Headline

Pollution: Respect For Human, Environmental Rights Take Centre Stage As NGO Organises Capacity Building In Delta Community

Published

3 years ago

January 24, 2023

Scene of the polluted areas

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The need to protect and preserve the environment, and respect for human rights took centre stage in Odimodi community during a two-day capacity building seminar organised by a Non-governmental Organisation-Community Development Foundation (CODAF).

Odimodi, an agrarian and fishing community, in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, houses Ward 11 with an estimated population of five thousand (5,000), persons, in no fewer than 13 polling units.

Unfortunately, due to the oil exploration and exploitation activities of multinational companies particularly in the area of pollution of the environment and outright disregard for human rights, the fishing and agricultural activities of dwellers of this community is under threat.

It is worthy to note that the community has one government healthcare centre, which many regard as ‘non-functional.’ According to them, the healthcare centre has no personnel and for drugs apart from Paracetamol, it has no other drugs. Findings showed that the healthcare centre has only one nurse employed by the community. That is, no government staff in the healthcare centre.

Worried by all these and particularly the unabated pollution of oil-rich Odimodi and neighbouring communities and the consequent violation of rights of its dwellers, CODAF, recently organised a Town Hall Meeting/Training to enlighten community dwellers, particularly women about how they can actualise their rights and hold multinationals such as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Agip Oil Company and others more accountable.

For CODAF, the outright violation of human rights and pollution of the environment with no regard to the well-being of the people must stop.

Speaking at the Town Hall Meeting and enlightenment campaign, Executive Director, CODAF, Mr. Richard Benin said his organisation was concerned about the well-being of the people and the need to respect their rights. He told them that his organisation’s past activities in the community about pollution by oil companies and disregard for their rights had already caught attention of stakeholders across the globe.

“We were here in 2021, and in 2022 we were here too, and this is 2023, we are here. I want to gladly announce to your that the plight of Odimodi has caught world attention. We were here in 2022 during the COP27 which was held in Egypt, and we made a shot video and sent online. Odimodi was discussed in that meeting in Egypt. Your matter was discussed. I want to assure you that we as an NGO will not relent until the right thing is done,” Benin assured.

Group photograph of the participants at the training.

In a response on behalf of the community, Vice Chairman of Odimodi, Chief Isepagha Willie, thanked Mr. Richard and his team for fighting the course of the community by coming up with such a development, adding that it will benefit the community a lot.

He lamented that since the inception of Shell operations in the area, all what they used to have in abundance such as fishes, farm produce, etc are no more.

“Because of Shell operations, we have nothing left. All what we you used to have, we are having none. we are suffering,” lamented.

Odimodi Women Lament, Want Shell To Be Responsible

Some women of Odimodi who are majorly into fishing and farming decried Shell operations and outright disregard for their rights, as they called on the multinational to rise up to its Corporate Social Responsibility by providing jobs to indigenes of the community.

Chairlady, Odimodi community, Mrs. Silver Michael, who is a business woman said: “We are suffering. Majority of us fish to train our children in school but activities of oil companies have spoil this, we no more catch fish, and that is why I decided to go into business. We can’t farm anymore to train our children. These are the things community women rely on for a survival. We don’t even have drinkable water. We are into hunger.”

While lamenting that all efforts to make sure Shell doing the right thing had proved abortive, Mrs Michael called on the oil company to provide the woman and youths job so they can use that to cater for themselves and family.

She also urged Shell to provide fishing net, fishing hooks and other things used in fishing to those that are into fishing.

Also lamenting, Mrs Alagua Monday said due to operations of Shell, everywhere is being taken over by crude oil spill.

“Even when you deep your paddle into the water, all what you push out is crude oil, Shell has spoil our river. Fishes in the river are all affected with the crude oil spill. Had it been I know you are coming, I would have kept some fishes from the river for you. You would have seen the mystery I am talking about. Due to oil spill, we now caught fishes that are rotten from the middle to the tail while middle to the head dangle for survival. This is impossible if not for the oil spill. Nothing is working. We are dying of hunger.”

She demanded: “Shell should give us portable water because we do not have water to drink. The one we have is causing us sickness because of the oil pollution. More so, we need a standard hospital or healthcare centre. We do not have any, hence people die before they are rushed out of the community for the next hospital.”

Another pathetic story is a 72-year-old Vero Anoda, a fisherwoman who had leg infractions while fishing in a spot heavy oil spill had occurred. According to her, she fell into the spot and was rescued out. She lamented that since then her children and other well-meaning indigenes of the community have spent a lot on her. She further lamented that Shell has not deem it fit to visit her one day. She called on the oil company to come to her aid.

A cross section of women trained in Odimodi by CODAF.

On his part, former Public Relations Officer, Odimodi community, Mr. Godwin Awese, due to activities of Shell and its consequent pollution of the area, his agriculture are not productive as they ought to be.

While taking members of the NGO and the media round his farm, Awese said: “Look at this plantain three, the leaves are yellow rather than being green, and it is stunted, this is because of the crude oil pollution. It can’t grow how it ought to be. Look at this plantain fruits, it is already having a yellow colour and it is not well matured. All these anomalies is due to the pollution. We can’t get any good farm produce to the pollution,” he lamented.

Calls put out across to Shell Community Liaison Officer, Mrs Ann Utuedor, by INFO DAILY were not picked neither did she reply to SMS sent to her Cell Phone.

Headline

Australian Govt Official Declares ‘Red Wednesday’ Over Attack On Kwara Church

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Chairman of the Australian Committee for NATO enlargement, Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn, has declared a ‘Red Wednesday’ as part of a global awareness campaign against alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Gunther made this known in a post on X while reacting to the recent attack on Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, in Kwara State.

Recall that terrorists on Tuesday invaded the church located in Eruku town, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and opened fire on worshipers.

According to reports, the resident pastor and some persons were killed while majority of the worshipers were taken away to unknown destinations.

Reacting, Gunther in his X post said the incessant attacks on Nigerian Christians “is unacceptable”.

He wrote, “I got this video sent of an Islamist attack on a church in Nigeria. Today is #RedWednesday the global awareness day against prosecution of Christians.”

Headline

Pope Decries Lack Of Political Will On Climate Change

Published

1 day ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged “concrete actions” on climate change and complained that some leaders lacked the will to act, as he addressed religious dignitaries on the sidelines of the COP30 summit.

The Vatican released the American pope’s address to churches of the southern hemisphere assembled on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in which he called the Amazon region “a living symbol of creation with an urgent need for care”.

“Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat,” the pope said.

“One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity,” he added.

“What is failing is the political will of some.”

The UN climate negotiations enter their final stretch this week, with nations split on key issues as government ministers began arriving Monday to take over negotiations.

“There is still time to keep the rise in global temperature below 1.5C, but the window is closing,” warned Leo, who called for “concrete actions” while championing the landmark Paris Agreement.

– Pope defends Paris Agreement –

The historic 2015 accord, from which US President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the United States for the second time, aims to keep temperature rises “well below” 2C compared to pre-industrial levels and, if possible, to 1.5C.

The Paris Agreement was the “strongest tool for protecting people and the planet”, Leo said, decrying a lack of effort by some leaders, whom he did not name.

“True leadership means service and support on a scale that will truly make a difference,” he said, urging firmer climate action to bring about “stronger and fairer economic systems”.

“Let us send a clear global signal together: nations standing in unwavering solidarity behind the Paris Agreement and climate cooperation,” he said.

Since being made pope in May, the Chicago-born pontiff — who spent about 20 years as a missionary in Peru — has urged more pressure on governments to stop climate change.

Last month, during a climate conference near Rome, he called for an “ecological conversion” to help vulnerable communities.

October marked the 10-year anniversary of the late Pope Francis’s landmark climate manifesto “Laudato Si”, which appealed for action on human-caused global warming.

COP30, without the presence of the US government, is scheduled to end in five days, but groups of countries still disagree on many issues, including climate ambition, unilateral trade measures, and finance.

Some countries also want a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed what he called Pope Leo’s “strong message”.

“His words urge us to continue to choose hope and action,” he said.

Headline

Genocide: U.S. Lawmaker Alleges Tinubu Lying, Protecting Own Interest

Published

2 days ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Riley Moore

…Congress to debate ‘Christian Persecution’ in Nigeria on Thursday

United States (U.S.) lawmaker, Riley Moore, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s denial of the targeted killing of Christians as “completely false”.

Moore said Tinubu’s denial was to “protect his interests,” adding that Nigeria’s political leaders were “complicit” in the killing of Christians.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Moore noted Tinubu’s statement, claiming that the “characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality” as incorrect.

Meanwhile, the Congress will, on Thursday, debate the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

This was as International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule (Intersociety) raised fresh claims 99 Christians were, again, killed in Nigeria in 14 days.

“Unfortunately, that is completely false. There are states in Nigeria that have blasphemy laws. People are facing the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam,” the U.S. lawmaker said. “I know President Tinubu is in a difficult position, and trying to protect his interests there in the country. But they are complicit in this to some degree or another for a statement like this.”

Moore cited the case of an Adamawa Christian farmer, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death for defending himself against a killer herdsman.

“There is serious persecution in Nigeria,” Moore said.
CONGRESS is set to convene a hearing on Thursday to examine allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate the country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

The session will be led by Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and a vocal advocate for stronger U.S. action on reported religious violence in Nigeria.

Smith previously introduced a congressional resolution naming the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as responsible actors in several attacks. The resolution recommends visa bans and asset freezes against members of the groups.

It also called on White House to classify “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in states such as Benue and Plateau under the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) framework established by the International Religious Freedom Act.

Witnesses scheduled to testify include Jonathan Pratt, senior bureau official at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.

A second panel is expected to feature Nina Shea, senior fellow and director at the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow for the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
INTERSOCIETY alleged in a statement yesterday that 99 Christians were killed within the last 14 days.

It stated that the killing occurred between October 28 and November 11, adding that 114 others were kidnapped by the group that carried out the action, called Jihadist militants.

The report was signed by the Head, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, and two human rights lawyers, Joy Igboeli and Ogochukwu Obi.