Environment
Lawmaker, Environmentalist Urge Action On Black Soot
The lawmaker represent
ing Port Harcourt Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Victoria Nyeche and the chairman, Health, Safety and Environment, Chinwo Town, Prince William Chinwo have called for more commitment on the part of government to end the black soot incidence in the state.
In separate interviews with newsmen in Port Harcourt, Nyeche and Prince Chinwo said that the black soot incidence cannot be beyond the capacities of both the State and Federal Governments to tackle.
Hon. Nyeche on her part acknowledged the effort of the Rivers State Government in tackling the soot through the constitution of a committee on the black soot, while the Rivers State House of Assembly also invited the State Commissioner for Environment on the issue.
She however said that since the problem still persist an avenue must be sought to totally eliminate it.
“We have to ensure that the problem is sorted out or actually eliminated because it is a cumulative challenge as we might not see the effect now, but if you do a Health Impact Analysis (HIA), you will know that there is an increase in the number of respiratory problems.
“It will be worse for children because their respiratory organs are not well developed, so they are more susceptible to health and lungs related challenges,” she said.
On his part, the chairman’ Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Chinwo Town, Port Harcourt City, Prince William Chinwo blamed the problem on illegal oil bunkering and the continuous flaring of gas by multinational corporations.
Chinwo said the security forces must also be urged to stop the incessant burning of seized bargoes laden with crude oil, stressing that such action is not only destroying the environment but contributing to the soot.
He said that, there must be a modification in the way illegal oil bunkerers refined their products.
The environmentalist also criticised multinational oil companies for continuously flaring gas, stressing that the situation is contributing to the black soot.
While urging for reorientation of those involved in illegal oil bunkering, Chinwo also called on the government to convert pipelines to highway as it was done in Russia and other countries, stressing that converting pipelines to highways will check its incessant vandalisations by criminals.
He also called for the involvement of experts in finding solution to the problem.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
