News

Succour As HOMEF Distributes Relief Materials To Flood Victims In Six States

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2022

In a show of solidarity and support for flood victims who were displaced and have suffered gravely from the impact of recent flooding, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has supported flood victims who were sacked from their homes by the flood across Nigeria.

According to a release made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communication Officer, HOMEF, relief materials were sent to six impacted states: Bayelsa State, Benue State, Delta State, Edo State, Kogi and Rivers State.

In the statement, a total of seven communities were reached in the six states from the 8th to 13th of November 2022.

Odhomor in the statement added that, community members, while receiving the items, expressed appreciation to HOMEF for always remembering them in their ecological travails.

Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in the statement noted that the move was part of the organization’s effort to cushion the effect of this year’s flood disaster on the people and to show that they were not alone in their travails.

“These food items and materials donated will not replace what has been lost or destroyed by the floods. With intensifying extreme weather events more climate disasters may come in the coming years.

“We are using this opportunity to call on government to take steps to holistically climate-proof our communities to ensure that infrastructure and livelihoods are resilient enough to survive events. We must support each other and also commit to be better defenders of our environment.”

Bassey, while further charging the government to take proactive steps in curbing the situation, added: “This is the time to begin to look for alternative ways to avert the next year flood situation. We should not wait for the next year and expect it not to hit us, rather now is the time to take proactive measures to ensure safety.

“The damaged roads should be fixed immediately and not used for politicking. Comprehensive health checks should also be carried out in affected communities.”

He encouraged the people to continue to stay strong and be courageous as they have always demonstrated in the face of the worsening ecological crises.

He further applauded the people for the response mechanisms they adopted in the face of limited help.

INFO DAILY reports Items distributed included bags of rice, beans, garri, onions, tubers of yams, cartons of noodles, palm oil, water, mattresses, and diapers, disinfectant amongst others.

INFO DAILY further reports that members of Ikarama, Okordia clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State heaved a sigh of relief as relief materials were handed to them.

While receiving the items, the paramount ruler of Ikarama, Chief Gospel Okah, and the CDC Chairman, Mr. Joel Ebi expressed gratitude to HOMEF for identifying with them in their time of need.

“We appreciate the organization for delivering the items to us; these things came at a time when we need them the most. We have lost food items, mattresses, and all our belonging but these items have brought joy to our heart knowing that other well-meaning Nigerians see the pain we go through.

“Ikarama community is not new to this organization following all the monitoring training it has held for us. We are grateful for such a gift“.

According to the statement, same gesture was extended to Iwherekhan and Otu-Jeremi communities in Delta State.

The statement quoted Mrs. Otomewo as saying: “In this last three weeks, the experience we have had is something that we will never forget in a hurry. We woke up in the night to find ourselves right inside the river in our bedrooms. I had to run with my family to another community that was not as affected as ours by the flood.

“Today, we thank HOMEF for the kind gesture of providing food items and relief materials to us and identifying with us in our time of need.. We will not forget in a hurry those who came to dry our tears when it mattered most”.

Also, in the statement, Comrade Che Ibegwura, while receiving the support for Erema people in ONELGA, Rivers State, thanked the organization, saying: “NGO’s are there to help people but HOMEF has shown that it is a family that sticks with the people it associates with. I cannot thank HOMEF enough for this gesture. I encourage them to keep up with the spirit of solidarity and comradeship in their advocacy for environmental and climate justice.”

INFO DAILY reports that HOMEF also provided relieve materials to internally displaced persons’ camp (IDP) at Oghomere, in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State and to Odogu in Ibaji LGA of Kogi State and Akpeko community in Benue State.

News

Former Vice Governor Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Bribery

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced Zhang Zulin, former vice governor of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, to life imprisonment for accepting bribes.

According to the verdict of the Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing Municipality, Zhang will deprived of his political rights for life; his personal property will be confiscated, and his illegal gains from bribery will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

The court found that Zhang had taken advantage of his positions in Yunnan between 2001 and 2023 to assist individuals and organisations in matters related to real estate development, project contracting, project approval, and obtaining loans.

The court stated that he accepted money and valuables worth more than 122 million yuan (approximately $ 17.03 million) in return.

Zhang’s case was presented to the court in an open trial on April 10.

News

Strike: NLC To Shutdown FCT After Tinubu’s Project Inaugurations Labour

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says it is mobilising to shut down the territory after President Bola Tinubu concludes his projects’ inauguration on July 3.

The Chairman, Dr Stephen Knabayi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Knabayi explained that the move was to draw the attention of the FCT Administration to address the area council workers’ lingering strike.

NAN reports that primary health care centres were under lock and key, primary school teachers had been at home while the six area councils’ secretariat were abandoned by the workers for months.

Primary school teachers and other area council workers embarked on a series of strikes over non-payment of minimum wage and 40 per cent peculiar allowance.

Other unresolved issues included the non-implementation of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, and the N35,000 wage award, among other benefits.

The NLC chair, who described the development as “very unfortunate”, said that the area council chairmen left the union with no option but to shut down the FCT.

He recalled that the union had on June 13, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration to address the demands of the teachers, health workers and other area council workers.

He explained that the ultimatum followed the resolution of the executives of the joint unions of the NUT, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees and the National Association of Health Workers Union.

He noted that the ultimatum had expired on June 20 and the NLC was yet to take any action.

Knabayi explained that the union backpedalled to allow President Bola Tinubu to complete the inauguration of projects executed by the FCT Administration, as part of activities to celebrate his second year in office.

“We had to extend the ultimatum because of Tinubu’s movements to inaugurate the FCT executed project.

“Members of the union will take over the streets of Abuja as soon as Tinubu concludes the inaugurations, hopefully on July 3.

“We are waiting for it to end and we will come together to step up our planned action,” he said.

He added that the NLC had already informed the FCT Administration and security agencies of the planned protest to shut down the territory as the last resort to press home their demands.

He said it was very unfortunate that up to this moment nothing has been done to address the lingering welfare cities in the area councils.

He noted that although the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage began across the six area councils in May, it was stopped the following month with no explanation to the workers.

“Like you know, strike or protest is always the last option, but we were left with no other opinion.

“We are not happy and it is not going to be a small thing if they don’t do the needful,” he said.

Knabayi alleged that the area council chairmen were spending huge resources in preparations for the 2016 February FCT Area Councils’ Election.

According to him, the funds being expended will be enough to settle all the workers’ outstanding entitlements.

He called on the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to take a more decisive action to compel the area council chairmen to settle the council workers welfare concerns.

Recall that Wike had made several efforts to resolve the crisis, including the recent release of N4.1 billion to the area councils to support the payment of minimum wage to the workers.

The minister had explained several times that primary school teachers and primary health care workers were under the purview of the area councils and not FCT Administration.

The NUT Chairman in FCT, Mr Abdullahi Shafa, during a protest on April 24, acknowledged Wike’s intervention to resolve the lingering strike, including the release of the N4.1 billion to the area councils to pay the striking teachers.

On their part, the chairmen of the area councils had in a press conference on May 13, urged the primary school teachers and other council workers to call off their ongoing strike.

Mr John Gabaya, Secretary of the FCT Chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, who addressed the journalists, particularly appealed to the primary school teachers to return to the classrooms.

Gabaya said that the appeal became necessary for the interest of the pupils while negotiation continues.
(NAN)

News

Senate Confirms Chairman, MD Of South-South Development Commission, Others

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

…Akpabio named Managing Director, 15 others confirmed; Kaura not cleared over screening no-show

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as Chairman of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).

Also confirmed was Usoro Offiong Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State as the Managing Director of the commission.

However, Tijani Yahaya Kaura, the nominee representing the North-West, was not cleared after failing to submit necessary documents and refusing to appear before the screening committee. The committee noted that the window remains open should he eventually present himself for the process.

The Senate also confirmed the following nominees as members of the SSDC board:

Rt. Hon. Larry Odey – Member, Cross River

Charles Zuofa – Member, Bayelsa

Dr. Nkereuwem Ebong – Member, Akwa Ibom

Engr. Chika Chinedu – Member, Rivers

Barr. Femi Oise – Member, Edo

Dr. Charles Sylvester Enukhowhate – Member, Delta

Tabitha Iliya Sallah – Member, North-East

Alh. Yusuf Rasaq Amao – Member, North-Central

Joseph Mmamal – Member, South-East

Hon. Bukonola Braimoh – Member, South-West

Confirmed executive directors include:

Hon. Marcus Nie Eji – Executive Director, Projects (Rivers)

Engr. Aganaba Preye Steven – Executive Director, Social and Human Capital Development (Bayelsa)

Dr. Timi Alari Ayibatonye – Executive Director, Corporate Services (Delta)

Hon. Joseph Ugheoke – Executive Director, Commercial and Environmental Development (Edo)

Amb. Sony Abang – Executive Director, Finance (Cross River)

The confirmations followed the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on South-South Development Commission, chaired by Senator Benson Konbowei (PDP, Bayelsa Central).

Presenting the report, Senator Konbowei stated: “That the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Committee on South-South Development Commission on the confirmation of the nomination for appointment as Chairman, Managing Director, and Members of the Board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).”

It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, last month, submitted the list of nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s request during plenary and referred it to the appropriate committee, which was tasked to report back within one week.