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EPC Mulls Agenda For Eleme Dev
The General Assembly of Eleme People has called on the Rivers State Government and companies operating in the area to intensify efforts towards achieving the sustainable development of Elemeland.
The call was made by the President General O’Ela Obor Eleme, Elder Israel Ejiraobari Gomba-Abbey, during the Eleme People’s Congress (EPC) at Eleme Civic Centre, Ogale, recently.
Gomba-Abbey said the essence of the General Assembly of Eleme People at this time was to take stock and assess how Eleme has fared in politics, education and capacity building, infrastructural development, as well as the impact the companies’ presence has had on the host communities.
He lamented that the people of Eleme have allowed corporate organisations to pitch them against each other to achieve their selfish corporate goals, adding that the area has been stagnant even as other ethnic nationalities in the state are forging ahead progressively through meaningful contributions and development either by their people or companies within the host communities.
The EPC president emphasized that the present level of criminality, insecurity and social vices in Eleme, was shameful and denigrating, regretting that young men in the area take pride in perpetrating evil through involvement in cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and pipeline vandalism.
He lamented that Eleme, a core nerve-centre of the Nigerian economy, has no roads, potable water, electricity and other social amenities in place, and called for collaborative effort and synergy between the government and companies in Elemeland, particularly Indorama, Notore, Intels, Daewon, PHRC and others, to provide not only 24 hours electricity supply but other basic social amenities for the people of Eleme.
Gomba-Abbey charged the companies to assess their level of compliance with their corporate social responsibilities (CSRs) to their host communities as provided by relevant laws, including the Nigerian Content Law, among others, and give employment opportunities to qualified Eleme sons and daughters.
He called on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to consider Eleme in its 2017 development projects execution plan, stressing that from the NDDC’s proposed 300 sustainable development projects to be executed across the state; Eleme was not given even one single project.
Also speaking, the former chairman, Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue Service (RSBIR), Ms Onene Osila Obele–Oshoko, called for collaborating efforts between the federal and state governments as well as the companies operating in Eleme to fast-track the sustainable development of the area.
She said that the synergy will promote better understanding among the various stakeholders in the development of the area.
In his remarks in a lecture titled, “Tackling Insecurity and Cultism through Community Policing”, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Zaki, advocated for partnership between the community people and the police to check crimes and criminality.
The occasion was graced by major stakeholders and eminent personalities from Eleme, including company representatives, clergymen, as well as other indigenes and non-indigenes residing in Elemeland.
Philip Okparaji
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.