Headline

Ministry Of Gas Resources, Marine And Blue Economy Threats To Environment, CSO Expresses Worry

Published

2 years ago

August 23, 2023

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has expressed worry over some new ministeries created by the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, saying it is a license to the continuous gas emissions in the environment.

Recall that among the new ministeries recently created by Tinubu are: Ministry of Gas Resources, and the Ministry of Petroleum and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in a statement said while his organisation has continued to raise concerns about the degraded environment particularly in the Niger Delta, creating Ministry of Gas Resources would only give license to the continuous gas emissions which, according to him, are a major cause of climate change and attendant problems faced by oil producing communities.

In the statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead, HOMEF, Bassey argued that placing a special focus and promoting the gas industry, the Ministry of Gas “will inexorably discourage the development of cleaner and more sustainable energy alternatives.”

According to him, this will further create a long-term dependency on fossil fuels, at “a time when all efforts should be made to “depetrolize” our economy.”

“We do not see a bright future for the Nigerian environment, people, and economy with the President as minister of the twin petroleum ministries, and with the creation of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. The three ministries will pose unique problems for our aquatic ecosystems and will inevitably worsen the plight of communities whose interests are once more set to be sacrificed,” he said.

Bassey added that title Marine and Blue Economy is tautological as the Blue Economy is practicable only in marine or aquatic ecosystems.

He said: “The government may wish to rename the unit as Ministry of Marine Resources. The concept of Blue Economy, like the Green Economy, is aimed at massive exploitation and commodification of Nature with deleterious consequences.

“Developing the marine and blue economy sectors will lead to industrial fishing, pollution, habitat destruction, marine biotechnology, deep sea mining and other activities that are ecologically harmful. With a hugely unpoliced continental shelf this focus will pose special threats to our communities and others in the entire Gulf of Guinea.”

The Executive Director who expressed the belief that by prioritising gas, other renewable energy sources will be neglected, added: “This lack of diversification will hinder a country’s ability to adapt to future energy demands.”

He added: “It portends continuous disruption of our ecosystems with attendant health and safety risks. At a time when health and environmental audits should be conducted in the oil field communities, the government is poised to ramp up the horrors. This is unacceptable.

“After taking so long to put together the cabinet, the announced set up raises many questions. While these may be addressed at the swearing in ceremony,

“It should also be noted that our inland water, coastal and marine environment has been subjected to violent exploitation that has led to the degradation that the environment suffer from; creating this ministry will lead to the intensification of such violet exploitation.

“Most adjacent communities and coastal communities where exploitation is taking place, there’s no portable water there as a result of pollution. This ministry will legalize such pollution. Artisanal fishing will be no more as well.”

Headline

19 Dead As Bangladesh Fighter Jet Crashes Into School

Published

2 days ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

A Bangladeshi training fighter jet crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens more in the country’s deadliest aviation accident in decades.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw fire and rescue officials taking away the injured students on stretchers, while military personnel helped clear the wreckage.

A military statement said 19 people were killed, including the pilot, and 20 others were critically wounded.

At least 51 people, mostly students, were undergoing treatment at Dhaka’s National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, its director Mohammad Nasir Uddin told AFP.

The Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft crashed moments after students were let out of class at 1:00 pm (0700 GMT) at the Milestone School and College.

A witness said he heard a huge blast that felt like an earthquake.

“We have two playgrounds, one for the senior students and one for the juniors,” said Shafiur Rahman Shafi, 18, who is enrolled at the school.

“We were on the playground for the seniors. There were two fighter planes… Suddenly one of the two planes crashed here (in the junior playground),” he told AFP.

“It created a boom, and it felt like a quake. Then it caught fire, and the army reached the spot later.”

The interim government of Muhammad Yunus announced a day of national mourning on Tuesday.

Grieving parents and relatives of the victims thronged the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

Tofazzal Hossain, 30, broke down in tears on learning that his young cousin had been killed.

“We frantically searched for my cousin in different hospitals,” Hossain told AFP.

“He was an eighth grader at the school. Finally, we found his body.”

Yunus expressed “deep grief and sorrow” over the incident in a post on X.

“The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” he said.

“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”

The crash was the worst aviation accident in the country in several decades.

The deadliest ever disaster happened in 1984 when a plane flying from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, killing all 49 on board.

Last month, a commercial aircraft crashed in neighbouring India, killing 260 people.

Headline

S’African President Sacks Education Minister Accused Of Lying To Parliament

Published

2 days ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday dismissed his embattled higher education minister, weeks after a key party in his unity government filed criminal charges accusing her of lying to parliament.

Ramaphosa has faced mounting pressure in recent months as several ministers from his African National Congress (ANC) party have been accused of corruption, deepening tensions within the 10-party ruling coalition.

The second largest group in government, the Democratic Alliance (DA), earlier this month filed a complaint accusing Minister Nobuhle Nkabane of lying to parliament to cover up the “fraudulent” appointment of ANC-linked figures to education authority boards.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from the role of Minister and (sic) Higher Education and Training,” the presidency announced in a statement Monday night, after Nkabane failed to attend key parliamentary meetings where she was meant to clarify the controversial appointments.

The DA — which joined government after the ANC lost its majority last year due to voter disillusionment with corruption and mismanagement — has said graft had become “standard practice” under Ramaphosa’s rule.

It has also laid corruption charges against Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane over allegations of fraudulent billing to the national electricity supplier Eskom.

Ramaphosa also had to suspend his police minister on July 13, after bombshell accusations by a provincial police chief who alleged he had received payments from a corruption suspect and colluded with organised crime.

South Africa ranks 82nd in the world according to the corruption perception index of the NGO Transparency International.

AFP

Headline

Russia Strikes Ukraine After Kyiv Offers Fresh Talks

Published

2 days ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

Russia fired a volley of drones and missiles at Ukraine early on Monday, hitting apartment blocks and a nursery in Kyiv, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed holding a fresh round of peace talks.

Moscow has not responded to Zelensky’s call for new negotiations this week or an ultimatum by US President Donald Trump to make progress on a peace deal or face massive sanctions.

Two people were killed across the country, Zelensky said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in the capital, Kyiv, while rescuers were still sifting through the rubble.

Zelensky condemned the strikes as an “assault on humanity” and said at least 15 other people had been wounded in the attacks, including a 12-year-old boy.

Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the three-year war have stalled in recent weeks.

The two sides last met for direct negotiations more than a month ago in Istanbul.

They did not make any progress towards a ceasefire, instead agreeing to a series of prisoner exchanges.

Six districts of Kyiv came under attack on Monday, sparking fires at a supermarket, multiple residential buildings and a nursery, authorities said.

An AFP reporter saw damage to multiple buildings, as well as debris and shattered glass on streets.

Russia launched 450 drones and missiles in total, according to Ukraine’s air force.

The strikes also caused damage in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk and the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, according to Zelensky.

Meanwhile, travel chaos that began during the weekend continued in Russia, as Kyiv targeted Moscow with drones;

The attacks forced Vnukovo airport — a transport hub for the Russian government — to briefly suspend flights.

•⁠ ⁠Top French diplomat in Kyiv –

An entryway to the Lukyanivka metro station in Kyiv was also damaged by the overnight strikes.

French foreign minister Barrot condemned the attacks during a visit to the station.

“The shelters themselves are no longer entirely safe, as the metro station behind me, which is being used as a shelter for the people of Kyiv, has been targeted,” he said.

“This comes even as President Zelensky’s statement on Saturday morning, that showed Ukraine’s willingness to enter into new negotiations with Russia,” he added.

The European Union agreed on Friday an 18th package of sanctions on Moscow that targeted Russian banks and lowered a price cap on oil exports.

Barrot said the sanctions were aimed at increasing the cost of war for Russia to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.

The Kremlin said this month it was ready to continue talks with Ukraine after Trump gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal or face sanctions.

At talks last month, Russia outlined a list of demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede more territory and to reject all forms of Western military support.

Kyiv dismissed them as unacceptable and at the time questioned the point of further negotiations if Moscow was not willing to make concessions.

AFP