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‘You Have 3 Weeks To Clean Up State’, Bauchi Environment Commissioner Tells Agency

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The Bauchi State Commissioner of Environment and Housing, Honorable Hamisu Muazu Shira has given a 3-week ultimatum to the Management of the State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) to keep the state clean.

The Commissioner gave the ultimatum at a closed door meeting with the Management of the Agency held at its Headquarters in Bauchi.

Shira said the ultimatum became necessary due to the state of illegal dumping of refuse in major streets in the state.

READ ALSO: Bauchi Governor Awards N45 billion Projects Within One Year

He said, during the 3 weeks period, the agency must work hard with the support of critical stakeholders to tackle the situation thereby ensuring improvement in keeping the state clean.

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” My emergency meeting with you today is urgent, we have a lot of complaints from people on refuse collections, with the appointment of new Director-General, I give you a 3-week ultimatum to address the issue and see possible improvement”, he said.

The Commissioner tasked the appointed Director-General of the Environmental Agency to come up with new reforms and and strategies in order to enable the state government free resources for the execution of environmental projects.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: NDE Produces 20,000 Face Masks In Bauchi

He expressed concern over the attitude of some unpatriotic citizens of the state who engaged in sabotaging the efforts of the state government in ensuring effective environmental management.

Shira stressed the need for all and sundry to join hands in the ongoing campaign in the state against illegal dumping of refuse on streets or other unauthorised areas.

He said, “It is an insult, at any official assignment people always raised questions about refuse collections in Bauchi, it was embarrassment, but we must put stop to it.

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READ ALSO: COVID -19: Igbo Community In Bauchi Distributes Palliatives To Host Community

” I am also aware about saboteurs, people were been supported to sabotage our plans for keeping Bauchi clean, they will not succeed. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure we overcome the challenges associated with refuse collections. “

The Commissioner, therefore, tasked people of the state to use the waste dumping designated areas to dump their waste considering the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and as raining season is approaching.

The newly appointed Director General of BASEPA, Dr Ibrahim Kabir, assured the Commissioner of the total commitment of the agency to work round the clock to achieve the set objectives.

READ ALSO: ‘We’re Not Selling Animals In Wildlife Park Because We Are Broke’ – Bauchi Govt

According to him, the Agency will seek partnership with relevant stakeholders to keep the state clean so as to maintain its image.

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Easter: Nationwide Darkness Hits Nigeria As National Grid Collapses

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Nationwide darkness hit Nigeria as the national grid collapsed for the fourth time in 2024 amid the Easter holidays.

According to sources from electricity distribution companies in Nigeria, the grid collapsed around 4:30 pm on Thursday.

Kunle Olubiyo, the president of Nigerian Consumer Protection Network confirmed the grid collapse to DAILY POST.

It was learnt that power went off around 4:30 pm on Thursday in Apo, Dawaki, and Utako.

READ ALSO: INEC To Publish Edo Gov Candidates’ Credentials Saturday

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The implication is that millions of homes and businesses centrally managed by Osogbo, Osun State, are without power from the national grid.

As of the time of filing this report, Discos said their feeders were rendered inactive, resulting in widespread blackouts nationwide.

As of 6 pm, the Azura Power Plant was the sole facility contributing to the grid, albeit with a modest output of 54 megawatts.

Major power generation plants such as Egbin, Afam, Geregu, Ibom Power, Jebba, Kainji, Odukpani, and Olorunsogo, among others, remained dormant, further exacerbating the electricity deficit nationwide.

READ ALSO: EFCC Arraigns Businessman For Allegedly Issuing N8.5m Dud Cheque

The grid’s output, which stood at 2984 megawatts as of 4 pm, plunged to zero within an hour, with all 21 plants connected to the grid ceasing operations by 5 pm.

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Recall that the grid collapsed on February 4, 2024.

Nigeria’s national grid, managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, collapsed 46 times between 2017 and 2023.

Nigeria’s power sector has been challenged for decades. The situation has exacerbated since January 2024.

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Soldiers’ Killing: Wanted Delta King Surrenders To Police

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Ikolo Clement, King of Ewu kingdom and one of the suspects declared wanted by the Nigerian military, has surrendered himself to the authorities.

Clement, a newly installed traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, was among the eight persons declared wanted by the Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters.

They were wanted over the March 14 killing of 17 soldiers at Okuama Community.

Also declared wanted is a suspected militant leader, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbono, also known as Amagbein, who soldiers tracked to the Igbomoturu community in Southern-Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, few days after the incident, but missed him.

READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Okuama Killings: Army Declares Eight Persons Wanted [FULL LIST]

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On the list of wanted persons are the president-general of Ewu, Prof Ekpekpo Arthur and Reuben Baru, the young man who made a viral video recently, narrating why they killed the soldiers.

Igoli Ebi, is supposedly the mother of one of the wanted persons. Atata Malaw David, and Sinclear Oliki are suspected to be part of the Amagbein gang

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Why ERA Is Against Multinational Oil Companies’ Divestment – Chima Williams

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By Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

The Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Barrister Chima Williams, has explained why his organisation is leading the campaign against the divestment of multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.

He said his organisation is leading the campaign because of the negative impacts of such divestment on the people (hosting communities) and the environment.

Williams, who spoke during a webinar meeting on International Oil Companies Divestment from the Niger Delta, said it’s unacceptable for multinational oil companies to have destroyed the area (environment) they operated and thereafter walk away without doing something about the destroyed environment.

READ ALSO: ERA, Others Want Coca Cola, Others Held Accountable For Plastic Pollution

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He said: “Oil companies have caused a lot of damage to our communities and environment, so they cannot leave us destroyed after they have carted away billions in dollars from our environment.

“Of course, oil companies are at liberty to dispose their assets as permitted by the law, but as assets that have caused damage to the people and the environment, there are requirements that must be met. The environment must be returned to the status quo. The livelihood of our people must be restored.

“They must settle the divide and rule style they have introduced to our communities. Before their adventure, our people were living peacefully, but they came and divided our communities; you see brothers fighting themselves. All these are their antics to make sure we do not speak in one voice.”

READ ALSO: CSOs Condemn FG’s Suspension Of Green Taxation On Single Use Plastics

He lamented that rather than oil to be a blessing to Nigeria as obtainable in other oil producing countries, it’s rather a curse.

Chima said this was one of the reasons why his organisation embarked on the campaign: ‘Leaving Oil in the Soil’.

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“Our campaign on Leaving Oil in the Soil was as a result of the negative impacts of oil exploration in our environment and climate change. If oil companies are doing the right thing, there wouldn’t be need for such.

“Look at other oil producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, things are done properly. The oil companies are doing what they are expected to do, so they are impacting lives of the people positively. Even our own Libya here in Africa, before the death of Gaddafi, the citizens were enjoying the dividends of oil exploration in the country,” he said.

According to the Executive Director, multinational oil companies are going into divestment in order to move from the onshore to offshore where their activities cannot be monitored.

He added that since 2021 that Nigerians became aware that they (oil companies) can be held responsible for their operations and damage done to the environment through the law, they started looking for a way to move to an area where their activities cannot be monitored.

Williams, while calling on the government to reject all applicable for divestment by oil companies, urged Nigerians to join hands in the campaign against such divestment without doing the needful.

READ ALSO: ERA Chides Shell For Slow Response To Multiple Crude Oil Spills In Bayelsa Community

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He further called on the National Assembly to enact a law that will spell out pathway for any oil company that wants to go into divestment.

We are asking our legislative arm to enact a law that will spell out a step by step approach to any move for divestment,” Williams added.

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