News

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

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2022

Editor

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

Nestle Sacks CEO Over Office Romance

Published

9 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Swiss food giant, Nestle, on Monday dismissed Laurent Freixe as chief executive with immediate effect over an “undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.”

The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe’s dismissal followed an investigation.

In a swift move, Nespresso CEO, Philipp Navratil, was appointed to take over by his fellow board members.

“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestle’s code of business conduct,” a statement said.

The board said it had ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel.

“This was a necessary decision. Nestle’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service,” Bulcke said in a statement.

A company veteran, Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986. He ran the firm’s European operations until 2014, steering them through the subprime and euro crises that began in 2008.

He headed the Latin America division before his promotion as CEO.

Freixe had only been in the top spot since a surprise switch in September 2024, entrusted with reversing soft spending by consumers for the company’s food and household goods.

Nestle’s share price slumped by nearly a quarter last year, raising concerns in Switzerland, where pension funds invest heavily in the company, whose brands also include Purina dog food, Maggi bouillon cubes, Gerber baby food and Nesquik chocolate-flavoured drinks.

Nestle shares closed up 0.13 percent at 75.49 Swiss francs on the Swiss stock exchange.

– Net profits –

In late July, Nestle reported a 10.3-percent drop in first half profits as it struggled to turn around its fortunes amid sluggish consumer spending in China, even as it passed on higher cocoa and coffee prices to consumers.

New chief executive Navratil had been an executive vice-president at Nestle, which is headquartered in Vevey on Lake Geneva.

“The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance,” insisted chairman Bulcke.

Navratil started his career with Nestle in 2001 and took on various roles in Central America, leading the coffee and beverage business in Mexico from 2013 to 2020, when he took over responsibility for global strategy and innovation for the Nescafe and Starbucks brands.

He became chief executive of the Nespresso brand in July last year and joined the company board in January 2025.

“I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestle’s performance,” said Navratil, pledging to “drive the value creation plan with intensity.”

News

VIDEO: Motorists Stranded As Bridge Fails On Lagos-Benin Expressway

Published

10 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.

A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway.

One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.

He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.

“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”

The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.

He criticised the Federal Government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

“This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway,” he said.

“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.

“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”

He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.

He said, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.

“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”

The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a “death trap” and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.

Watch video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1962577345832714466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1962577345832714466%7Ctwgr%5Edf307ccd0eb71fe84e2d24b726307513398112b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fvideo-motorists-stranded-as-bridge-fails-on-lagos-benin-expressway%2F

News

Bauchi Govt Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Building Committee

Published

12 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has inaugurated a 32- member Pastors/Imams peace building Committee to promote peaceful coexistence in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the state.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Monday, the governor said the move was necessitated by the need for the government to consolidate on the peace it had built and sustained over the last six years.

According to him, this peaceful coexistence had recently been threatened by the actions of unpatriotic elements within the state who didn’t wish the state well and were bent on hiding under the cover of farmer-herder clashes to taint the gains Bauchi has made so far.

While acknowledging that minor incidences are common, especially during the farming season, Mohammed said that the dimension of the recent threats in the areas was indicative of a deliberate attempt to cause disharmony.

He said it was to also portray the state in bad face in order to sully the recognition it had attained as one of the most peaceful states in not just the Northeast sub-region but in the country at large.

“We will not allow our hard earned peaceful coexistence to be truncated by the special grace of Allah. We have invested massively over the last six years in security and peace building measures and mechanisms.

“I will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle the serenity and harmony that we have attained upon which our development and growth lies. I will deal decisively with all shenanigans fueling this crisis.

“I want to assure the citizens of the state that we are working very hard and continuously with the security agencies to contain every situation around the state”, he said.

The governor said the committee is to embark on religious, sensitisation to promote peaceful coexistence and encourage inter-group communication.

He said they are to also mediate disputes and foster dialogue between different groups where necessary, act as bridges by leading initiatives for inter-faith dialogue and understanding.

Mohammed added that they are to utilize their religious institutions to provide the platforms for community engagement and mobilisation of people towards peace building efforts, influencing attitude and behaviors.

The committee, the governor said, is to leverage on the teachings of religious sacred texts to inspire others to embrace the values of love, forgiveness, eschew hatred and violence.

Responding, Rev. Benson Bature and Imam Faidu Musa, Chairmen, Council of Imams and Pastors of the two LGAs who are the co-Chairs of the committee vowed to discharge their assigned duties even if they would have to pay with their lives.

They said they knew the miscreants were being pushed by some people that didn’t want peace to reign in the two LGAs, pledging to fish them out and hand them over to the authorities.

According to them, this would be done in no distant time as the religious leaders were working in unison, adding that even if a member of the committee is found culpable, he would be handed over to the authorities.