the future.

The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, while reacting to the recent flood event in the statement, noted that communities and cities in flood-prone areas could seize to exist if nothing is done to address this menace.

“This is a horrendous recurring decimal. There is no word to describe
our lack of preparedness and our ill-maintained infrastructure. Combined with insecurity and the fact that more rain is expected, the
displacement problems will be compounded. There is no time for excuses. This is the time to declare an environmental state of emergency across
board. This national emergency can impact our national wellbeing by leading to food scarcity, environmental degradation, mass displacement,
increased poverty, water-borne diseases and exacerbate insecurity.”

Dr Bassey further responded on forecasts and early warnings from
different agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA).

He expressed his disappointment, emphasising that these warnings become meaningless if provisions are not made to move people and settle them on safe and higher ground.

“Nigeria needs to be proactive; our government needs to have emergency
preparedness and be able to relocate people when these warnings and forecasts are made, to avert the kinds of disasters we see when flooding events like this occur. We sympathise with the families affected by the
floods and stand in solidarity with the communities that have been impacted.”

Also lending his voice, Stephen Oduware, Programme Manager of Fossil Politics at HOMEF, noted
that flood damage continues to escalate, making recovery challenging and
problematic.

“The rains are just beginning, and there are signs of more flash floods. Apart from the usual palliative measures and reactionary responses, what plans are in place to ensure that the already predicted localised heavy
rainfalls do not result in the kinds of catastrophes we witness during
floods? What is the Nigerian government doing to address the issues of flooding holistically? When floods occur, they leave a trail of destruction, causing damage to properties, loss of lives, livelihoods,
and other socioeconomic impacts.”

According to the ecological think tank organization, flooding is both a consequence of climate change and
a result of poorly planned urban areas and inadequate emergency
preparedness. While the effects of climate change are widespread, many Nigerian cities and towns are also beset by the latter.

The organization, therefore, called for immediate measures to address the root cause of climate
change, for improvement on practices that preserve natural habitats and
wetlands, and investment in infrastructure that can help reduce the
frequency and seriousness of flooding.

It also called on all relevant agencies to work together in a fully
synchronised manner to ensure that every facet of the disaster is
addressed and succour is extended to the impacted people.

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

17 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

22 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

News

JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

23 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.