Rivers
Group Blames Poor Fishing Activities On Oil, Gas Pollution
As Nigeria joined the rest of the World to mark the World Fisheries day last week, a non-governmental organisation, Fish Net Alliance, says oil and gas pollution is impacting negatively on the activities of small fishers in the country.
World Fishers Day is marked November 21 annually.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Build Enabling Environment For Small Scale Artesenal Fishers”.
A press release made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt and signed by Komo Odhomo, Media Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) said the Fish Net Alliance also blamed oil and gas exploration and exploitation as well as their associated infrastructure.
It said palm invasion is contributing to a reduction in fishing activities, coastal erosion, and flooding.
According to the Alliance, “Nigeria has a coastline of about 853km with Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River as littoral states.
“28 out of the 36 states in Nigeria are navigable by the connecting inland waters that stretches about 10,000km, encircling whole communities in some cases, and in other cases, linking one community to another”.
The group, however, noted that Coastal areas in Nigeria face various challenges, such as coastal erosion, flooding, over exploitation of fish and other aquatic resources, marine and coastal pollution, mangrove depletion, and nipa palm invasion.
“Across Africa, more than one-fourth (27 percent) of the population living within 5 km from the coast depend on artisanal fishing for job opportunities.
“In Nigeria, over 80 percent of domestic fish production is generated by artisanal fishers. A sector as important as this, which meets the animal protein needs of millions of Africans, deserves to be recognized and supported”.
The release continued that, “As the world marks World Fisheries Day, it should be a time for reflection on the key issues affecting fisheries, particularly the artisanal and small-scale fisheries”.
It decried the situation whereby countries engage in harmful fishing activities.
According to the Alliance. a report published in 2021 showed how 10 countries — China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the U.S.A., Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, Indonesia and Norway — spent over $15.3 billion on harmful fishing subsidies.
“The report also showed how fishing vessels not only exploited their seas, but how they fished in high seas in other countries and engaged in overcapacity, overfishing, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
“Another challenge faced by small-scale fishers is the issue of oil and gas pollution. Oil and gas exploration and exploitation as well as their associated infrastructure have proven to be one of the worst challenges in recent time.
“Also, the issue of sand-filling of traditional fishing grounds like the one being experienced by the Makoko people in Lagos State, Nigeria, affects fishing practices too”.
It said the theme should evoke a sense of responsibilities as far as fishing activities are concerned.
It further stated that, “This year’s theme, ‘Build Enabling Policy Environments for Small-scale Artisanal Fisheries’, should evoke a sense of responsibility, accountability, equity, fairness, justice, and inclusivity.
“Artisanal fishers must be consulted and included in the preparation of policies for aquatic environments.
“They hold a lot of knowledge that can shape such policies into pro-people and pro-environment policies”.
The release also had the Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, lamenting the impacts of the oil Well fire that has been burning for over three years now, saying it is shocking that the government and oil and gas companies would allow the Ororo-1 well inferno to continue for over three years off the coast of Awoye in Ondo State without making any attempt to stop it.
“Bassey raised pertinent questions following the continuous burning of the Ororo Well. Huge amounts of hydrocarbons and climate-harming greenhouse gases are being released into the environment.
“Why is the government quiet? Who will clean up, remediate, and restore the already destroyed environment?
“For a government that professes emphasis on the so-called blue economy, this atrocious negligence suggests that government is ready to sacrifice our environment and the communities that depend off natural resources.
“This World Fisheries Day offers a good opportunity for the government to have a change of heart and do the needful”.
Bassey also emphasized that the government must learn to work with coastal communities for better environmental management.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Coordinator of Fishnet Alliance, noted that communities like Kono in Ogoniland, which have used local and cultural means to preserve a mangrove area, need to be recognized, promoted, and supported.
He said policymakers must bring artisanal fishers to the policy table to make contributions that will further strengthen maritime policies.
“Fishnet Alliance is a network of fishers engaged in and promoting sustainable fishing practices in line with ecosystem limits.
“We stand in solidarity against destructive extractive activities in water bodies, including rivers, lakes, and oceans”, the statement concluded.
By: John Bibor
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Engr Obi Fortune, a renowned philanthropist, has donated 80 desks to four secondary schools in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The donation is part of his commitment to advancing education in the area.
The schools that benefited from the gesture includes- Community Secondary School Umuoye.
Community Secondary School Akwa- Government Secondary School Ozuzu and Community Primary School Okehi 2 and all the schools got 20 units each of the desks.
Speaking during the brief handing-over ceremony held recently in okehi recently, Engr Obi stated that the donation fulfills his promise to use proceeds from his book sales to procure desks for schools in the LGA.
He disclosed that more desks will arrive soon and expressed his continued commitment to supporting education in the area.
Obi urged the schools to make good use of the desks and called on other individuals to contribute to the educational needs in the area.
This gesture demonstrates Engr Obi’s dedication to improving education in Etche LGA.
A professor of social and political philosophy at Rivers State University (RSU ) Nkpolu Oroworukwu port Harcourt, Prof Agha Eresia _Eke has emphasized that citizenship participation is crucial for achieving true democratic government. He stressed that citizens’ involvement in exercising their basic rights, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, is essential for a democratic institution to thrive.
Eresia _Eke stated this while presenting his inaugural lecture at the 111 university’s inaugural lecture series with the topic “Nigeria Democratic practices:a contextual paradox”held at the university senate auditorium in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
According to him, core democratic values which include:,- Respect for individual rights and freedoms, Protection of human rights and fundamental freedom, Equality before the law, Freedom of speech, assembly, and association, Protection of privacy and personal autonomy.
“Through out history, the problem that has agitated social and political philosophers has been to work _out a model for the realization of the common good of man.
Man has always sought and developed methods and systems of organising himself according to his true nature as a rational being.”he stated.
Eresia-Eke notes that Nigeria is not practicing a true federalism and highlights the importance of a pragmatic approach to democracy, where ideas and solutions are tested and refined in real-world environments.
He emphasized that citizens must hold their leaders accountable and demand respect for human rights, stressing that by doing so, citizens can undertake their civic obligations and responsibilities, strengthening society as a whole.
Earlier in his address, the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof Zeb _Obipi commended the lecturer for his brilliant performance, adding that he has justified and proven that he is a professor in his area of specialization.
The VC averred that the university has been consistent in the inaugural lecture monthly and assured that his administration will continue to continue to keep the trend.