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World Water Day: Privatization Of Water Antithetical To Principles Of Commons – Bassey

Published

2 months ago

March 23, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

As the World Water Day is being celebrated globally, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has called for a collective action to save freshwater and its ecosystems.

INFO DAILY reports that World Water Day is held yearly on March 22nd to draw awareness of the need to tackle the global existential water crises.

In a statement to mark the Day with the theme: Water for Peace, Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, said peace becomes a mirage in the absence of justice.

He lamented that “many people across the world are going through a lot of stress to access clean water, and some are forced to travel over long distances just to get a few liters of potable water,” due to “crude capitalism.”

In the statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead, HOMEF, the Executive Director, said the “enclosure, grabbing and privatization of water is antithetical to the principles of commons.”

According to him, “it is important that our rivers, creeks, lagoons, and oceans are treated sanely and not seen as waste dumps.”

Bassey added: “With the massive destruction of water bodies by mining, oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities, dredging activities and the development of infrastructure in critical freshwater ecosystems, it is imperative to call for the restoration of degraded water bodies and wetlands everywhere in Nigeria and by extension, Africa and globally.”

He continued: “Valuing water must not be construed to mean that water can be commodified or privatized, but that the intrinsic value of this prime gift of Nature be respected and protected.

“Water is not a commodity for privatization. We must treat our waters with respect because water is life and access to clean, the right to safe water to meet daily needs is a fundamental human right.”

Bassey further noted that “beyond our need to secure our potable water sources, our entire aquatic ecosystems must be secured to promote cultural practices, preserve knowledge and enhance livelihoods especially for our fisher folks.

“Polluters must be adequately sanctioned. We must be mindful of the fact that plastics and toxic items dumped in our waters get eaten by fish and enter our food chain thereby endangering our own health. Water for peace should be a wake-up call to take responsibility for protecting our waterways and to oppose all forms of privatization of water.”

On his part, Coordinator of Fishnet Alliance, Stephen Oduware, stated that “while climate change can be blamed for droughts and related water crises faced in the world today, there have been direct interference with our waterbodies causing pollution from the dumping of wastes and release of harmful chemicals from industries, including those in the petroleum sector, into our water bodies and intensify shortages of potable water. The intrinsic value of water cannot be over-emphasized because it is the basis of life forms on Earth.”

They, therefore advocated for a “realignment of our relationship to our water bodies including the oceans as zones of life and not zones for exploitative and polluting economic activities.”

They also urged the government at all levels to ensure that polluted waters and other destroyed environments are cleaned and restored.

Related Topics:HOMEF Nnimmo Bassey World Water Day

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Tinubu Bows To Pressure, Orders CBN To Suspend Implementation Of Cybersecurity Levy

Published

22 mins ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend the implementation of the controversial cybersecurity levy policy and ordered a review.

This followed the decision of the House of Representatives, which, last Thursday, asked the CBN to withdraw its circular directing all banks to commence charging a 0.5 per cent cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions in the country.

The CBN on May 6, 2024, issued a circular mandating all banks, mobile money operators, and payment service providers to implement a new cybersecurity levy, following the provisions laid out in the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act 2024.

According to the Act, a levy amounting to 0.5 per cent of the value of all electronic transactions will be collected and remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund, overseen by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Financial institutions are required to apply the levy at the point of electronic transfer origination.

The deducted amount is to be explicitly noted in customer accounts under the descriptor “Cybersecurity Levy” and remitted by the financial institution. All financial institutions are required to start implementing the levy within two weeks from the issuance of the circular.

By implication, the deduction of the levy by financial institutions should commence on May 20, 2024.

However, financial institutions are to make their remittances in bulk to the NCF account domiciled at the CBN by the fifth business day of every subsequent month.

The circular also stipulates a timeframe for financial institutions to reconfigure their systems to ensure complete and timely submission of remittance files to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc as follows: “Commercial, Merchant, Non-Interest, and Payment Service Banks – Within four weeks of the issuance of the Circular.

“All other Financial Institutions (Microfinance Banks, Primary Mortgage Banks, Development Financial Institutions) – Within eight weeks of the issuance of the Circular,” the circular noted.

The CBN has emphasised strict adherence to this mandate, warning that any financial institution that fails to comply with the provisions will face severe penalties. As outlined in the Act, non-compliant entities are subject to a minimum fine of two per cent of their annual turnover upon conviction.

The circular provides a list of transactions currently deemed eligible for exemption, to avoid multiple applications of the levy.

These are loan disbursements and repayments, salary payments, intra-account transfers within the same bank or between different banks for the same customer, and intra-bank transfers between customers of the same bank.

Exemptions include other financial institutions’ transfers to their correspondent banks, interbank placements, banks’ transfers to CBN and vice versa, inter-branch transfers within a bank, cheque clearing and settlements, letters of credit, and banks’ recapitalisation-related funding.

Others are bulk funds movement from collection accounts, savings, and deposits including transactions involving long-term investments such as treasury bills, bonds, and commercial papers, and government social welfare programmes transactions.

These may include pension payments, non-profit and charitable transactions including donations to registered non-profit organisations or charities, educational institutions transactions, including tuition payments and other transactions involving schools, universities, or other educational institutions, and transactions involving the bank’s internal accounts, inter-branch accounts, reserve accounts, nostro and vostro accounts, and escrow accounts.

The introduction of the new levy sparked varied reactions among stakeholders as it is expected to raise the cost of conducting business in Nigeria and could potentially hinder the growth of digital transaction adoption.
PUNCH

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Moment Chief Defense Staff Hosts Prince Harry, Meghan Markle In Reception [VIDEO/PHOTOS]

Published

11 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Editor

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a reception hosted by the Chief of Defense Staff.

This was after they attended a volleyball game earlier in the day.

During the reception, which held at the Armed Forces Officers Mess & Suites in Abuja, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex received asho oke gifts from Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).

The couple also danced with Dabiri-Erewa.

The purpose of the visit was to introduce the royal couple to Nigeria’s rich socio-cultural heritage and provide an opportunity for the Duchess of Sussex to explore her Nigerian lineage.

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JUST IN: Again, Aircraft Skids Off Runway At Lagos Airport

Published

18 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Editor

Photo: file copy

Barely 16 days after Dana Air was shut down by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities, another aircraft belonging to XEJET Airlines also skidded off the runway and landed in the grass at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Saturday.

Following this development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has shut the 18/Left runway of the airport

The Airbus with registration 5N-BZZ with 52 passengers on board departed Abuja and landed in Lagos at 11.29 am.

Just last month, Dana MD-82 aircraft was involved in a skidding off of the runway, necessitating the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to order the suspension of the carrier for a comprehensive auditing.

Last year, in November, two aircraft from two different airlines skidded off the runway, in one week.

Aero Contractors, flight NG 119 with a registered Boeing 737 aircraft 5N-BYQ from Lagos to Abuja had a total of 133 passengers on board.

All passengers were safely evacuated through a controlled disembarkation.

The temporary closure of the runway by FAAN limits the airport to one single runway which is expected to lead to aircraft delays and landing.

The spokesperson of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Bimbo Olajide, confirmed that an aircraft belonging to Xejet Airlines skidded off the runway of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport on Saturday.

She stated that a team had been deployed to the site of the incident.

“Our teams are there and on top of the matter. But whether or not the runway will be reopened today, i cannot immediately answer questions on that.” NSIB spokesperson told PUNCH Online.