Headline
Oil Spillage: FG Set To Apply Stiffer Penalties Against Multinational Companies In Niger Delta
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4 years agoon
By
Editor
Following environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region, there are indications that the Federal Government may be mulling stiffer punishments against some multinational companies involved in oil spillage in the country.
Sharon Ikeazor, the Minister of Environment, gave the hint at the weekly ministerial press briefing organized by the presidential media team on Thursday at the presidential villa, Abuja.
According to Ikeazor, talks are ongoing between the ministry and other relevant government agencies to achieve this.
She explained that a bill is being worked out to modify the law establishing the National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to build its capacity and give it “the needed teeth to bite.”
Ikeazor said, “We need to put stiffer penalties, build the capacity of NOSDRA, which is the regulatory agency in the oil sector, to be able to have the teeth to bite.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Receives Looted Benin, Ife Artefacts From U.S. Museum
“Without enhancing their capacity and reaffirming the legal framework, getting it stronger, they can’t do much. These are areas we’re looking into. It has to stop.
“Government is working on alternative livelihood for the communities so that we can move them away from illegal activities and further polluting of the environment.”
Ikeazor said the operating company of the OML29 in Nembe, Bayelsa State, had blamed the most recent oil spill in Nigeria on sabotage by the locals.
She, however, revealed that the Santa Barbara spillage had been brought under control after several weeks the incident occurred with necessary personnel and equipment deployed to begin recovery and remediation efforts.
The minister stressed the need to put an end to artisanal refineries, which she said had continued to cause pollution in the Niger Delta.
Ikeazor said, “On the Santa Babara ITO oil spills, you remember the ministry of environment issued a statement stating what happened and the action being taken.
“We are going to have a targeted approach to illegal bunkering, tampering with oil installation and artisanal mining in the Niger Delta to get an alternative livelihood for the young people of the Niger Delta, so that they would desist from this because it’s further polluting the environment.
“I got briefings through the director of NOSDRA, and what I saw in terms of the pollution either through oil refining or illegal oil refining and otherwise the devastation of the Niger Delta is massive. As we’re cleaning up, what we’re cleaning up is minute compared to the devastation going on.
“So, it’s something that the government needs to tackle headlong. I hope they would’ve put the picture on. It was like a Hiroshima site.
“We are beyond talking and having a workshop. On the issue of penalties, I mentioned earlier the review of the NOSDRA bill. You know most of the Acts we have passed years ago. You’ll see that they will give maybe an N100,000 fine. Anyone can pay that and go back and re-pollute.”
READ ALSO: Nembe Oil Spillage: Ijaw Diaspora Council Demands $500,000 Compensation For Impacted Communities
(DAILY POST)
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Australian actor Julian McMahon, best known for his roles in Nip/Tuck, Charmed, and Fantastic Four, has died at the age of 56.
McMahon passed away in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday following a private battle with cancer.
His death was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by his wife, Kelly.
The statement read,”With an open heart, I share with the world that Julian McMahon, my beloved husband, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer.
READ ALSO:BREAKING: Liverpool Star Diogo Jota Is Dead
“His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.
“We wish all of those to whom Julian brought joy to continue to find joy in life.
“We are grateful for the memories.”
Born into a prominent political family, McMahon was the son of former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon.
READ ALSO:BREAKING: Renowned Businessman, Aminu Dantata, Is Dead
In a nod to his family’s legacy, he portrayed an Australian prime minister in the Netflix drama ‘The Residence.’
McMahon’s career spanned decades, earning him international recognition for his roles as Dr. Christian Troy in ‘Nip/Tuck’, Cole Turner in ‘Charmed’, and Victor Von Doom in ‘Fantastic Four’.
He was married three times, including a high-profile marriage to Australian singer and actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop icon Kylie Minogue.
Headline
Thai Police Rescue Eight-year-old Boy Living With Dogs, Unable To Speak
Published
4 hours agoon
July 5, 2025By
Editor
An eight-year-old boy has been rescued in Thailand after authorities discovered him living among dogs and only able to communicate by barking.
According to Dailymail on Friday, the boy, whose name has been withheld, was found on Monday during a welfare check at a ramshackle, drug-infested house in Lap Lae District, Uttaradit Province.
Local reports say the child had been living with his mother, 46, and his 23-year-old brother, both of whom tested positive for drug use after a police raid.
Neighbours revealed that the family had long been isolated from the community, and the boy had no contact with other children. Instead, he spent his days with the family’s six dogs, which he reportedly mimicked.
READ ALSO:24-year-old Thai Lady Arrested At Lagos Airport With Illicit Drugs
“He didn’t speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see,” said Paveena Hongsakul, president of the activist foundation which worked with police on the rescue.
Authorities said the boy had only attended school once, despite his mother receiving government stipends of around 400 baht (£9) meant to support his education.
“His mother hasn’t allowed him to go to school since he received a subsidy for free education,” Hongsakul explained. “After getting the money, she simply kept him at home.”
Neighbours were said to have forbidden their children from playing with the young boy due to the family’s behaviour.
The mother was reportedly known in the area for begging at temples and has now been charged with drug use.
READ ALSO:
A local teacher described the boy’s environment as a “red zone for drugs” and said that neighbours forbade their children from interacting with him.
‘The house is in a red zone for drugs,’ one teacher explained. ”The boy had no one, just the dogs to play with.”
The disturbing situation came to light after a headteacher raised the alarm, prompting activists and police to raid the house on June 30.
Images shared in Thai media showed authorities at the shack surrounded by trees and several dogs.
Following the rescue, the boy was taken to a children’s home, where he will receive medical and psychological care.
READ ALSO:
Ms Hongsakul, of the Foundation for Children and Women, will work with authorities to ensure the child receives continuous education, and her organisation will monitor his progress.
Images from the scene showed authorities standing around a small family in a wooded area with several dogs on site. Credit: Dailymail
Images from the scene showed authorities standing around a small family in a wooded area with several dogs on site. Credit: Dailymail
“The boy will be given a chance at a good life. We’ll follow up with him to make sure he gets everything he needs,” she said.
Cases of so-called “feral children”, youngsters raised with little or no human contact, are extremely rare but often highlight the severe consequences of neglect.
Experts cite the example of Oxana Malaya, a Ukrainian girl found in 1991 living with dogs after her parents abandoned her. Though she eventually learned to speak and reintegrated into society, she still struggled with some developmental challenges.
Authorities in Thailand say they are committed to giving the rescued boy a fresh start and the chance to live a normal life.
Headline
‘He Wants To Keep Killing People,’ Trump ‘Very Unhappy’ After Phone Discussion With Putin On Ukraine
Published
4 hours agoon
July 5, 2025By
Editor
… Threatens Sanction
US President Donald Trump said Friday he was “very unhappy” about his telephone call with Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine, saying the Russian leader just wanted to “keep killing people.”
“It’s a very tough situation. I told you I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it’s no good,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump also hinted that he may finally be ready to toughen sanctions against Russia, having held off for the past six months while he tried to persuade Putin to end the war.
“We talk about sanctions a lot,” Trump said. “He understands that it may be coming.”
READ ALSO: Russia Launches Largest Assault On Ukraine
Trump added that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, had a “very strategic call” on Friday, as concerns mounted in Kyiv over US military aid deliveries.
Zelensky said earlier that the two leaders had agreed to work to “strengthen” Ukraine’s air defenses, following Russia’s largest drone and missile barrage of the invasion so far.
Trump said he had also discussed sending Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine in a separate call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday, although he had not yet agreed to do so.
Merz “feels they have to be protected,” Trump said.
AFP
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