News

Restructure HYPREP For Speedy Ogoniland, Others Cleanup, Group Tells Buhari

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2020

Editor

The executive director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, (ERA/FoEN), Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, Wednesday, August 5th called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, restructure the Hydrocarbon, Pollution, Remediation Project, (HYPREP) for effective service delivery to the people of the oil producing regions, especially the Ogoni land.

The Executive Director made the call in Benin while speaking on the topic ‘A Litany of Failure and a Season of Discontent’ occasioned by HYPREP on the people of Ogoni land.

He said if such is not done, the rate at which things are at the moment, it will take more than 100 years for HYPREP to complete the more complex polluted sites in Ogoni land which they have not even started to address.

Ojo said it was exactly nine years after the United Nations Environment Program, (UNEP) submitted a groundbreaking report to the Nigerian state detailing its findings, conclusions and recommendations on the environmental assessment of Ogoni land but without any tangible results to show for it.

“It has been nine years of motion without movement, nine years of unfilled promises, nine years of high-level manipulations by Shell and the Nigerian states as well as nine years of opaqueness and unaccountable operations by HYPREP. It has been nine years cluttered with a litany of failures and continuous discontent throughout Ogoni”, he said.

According to Ojo, the reason HYPREP has not lived up to its billings is because it’s not designed nor structured to implement a project as complex and sizeable as the Ogoni cleanup, stressing that it therefore needs restructuring to position it for a more effective cleanup.

The Environmental Activist alleged that work had stopped at 11 of the 17 cleanup sites researchers visited, and that many of these sites stopped work in late 2019 while the two sites had not even commenced work at the time of their except for the information board displayed outside their area of operation.

The Environmentalist also alleged that HYPREP is bogged down by the Nigerian government bureaucracy and Shell bureaucratic bottlenecks which has seen the programme unable to make progress to open the bid process for the more complex sites and there appears to be no disclosed strategy on how to move forward with the aspect of the project.

The Environmentalist recommended that strong legislations by governments in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands mandating companies to respect human rights and apply the same environmental standards across global operations.

The Executive Director also recommended the immediate implementation of all emergency measures recommended by the UNEP especially the provision of portable water, the conduct of a health audit setting up of a health register in impacted communities.

News

FG Extends Kaduna-Abuja Train Resumption

Published

7 hours ago

November 27, 2022

Editor

The Ministry of Transportation, on Sunday, in Kaduna, extended the resumption date for the Kaduna-Abuja train Service

Recall that the train service was suspended in March 2022, after bandits attacked its passengers, killed 25, wounded several others and Kidnapped over 50 passengers.

However, early this month, the federal government had promised that the Kaduna-Abuja train service would resume before the end of November.

But the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, while on inspection tour to examine its readiness for operation before the commencement of operations, said certain things needed to be in place before resumption.

He said the FG has introduced a new system of purchasing tickets, which he said is the beginning of security checks that would assist the government to know who boards the train at every point in time.

Although he declined speaking on the actual resumption date, but assured the public that it wouldn’t be far from now.

News

Dangote Plans Fresh 300,000 Jobs For Nigerians

Published

8 hours ago

November 27, 2022

Editor

Africa’s foremost industrialist, Aliko Dangote, is optimistic that the new multibillion naira investment in the sugar sub-sector would help provide no fewer than 300,000 jobs in Nigeria.

A statement from the Corporate Communication Department of the company quoted the Group’s President Aliko Dangote as saying that the company was providing fresh funds and thus expanding its operations in the sugar sub-sector.

Mr Dangote, who was speaking at the Flagg off Ceremony of the 2022/2023 Crushing Season and Outgrower Scheme Awards in Numan, Adamawa State, said the opportunities would include both direct and indirect jobs.

Dangote, who is Africa’s top philanthropist, expressed optimism that the massive investment will create over 300,000 jobs for Nigerians.

He said, “We are making a massive investment in Adamawa State through expansion of DSR Numan’s sugar refining capacity from 3000tcd to 6000tcd, 9800tcd, and to 15,000tcd. DSR will be able to create about three hundred thousand jobs, direct and indirect, with positive multiplier effects on the economy nationwide.”

The Dangote Group is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria outside the government.

Dangote was appointed Chairman, National Job Creation Committee in 2010 to assist the Federal Government in providing more employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The Dangote President had also announced that his company was doubling its spending on CSR schemes in host communities in Adamawa State, the location of its 32,000 hectares integrated sugar complex.

Speaking in Numan, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, described the Dangote Sugar Refinery as the biggest contributor to the development of the sugar development effort of the Federal Government.

The Minister also commended Mr Dangote for the massive support through his Corporate Social Responsibility scheme.

In the same vein, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals is expected to create some 250,000 job opportunities when completed next year.

Already, Dangote Cement Plc is one of Africa’s biggest job providers in the manufacturing sector.

News

Igbos Inaugurate Biafra House In US, Give Reasons

Published

1 day ago

November 26, 2022

Editor

Igbos residing in the United States, US, have inaugurated the Biafra House in Oxon Hill in Maryland, Washington DC.

It was gathered that the Biafra House was inaugurated to serve people who believe in Biafra and friends of the nation.

This was authoritatively disclosed to DAILY POST by a source.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The Biafra House is officially opened for business to the public, including Government Administrative Matters, Diplomatic Protocol, International Relations, and Security, amongst others.”

The Biafra House was formed to help Igbos in the US and Diaspora interact with the international community.

According to the source: “The Biafra House will be interacting and providing services to local, as well as governments and the International community through partnerships, pending when the United Nations and other world bodies may compel the government of Nigeria to effect a plebiscite for Biafran people.

“Biafra House is where Biafrans in the United States and the World can seek Diplomatic and Consular services, as it’s open for five business days a week and within the New York time zone.”

“Again, The Biafra House will be interacting and providing services to local, as well as governments and the International community through partnerships, pending when the United Nations and other world bodies may compel the Fulani government of Nigeria to effect a plebiscite for Biafran people.”