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Over Ten CSOs Kick, As Preparation To Resume Oil Exploration In Ogoniland Enters Top Gear

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By Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Federal Government and oil companies to halt the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State, Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement endorsed by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); We the People; Policy Alert; Peoples Advancement Centre; Peace Point Development Foundation and seven other civil society organisations.

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The civil society organisations, while expressing deep concern that 33 years after the people of Ogoni made their demands contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights, none of their concerns and prayers have been addressed, said “it is disappointing and demonstrates insensitivity for the government to imagine that those concerns have simply withered away with time.”

Those of us who remain connected to the communities know for a fact that the Ogoni people remain resolute in their resistance to any renewed hydrocarbon extraction in their domains,” they added.

The statement reads in part: “As Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria, we have keenly observed the scheming and unhindered contestations over the resumption of extraction of oil in the disputed oilfields of Ogoniland.

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“Over the last decade, we
have seen scheming by Shell and the Nigeria government- including resort to court processes- to resume drilling for crude oil with its attendant environmental, social and security recklessness in Ogoniland.

READ ALSO: International Day For Biological Diversity: HOMEF Calls For Preservation, Reconnection To Nature

“The latest contestation follows the visit of some Ogonis to President
Bola Tinubu ostensibly with the mandate of the Ogoni people to negotiate the resumption of oil extraction in the area.

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“It is particularly disappointing to see that, in the fight over OML 11
and the resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland, there has been no
mention or discussion of getting the indigenous Ogoni people free, prior and informed permission.

“It is unclear whether any consultations have taken place with the impacted communities, or whether their rights to a safe environment and interests have been considered.

“We believe that these recent attempts are callous, ill-advised, and capable of inciting suspicion and conflict in an already tense and conflict-prone area.

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It is also gravely disconcerting that in the ongoing frenzy, the
concerns raised by the Ogoni people 33 years ago which led to the termination of oil extraction have not been addressed.

“Similarly, there has been no attempt to secure justice for the countless families that lost lives, livelihoods, and properties in what is still the worst attack on a peaceful indigenous population by Nigerian security forces.

READ ALSO: Drug Trafficking Trial: Court Grants Abba Kyari 2 Weeks Bail

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“Persons who committed acts of genocide and abuses against unarmed populations, and boasted publicly about it, have still not been brought to justice. For the majority of Ogonis, the events of the 1990s remain an open and sour wound, begging for the healing of truth and justice.

“Critical to this is the fact that the moves to resume the extraction of
oil in Ogoniland is happening against the backdrop of the contentious clean-up of polluted sites in Ogoni.

“In 2012, Hydrocarbon Pollution
Remediation Project (HYPREP) was set up to lead and coordinate the
activities needed to implement the recommendations of the UNEP report on oil contamination in Ogoniland, including cleanup activities.

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“The cleanup has been marred by concerns of irregularities, and in many instances low quality of job done and contract racketeering. These have created peculiar difficulties in the cleanup process.

“It is worrying why the government will decide to resume oil extraction
in Ogoniland when the pollution of the last decades is yet to be cleaned and the recommendations of UNEP are yet to be fully complied with.

“How does one explain the fact that a site supposedly being cleaned up will resume full oil extraction activities with all the pollution that comes with it?

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READ ALSO: Catholic Monk Comes Out As Transgender, Urges Church To Embrace Trans Members

“For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the Niger Delta as a whole has become the epicentre for hydrocarbon pollution in need of immediate remediation.

“The environmental assessment of Ogoniland report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the May
2023 Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) report both demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt the scale of destruction and the
true costs of extracting oil and gas.

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“We are deeply concerned about the neglect of key issues around
ecological and social justice in Ogoniland. The world recognizes that the people of Ogoni have suffered unprecedented pains and loses onaccount of oil extraction.

“No apology has been rendered for the destruction of their environment, the killing of their people, the loss of their livelihoods, the destruction of their villages, the forced exile of their people and the murder of their leaders. To assume that the extraction of oil can commence whilst these issues remain on the front burner, is to be naïve at best and cruel at worse.”

They, therefore, urged concerned authorities to “concentrate on redeeming the ecological
disaster in the area, decommissioning aged oil infrastructure, replacing
the lost livelihood of the people and securing justice for the countless
Ogonis waiting for closure”

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Edo To Immortalise Late IGP Solomon Arase

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The Edo State Government is set to immortalise the late Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who is an indigene of the state.

Governor of the state, Monday Okpebhole, disclosed this on Saturday while receiving the body of the late Arase at the Benin Airport.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Gani Audu, Okpebholo described late Arase as “one of the finesse police officers and lawyers we have in Edo State,’ adding that “losing him at this time that the Nigeria Police Force and the country in general need him is not good for us”.

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“As a State Government, we will work with the family to see how we can Immortalize him. He was a great son of Edo State.

READ ALSO:Security Destroys Suspected Kidnappers’ Camps In Edo

It is very painful to the government and people of Edo State but we are consoled with the good life he lived”.

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Okpebholo described Arase as a team player and a man that was always willing to help.

It is painful that we lost somebody who always listens to every complaint and tries as much as possible to solve them”.

He, however, prayed to God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss, assuring that the government will do all that it can to support his family.

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Edo Activist In Police Net Over Alleged Assault On Abure

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Edo-based activist, Precious Oruche, popularly known as “Mama Pee”, has been detained following a heated confrontation with the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, at the Abuja Airport.

The incident, which had since gone viral, had sparked controversy and conflicting accounts from both parties.

According to reports, the saga began at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where Mama Pee allegedly confronted Abure as he prepared to board a Max Air flight to Benin.

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Eyewitness accounts said the activist approached Abure and accused him of being responsible for the hardships Nigerians are currently facing.

“Is this not Julius Abure? You’re the one frustrating Nigerians,” she reportedly told Abure in a confrontational manner.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Supreme Court Nullifies Judgment Recognising Abure As LP National Chair

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Abure was responding by saying ‘how can…’ when Mama Pee interjected, saying, “In case nobody has told you, you’re the one frustrating Nigerians. Are you not Julius Abure? What are you now doing with Labour Party? Police are looking for you. You’ve destroyed the Labour Party, and you’re entering an aeroplane? May God punish all of you.”

Arriving at the Benin Airport, things took a more violent dimension as Mama Pee was allegedly attacked by a group of young men believed to be thugs loyal to Abure.

A video circulating online shows a scuffle at the airport’s exit, with several individuals attempting to drag the activist, before security and immigration officials stepped in.

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Speaking in one of the video recordings, Mama Pee claimed she was assaulted by the group.

“Look at them oh!!! See them oh!!! They want to beat me after I told Julius Abure that he is the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians, and then he brought thugs. He brought thugs to harass me. Look at them, can you see them,” she exclaimed.

READ ALSO:Why LP Zoned 2027 Presidential Ticket To S’East – Abure

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She further alleged, “I saw Julius Abure of Labour Party inside the Max Air, and I told him that you are the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians. You sold Labour Party, and then he called his thugs to wait for me at the airport in Benin.”

Another activist, Peter Akah—widely known as ‘Peter for Nigeria’—released a video calling for Mama Pee’s immediate release.

He appealed to Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, and the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika to intervene.

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Akah argued that the activist, who he described as a victim of political violence, had been wrongly turned into a suspect by the police.

Meanwhile, the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has issued its own version of events, condemning what it termed an “unwarranted attack” on their chairman.

READ ALSO:Obi: Concerns as factional LP Chair, Abure, Visits Wike

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In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party claimed Mama Pee accosted Abure at the Abuja airport in an unprovoked manner while he was boarding his flight to Benin.

The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene,” Ifoh stated.

He added that Abure had to be quickly escorted to safety by security agents, while the activist was handed over to police for questioning.

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The statement further alleged that Mama Pee, who is described as a known figure in the ‘Obidient’ Movement, bragged in one of her videos about her connections to top police officers.

“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party,’” Ifoh said.

He called for a thorough probe, just as he urged the Inspector General of Police to look into what they termed cyberbullying and political provocation.

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As of the time of filing this report, attempts to get a comment from the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful as calls were neither answered nor returned.

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Educationist Gets Guinness World Record For Largest Teachers’ Gathering

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Nigerian teacher and education advocate, Mr Seyi Anifowose, has officially entered the Guinness World Records for convening the largest gathering of teachers in history, a feat achieved at the “Let There Be Teachers Conference 2025” held on September 20 at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

A statement by 1 Million Teachers on Friday said the confirmation was announced via a Zoom call on Wednesday, September 23, by Rishi Nath, a representative of Guinness World Records.

Nath commended Anifowose and his team for drawing global attention to an issue that, according to him, “should be on the front burner of policy and dialogue nationally.”

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The record-setting event, powered by 1 Million Teachers, drew an unprecedented number of educators from across Nigeria.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: ‘New Record’, Guinness World Record Confirms Hilda Baci’s Largest-serving Of Jollof Rice

Organisers had projected attendance of 60,000 teachers, underscoring both the scale of the mobilisation and the urgency of the message: that Nigerian teachers deserve greater recognition, welfare, and policy support.

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“This is more than a number. It is proof that teachers matter. It is a victory for education, and it is a victory for Nigeria,” said Anifowose.

He explained that the choice of Tafawa Balewa Square carried symbolic weight. He said, “It was the same ground where Nigeria declared independence in 1960, and its use for the conference marks another proud national moment—this time celebrating those who build nations in classrooms.”

Anifowose admitted that achieving the milestone was not without challenges.

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READ ALSO:Canada-based Nigerian Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Leadership Lesson

“This is not just about breaking a record. It is about resilience. Teachers stood in the rain, braved the sun, and endured long verification lines but refused to back down just to achieve this record,” he noted.

He expressed gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for hosting the event and to his home-state governor, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, for his encouragement.

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He also thanked teacher unions and education agencies at both state and federal levels for their support in ensuring the conference’s success.

Beyond the record, Anifowose emphasised that the next phase would focus on policy advocacy. He revealed plans to engage the National Assembly on reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s education system and boosting teachers’ welfare.

READ ALSO:Customs Seize N905m Rolls Royce, Other Contrabands In Ogun

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Nigeria’s education sector has long grappled with underfunding, poor infrastructure, and low teacher morale.

According to UNESCO, the country faces one of the world’s most severe teacher shortages, with many classrooms overcrowded and educators underpaid.

Stakeholders have repeatedly called for reforms to strengthen the sector, improve teacher training, and make the profession attractive to younger generations.

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By securing this world record, Anifowose hopes to transform symbolic recognition into tangible change for teachers nationwide.

(PUNCH)

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