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Fresh oil spill hits Ogoni community, destroys farmlands

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A fresh oil spill has hit the Bodo community in the Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, destroying farmlands.

It was learnt that the oil spillage occurred on Thursday from a pipeline belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company.

This came barely two months after a similar incident occurred along the pipeline at different locations in the area.

One of the affected residents, Monica said they heard a blast at about 1 pm saying the spillage had destroyed farmlands, and rivers, which the people depend on for their livelihood.

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She stated, “You know we the Ogoni people are mainly farmers and fishermen. But with what has happened now it will be difficult. Let the government come and help us.”

A non-governmental organisation, Eco Defence Alliance, slammed the multinational company for refusing to proffer permanent solutions to the problem of oil spills on its facility in the area.

In a statement, the Coordinator, Eco Defence Alliance, Damian Gbogbara, said the latest spill occurred on Thursday 4th July 2024, at about 12:45 am in the Sugi area of the Bodo community.

Gbogbara said the incident in an area not far from where multiple oil spills have occurred in recent times on the Trans-Niger Pipeline operated by Shell

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He said the group has lost count of oil spill incidents in Bodo due to incessant occurrences, and warned that caution should be exercised by relevant authorities in the quest to find out the cause of the spill and subsequent closure of the leaked pipes to avoid any crisis in the community.

“Again, there is the need for transparency in the whole process, from constituting the JIV team to its implementation and its final result to avoid any form of crisis as witnessed the other time.

“The JIV report will help to hold the companies to account and also served as evidence-based documents for possible litigation on the ecosystem destruction, and safe the fragile Bodo, Ogoni, and Niger Delta Environment, especially with the ongoing clean up exercise by the Bodo Mediation Initiative, beside the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project coordinated Clean Up gearing up to start in the area,” he stated.

He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to embark on a joint investigation visit with Shell and other relevant stakeholders to the spill site in the Sugi Area of Bodo City and not to delay as it has always been doing.

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He further said the JIV report would help to determine the cause and volume of the spill and the extent of damage to the Environment and the ecosystem and warned against any attempt to manipulate the JIV process and its outcome.

He added, “The latest spill occurred on Thursday 4th July 2024, at about 12 45 am in the Sugi area of the Bodo community.

He said the group has lost count of oil spill incidents in Bodo due to incessant occurrences, and warned that caution should be exercised by relevant authorities in the quest to find out the cause of the spill and subsequent closure of the leaked pipes to avoid any crisis in the community.

“Again, there is the need for transparency in the whole process, from constituting the JIV team to its implementation and its final result to avoid any form of crisis as witnessed the other time.”

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Umahi Frowns At Slow Pace Of Suleja-Minna Road Construction

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has expressed sadness and disappointment over the slow pace and poor quality of the Suleja-Minna federal road construction, which has been ongoing for 14 years.

Despite reports of 84% completion, Umahi stated that the work executed does not match the reported progress.

Umahi’s comments came during a Town Hall Meeting and stakeholders’ engagement on the construction of the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagri superhighway in Minna, Niger State.

The minister emphasized the need for improved quality and speed in the project’s execution and added that all contractors handling federal government projects in Niger State will be invited for assessment.

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The Minister had passed through the Suleja-Minna Road to attend the meeting and express disappointment over the snail pace of work.

In addition to addressing the Suleja-Minna Road project, Umahi announced that the Federal Government is redesigning the Kano-Abuja Expressway. The new design will feature the use of concrete, which is expected to increase the road’s lifespan to between 50 to 100 years.

Governor Umaru Bago praised the value addition captured along the corridor of the road, particularly the irrigation potentials that the proposed 68 dams will avail farmers in the State. He also declared support for the choice of concrete in road construction.

Other stakeholders at the event raised concerns over funding and completion time of the projects.

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Bitcoin hits $90,000 for the first time as Trump backs crypto

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Bitcoin reached a record high above $90,000 on Wednesday, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency gained from President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ease regulation on digital assets.

Bitcoin surged to a peak of $91,000 before settling at $90,670.

The volatile asset has soared since Trump’s US presidential election victory last week, repeatedly setting new records.

Trump had pledged during his campaign to make the United States the “Bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world.”

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His previous term included corporate tax cuts that boosted market liquidity, encouraging cryptocurrency investment.

In September, Trump announced he and his sons, along with entrepreneurs, would launch a digital currency platform called World Liberty Financial. However, its sales launch earlier this month was lacklustre, with only a fraction of tokens sold.

Cryptocurrencies have drawn global attention, marked by extreme volatility and the collapse of major industry players, including the FTX exchange.

In the lead-up to the election, Trump reportedly became the first former president to use Bitcoin in a transaction, buying burgers at a New York restaurant that hailed it as a “historic transaction.”

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NYSC announces date for ‘2024 Batch C’ registration

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The management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, on Wednesday, announced the date for the online registration of prospective 2024 batch C stream I corps members.

The management said the exercise will commence on Thursday, 14 November, 2024.

This was made known in a post on the official X handle of the NYSC on Wednesday.

“Online Registration for 2024 Batch ‘C’ SC Stream I commences 14th November 2024,” the statement read.

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The orientation course will commence later on a date to be announced by the NYSC management.

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