Opinion

Delay In Implementation of UNEP Report, In Whose Interest?

Published

14 years ago

August 13, 2012

One year after the United Nations Environmental programme
(UNEP), submitted assessment report on Ogoniland, the Federal government is yet
to act on the recommendations of the report which include clean up and
remediation of the area. Our Correspondent, Calista Ezeaku went to town to
sample views on the delayed implementation of the report. Nwuieh Donatus Ken
captured their facial expressions.

Chief Gilbert Warinee – Community Leader

I come from an oil bearing community where we have
precisely, over sixteen oil wells. And the UNEP report was one of the reports
Ogoni people had in the history of the operation of Shell oil company in Ogoni
land. And the entire Ogoni people are not happy over the delay in
implementating that report because it was one of the best scientific reports we
have ever had. And we feel that if that report is implemented, it will do a lot
to benefit the entire Ogoni people. We feel that if that report is implemented,
it will tackle some of the problems we have in Ogoniland.

We are still dialoguing, pleading with government to act on
the report. But at the end of the day, we will not have any other option than
to seek redress because it was one of the best reports we feel that was done to
Ogoni people. So for now, we are still dialoguing and consulting because we,
the Ogoni people are peaceful, we don’t make problems. So we are still pleading
with government to implement that report.

We do not want government to set up any other committee to
look into that report because that report is of international standard, and so
we expect government to come and implement it.

The state government should join the Ogoni people to plead
with the federal government to implement the report. Ogoni belongs to Rivers
State and Rivers State should prevail on the federal government to implement.

I was a member of that UNEP Board. To the best of my
knowledge, I was the focal person in Ogoni land that represented the entire
Khana local government Area. I was a member of the UNEP Consultation Committee.
So I know much about that report, how it started and how it ended and even when
it was submitted. So since after that investigation, we are not happy because
the whole area is polluted, we don’t even have drinking water. And by the
report we had, Ogoni people have lost lives, because the whole area was devastated,
the whole area was polluted. We had expected that by now, even as common as
potable drinking water would have been provided by government. But we are still
drinking the water that make people lose their lives.

So we are not happy. We want government to immediately
implement that report, Shell had always said that all that happened in Ogoni
land was sabotage but by the report, we have seen that Shell was instrumental
to all the pollution, all the devastation we have in Ogoni land, because for
donkey years Shell has been operating in the area and has not done anything to
alleviate the sufferings of the people. And so, both Shell and the federal
government should come together and implement that report.

Alhaji Umaru Sornda Ewunee, an artist

On the issue of that UNEP report, we can see that the
Federal government is delaying, Shell is delaying. They know the lives of the
Ogonis are at stake here. All our environment, our sources of existence have
been devastated by the pollution and for them not to come and clean up the
area, it then means they don’t regard us. This was what Ken Saro Wiwa was
talking about before he was killed. And the continued delay of this clean up is
really affecting us. We really want them to come and clean up the area because
it is affecting us. For example, in my community, Kpean in Khana LGA, which is
one of the oil producing areas, this thing has been happening.

The first time it happened in 1975, it was like that, since
then the whole community has been suffering from pollution. Our source of
drinking water is polluted because of oil exploration. In 2006, there was
another explosion and it was burning for about six months. For about six
months, the fire was raging and it damaged the environment. So we don’t see why
they should not come and clean up the whole place.

The truth there is that the Ogoni people are going to come
out in protest if they don’t come up with any remedial measure. I believe this
second time we will come out, it will be the end of every thing with the
Federal government. Our first coming out was on January 4, 1993 when the whole
Ogonis came out and protested against the environmental problems caused by
Shell in the area. So if we come out this second time, it is going to be very
serious.

We heard the state government has been sending drinking
water to the people, particularly the Eleme people in tanks. That is
appreciated but for how long can that continue? How can we continue like that?
The best thing they should do is to come and clean up the place to give us good
source of drinking water. Our streams where we used to get drinking water from
are polluted. We don’t have any source of drinking water in my community, the
so-called bore holes sunk by Shell are not working. All that you see there are
just empty over head water tanks. Because of the devastation of the area,
erosion has set in and the whole place is contaminated, including oil spillage
and the rest of them.

So they should come and clean up the place so that we can
start to enjoy normal life again.

Mr. Benedict Tambari – Environmentalist/Politician

The federal government is merely playing politics with the
UNEP report. If not, why should the Federal government come up with another
thing they called Hydro carbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) instead
of implementation of the report that was submitted one year ago.

It clearly shows lack of sincerity on the part of the
federal government. The way the government reacts to environmental issues in
the Niger Delta, particularly in Ogoniland is condemnable.

Why should government be going the way they are going on an
issue that concerns the lives of the people. These are people that depend on
the soil and the rivers for their livelihood. Today, all that have been
polluted as a result of oil exploration that has been going on here for years,
both the federal government and the oil companies are finding it difficult to
compensate the people whose means of livelihood has been damaged and who are
exposed to all kinds of sickness due to the poor environment they dwell in.

Now, let me remind government that the youth restiveness in
the Niger Delta started because of the government’s total neglect on the
region.

You cannot oppress the people and mete out injustice on them
and expect them to keep quiet. I pray government should not push the Ogonis too
far. We are bonafide citizens of this country and should be treated as such.

Eucharia Somiari – Pepple, Lawyer

The United nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), does not
have to come to this place to tell us what and what not to do. Ordinarily, it
is clear, we know what to do. Clean up has to be done.

We should have carried out our own investigation on
Ogoniland to know the depth of damage that has been done. We should have done
that not to get people from abroad to do that and in reparation they would have
scooped the land, and remove all that affected area and use other fresh soil to
replace the damaged soil. The particular company that owns that field should
have done that.

The beneficiaries of that field, should have done the
reparation to know the extent of damage. That is their responsibility.

The compensation is not only in cash. What is compensation?
Compensation is bringing back a person to the position the person was before
the damaging incident took place . So, how was the soil before that incident
took place? You have to bring back that soil to what it used to be before that
incident.

The legal implication of the delay in the implementation of
that UNEP report is that they have not done anything.

They were supposed to do something before UNEP came. UNEP
has come and made some pronouncements and written to them, they are not still
taking a decision, the Ogonis should seek redress. And how will they seek the
redress? They need to seek redress with the court, with the UNEP report. And if
they have independent people, specialists that have tested the soil and made
their reports, they should join their report with the UNEP report and seek
redress.

So, I think the Federal government should set up a panel to
look into that UNEP report and take a decision concerning it. They have to
really look into that report because the people are still the way they are, and
they are Nigerians, irrespective of where they come from. So, it is very
important they look into that report.

Mrs Lilian Okonkwo, a journalist

I’m sorry to say this, but I see the delay in implementation
of the UNEP report as something usual. It is the Nigerian style. Of course, we
know that the period a report is approved and the period of implementation
could be two years, three years. And so, this is not a different case. It is
our style.

But having said that, I think it’s unfortunate, because the
Ogoni issue is an issue that needs urgent attention, talking about cleaning up
the place because the people are suffering. You will hear there is no water for
drinking. The place is polluted. And so, I think that this issue should not go
the way other issues go in Nigeria, because we know that the Ogoni case is
supposed to be a special case. It is one of the major issues that have caused
problems in Niger Delta. So if an international body has looked at the
situation there and said certain things should be done, those recommended steps
should be taken. It should not go the Nigerian way. There should be an
improvement from this Nigerian factor. The recommendation should be carried out
without delay.

The state government and the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC), should work towards the fast implementation of the report
because it will enhance the living standard of the people. If there are ways
the state government can ameliorate the sufferings of the affected communities
by establishing one or two things for them, it will be highly welcomed.

Mr. Godspower Nwoke, teacher.

Sometimes it really bothers me the way things are going on
in this country. God in his own wisdom deposited the oil in the Niger Delta,
but instead of the people of the Niger Delta benefitting from the oil, we are
being exposed to all kinds of diseases as a result of the oil exploration while
the resources are used and squandered by those in power and as well as used to
develop other parts of the country.

When the UNEP report was submitted last year, we saw it as a
good thing coming to Ogoni land. We were even hoping that the scientific report
done in Ogoni will be extended to other communities in the Niger Delta whose
farm lands, water and the entire environment have been damaged because of oil
actitivites going on there.

And for federal government to sit on the report for over one
year now, is rather very unfortunate.

Opinion

Agony In Ivory Tower

Published

3 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: A university that tolerates missing scripts, result manipulation and ‘sorting’ is not merely failing students—it is quietly destroying the moral foundation of education itself.”

The sad cases of missing scripts, compulsory Sorting, inputting of wrong results and other obnoxious practices in some public universities, leave much to be desired. One cannot imagine how a student will be compelled to suffer consequences of the flagrant negligence of a Head of Department, a lecturer, Department staff or an ICT staff.Many academic and non academic staff in several public universities seem to be performing far below standard, thus unproductive to the university system. The unacceptable cases of sorting, missing scripts, missing results, inputting of wrong grades to students, should not be mentioned in a university, not even in any academic community. This is because people who are employed to work in various positions should have cognate work experience and unquestionable competence. They should not be seen as certificate welding illiterates but people who have been proven to be worthy in learning and character, diligent and competent to carry out assigned responsibilities with minimal or no supervision.

The university as a citadel of learning should boast of men of integrity, people who are repositories of applied knowledge and competence to drive the much desired holistic development in a nation that functions on quality teaching and learning. A situation where a student having gone through the crucibles of learning and written a prescribed semester examination or class-based evaluation test, is told that his or her script is missing or that he or she did not participate in that academic exercise, or must sort to pass, is an unpardonable error and a height of callousness. In fact some lecturers and staff of Departments are using the seeming systemic defect (which is their architecture) as an opportunity to extort students. Sometimes it is discovered much to students chagrin that the supposed missing script was later discovered when a ransom was paid.

Since a lecturer, or Head of Department has in their disposal both Yam and the knife and determines who takes what (if they wish to give without strings), students have no alternative but to submit to their importunate demands in order to graduate at record time.Such practices should be unheard of in an institution that should be a vanguard of moral and ethical values and conduct. What people learn in school constitute their behavioural patterns in the society. Where the school as an agency of socialisation cannot drive positive change first in its immediate environment, then the objective of education as a bedrock for the development of society, is inevitably compromised and counter-productive. The German Reformer, Dr. Martins Luther was quoted as saying, “I advise parents not to put their wards or children in any school where the Bible is not being used as a rule of life because such institutions will unnecessarily be corrupt”.

Gleaning from Luther’s sentiment one can deduce that the lack of respect and regard for values as well as the absence of the fear of God is the greatest undoing of most public schools. Another major challenge is that lack of Information, Communication and Technology literacy or compliance on the part of some lecturers and heads of department, may have informed the decision to give students’ scripts to secretaries to compile and input students results thereby making the secretaries the determinants of students’ fate. It is not saying a new thing that some of the secretaries in the process of compiling results have inputted wrong results, omitted names or down graded some students or given unmerited grades to others.Society today is ICT-driven and ICT-literacy enhances efficiency, speed and a reasonable degree of accuracy if the person behind the computer is level headed, articulate, competent, alive to responsibilities and is aware that negligence on his or her part is not only tantamount to a disservice to the university but to the students who may not graduate at record time because of his or her (computer operator’s) gross ineptitude or carelessness.

The ICT era makes the carrying of hard copy of results obsolete as lecturers through the Heads of Department can log on to the central server of the Exams and Records (if any) or ICT unit and input students’ results directly. By so doing the incessant cases where result on spread sheet is different from the one published online, more often than not, caused by abject negligence, will be avoided. The process will also end the intermediary services of some staff in the universities’ Information, Communication and Technology Department which has become a money spinner-a lucrative source of income to many of them. In fact some ICT staff reserved the power to award grades to students depending on students’ degree of compliance to terms and conditions. They can dubiously make or unmake a student. The university community should be considered too lofty to have careless, negligent, immoral and academic or professionally deficient people as academic or non-academic staff.

The Governing Councils and Senates of universities should be proactive in addressing the menace of missing Script, inputting of wrong results and sorting. This is necessary to end the slogan “Education is scam” so the system can produce quality students who are truly found worthy in learning and in character by operators who exemplify diligence, moral and ethical values. The much-needed reform must begin within the institutions themselves, because the future of any society is shaped in its classrooms.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

Strength of Emotional Equality

Published

3 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: “Love thrives not when one gives more, but when both give fully — not in competition, not in performance, but in partnership.”

In every healthy relationship, there exists an invisible balance. It is not measured in grand gestures, expensive gifts, or public displays of affection. It is measured in something quieter and far more significant: emotional equality. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, love becomes less of a negotiation and more of a partnership. Emotional equality does not mean both individuals express love in identical ways. It does not require matching personalities or mirroring temperaments. Rather, it speaks to balance — a shared willingness to invest, to communicate, to be vulnerable, and to grow. It is the difference between two people walking side by side and one person constantly trying to catch up.

In many relationships, imbalance begins subtly. One partner initiates most conversations. One apologizes more frequently. One carries the emotional labor — remembering important dates, managing conflicts, sensing tension, and attempting reconciliation. Over time, this uneven distribution of emotional effort breeds exhaustion. The partner who gives more begins to feel unseen. The one who gives less may grow comfortable in emotional passivity. Love, in such a space, starts to tilt — slowly at first, then significantly. Resentment can creep in quietly, disguising itself as patience. Silence may replace honest dialogue. What once felt effortless begins to feel heavy.

When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, responsibility is shared. Both people are accountable for the health of the relationship. If conflict arises, neither hides behind silence nor dominates through control. Instead, they engage. They listen. They speak honestly without weaponizing words. Equality creates safety — and safety strengthens intimacy. It allows both individuals to express needs without fear of ridicule or rejection. One of the most overlooked aspects of emotional equality is vulnerability. True connection requires courage. It demands that both partners risk being misunderstood. But when vulnerability is one-sided, it becomes exposure rather than intimacy. If one person consistently opens up while the other remains guarded, trust cannot fully deepen.

Equality ensures that emotional risks are mutual. Where one shares fears, the other shares too. Where one admits weakness, the other responds with openness rather than judgment. In such a space, authenticity flourishes. Another crucial element is validation. In emotionally balanced relationships, both partners feel heard. Their concerns are not dismissed as “overreactions.” Their feelings are not minimized or compared. When couples operate on equal emotional ground, they acknowledge each other’s experiences as legitimate. They may not always agree, but they always respect. Validation does not mean surrendering one’s viewpoint; it means recognizing that another’s emotional reality matters.

Equality also protects individuality. Contrary to popular belief, healthy love does not erase personal identity — it enhances it. When both partners are emotionally secure, they do not feel threatened by each other’s independence. Personal ambitions are encouraged, not resented. Friendships are respected, not restricted. Growth is celebrated, not feared. Standing on equal emotional grounds means neither person shrinks to accommodate the other. Instead, both expand, knowing the relationship is strong enough to hold their evolution. Power dynamics often expose emotional inequality. When one partner controls communication — appearing and disappearing unpredictably, withholding affection, or using silence as leverage — imbalance emerges.

Emotional dominance weakens intimacy. It creates anxiety instead of assurance. But when couples share emotional power, there is consistency. There is clarity. There is no need to decode affection because it is offered freely and intentionally. It is important to understand that equality does not imply perfection. Couples will still disagree. They will face stress, miscommunication, and moments of frustration. However, when emotional footing is equal, conflict does not threaten the foundation. Instead, it becomes an opportunity for understanding. Both partners approach challenges as teammates rather than opponents. They choose resolution over ego and repair over pride.

Time often reveals whether emotional equality truly exists. In the early stages of love, intensity can disguise imbalance. Enthusiasm feels mutual. Effort appears equal. But as routine settles in and novelty fades, the structure of the relationship becomes clearer. Who still initiates? Who still invests? Who still shows up consistently? Sustainable love requires sustained balance. It is built not merely on attraction, but on deliberate reciprocity. Standing on equal emotional grounds requires intentionality. It demands honest conversations about needs and expectations. It requires both partners to examine their habits — whether they withdraw during tension, avoid accountability, or rely on the other to carry the emotional weight. Emotional maturity is not about avoiding conflict; it is about handling it responsibly and returning, again and again, to shared ground.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of emotional equality is peace. There is no constant anxiety about where one stands. No guessing games about commitment. No fear that affection may suddenly disappear. Instead, there is stability. There is reassurance. There is mutual effort. In a world where relationships often blur the lines between attention and commitment, equality offers clarity. It reminds us that love should not feel like competition or performance. It should feel like partnership. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, they build something resilient. They build trust that does not fracture easily. They build respect that does not depend on mood. They build a connection rooted not only in passion but in balance. And in that balance, love finds its strength — not in who gives more, but in how both give fully.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Opinion

NDDC: Time To Illuminate Homes

Published

2 weeks ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:“Twenty-five years on, the Niger Delta cannot celebrate illuminated streets while families sit in darkness. Development must begin inside the home — where children study, businesses grow, and lives are built — before it glows on the roadside.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 with a clear and urgent mandate: to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region. The creation of the Commission followed decades of agitation over environmental degradation, infrastructural neglect, and socio-economic marginalization in the region. Its core mandate included the development of roads, bridges, electricity, water supply, health facilities, education, housing, environmental remediation, and economic empowerment initiatives. At inception, expectations were high that the Commission would transform the Niger Delta into a model of regional development. Over the years, the NDDC has indeed implemented numerous projects across the nine Niger Delta states. Roads have been constructed and rehabilitated in several communities, easing transportation challenges.

Schools have been renovated, and new classroom blocks have been provided in underserved areas. Health centres have been built or upgraded, improving access to primary healthcare services. The Commission has also awarded scholarships to students, including foreign postgraduate scholarships, empowering thousands of youths academically.Skills acquisition and youth empowerment programmes have helped many young people gain vocational competencies.Through various interventions, the NDDC has contributed to job creation and local economic stimulation.Solar-powered street lighting projects have been widely implemented in urban and semi-urban communities. These streetlights have improved visibility at night and contributed to enhanced security in some areas. Markets, highways, and public spaces illuminated by solar lights have experienced extended business hours.

For these efforts, the Commission deserves acknowledgment and commendation. However, development must always align with foundational mandates and pressing grassroots realities. A growing concern among residents is that while streets are illuminated, many homes remain in darkness. Rural electrification and household power access remain inconsistent and inadequate across large parts of the region. In riverine and remote communities, families still rely on generators, kerosene lamps, or complete darkness after sunset. The irony of brightly lit streets juxtaposed with powerless homes cannot be ignored. Electricity at the household level directly impacts education, health, and small-scale enterprise. Students cannot effectively study at night without reliable indoor lighting.Families cannot preserve food or power essential appliances without stable electricity.

Micro and small businesses struggle to grow without dependable energy access. While street lighting enhances public aesthetics and security, it does not substitute for domestic electrification. The proverb “charity begins at home” is especially relevant in this context. True community development must first empower households before beautifying public spaces. The Commission’s original mandate emphasizes integrated and sustainable development, not isolated infrastructural gestures. Balanced development requires that energy interventions prioritize homes alongside streets. Solar technology presents a unique opportunity for decentralized household electrification in off-grid communities. Extending solar solutions to individual homes would have a transformative social impact. Home-based solar systems could power lights, fans, small appliances, and communication devices.

Such interventions would reduce poverty, improve living standards, and stimulate grassroots productivity. By broadening its energy focus, the Commission would better reflect the spirit of its founding legislation. This is not a call to abandon street lighting projects, which have their merits. Rather, it is an appeal for balance, inclusivity, and alignment with core developmental objectives. Strategic planning should ensure that rural electrification and household access form a central pillar of ongoing interventions. Community engagement and needs assessments can help determine priority areas for household solar deployment. Twenty-five years after its establishment, the NDDC stands at a reflective moment in its institutional journey. The people of the Niger Delta say: thank you for the efforts so far—but not very much—because true appreciation will come when development begins at home and radiates outward, not merely when streets shine while houses remain in darkness.

By: King Onunwor