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WED: HYPREP Moves To Combat Plastic Pollution …Sensitises Ex-Artesenal Refiners

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As part of activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has taken steps to combat plastic pollution in Ogoniland and other places within its catchment area.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, to commemorate the World Environment Day, said the Project remains dedicated to a pollution-free environment for sustainable development.
He noted that HYPREP is promoting citizens’ actions against plastic pollution, having led members of its Green Frontiers, last year, to the Bomu creeks in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, to clean up plastic from the mangroves, stressing that this initiative is aimed at inspiring citizens’ actions and science, particularly among young students in Ogoniland.
Zabbey said as part of HYPREP’s efforts to combat plastic pollution, it has also initiated several interventions aligned with its belief that nature-based solutions and citizens’ actions are necessary to tackle environmental degradation in the region.
He revealed that HYPREP has launched the use of Growcoon to replace plastic bags in mangrove nurseries, and has equally adhered to the Federal Government’s directive by banning the use of single-use plastics in the HYPREP Project Coordination Office and Area Offices, and extending same to its project sites.
“We promote citizens’ actions by educating fisher folks and engaging young students in environmental activities. We have established functioning environmental clubs in secondary schools in Ogoni,” he intoned.
He further indicated that as part of activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day, HYPREP and the Green Frontiers jointly embarked on a sensitisation campaign with the fisher folks in Bomu fishing port, focusing on actions to reduce plastic waste in the creeks, saying, this supports the multi-stakeholder approach to raise awareness and galvanise local citizens’ actions on the occasion of this year’s WED, calling for deliberate actions from all stakeholders, including government, industry players, communities and individuals, to help develop policies, ensure compliance with existing ones, and reduce activities that exacerbate plastic pollution and its attendant effects.
The Project Coordinator assured that HYPREP would continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including government, Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), communities and other development partners, to campaign and mobilise actions against plastic pollution in Ogoniland and beyond.
Zabbey noted that today, the global scourge of plastic pollution is having a profound impact on ecosystems, thus, posing a severe threat to livelihoods and public health, contending that the major contributor to plastic pollution is the expanding sachet economy, particularly water sachets, which have become one of the most recognisable single-use products in West Africa.
He said in Nigeria, for instance, sachets have grown increasingly common, with over 50 to 60 million used water sachets discarded in the environment each day, which end up in streams, canals, rivers and oceans, significantly adding to plastic pollution and its negative impact on the environment.
In a related development, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has taken its sensitisation campaign to Ogoni ex-artesenal refiners, calling on them to desist from re-polluting the environment, as it is poised to boost their capacity by giving them specialised trainings, as a way of enhancing their livelihoods.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this assurance during a sensitisation programme organised by the Project for ex-artesenal refiners at Zina Motel in Agbonchia community in Eleme Local Government Area, recently, said the event was deliberately planned to coincide with this year’s World Environment Day.
He noted that ex-artesenal refiners are important partners to what HYPREP is doing in Ogoniland, assuring them that the Project is committed to their cause.
Zabbey, who was represented at the event by HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian Paul-Aguiyi, said HYPREP acknowledges and appreciates the role which the ex-artesenal refiners are playing in the remediation efforts.
He said the event is geared towards moving them away from what they were doing before and give them alternative livelihoods, saying, “We will continue to engage them.They are a group we have already identified and already working with. They had willingly, on their own given up artesenal refining, by choice, and we are willing to work with them, to make sure there is no more artesenal refining in Ogoniland. We are encouraging them to keep doing what they are currently doing. And we will engage them. We made a commitment to give them specialised trainings, and we will make sure we give them sustainable livelihoods, to make sure they are off artesenal refining for ever.”
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of a keynote lecture entitled, ‘Clean-Up: Gains, Sustainability And The Prosperity Of Ogoniland’ by Prof DineBari Badey and Prof Lesi Kaegon, both lecturers at the University of Port Harcourt.

Donatus Ebi

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Deputy Commandant Hails  Tinubu For Signing NFSS Bill Into Law 

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The Deputy Commandant General of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) Anti- Bunkering Agency, Amb Wachukwu Adah, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu for signing into law the Nigeria Forest Security Service Bill, describing the gesture as a right step in the right direction. The operatives of the NFSS are known as forest guards.
Amb Adah, who made the commendation  during the official structuring of the Nigeria Forest Security Service Anti-Bunkering team and  induction of legionnaires in Omoku Town, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday, described President Tinubu as the best President of Nigeria following his monumental achievements in office.
He said the  Local Government Autonomy Bill recently signed into law by the President Tinubu administration has tremendous impacts on  the lives of the  average Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots level.
He noted that by this singular gesture, the President had hit  the ground running, for the meaningful development of the country.
Amb Adah reiterated that Rivers youths would utilise the opportunity to serve the country to the best of their ability, acknowledging their readiness to do the needful by ensuring that the  forests across the nation  are adequately secured.
The Deputy Commandant General also applauded the transformation of the Federal Capital Territory by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, saying, the Minister has turned Abuja to London.
He, however, appealed to the Minister to assist Rivers youths to get sensitive positions in the new Nigeria Forest Security Service ,saying, there is need for him  and other leaders to assist  the youths who are interested in  jobs at the NFSS to secure them, as it is done elsewhere.
“ We need your backing on securing the jobs at NFSS”, he said.
Amb.Adah, who represented the National Commandant, Amb Joshua Osatimehia, said the youths are fully ready to contribute to the security, progress and growth of the nation, and emphasised the essence of character, professionalism and quality service delivery at the NFSS.
In his address, the Administrator of Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Council, Dr Ndu Ajie assured the security outfit of the total support of the council.
Dr Ajie, who was represented by the Secretary of the council ,Mr.Onyedibia Ndulaka,  praised the determination and sacrifices made by  the security operatives in ensuring and fostering the peace  and security of the State.
On their part, heads of security agencies in the local government area, including the Joint Task Force(JTF);  the Police; the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC); and the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), commended  the efforts of the security outfit in the security of national  assets, assuring them of collaboration to achieve common goals.
During the event, the 23 LGA commanders and other ranking  officers were commissioned.
Recall that President Tinubu had commissioned the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and a committee to work out modalities on the operations of the NFSS.
The former State Commander of NFSS, Chief Will Wegwu showered encomiums on the Deputy Commandant General for  his sacrifices and untiring  efforts to keep the flag flying.
Chief Wegwu assured the participants that the  officers and men would continue to support the Deputy Commandant General to succeed in his assignment.
The Omoku Police Area Commander, ACP Mahe Mohammed; and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Omoku Police Division, CSP John Landan, were among a host of other security chiefs and personalities that graced the occasion.

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Business Mogul Partners Students To Reach The Unreached

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Rivers-born business mogul, Chief Clement Anele, has pledged his determination to partner with student groups and other relevant bodies, to reach the unreached and the vulnerable in the society.
Chief Anele, who gave this indication while receiving an Award of Education Ambassador from the Rivers State Postgraduate Students Association in his office in Port Harcourt, said he has a covenant with God to give succour to the needy, especially widows, ,students, clerics and the vulnerable in the society.
Chief Anele ,the Managing Director of Anele Good Heart Foundation,
vowed to continue to partner with student groups and other relevant bodies to reach the unreached, and the vulnerable by providing basic necessities of life to them.
He said, “I cannot be everywhere. I need to partner with students to reach the unreached in the society. The sole aim is to improve the living standard of the vulnerable among us .
It is important we touch lives through the little resources God has made available to us .We don’t expect reward from human beings, but from God.
I feel happy and joyful seeing widows, students and the less- privileged benefiting from the foundation .It was a dream God gave me to assist making the society better. I don’t need anyone to praise me for doing it .It is a divine calling to put smiles on the faces of the vulnerable.”
In his speech, the Secretary of the group, Mr Ken Itari, described Chief Anele as an extraordinary individual, who has impacted on humanity, especially the students and widows through his foundation.
He said the honour done to the business mogul by the students was borne out of their desire to partner with him to build a better future for the youths.
He said the students would continue to stand with the philanthropist in his vision to reduce hunger and change the society for the good of all.
He noted that Chief Anele’s scholarships to the students and providing food on the tables of the widows and many vulnerable persons, using his hard-earned resources, show his immense love for humanity, stressing that his reward for the good works he is doing can only come from God.

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Unknown Assailants Kill 56-Year-Old Drug Dealer In Ondo

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A 56-year-old suspected drug dealer, Bode Akinsiku has been killed in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo Local Government Area of Ondo State by unknown assailants.
Akinsiku, who was murdered at about 6:15 am on Tuesday, at a popular joint in Loro street, Odosida axis of the town was known as a prominent drug dealer in the area.
According to sources, the deceased was shot at close range after he was trailed to a bar by his yet to be identified killers.
One of the sources, who craved anonymity, revealed that Akinsiku arrived at the joint to meet with some people in the early hours of Tuesday.
“He arrived at the bar and met with some people. While he was talking with them, his phone rang and he received a call.
“It was while he was receiving the call that some boys arrived on a motorcycle. One of the boys approached him and asked if he could identify himself.
“They both engaged in a heated shouting match for some seconds before he was shot several times at close range.”
“The gunman, after shooting Bode, crossed to the other side of the road and shot sporadically to scare residents. He later hopped on a getaway motorcycle.
Meanwhile, the death of Akinsiku created panic in the area with shops and businesses horridly closed while the area was deserted over fear of arrest.
Police operatives from Enuowa Divisional Police Station later arrived at the scene and evacuated the lifeless body to the Ondo State Specialist Hospital.
The Police spokesman in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, who confirmed the incident, stated that it was a cult related killing.
Ayanlade, who stressed that cult clashes have been rampant in the area, said efforts are ongoing to apprehend those behind the killing.
He also urged residents to be law-abiding and report any information which could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.

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