News
…Set To Combat Oil Spill In N’Delta …As NOSDRA Fines Agip Oil
The Minister of Environment, Mrs Hadiza Mailafa on Monday said the Federal Government was ready to reduce cases of oil spillage to its barest minimum in the Niger Delta region.
The minister said this in Lagos at the fourth Biennial Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI-WACAF) regional conference and workshop on oil spill preparedness and response.
Mailafa said that the National Oil Spill Detention and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was set up by the Federal Government to clean up the oil spill in the regional.
“Environmental problems are dynamic. The Federal Government already has an effective agency with statutory responsibility to ensure that those oil spills are cleaned up.
“The Federal Government is up to the task in ensuring that we have a clean environment and reduce the impact of oil spillage in the country.”
The minister called for the stakeholders’ participation in combating the problem of oil spill.
“ We are sitting together to brainstorm and we should ensure we find a lasting solution to this problem.’’
Mr Peter Idabor, Director-General of NOSDRA, said that there was collaboration among the countries to adequately prepare to combat oil spill.
Idabor said that Nigeria recognised the current trend of offshore oil exploration and production, the national oil spill detection and response agency.
He said that the activation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP), after its review by other relevant stakeholders in July, was successful.
“The exercise brought out areas of strength and challenges, while the recommendations derived from this exercise are being incorporated in the NOSCP.
“It is expected that the national drill would be conducted before the next biennium conference in 2013.”
The Minister of Transport, Mr Idris Umar, said the gathering would strengthen the oil spill preparedness and response capability of the 22 countries in West and Central and Africa sub-regions.
“The West and Central African region is a major maritime route for transportation of oil as well as very active area in the field of oil exploration and production.
“These activities have posed a serious and permanent risk of oil pollution in the region. There is therefore the constant need for efforts to protect our rich maritime environment and consequently organise and prepare responses to marine pollution incidents.”
In a related development, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has ordered the Nigeria Agip Oil Company Ltd to pay N1 million as fine for failing to remediate oil impacted sites in its area of operation.
A statement issued by NOSDRA made available to newsmen in Eket, Akwa Ibom, and signed by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Henshaw Oguwike, said the agency had informed Agip of its decision in writing.
It said: “The fine was imposed on Agip for the lack of response and failure to immediately contain, recover and clean-up oil spill impacted sites at its OB/OB Gas Plant in Obrikom Omoku, Rivers.
“In a letter to Agip dated September 19 over the incident, the Director-General/Chief Executive of NOSDRA, Mr Peter Idabor, said the action of the company amounted to contravention of Section 6(3) of the NOSDRA Act.
NOSDRA further directed Agip to mobilise to the oil impacted site already destroyed by the inferno resulting from the oil spill, for immediate clean-up and remediation, so as to prevent further degradation of the environment.
It further said that the director-general had informed the company that the quantum of compensation to be paid would be determined by the outcome of the damage assessment to be conducted by NOSDRA.
The letter also directed Agip to pay the fine N1 million into NOSDRA account within 14 days from the date of receipt of the letter or face stiffer penalty.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor