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Reps Reject Request To Honour Late Ken Saro-Wiwa
An articulated move to arouse a special recognition for late environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa, 22 years after his death, was yesterday, roundly stepped down by members of the House of Representatives who saw it as a controversial path to tread in Nigeria’s national history.
The development came on the heels of a motion subsumed under “Matters of Urgent Public Importance” by the member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.
Chinda had while moving the motion titled, “Remembering Saro-Wiwa and Eight Other Ogonis 22 years after their death and Urgent Need to Expedite Action on the Clean-Up of Ogoni Land”, craved for an observation of one minute silence in honour of Saro-Wiwa alongside other prayers, which included condemnation of continuing pollution of Ogoniland and other parts of Niger Delta region, declaration of Ogoniland as an ecological disaster zone.
He also prayed that the House mandate its Committee on Environment and Petroleum to monitor level of progress or otherwise of the implementation of the clean-up and report to the House quarterly.
The lawmaker said, the “House notes with dismay the despoliation of the Ogoni environment, and indeed, that several other Niger Delta communities occasioned by decades of oil exploration activities in the region.
“Further notes that following this, and at the request of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) conducted an independent assessment of Ogoniland and proffered options for remediation.
“Conscious of the clear provision of Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as variously amended) that ‘the State shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wild life of Nigeria’ which environment of course includes that of the Niger Delta region.
“Aware that the UNEP study amongst other things showed the nature and extent of oil contamination and covered contaminated land, ground water, surface water, sediment, vegetation, air pollution, public health, industry practices as well as the implications for affected populations and provides clear operational guidance as to how that could be addressed”.
It would be recalled that Saro-Wiwa was executed by the General Sani Abacha’s regime after he was found guilty of killing four Ogoni indigenes, who were opposed to his crusade through the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) by a law court.
Reacting to the one-minute silence prayer, some lawmakers reminded the House that it would be controversial to reverse what was ‘duly considered and endorsed by the government.’
For instance, Hon. Benjamin Wayo (APC, Benue) said it would be out of order to heed the prayer.
He said: “While I agree that the environmental situation in Niger Delta is pitiable, we have to be careful in adopting the prayer in the motion, calling for one minute silence for the late environmentalist.
“Section 33 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution says every person has right to life. It’s only permissible to be taken through constitutional means, just as it was done in this case.
“Therefore, it will be out of order to observe a minute silence for him (Saro -Wiwa) under this circumstance”.
Also rejecting the call, Hon Ali Madaki (APC, Kano) called for caution in order not to breach procedures regarding government’s pronouncements.
Similarly, the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun reminded the House of a possible negative implication of taking such action against the state.
For Hon. Mojeed Alabi, it would amount to reversing an “act of state”, without following due process.
On her part, Hon. Onyemaechi Mrakpor (PDP, Delta), said one-minute silence in Saro-Wiwa’s honour would be inconsequential in the light of the environmental degradation of the region.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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