Nation
Don Seeks Law Against Defection
A public affairs analyst, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has described the act of taking mandates received from one political party to another through defection by elected office holders as unwholesome.
Pearse, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, said this in an interview with The Tide source yesterday in Lagos
He said there was the need for a law that would prevent such practices to promote politics with principles in the country.
He said the recent defections of Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara and Ben Ayade of Cross River and some lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties were not good for the nation’s democracy.
Pearse said: “There should be a law against this unwholesome practice of receiving the mandate of one party and taking it to support the fortunes of another political party.
“Each of the PDP governors and others who defected to APC and other political parties from APC is running away from debilitating personal problems. Their crossover is a matter of expediency, not principles.
“Their political parties and the people who gave them the opportunity to become leaders of their states are powerless at this point in time to help them.
“The defection of people to the ruling party and others is a reflection of the desperate times we live in. Principles and morality are fast becoming luxuries that people can hardly afford,” he said.
According to him, the defection from party to party has become a norm in Nigerian politics, especially at the approach of the 2023 general elections.
He said the recent defections could be perceived as a prelude to 2023.
Pearse said: “Political party membership usually becomes stable after the national elections.
“Many of the defectors to APC and other parties are likely to shuttle back to their original parties once that party is back in power.
“What is more worrying today is preserving the unity and continued democratic existence of the nation.”
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3