News
Fresh oil spill hits Ogoni community, destroys farmlands
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.
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
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.
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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Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions
By Gloria Ikibah
News
Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.
He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.
Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.
The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.
“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.
“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.
“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.
News
We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister
Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.
Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.
“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.
“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”
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