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PIA Inadequate in Addressing Challenges of Niger Delta Region, Says Group
PIA Inadequate in Addressing Challenges of Niger Delta Region, Says Group
By: Michael Mike
The Petroleum Industry Act (2021) has been observed as inadequate in providing solutions to the ecological and environmental challenges of the Niger Delta region.
This was observed by stakeholders at the Third Niger Delta Socio-Ecological Alternatives Convergence (NDAC), organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Highlighting the recent approved Niger Delta alternative manifesto for socio ecological justice, Mr. Ken Henshaw noted that while oil has been extracted from the region for over 64 years, the people in the area have been subjected to poverty, less developed and remained more unsecured.
He said the communities in the area that have borne the brunt of oil extraction and Nigeria’s oil economy for over six decades deserve urgent and immediate attention.
He however regretted that they are made to pay for offences not committed just to deny them the right of benefit from the 3 percent as provided by PIA.
Henshaw, who is the Executive Director, We The People, said: “We noted that the PIA is inadequate in addressing the challenges of our region. In parywe not the provisions on community responsibility for protecting oil infrastructures which effectively criminalises our people, provisions on gas flaring which effectively permits the practice, provisions on establishing the host communities funds which gives primacy to oil companies and fails to capture the interest and concerns of our communities”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, noted that the Niger Delta is an undeniable sacrificial zone whose degraded situation must be realigned for the wellbeing of the people and the environment.
He decried that the region has been placed on a bloody slab and visited with unrelenting abuse by the forces of extractivism, internal colonialism and dispossession, stressing that “It has been recklessly exploited right from the time of slavery to the time of colonial monopolies and current realities where it is raped for the sake of keeping a waning petroleum civilization on life support”.
Bassey explained that the programme does not only highlight the huge socio-ecological challenges of the region but also proposes very clear pathways out of the quagmire.
He said “the convergence notes the extreme negative impacts of oil and gas exploitation in the region as well as the massive deforestation and diverse erosion of both the land and the coastlines.
“We note that while the region is made up of a complex ecosystem of streams, rivers, creeks and the sea, potable water is a rarity due to incessant oil spills and the dumping of hazardous industrial wastes into both surface and ground water”.
Speaking further, the HOMEF Executive Director stated that the manifesto foregrounded the struggle against the reckless pattern of crooked divestment schemed and allegedly promoted by the international oil companies (IOCs).
He said: “The plans by the international oil companies to sell off their onshore fields to domestic oil companies and either leave Nigeria or move into deep offshore locations has been roundly condemned as a ploy to escape responsibility and accountability for close to 70 years of unbelievably horrendous pollution of the territory through oil spills, hazardous produced water, toxic wastes and gas flaring”.
He however, urged the National Assembly to act on the matter of existential consequences for the people and the territory, saying that the communities cannot afford to be left stranded in the toxic brew bequeathed to them by the oil companies.
The stakeholders also called for the remediation and restoration of all impacted territories and for payment of reparations for the damage suffered in past years.
According to Bassey, “We should point out here that even the first oil wells drilled, exploited from the 1950s and abandoned in the 1970s, are still polluting the environment because there has not been a proper abandonment and decommissioning process”.
Chairman of the convergence, King Bubaraye Dakolo, noted the need for collective voices for changes in the region. He said “We must have our environment restored. The country has benefited hugely from the resources gotten from the Niger Delta but the region have not felt the positive of the benefits of the natural resources.”
He described the PIA as an anti-people law brought against the Niger Deltans. “A law that criminalises the host producing communities, we are going to ensure the right thing is done, they should clean and restore the environment before divesting”, Dakolo added.
PIA Inadequate in Addressing Challenges of Niger Delta Region, Says Group
Flame Initiatives, RCCG empowers widows in FCT
By: Michael Mike
As part of its commitment to foster empowerment in marginalised communities, Flame Initiatives, a Non-Governmental Organisation under the CINTA Widows Empowerment Programme, has donated food items, funds, and other materials to widows in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The outreach carried out in Abuja, was in collaboration with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), The Lord’s Place.
Speaking, the Lead Pastor of the RCCG, the Lord’s Place, Pastor Ola Omosebi, charged the Federal government to make concerted efforts to enhance the current economic situation facing the country, deploying urgent solutions without altering long-term policies.
Pastor Omosebi said the church is emulating how Christ fed 5,000 persons during famine while asking the government to act fast to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
“The major direction of this event is to have at least one day a year where widows are brought together and empowered with soft skills, business skills, enterprise skills and encouragement. One of the things this program offers is hope. “
He urged the government to support widows through sustainable initiatives. Providing a dedicated secretariat advocating for women, particularly widows, with government representatives.
“People are struggling to make ends meet, and the prolonged hardship is leading to depression, despair, and even death. The government must prioritize quick-fix solutions alongside long-term plans to restore hope and confidence in the economy.”
Also speaking, the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat of the FCT Administration (FCTA), Dr Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, expressed empathy for the resilient widows, noting that one cannot understand what it means to be in their shoes.
Laniyi, represented by her Personal Assistant, Mrs. Kemi Samuel, noted the fundamental role a husband/father plays, stating that loss can change lives and test the core of beings.
She celebrated the widows for their resilience and strength while acknowledging the challenges amidst the hardship and grief come the capacity to adapt.
She said, “We are here to support one another. Let today be a reminder to encourage and uplift one another.
“It’s an honour to celebrate strength, resilience, and community.
She noted that the event is a testament to the extraordinary courage and unwavering determination of everyone who has navigated the challenges of widows.
Also, the President of Widows Organisation International FCT Chapter, Aisha Baba Ringo, advised widows to persevere and be hardworking.
According to her, “Being a widow doesn’t mean all hope is lost, it’s also not a stigma”.
A beneficiary of the programme, Ms Oyeyemi Obende, said the programme has been educative, innovative and supportive. She advised widows not to give up even if the world looked down on them.
Flame Initiatives was established to provide the disadvantaged and mainly rural population with relief materials, motivation, and empowerment to improve their physical and social well-being. Their main objective is to drive social change in communities by facilitating development in the public and private sectors.
Flame Initiatives, RCCG empowers widows in FCT
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COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION RECEIVES MD NELFUND IN MAIDUGURI; INTERFACES WITH STUDENTS AND ERADICATORS
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION RECEIVES MD NELFUND IN MAIDUGURI; INTERFACES WITH STUDENTS AND ERADICATORS
By: Our Reporter
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, has visited Borno State to engage with students, educators, and government officials, highlighting the benefits of the NELFUND initiative.
NELFUND, an initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to provide all higher institution students with access to financial resources, enabling them to pursue their educational goals and aspirations at ease.
The Managing Director NELFUND Akintunde Sawyerr emphasized his commitment to revitalizing education in the country, stating that the loan programme is designed to also reduce unproductivity and unhappiness amongst Nigerians students, which often lead to broader societal issues.
Sawyerr explained The loan’s modalities, which include creating an online profile as a prerequisite for application, clarifying that the loan is interest-free and does not require a fixed repayment period, making it accessible and flexible for students.
Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, reiterated the state government’s commitment to facilitating student access to the loan, hence announced the establishment of a dedicated desk officer for NELFUND in the state Ali Sherriff to work in collaboration with the Special Adviser to governor Zulum on Higher Education and other educators.
This initiative, Wakilbe added will guide students throughout the application process and ensure they fully understand THE benefits of the loan, which he described as a low-risk grant and encouraged all eligible students to take advantage of the programme.
During the session, questions were raised seeking further clarification, where the Managing Director provided detailed responses, shedding more light on the programme and its benefits.
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION RECEIVES MD NELFUND IN MAIDUGURI; INTERFACES WITH STUDENTS AND ERADICATORS
News
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE: NARC AND KING’S COLLEGE LONDON PARTNER TO ENHANCE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE: NARC AND KING’S COLLEGE LONDON PARTNER TO ENHANCE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
By: Our Reporter
The Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja, marked yet another significant milestone, as participants of the Strategic Leadership Programme Phase 11/2024 successfully graduated in a brief but colourful ceremony at Hall C, TY Buratai Block of the Centre.
The graduation ceremony followed an intensive five-day executive education course programme, conducted in collaboration with King’s College London, an initiative designed to enhance human resource capacity and deepen participants’ understanding of leadership in an evolving global environment.
The course brought together senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, government officials, retired senior military officers and professionals from the private sector, equipping them with critical insights into the contemporary complex and dynamic challenges and how to navigate through.
The Special Guest of Honour, Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General OO Oluyede GSS mni was represented by the Chief of Training (Army), Major General SG Mohammed, who presented certificates to the participants, thus underscoring the programme’s importance in fostering strategic thinking and professional growth.
The event was further enriched by the esteemed presence of the Director General of NARC, Major General GA Wahab (Rtd), PhD, alongside some management staff the centre and consultants, distinguished members of academia from King’s College London, directors, resource persons, and senior officers, both serving and retired.
The ceremony, further highlighted the enduring partnership between NARC and King’s College London in advancing leadership excellence and human capital development in Nigeria.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE: NARC AND KING’S COLLEGE LONDON PARTNER TO ENHANCE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
Flame Initiatives, RCCG empowers widows in FCT
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