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NGO Urges Buhari To Move Nation’s Economy From Oil To Renewable Energy

Published

4 years ago

August 12, 2020

Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to migrate the nation’s economy from oil and gas dependence to a renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydros.

Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo executive Director, Environmental Rights Action, ERA, made the call in Benin on Wednesday, August 12, at the 3rd edition of Youth Environmental Camp Meeting with the theme: ‘from Extraction to Education’.

Dr. Ojo noted that it’s high time Nigerian government leave the oil sector and make a commitment towards ending fuel dependence by divesting investments from oil and gas to research and development of embracing renewable energy sector, just as he added that a post petroleum economy is long overdue.

” We encourage the Nigeria government to take more ambitious step towards moving from fossil fuel such as oil, gas, and coal to a renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and mini hydros. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari should embrace the agenda to leave the oil in the soil, make commitment and set an agenda towards end to fossil fuel dependence by divesting investments from oil and gas to research development of the energy sector. A post petroleum economy is long overdue for Nigeria,” he said.

Cross section of youths that participated in this year’s edition

Dr. Ojo who lauded the nation’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions released into the atmosphere unconditionally by 20% and conditionally by 45%, said despite the commitment there is no clear blueprint to achieve this.

Quoting UNEP report of 2011, the Executive Director lamented the severe impact of oil extraction on the environment and that this is emblematic of the Niger Delta region, just as he added that the result of the severe impact is livelihood destruction, violent resource conflict, human rights violations, ill-health and untimely death.

” The externalising of production costs and the unmitigated environmental and social consequences of extraction makes extraction of oil unviable as the entire Niger Delta pollution shows. Although Nigeria’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions reeased into the atmosphere unconditionally by 20% and conditionally by 45% is laudable, there is no clear blueprint on ground.

He continues, ” Still, there is high rate of unemployment and poverty with a widening gap between the rich and poor. Electricity production and supply and supply averag hover around 4,000 megawatts and demands simply outstrip supply. The rate of deforestation and fuelwood consumption is one of the highest in the world accounting for about 500,000 hectares annually.

“There is environmental degradation and social discllocation from oil and gas extraction with frequent oil spills, persistent gas flaring and severe desertification in northern Nigeria that has destroyed rural livelihoods. According to the UNEP report 2011on the assessment of the Shell polluted Ogoniland, the impact of oil extraction on the environment is severe and the area is an ecological disaster zone, and this is emblematic of the entire Niger Delta. The result is livelihood destruction, violent resource conflicts, human rights violations, ill-health and untimely death.”

Youths across the Niger Delta region attended this year edition of the programme.

News

UPDATED: Rivers Assembly Gets New Speaker

Published

11 mins ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

A new factional Speaker has emerged in the Rivers State House of Assembly in person of Victor Jumbo.

Jombo is among the four lawmakers loyal to the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara since the political crisis that rocked the state started.

The former factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, who was the leader of the pro-Fubara lawmakers, later resigned membership of the Assembly after President Bola Tinubu’s intervention to broker peace in the feud between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Ehie was later appointed Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, by Fubara.

Jumbo is the member representing Bonny Constituency in the state House of Assembly.

A source in the Government House, Port Harcourt, familiar with the development, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed the development to our correspondent on the telephone.

He stated, “Yes, I can confirm to you that Hon Victor Oko Jumbo has just emerged as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“His colleagues elected him during their sitting in Port Harcourt this afternoon. That is all I can say for now.”

More to come…

News

Over 91,000 Vulnerable Persons benefiting from free basic Healthcare In Edo – Health Insurance Commission

Published

1 hour ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

The Director General, Edo State Health Insurance Commission (EDOHIC), Dr. Rock Amegor, has said over 102,000 vulnerable persons in the state are benefitting from the state’s Equity Fund and the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).

Dr. Amegor disclosed this in Benin City during an event to commemorate two years of providing care to vulnerable groups under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund by the Commission.

The Fund is being managed by the Edo State Government in collaboration with the Federal Government to cater for the healthcare needs of vulnerable persons in the State.

He noted, “We are here to mark the two-year anniversary of providing healthcare services for the very vulnerable in our society. The State and Federal Governments have put funds aside to take care of those who are very vulnerable. We have classified the vulnerable into five groups: Those under five years of age, pregnant women, indigents, the poorest of the poorest and those above 65 years of age.”

According to him, “These vulnerable groups, as the Bible says, the poor have always been with us. It is what we started with to show the empathy of today’s government.

“We have other plans but in March 2022, we started giving service from only three facilities under the basic health care provision fund, and in that year, we had only enrolled 9,000 people into the scheme, but as of today, with the contribution of the State and Federal Government, we gave enrolled about 80,000 people into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund or the Equity Plan. Over 69,000 persons from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and another 22,000 persons from the State Equity.”

Amegor added, “They are complementing each other. The beauty about the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and the State Equity Plan is that there is no co-contribution from the enrollee or patients whenever they go to the hospital.

“Those within the rural and the semi-urban and urban areas, the likes of the Ward Development Committee or the officer-in-charge of the facilities and even the Enigies and the Odionwere of the societies, they know those who are vulnerable within them.

“They are given a number to register vulnerable people so that every month we get a target of at least 20/20 per facility to make sure those living in desolate areas, those even living in urban and rural areas can get access to health care whenever and wherever they need this health care.

“If you look at the statistics of enrollment and when we call out for programmes and outreach for people to participate in their health care service, Edo North had consistently come top and so, one of the statistics that the digital agency has also drawn out and has also contained what you have said is that Edo North has a very high health-seeking behaviour even when manpower deficit is the same across board.”

He restated, “What we are doing is using that statistics to inform those in other senatorial districts to improve their health-seeking behaviour because what that generates or what it relates to is that for those who have health-seeking behavior, they have more longevity, their life expectancy is better, their quality of life is better and ultimately their productivity is better.”

Also, the State Coordinator, NHIA, Theodore Ehanire, expressed satisfaction over the contribution of the state government in keeping with its mandate to provide continuous health care assistance to vulnerable people in the State, including people living with disabilities.