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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
Adamawa Court fixes Nov. 3 for Furore Emirate case defense
Adamawa State High Court IV sitting in Yola on Wednesday adjourned a case challenging the Adamawa government for the creation of the Fufore emirate council from Adamawa emirate to November 3rd and 4th for defense.
Justice Musa Usman who presided over the case said, this at the end of two days hearing from the principal witness, plaintiffs.
The case which was filed by the three traditional titles holders of Adamawa emirate; Alhaji Musa Halilu, Dujuma Adamawa, Mustapha Dahiru, Yarima Adamawa and Alhaji Mustapha Ahmadu, Sarki Noma Adamawa that due process was not followed before the creation of Fufore emirate.
Manga Nurudeen (SAN), counsel to the plaintiffs, told newsmen at the end of the seating that they had called four witnesses in the case and concluded.
“As you may have seen, the court has adjourned to 3rd and 4th of November for the defense, for the government and the new airmen to bring their own witnesses to be cross examined.
The defense counsel, state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Afraimu Jingi, also said they have successfully taken the evidence of the plaintiffs during the two days of seating.
“They listed five witnesses they were able to call four and they closed their case.
“And fortunately we have been able to answer the questions to our mind that we thought we can discredit them to our mind which is left to the court to determine”, he said.
According to him, they were satisfied with the proceedings and they do not have any burden on them as the next agenda will be defense.
Adamawa Court fixes Nov. 3 for Furore Emirate case defense
NSCDC Promotes Grassroots Security, Community-Based Intelligence
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening grassroots security and community-based intelligence across the country as tools for tackling insecurity.
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Audi gave the commitment during his working visit of Anambra State as part of his continued strategic operational tour of the South East.
Audi, who was received by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, noted that his visit was aimed at assessing the welfare of personnel, understanding field challenges, and reinforcing the Corps’ operational capacity in the region.
Speaking during the courtesy call at the Government House, Awka, the Commandant General commended the Governor for his administration’s proactive efforts in maintaining peace and stability. He also solicited greater logistical and infrastructural support to enhance the NSCDC’s performance in the state.
He said: “Security must begin from the grassroots. That is where the people live, work, and build the future. The Corps remains resolute in delivering quality service and ensuring that the confidence of Nigerians, particularly Ndi Anambra, in our operations is not misplaced.”
Soludo, in his response, commended the NSCDC for its professionalism, discipline, and resilience, especially in safeguarding critical national assets and public infrastructure.
He said: “Here in Anambra, the Light of the Nation, our greatest asset is our people: creative, enterprising, and innovative. They are the engine of our economy. Ensuring their safety and prosperity is a shared responsibility, and we appreciate the NSCDC for standing firm in that mission.”
The governor pledged continued partnership and support for the Corps, affirming that security remains the foundation for the state’s economic growth and innovation-driven development.
The Commandant General’s tour of Anambra is part of a nationwide operational assessment aimed at improving welfare, operational readiness, and synergy among security stakeholders. It underscores the NSCDC’s renewed focus on community trust, proactive engagement, and service excellence under Prof. Audi’s leadership.
NSCDC Promotes Grassroots Security, Community-Based Intelligence
Security forces rescue three kidnapped women in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Security forces have rescued three kidnapped women following a gun battle with bandits along the Anka–Bukkuyum road in Anka Local Government Area.
Sources said the incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Oct. 7, when armed bandits blocked the highway and attacked a Golf vehicle with registration number RBC 22 ABUJA.
The assailants abducted the driver and three passengers before the arrival of the Anti-Kidnapping team led by Insp. Ibrahim Ubandoma.
The security team engaged the bandits in a fierce shootout, overpowering them and rescuing the three abducted passengers unhurt.
The rescued victims were identified as Lantana Abubakar, aged 70; Fatima Muhammad, aged 45; and Suwaiba Muhammad, aged 40, all residents of Gummi town in Gummi Local Government Area.
The victims were safely escorted to Anka town by the security team.
Efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining abducted driver, as patrol operations continue in the area.
Security forces rescue three kidnapped women in Zamfara
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