Environment

As Harmattan Defies Human Permutation In Rivers

Published

10 years ago

February 15, 2016

A farm where crops like palm trees and pinneapples were razed by harmattan fire at Orhua community in Uhunmwode Council Area of Edo State, recently.

If the prevailing harmat
tan weather condition in the country is anything to go by, then many people have causes to worry.
The fears are based largely on the negative impacts of the weather on the socio-economic sector of the country.
Investigation revealed that, the impact of the weather is being greatly felt in the rural areas.
Sources informed The Tide that in the riverine areas of Rivers State, the situation is already threatening the socio-economic condition of the people.
According to sources, fishing communities in the state are on the verge of starvation, due to poor visibility occasioned by the weather, adding that, this situation had made it difficult for most fishermen to venture into the deep sea.
The sources further said that the harmattan haze has made attacks by pirates and other criminal elements more frequent in the riverine areas.
However, opinions are now divided on the situation of the weather while younger people described it as unusual, some members of the older generations believed that nothing is wrong for the harmattan season to stretch into the month of February even March.
Mr Morrison Ellah, sixty-year-old man, said that there is noting unusual about the season.
He told The Tide in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt, that people of his generation had always witnessed the harmattan season from September every year, with the rainy season around March.
He, however, said that for sometime now, the situation had been different.
Mr Ellah also told The Tide that the weather might have negative effect on agriculture as such crops like plantain may not germinate.
He, however, urged the people to pray for early rains to avoid food shortages that might occur if the season continues for too long.
In his view, an environmentalist and Associate professor at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Fidelis Allen blamed the weather on climate change.
Dr Allen told The Tide in a telephone interview that the prevailing weather condition is a clear sign that the climate is changing.
“What is happening today should really be a source of concern to people. The extreme weather condition is a clear sign that something is happening to the climate”.
The university don posited that the situation is not peculiar to Nigeria alone as people in other countries are also experiencing extreme weather conditions, adding that humanity must be held responsible for the problem.
“Man is responsible for this problem. Man has contributed more than necessary green house gases to the atmosphere” he said.
Dr Allen who said that the resolutions at the lost Earth Summit in Paris, france was welcome, however, urged governments and world leaders to go beyond rhetorics and do something about climate change.
“We should be sincere with what to do about fossil fuel. We should move away from rhetorics by restricting further development of fossil fuel.
“It is clear that world leaders are bent on supporting the development of fossil fuel, which is responsible for the amount of greenhouse gases we have in the atmosphere.
“We can no longer deny the reality of climate change”, he said.
Speaking on the health implication of the weather, Dr Damiete Ibim of the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), said that the situation poses a great danger to the health of the people.
Dr Ibim said the weather coupled with pollution by vehicles, may lead to upper respiratory track infection, which may lead to constant sneezing.
He said that the only way to avoid this, is for people to constantly wear face mask to avoid inhaling dust.
According to him, parents should ensure that their children wear masks over their faces while going to school in the morning.
The medical doctor also said that the weather condition will have negative effect on farming that may lead to food shortages this year, adding that if the rains delay, there is the possibility that crop may not grow well and that can lead to food shortages.
Another respondent, Mr Steve Obodoekwe of the Centre for Environment Human Right and Development (CEHRD) also blamed the weather on climate change.
He said that the sooner the issue of climate change is addressed, the better for the society, pointing out that the prevailing weather condition is an indication that something terrible will happen to the earth.
“I blame the situation on climate change. The level we have reached now is very clear that something terrible will happen to the earth,” he stressed.
The environmental activist also urged the government to take serious the issue of gas flaring in the Niger Delta.
On his part, Mr Thomas Ikaraba also agreed that the situation may lead to famine as the continous delay in rainfall may affect the growth of food crops.
He, however, called for prayer to avert the impending calamity.
other respondents also agreed on the risk posed by the weather to the socio-economic condition of the country.
However as the hamattan continues across the country, it is important for the government to commence series of seminars to sensitise people on the socio-economic implications of the weather.

John Bibor / Patricia Karrbo

Environment

Etche Community Blames Erosion on poor conditions of its Road

Published

2 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Some stakeholders in Okoroagu community in the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers state have blamed the perennial erosion in the community on the poor conditions of their road.

They are therefore calling for the rehabilitation of their road.

They said this in an interview with The Tide, at okoroagu.

Speaking to The Tide,the Ochimba of Okoroagu community, Eze Marcus Amadi said the poor conditions of their road has retarded the growth and development of the community.

According to Eze Amadi,”The government has neglected us, they have forgotten about us, we have been writing letters to the government, both to the NDDC to come and repair our road for us, we are on our knees pleading to them to come help us out, at least they should just dredge the road for us”

Continuing he said”If the government comes today to repair our road, nobody will say they shouldn’t.

“Nobody will obstruct them. We have been shouting and crying that our road is not good, the road is affecting the community economically and socially in the sense that, there is no way we can carry our crops out because of erosion.

“Erosion have taken over the road, making it difficult for us to access other communities especially during rainfall you see people falling down and getting injured inside the river which we call Mmiri Ehe in our language, which reaches our waist line during raining season. Our people can not go to other market to sell their products due to the bad road”he said

Also speaking,Chairman Community Development Committee( CDC )Okoroagu , Hon. Elvis Nwaobasi decried the situation of the road, stressing that economic activities are being affected as movement of goods and services have gradually slowed down in the area.

” The road have affected our women so badly, they are no longer going to the other neighboring markets to sell their Agric produce because of the nature of the road.

“This road has also affected us in many ways, it has affected our educational system, security system, it has also affected our health system, because with the nature of that road, people cannot access our health facilities in the community, with the nature of that road, people cannot access our school, with nature of the road, people cannot come in and do business in our community, we cannot access the road because of the neglect of the road.

“People are using our road for excuses to come in and invest and do businesses. People who come to our market to buy our products are no longer coming because of the nature of the road.

” I am pleading with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayig Fubara to please come to the aid of Okoroagu and repair our road. I am pleading with the Rivers State House of Assembly, we are suffering too much because of this road. We have been neglected and abandoned for years, the government should please come to our aid” he said.

Also the women leader of Okoroagu community, Mrs. Anthonia Nweke blamed some politicians from the area for abandoning the people of Okoroagu

“Our road has been abandoned, overlooked, with no attention, mostly the higher politicians of the place, we have been abandoned for years”

She also called on the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to come to their aid.

The Youth Leader of Okoroagu community, Comr. Ezekiel Michael Ikeh who also spoke to The Tide correspondent said the community has suffered so much losses because of the poor conditions of the road.

He said despite Okoroagu’s contributions to the wealth of the state and the nation, government has continued to neglect the people “Okoroagu as oil producing community shouldn’t have been suffering what they are suffering today”

By: Omasirichi Ogechi

Environment

UNEP REPORT: FG MOVES TO DESIGNATE OGONI WETLAND RAMSAR SITE

Published

2 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

In furtherance to the commitment of the Federal Government through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation (HYPREP) to the full implementation of the recommendations of the UN Environment Programme Report on Ogoni Environment, the Project has commenced processes to designating Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site.

Labaran Ahmed, National Focal Point for Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Environment, who is leading the process for collection of field samples, said the move will converse biodiversity, enhance livelihood, attract ecotourism and further earn global recognition for Ogoni Wetlands.

The UNEP Report envisages that this would provide the Government with a roadmap for restoration and sustainable management of the Ogoni wetland, bring the site unto international among others.

Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, represented by Director Technical Services, Professor Damien-Paul Aguiyi said the project further attests to the Federal government’s commitment through HYPREP to implementing the UNEP Report simultaneously.

Nigeria is a signatory to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction(BBNJ) Agreement for how research on marine genetic resources must be conducted and documented, ensuring transparency and the equitable distribution of benefits.

Environment

Tribunal Acknowledges losses in Rare species Across the globe …urges for government Action

Published

2 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The international Right Tribunal has expressed concerned over the continuous loss of rare species across the world.

This was part of a declaration at the just concluded COP30 in Brazil to mark the close of its 6th international tribunal

. Governments and everyday people have been charged to acknowledge that nature has rights just as humans do, and that ecosystems deserve to exist, thrive, and bounce back.

The Tribunal noted that the loss of species is occurring at an alarming rate and that it is time to stop exploiting nature and start protecting it.

The Tribunal urged nations to write laws that protect rivers, forests, oceans, and to end ecocide, recognise and support Indigenous communities, who have always been the best caretakers of the land.

According to the declaration “We are all part of the Earth, an indivisible and living community of interrelated and interdependent beings with a common destiny but with different existential conditions and rights.

“The multiple crises we are experiencing are rooted in the economic, political, legal and social systems established by the industrial and growth-oriented cultures that dominate the world today, including capitalism, along with patriarchy, sexism, racism, and anthropocentrism.”

It was noted that the choice by the Brazilian government to host COP30 serves as a symbol of the importance of the Amazon. They denounced the current and future impacts of the expansion of the extractivist frontier, deforestation, fossil fuels and large-scale mining. It was urged that the Amazon, with its ecosystems, animal, plant species, and rich biodiversity, natural medicines and its vital and reproductive cycles, should be considered as a subject of rights together with the Indigenous Peoples, and other communities that inhabit it.

The co-president and judge of the tribunal, Nnimmo Bassey, while delivering the verdict, noted that the defence of the rights of Nature is the right way to carry out real climate action and that there is no climate justice without the rights of Nature.

The tribunal stressed the need to phase out fossil fuels and quickly move to renewable energy as a way that protects both communities and ecosystems from false solutions that merely benefit financial speculators and compound climate injustices. The Tribunal also urged the United Nations to adopt the pledge as a blueprint for international environmental law.

A copy of the declaration obtained by The Tide revealed that,Judges at the Tribunal included Ana Alfinito of Brazil, Nnimmo Bassey ( Nigeria), Enrique Viale (Argentina), Shannon Biggs (USA), Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation, USA), Tom Goldtooth (USA), Princes Esmeralda (Belgium), Cormac Cullinan (South Africa), Patricia Gualings (Ecuador), Francesco Martone (Italy) Tzeporah Berman (USA), Ashish Katharine (India), Osprey Orielle Lake (USA), Pooven Moodley (South Africa) and Felicio Pontes (Brazil)