News

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

Published

6 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

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.