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Nigerian Food Festival: Resonating Campaign Against GMOs

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By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The National Convergence and Food Festival may have come and gone, but its echoes of joy, vibrant cultural display continue to resonate in the hearts of those who were in attendance. Hosted by a foremost environmental advocacy organisation – Health of Mother Health Foundation (HOMEF) – in the heart of the ancient Benin City, the event was more than a festival; it was a celebration of identity, tradition and the diversity of Nigeria’s culture.

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The festival’s schedule was a mosaic of events designed to cater for everyone. From the scintillating dancing steps of the Benin traditional dancers, matched with beats from the drummers, and the theatrical performances, the diversity in unity was staggering. Cultural troupes from the South-East and the performance by students of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Benin, were both educational and entertaining, drawing cheers and applause from attendees.

Organic Nigerian local food In exhibition

Other side attractions of the food festival were poetry; exhibition of organically-produced raw foods; panel of discussion segment where discussants emphasised the need for the consumption of local foods and the nutritional values inherent in such local foods. Discusants also exposed attendees to the dangers of consuming GMO foods. At the panel of discussion segment, the discusants all attributed prevalent of terminal diseases in the society to the type of food many particularly young ones consume.

READ ALSO: HOMEF Set To Hold National Conference On GMOs And Biosafety In Nigeria

Resource persons at the event also urged those in attendance to watch what they took into their stomachs, warning that they are what they take into their stomachs. The resource persons who spoke one after the other, urged Nigerians to embrace and promote locally made food, saying they’re the best.

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Benin cultural troupes performing at the food festival.

The festival climaxed with different local food from the length and breadth of the country. The prepared local foods were dished to attendees in a well coordinated manner.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Executive Director, HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, said it was critical to have “a festival of this nature” because it is an avenue to display Nigeria’s diverse cultures.

Our local foods are being threatened in Nigeria. In fact, in Africa, we are having all strange varieties being imported into our countries. So, there is need to promote our local food above this GMO foods,” he said.

Penel of discussion discussing the dangers in GMO foods, and the advantage of eating local food.

The Executive Director, who expressed concern over the push for GMO foods into the country, and how the existence of the nation’s local food is being threatened, declared his organisation’s opposition to GMO foods in the country.

READ ALSO: Bassey First Nigerian To Be Honoured With Wallenberg Medal, HOMEF Celebrates

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“We are concerned especially by the push into the country of genetically modified foods. We are completely against GMOs. Many claims by those who promote GMOs are all false. GMOs don’t produce more than conventional crops. They are not as healthy as natural crops, and they are not natural.”

He added: “We will continue our campaign against GMO because those who are promoting it are all concerned about money, the profit,” he said.

Igbo cultural troupes performing at the food festival.

It is worth noting that GMO is a plant or microorganism that has been subjected to biotechnology. GMO developers use biotechnology to alter an organism’s fundamental characteristics.

Also, in her welcome speech, Joyce Brown, the chairman, local organising committee of the festival who also doubles as Program Director, HOMEF, said the event was aimed at celebrating the diversity of Nigeria’s foods.

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She, therefore, joined her voice with that of Bassey to “call on our government to put a halt to whatever decision threatening this local food.”

Theatre Arts performance.

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Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.

The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.

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According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.

READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X

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Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.

In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”

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READ ALSO:‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book

Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.

“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.

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In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.

 

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Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead

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The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.

Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.

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Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.

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Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”

Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.

READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra

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Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.

Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.

This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.

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Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.

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Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management

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The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.

Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.

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Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”

But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power

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He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.

According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”

The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.

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“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down

Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.

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“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”

He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”

He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”

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