Governor Buni speaks on the impact of climate change and urges people to plant trees

By: Yahaya Wakili

Yobe State governor Mai Mala Buni has urged the people of the state to plant trees in order to mitigate the effects of climate change on people and communities in the state.

Buni said tree planting in our localities is important for improving livelihoods and security, as well as for stabilising and restoring our degraded landscape ecosystem and mitigating the negative impact of climate change on our people.

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State stated this while flagging off the launching of the 2026 tree planting in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

He said this year’s tree planting campaign slogan is “one person, one tree for greener and sustainable Yobe”.

According to Governor Buni, this year the government has raised three million seedlings of assorted species of trees that suit our climate conditions, such as baobab, mahogany, pankia, tamarind, mansonia, moringa, and a host of other trees that provide unquantifiable uses and values to our people.

“Sadly, our environment is becoming dry, as a result of indiscriminate felling of trees without replacement,” Governor Buni added.

He said the government established six weather monitoring stations in different locations across the state, namely in Machina, Gashua, Yunusari, Jakusko, and Damaturu local government areas.

He directed all the local government chairmen to undertake the campaign in their various local government areas between 26 and 30 August 2026.

In a keynote address, the commissioner of the ministry of environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, appealed to the communities, households, schools, and civil society organisations to afford the tree planting not as a ceremonial duty but as a vital necessity.

Also, in his welcome speech, the chairman of the Damaturu local government area, Alhaji Bukar Adamu, reaffirmed the support of all the local government councils in the state.

Governor Buni speaks on the impact of climate change and urges people to plant trees.

NESREA Seals Four Nasarawa Facilities Over Pollution, Regulatory Breaches

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has stepped up its enforcement of environmental regulations, as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) sealed four facilities in Nasarawa State over alleged pollution and other environmental violations.

The affected facilities are ABZAT Quarry, Hoafong Mining Trading Company Ltd, Emono Venture and Mivanyi Integrated Farms.

The enforcement operation, conducted on Thursday by officials of NESREA’s Karu Operational Office, was led by the Head of Operations, Mr. Da’am Monday.

NESREA said the facilities were shut down for breaches of environmental standards, including pollution-related offences and failure to comply with prescribed regulatory requirements.

The action is part of the agency’s continuing nationwide enforcement drive aimed at compelling industrial, mining, quarrying and other operators to comply with environmental laws and prevent activities capable of endangering public health and degrading the environment.

The latest crackdown is particularly significant in Nasarawa, where mining and quarrying activities have expanded in recent years, raising concerns over their potential consequences for air quality, land, water resources and communities located around extraction and processing sites.

Quarrying and mining activities can generate dust and other air pollutants, noise and vibration, while poorly managed operations may also contribute to land degradation and contamination of surrounding areas.

NESREA, established by law to enforce environmental standards, regulations and guidelines, has the statutory responsibility to monitor regulated activities and take enforcement action against operators whose activities threaten environmental quality.

The agency has increasingly deployed facility closures as an enforcement measure, particularly where operators allegedly continue to disregard environmental requirements.

In September 2025, NESREA sealed 29 facilities across Ekiti, Osun and Ogun States over alleged environmental pollution and regulatory violations. The agency said some of the affected recycling facilities posed serious health and environmental risks because of hazardous waste generated by their operations.

The agency has also intensified its monitoring of quarrying activities in the Federal Capital Territory.

In February 2026, NESREA shut a quarry in Abuja following a fatal blasting incident involving a 10-year-old boy. Officials said the quarry had previously been sealed during enforcement operations.

The successive enforcement actions reflect the government’s broader effort to ensure that economic activities do not come at the expense of environmental protection and the safety of host communities.

For operators in the extractive and industrial sectors, compliance with environmental regulations is increasingly becoming a condition for continued operation rather than a mere administrative requirement.

NESREA has warned regulated facilities to adopt environmentally responsible practices and deploy appropriate technologies capable of reducing pollution and other harmful environmental impacts.

The agency said its enforcement activities were aimed at safeguarding the environment, protecting public health and promoting sustainable development.

The Nasarawa operation consequently sends a strong warning to mining, quarrying, agricultural and other industrial operators that the Federal Government is prepared to sanction facilities found operating in breach of environmental standards.

The agency’s continuing crackdown also underscores the need for businesses to maintain proper environmental management systems, comply with applicable standards and ensure that their operations do not expose surrounding communities to avoidable environmental and health hazards.

NESREA Seals Four Nasarawa Facilities Over Pollution, Regulatory Breaches

I’ve Delivered on Lawmaking, Representation, Oversight, Attracted Projects to Ethiope East — Akpowowo

The Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olorogun Arthur Akpowowo, has said he has delivered on his legislative responsibilities through lawmaking, grassroots representation and oversight, while also attracting development projects to Ethiope East.

Akpowowo stated this in an exclusive interview with Oasis Magazine on Thursday in Eku, while assessing his performance after three and a half years in office and highlighting some of the interventions recorded during his tenure.

According to him, the responsibilities of a lawmaker are lawmaking, representation and oversight of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

He said he had, to the best of his ability, discharged the three responsibilities effectively, both as an individual legislator and as part of the Delta State House of Assembly.

Lawmaking

Speaking on his legislative activities, Akpowowo said he had sponsored bills and co-sponsored bills introduced by other members of the House.

He explained that because of his position as Deputy Speaker, lawmakers who sponsor private member bills often approach him to co-sponsor their legislation, helping such bills progress through the various stages of consideration.

He stressed that lawmaking was a collective responsibility, noting that even a legislator with strong ideas could not successfully pass legislation without securing the support of other members.

Akpowowo said he had particularly developed an interest in environmental legislation because of his conviction that a better environment would contribute to healthier citizens and reduce the burden of healthcare costs.

“I’ve sponsored bills personally, especially bills that have to do with the environment,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker, who is a lawyer, said his interest in environmental issues had developed over time and that he wanted to use legislation to contribute to a healthier environment in Delta State.

Accessibility and Grassroots Representation

On representation, Akpowowo said he had fulfilled his campaign promise to remain accessible and available to his constituents.

He noted that constituents could visit him without encountering the heavily armed security presence often associated with political office holders.

According to him, he returns home every weekend, attends social events, mourns with those who are bereaved and celebrates with those marking important occasions.

He also disclosed that he operates a functional constituency office in Isiokolo, staffed with aides who attend to constituents who cannot travel to Eku.

He said concerns received through the office are transmitted to him for appropriate legislative action.

Akpowowo also identified town hall meetings as an important component of his representation strategy.

He recalled organising a town hall meeting to mark his first year in office, bringing together traditional rulers, market associations, President-Generals of various progress unions, students and civil society organisations.

Continuing, he said the meeting gave him the opportunity to brief stakeholders on what he had done and what he intended to do, while also allowing constituents to identify projects and other interventions needed in their communities.

Empowerment Programmes

The Deputy Speaker also highlighted his empowerment programmes as part of his efforts to improve the living conditions of his constituents.

He recalled that his first major empowerment programme became an example for other lawmakers after the Speaker of the House encouraged members to emulate him.

According to Akpowowo, the member representing Sapele Constituency, who is also the Chief Whip of the House, subsequently organised his own empowerment programme, which members of the Assembly attended.

Akpowowo said he later held another town hall meeting coupled with empowerment on March 7, 2026, at Baptist High School.

He maintained that representation went beyond legislative activities in the chamber, stressing that elected representatives must remain connected to the people they serve.

“I have represented my people very well. I’m available for them,” he said.

School Projects Across the Constituency

Akpowowo also highlighted his efforts to attract infrastructure development to schools within the constituency.

He disclosed that he was working on Ugono Primary School, Urhuoka Primary School 1 and Oviorie Primary School.

According to him, Ugono Primary School and Urhuoka Primary School 1 require rehabilitation, while the condition of Oviorie Primary School is so poor that the existing structure would be demolished and rebuilt.

He explained that constituency projects were intended to address identified needs in communities, with the relevant government ministries carrying out assessments and determining the appropriate intervention.

Akpowowo said his position as Deputy Speaker also gives him the opportunity to attract more constituency projects than an ordinary member of the House.

He disclosed that the projects were expected to be completed by October 2026.

Eku-Abraka Road Intervention

The Deputy Speaker also recalled his intervention in the poor condition of the road linking Eku and Abraka, describing it as one of the areas where he had worked to attract government attention to a pressing community need.

He said shortly after his inauguration in 2023, he prepared a motion of urgent public importance over the deteriorating condition of the road.

However, he said officials of the House advised him to first discuss the matter with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

Akpowowo said he subsequently approached the governor and explained the difficulties residents were experiencing as a result of the poor condition of the road.

According to him, the governor immediately contacted Obakpor Engineering and directed the company to scope the road.

He said the road was subsequently rehabilitated from Eku through Abraka to Obiaruku, providing an alternative route for residents at the time.

He recalled that the federal Eku-Agbor Road was also in poor condition, making the intervention particularly important to residents travelling between the communities.

Oversight of Government

On his oversight responsibilities, Akpowowo said the House had continued to monitor the activities and expenditure of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He explained that the Assembly’s responsibility goes beyond appropriating funds, as lawmakers must also follow up to determine how approved allocations are being utilised.

According to him, the House examines what has been spent, the projects executed and what remains from appropriated funds.

Akpowowo said his assessment of his first term was therefore based on the three core responsibilities of a legislator and the tangible interventions he had been able to facilitate in his constituency.

He maintained that he had gone beyond the traditional functions of a lawmaker by also providing empowerment and welfare support to constituents who approached him for assistance.

“As an individual, I can say that I have carried out these three functions effectively, and as a House, I can say that the House has done very well in these regards,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker said he remained committed to using his position to attract development and improve the welfare of his constituents as his first term draws to a close.

I’ve Delivered on Lawmaking, Representation, Oversight, Attracted Projects to Ethiope East — Akpowowo