News

‘Na Die We Dey’ – Gelegele Indigenes Lament Gas Flare, Environmental Pollution

Published

2 years ago

March 8, 2024

…Demand Withdrawal Of Operational Licence Of Oil Company

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The indigenes of Gelegele in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, on Friday decried the environmental pollution caused by operation of an oil company in their communities and called for the immediate withdrawal of operational licence of the company.

INFO DAILY reports that a gas flare stack of the oil company is sited in the heart of the community thereby causing untold heat and other health hazards to the indigenes in the community.

Speaking at a-day Capacity Building Workshop organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, in the community, the indigenes who are mostly farmers and fishermen/fisherwomen, lamented that due to operation of the oil company both their lands and rivers have been polluted.

An indigene and Chairman, Host Communities Network of Nigeria, Prince Preye Pawuru, said operation of the oil company is causing a lot to the indigenes including untimely death, hunger, continuous crude oil spill to their rivers and lands.

He said: “The fact is that, the oil company operating here is actually causing our suffering and untimely death. In fact, it is almost ending the lifespan of this community. We cannot just survive again with the oil company operating in our community. The oil company should leave us and go finally. This is our demand. The flare is located at the heart of the community, and this is causing a lot to our health.”

He added: “If someone falls sick, we don’t have access road to take the person to the city. No social infrastructure. We are predominantly fishermen and farmers but no more fishes in the river because of the pollution. There is a continuous spill of crude oil into the river. The environment is destroyed. We don’t have any means of survival yet the company is smiling home with billions of dollars while leaving the community in penury. The company and government take away the benefits while the community bears the risk. So, we are saying we are tied. The company should go.”

He said engagements with relevant authorities to address the situation have not yielded results.

On her part, Mrs. Justina Kororo, woman leader, Gelegele community, who spoke in Pidgin English said: “This is our community. We have no where to go. This fire alone Na die, na die we dey. E dey affect our eyes. We never old reach anywhere we no fit read Bible again; we no fit read from our phones.”

Also, Mrs. Victoria Peter said: “I am a fisherwoman. Before now, when we go to the river, we used to catch enough fishes even for sale and use the money to buy other food items. But now even crayfish you can’t catch. We are dying of hunger. No light, no portable water. We no fit sleep inside our house because of the heat. Na outside we dey stay. I want make government help us.”

Another indegene from the community who also spoke in Pidgin said: “Other communities wey get this kind of oil company dey enjoy. Dem dey help the women for the town. dem dey help the men for the town. But here in Gelegele, nothing like that. Our road is bad.”

Also lending his voice, Mr. Goday Kororo who said he worked in the oil company for 25 years before retiring said: “This fire for this place dey make us dey quick old. E no dey off. E don dey here since 1979. In The night, you must come out and baff, if not you cannot sleep. Our windows go dey shake because of the oil company operation and noise. Many times, pollution dey happen for our river, no fish. We are suffering. We wey near water Na ice-fish dey buy for N3000, N4000. Because no road, we dey pay high from Benin to here. “

Earlier, HOMEF Programmes Manager and Coordinator, FishNet Alliance, Stephen Oduware, said they were in the community to join their voices for the call for a stop to gas flaring and other oil exploration activities in the community, and also to demand environmental justice and compensation for the people.

“Gelegele is one of the communities that is highly impacted by oil exploration. There is an oil company here that sites its gas flaring stack right in the heart of the community. There are a lot of issues with this. Number one, on the environment, on the people and even on their well-being and livelihoods. The people are living corpses due to the operation. The temperature here is far higher than normal.

“So, we are calling for a stop to this environmental injustice in Gelegele. Justice must take its course. We are calling for a restoration and remediation of the environment in Gelegele. And compensation must be paid to the people. So we are here to show that solidarity,” he said.

News

N200b Agric Credit Dispute: Appeal Court Slams NAIC, Upholds First Bank Victory

Published

5 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) against First Bank of Nigeria in the long-running dispute over the disbursement of the Federal Government’s N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

The decision was one of seven precedent-setting judgments delivered in six hours on Friday by Justice Okon Abang, underscoring his reputation as a hardworking, firm, and uncompromisingly principled jurist whose rulings continue to shape Nigeria’s legal landscape across criminal, human rights, banking, and civil litigation.

In 2013, the NAIC dragged First Bank before the Federal High Court via originating summons, alleging that the bank failed to deduct the mandatory 2.5 per cent premium under the agriculture credit scheme. First Bank promptly filed a counter-affidavit and written address, with both sides joining issues and exchanging further processes over the years.

But when the case was ripe for hearing, NAIC sought to suddenly withdraw its suit—claiming an unnamed Bankers’ Committee representative had approached it for an out-of-court settlement.

First Bank objected, insisting that once pleadings had been exchanged, withdrawal without consent should lead to dismissal, not a mere striking out. To strike out, the bank argued, would allow NAIC a second bite at the cherry—an abuse of process.

The Federal High Court agreed and dismissed the suit, prompting NAIC to head to the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Abang held that NAIC’s appeal was “grossly misconceived” and that, having seen the bank’s defence, NAIC attempted to retreat and re-strategise, “only being smart, believing that it could cunningly manipulate judicial proceedings to save a suit that appears weak and manifestly unsupported.”

He stressed that, once a defendant’s counter-affidavit has been served, any withdrawal by the claimant must naturally lead to dismissal, not striking out, to avoid overreaching the respondent.

Justice Abang agreed with the trial court that, “Since issues have been joined and the matter has previously been adjourned on several occasions, the proper order to make on the application of the plaintiff is to dismiss the suit.”

The Court of Appeal also questioned NAIC’s reliance on an alleged intervention by the Bankers’ Committee—a non-party that had earlier resisted being joined in the matter.

The appellate court concluded that NAIC, having sighted the bank’s counter-affidavit, simply lost confidence in its case and sought a “soft landing” to refile later.

News

Nigeria Records One Of Africa’s Widest Gaps In Policy Reputation Index

Published

5 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has been identified as one of the African nations suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, a finding described as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent, according to the inaugural RPI African Policy Index 2025 released by Reputation Poll International (RPI).

The comprehensive Index, which evaluates governance and policy performance across all 54 African countries, places Nigeria in the middle tier of “Strugglers” with an overall score of 52.3. This category reflects nations that achieve partial policy results but fail to earn public confidence.

Drawing from hard data on policy implementation and perception surveys involving over 25,000 Africans, the report shows that Nigeria records one of the continent’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence.

The report flags Nigeria alongside South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe as countries with the most severe mismatches.

In Nigeria, anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement.

Similar patterns exist across these nations, where oil wealth, infrastructure spending, and progressive legislation do not convince ordinary citizens that governments genuinely serve their interests. This trust deficit is highlighted as Africa’s core governance challenge.

The Index emphasises that without deliberate measures to close the gap—through transparent data, citizen audits, and visible accountability—policy ambitions alone cannot produce stable or legitimate outcomes.

By contrast, a small group of nations scoring above 70 demonstrate that world-class governance is achievable when delivery is matched by citizen belief.

Mauritius leads with 78.9, followed by Seychelles at 76.4, Cabo Verde at 74.8, and Botswana at 73.2. These countries excel because strong economic management, high vaccination rates, transparent institutions, and consistent progress in education and digital reforms are reinforced by equally high public trust.

Botswana and Mauritius succeed not because they are wealthy, but because they systematically include citizens in monitoring and feedback, narrowing the trust deficit to near zero.

Over half of Africa, however, remains far from this standard. The Strugglers tier (50–69.9) encompasses 30 countries, while 18 “Systemic Challengers” score below 50, from Sierra Leone at 49.2 to South Sudan at 28.4.

In these countries, structural breakdowns, chronic insecurity, and collapsed legitimacy produce average Trust Gaps of 35 points, undermining even modest policy efforts amid daily experiences of violence and exclusion.

Central Africa records the lowest regional average at 41.2, while Southern Africa dominates the top tier. West, East, and North Africa deliver mixed results.

For Nigerian leadership, the Index sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. As the country grapples with debt, youth unemployment, and climate pressures, bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.

The RPI African Policy Index 2025 stands as both a warning and a roadmap: unless the trust deficit is addressed, Africa’s governance crisis will only deepen.
(GUARDIAN)