Nation
PFN Seeks Dialogue Over Insecurity In South-East
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) South-East chapter, has expressed worries over the level of insecurity in the zone.
It also suggested that dialogue remained the only viable solution to the insecurity plaguing the country.
Speaking during a prayer rally in Enugu by the PFN, the National Vice-Chairman, South-East of the Christian body, Bishop Maxwell Korie said, “We are deeply concerned with the level of insecurity in the South-East zone and having reviewed the situation, we urge the Federal Government to invite the agitation groups to a dialogue table to negotiate what their issues and misgivings are.”
He appealed to President MuhammaduBuhari to reconsider his hard stance on the incarceration of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He said the stand of the Federal Government where the Buhari-led administration insisted that it would allow the courts to decide Kanu’s fate, was not in anyone’s interest.
“The past administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua used dialogue to solve the problems of the Niger Delta region. So, we advise the incumbent administration of MuhammaduBuhari to borrow a leaf from the Yar’Adua administration.
“This is the sure and fastest way towards resolving these issues,” he stated.
On the 2023 presidential election, he re-echoed the PFN stand that the body would vote against any political party that fielded a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“Any joint ticket of two Muslims in the office of the president and the Vice President in the forthcoming 2023 general election, shall not be tolerated, it is dead on arrival,” he declared.
“All the political parties should take note of this, especially the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“All PFN blocs have already been instructed to mobilize and vote against such a political party that fields two Muslims in the presidential election come 2023,” he added.
He disclosed that the solemn assembly and prayer rally was born out of the vision that God gave to the National President of the PFN, Wale Oke.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3