Organised Labour made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for the resignation of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, accusing him of working against government policy to protect whistle blowers who expose corruption in the country.
Leaders of the two Labour Centres spoke in Abuja when they led members of organised Labour to picket the Federal Ministry of Health over the reinstatement of the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Dr. Angela Uwakem who is currently been tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba also called for the reinstatement of over 200 workers of the hospital whose names was delisted from the IPPIS on the order of the Medical Director.
Wabba said that organised Labour will continue to occupy the Federal Ministry of Health until the Minister of State who supervises the Federal Medical Centres and is allegedly currently sitting on the recommendations on the allegation against the Medical Director.
He said: “We will occupy this office until the Federal Government moves in and until the whistle blowers whose names have been removed from the pay roll are recalled because the whistle blowers are also the people that will testify in court
“The document has made it very clear that they reported this case, investigation have gone on and she has been charged officially to court and she has hired a senior Advocate of Nigeria with government money. Is that not a contradiction?.
Speaking in the same vein, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama said they want the minister to resign because he is deeply involved in the heart of corruption.
Kaigama said “They say he who covers corruption is corrupt. So today, we stand to march against corruption. We start this sometime last year and we are also going to declare another day to work against corruption of February.
“We have started this and it will never stop. If any officer, elected or appointed feels he or she wants to corruptly enriched himself, we are prepare to follow you anywhere until there is a change in that person and the country.”
Also speaking at the protest, President, Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Josiah Biobelemoye said that there was a rumor that it was Mr President that ordered that the alleged corrupt CMD of Owerri should not be relieved of her appointment.
“But we have found out it was not true, Mr President was not even aware of the whole issue concerning Dr Uwakem. We want to plead with Mr President that even if he had said such a thing, it could be that he was not given the proper brief of the situation of the FMC, Owerri.
“If we all want the Federal Ministry of Health to succeed in the fight against corrupt in the Public Service, the rules must be obey”, he said.
Tag: minister
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Labour demands resignation of Health Minister
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Minister: emulate traditional healers
There is the need for orthodox medicine practitioners to borrow a leaf from traditional medicine practitioners.
This view was expressed by the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, when he briefed Health Editors in Lagos to mark one year in office, saying traditional healers show empathy to their clients and their services are accessible and affordable.
Adewole said there were many things Nigerians could benefit from traditional medicine. Some of them, according to him, are bone setting and healing with herbal plants, saying that his ministry will explore how to assist herbal healers on how to improve their practice, especially in standardising their products.
‘’That will help us as a country to export them, instead of the plethora of foreign herbal products that have taken over the market. We have a lot to learn from China and even Ghana, but gradually we are getting there. The way traditional medicine is now can’t be compared with what obtained some centuries ago,” Adewole said.
He said Nigeria was in the forefront of research and development of herbal plants. “A quick search into NIPRID shows how indigenous herbal-plants have been researched, developed and packaged into life-saving products, so we have a lot to boast of in that sector. We only need to hone the skill of the practitioners,” he said.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not. It is used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.
“To ensure that this sector is regulated, WHO came up with the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH). It has 33 member states. Nigeria is not inclusive.
“International Regulatory Co-operation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) is a global network of regulatory authorities responsible for regulation of herbal medicines, established in 2006. Its mission is to protect and promote public health and safety through improved regulation for herbal medicines.
“Membership is open to any national regulatory authority responsible for the regulation of herbal medicines and regional/sub-regional bodies responsible for the regulation of herbal medicines.”
It is on record that Nigeria was aware of the first WHO Congress on traditional medicine, otherwise called “Beijing Declaration”. The Beijing Declaration serves to promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicine, and called on WHO member states and other stakeholders to take steps to integrate TM/CAM into national health systems.
It required that member states should share national experiences and information in five areas, which would aid countries in taking further action in the future in: National Policy on TM/CAM; National Regulation of Traditional and Herbal Medicines; TM in Primary Health Care; National Regulation of TM/CAM Practice and Research on TM/CAM.
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We’re still negotiating release of Chibok girls, says minister
The Federal Government is still negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls and other abductees, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Lai Mohammed said yesterday.
He spoke during a briefing following an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operation to the Sambisa forest.
“Negotiations for the release of the girls have never stopped. In a situation like this, we use carrot and stick approach.
“Even the success of the military also helped fast track the process of the negotiation for those who were released.
“The negotiation is complicated, delicate and changes from time to time, but we are still talking and we are near breakthrough,” he said.
The trip to Sambisa was organised for the leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group to acquaint them with efforts by the military to find the Chibok girls and end the war on insurgency.
“This government has nothing to hide; that is why we have brought you here so you can have a first-hand experience. We want to let the world know what we have been doing not only to recover the girls but also to end the insurgency,” Mohammed said.
But the leader of the BBOG and former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, said though the group had learnt some lessons about the workings of the military, its demand remained.
“We have learnt that the Nigerian Air Force is working to generate the information that supports the Army to ensure security of the theatre of war.
“By joining the NAF to do ISR day and night, we saw what it looks like to embark on a search for target like the abducted Chibok girls. It also helps to frame the question we have been asking. We leave here to say the Federal Government should be able to say what strategic decision should be taken.
“Negotiations led to the highest yield of 21 girls, four came back after the military raided their bases, that is they either escaped or were found after the raid.
“It becomes a strategic question. We will hold the Federal Government accountable to a decision on what options work better for our girls and others.
“The information has empowered and enriched our demand. The Minister of Information has given the assurance that 80 girls would be part of a batch based on negotiation we will keep asking for that,” she said.
The former minister also said knowing how important it is for the military to be equipped; the group will continue to call for the prosecution of all who have mismanaged military hardware funds.
“Imagine what would have happened if the whole money had been spent on buying the equipment. We are more empowered to demand sanctions.”
Mrs Ezekwezili praised the NAF on its innovative use of technology, saying it makes the efforts to be precise.
She also called for improved transparency in the conduct of the war on insurgency, saying for as long as the war was prosecuted as a propaganda mission, there will be criticism and cynicism.
She praised the “strong commitment” of the troops, saying the group had always been supportive of their efforts.
“As citizen-activists, we shall remain the voice. We will hold the government accountable to its promise to rescue the Chibok girls and others,” she said.
The BBOG leader also sought clarification on the capture of Camp Zairo. She said a proper understanding of Sambisa – the forest that was Boko haram’s stronghold – was necessary for Nigerians to put the capture of the Camp in perspectives. Mohammed described the capture of Camp Zairo as a strike at the heart of the insurgents. “When you strike Camp Zairo, you completely disorient the insurgents, but it does not mean the end of the campaign.” -
Minister to cultural organisations: work for Nigeria’s unity
Socio-cultural organisations in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have been urged to work for the unity and progress of the country.
FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello made this call when the Igbo in Diaspora Assembly paid him a visit.
Bello reiterated that the unity of the country must be emphasized to promote development and peaceful co-existence of the various peoples and cultures within the country.
He also urged the Igbo Group to throw their weight behind the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to enable him take Nigeria to enviable heights.
His words: “The Igbos should also extend their support to the
Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to enable the President deliver on his mandates of restoring the economic and political integrity of the country”.
According to him, “I appeal to you to continue to support President
Muhammadu Buhari for all the good work he is doing in Nigeria, the sacrifice he is making to make sure that we go back to what we used to be as Nigerians in terms of political strength on the international scene; in terms of economic activity as well as social cohesion”.
“The way you have supported me, I want you to please support the President of Nigeria in the same manner because God knows why President Buhari is on the driver’s seat today,” he stressed.
He emphasized, “The elders among you who have travelled widely in this country, you know how you have related very closely with your neighbours and your friends, irrespective of the location in this country. I think this is something that is very unique with Nigeria and we should not lose it at all”.
While describing the Igbos as a very vibrant and influential group that have been part and parcel of the development of the FCT, the Minister said they must also ensure that those they elected during the last Area Council elections in the FCT are held accountable to the people.
“Since the Area Councils Chairmen and Councilors were elected by you and your members, it is your duty to ensure that they perform by making sure that markets are clean and the relevant agencies handling waste disposal are able to do their work,” he added.
“We are encouraging the Area Councils to make their markets safer and to ensure that access roads to the markets are okay as well as proper fire service arrangement so that we do not have instances where if God forbid, something happens, properties will be destroyed in the fire. Where they call upon you to pay minimal charges to help you maintain a clean environment, I think you should support them,” the Minister emphasized.
The Minister said as an Administration, the FCTA is working towards the expectations of the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to make Abuja a true centre of unity.
Bello, who stressed the need for security consciousness among the residents in the FCT and the country, appealed to Igbo leaders in the country to also emphasize the importance of security, good neighborliness and responsibility of the citizens so as to promote development.
“What we have tried to do and we will continue to do is that we want to make sure that the FCT is the most secure place in the country and that is why we devote a lot of human and material resources to ensure that this is really maintained and I’m very happy that you have acknowledged that,” the minister noted.
Bello remarked: “Human endevour depends on progress and development and if there is no security we cannot achieve that; so as a government, we will continue to emphasize that. But government alone cannot do it without the collaboration and partnership of the citizenry”.
“The present FCT Administration is assiduously working to complete abandoned road projects in the Federal Capital City because the
Administration has been able to pay the contractors some amount of money and that is why you can see a lot of work is being done”, the Minister stated.
He said: “With good infrastructure, it becomes easier for us to run our businesses and do things that normally make a community like our own to be very successful and progressive.”
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Igbo in Diaspora Assembly, Chief Kalu Uche Kalu, lauded the Minister’s efforts in the maintenance of high level security in the Federal Capital Territory.
Kalu urged the minister to continue with the completion of abandoned road projects around the Federal Capital City and appealed to the Minister to help allocate a plot of land for the building of Igbos in Diaspora Assembly Headquarters in Abuja.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and other senior officials of the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the delegation.
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Minister assures military retirees of prompt payment of allowances
Minister of Defence Mansur Dan-Ali has assured that the allowances of legionnaires will continued to be paid promptly by government as part of efforts to ensure their welfare.
Dan-Ali gave the assurance yesterday in an interview with reporters after the ceremony to commemorate the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
He said the need to promptly pay them informed the introduction of identity cards for military retirees in 2016, adding that their allowances had been improved upon.
He encouraged the troops in the frontline in the Northeast to continue to give their best.
Also, in an interview, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, hailed the troops for doing their best for the nation.
“I will use this opportunity to commend our troops in the various operations, both the one within Nigeria and outside of Nigeria.
“They have been doing creditably well and we appreciate their contributions to peace both within and outside.
“I enjoin them to continue to do more, to be more professional, to be more diligent and also, to be more hard working in all their duty posts,’’ he said.
The chairperson of widows of fallen heroes, Mrs. Veronica Aluko, hailed the armed forces for taking care of families of officers and men who had paid the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation.
“The armed forces have done a lot; they have even recognised us and given us a name,’’ she said but appealed for empowerment of widows through skills acquisition.
Chairman of the Nigerian Legion Col. Micah Gaya (rtd) urged government not to relent in supporting the legion so that they could in turn assist dependents of fallen heroes.
“The fact of the matter is that we know that this day is celebrated every year.
“But what we are looking forward to is the improvement that will follow, in terms of being able to help the widows, the dependents of the fallen heroes, not just the ceremonial part of it.
“That is why I will appeal to government to assist the Nigerian Legion so that we will be able to meet with our constitutional responsibilities of taking care of the dependents of the fallen heroes,’’ Gaya said.
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Kano Airport runway okay, says Minister
The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has said the runway and taxi pavement of the Aminu Kano International Airport are in perfect shape.
Sirika, who stated this yesterday during a facility tour to the airport, noted that the existing runway had the capacity to carry all types of aircraft.
“The runway is okay, it is in good condition, we just inspected it and we are happy with it,” he said.
The minister said the ongoing new terminal project at the airport was at an advanced stage, though the contractor did not give a definite date of completion.
“The terminal building project is a very good job and I think that with a little more push, we should be there and it will be ready for completion.
“We will discuss the completion date with the contractor and make it available to you.
“This is purely a federal airport so there is no need for any kind of contribution from the state government. This tour of the facility is to ascertain the level of work done at the airport,” he added.
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Ogoni clean up: MOSOP seeks quick replacement for minister
The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, did not mince words while describing the competence of the outgoing Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed, during a media roundtable organised by the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people on December 22.
The roundtable on the implementation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the environmental assessment of Ogoni land took place at the MOSOP Secretariat, Off Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerly Stadium) Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015, appointed Mohammed as the environment minister. Mohammed, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the reformed Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), was on December 15, appointed as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
The environment minister, immediately after her appointment by President Buhari, took special interest in the Ogoni clean-up and the implementation of the recommendations contained in the UNEP report.
The UNEP’s team of environmentalists made 76 recommendations. 50 of the recommendations are for the government, 22 for the Anglo/Dutch oil giant, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and four are for Ogoni communities.
UNEP’s recommendations are divided into two parts. The first set of recommendations, once implemented, will have an immediate positive impact on Ogoni land, while the second set of recommendations has longer timelines and which when implemented, will be a path to sustainability that will bring lasting improvements for Ogoni land and Nigeria as a whole.
MOSOP president said at the media roundtable: “Mrs. Amina Mohammed was not working alone on Ogoni clean-up. She was working with a team, including the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril. Definitely, we (Ogoni people) are going to miss Mrs. Mohammed. We are going to miss her passion, commitment, dedication to duties and hard work.
“We are pleading with President Buhari to either elevate the equally-competent minister of state for environment or appoint a committed substantive minister of environment, in order to fast-track the Ogoni clean-up.
“The Ogoni clean-up process has begun, but the actual clean-up has not started. The clean-up is to be done in an environment where there is nothing (no structure). You cannot compare the intervention in Ogoni land with the intervention in the Gulf of Mexico, already with Environmental Protection Agency for over four decades in the United States of America and it is one of the most highly-respected environmental protection agencies in the world.
“The USA has already-established institutions that can respond immediately to such situations. The situation in Ogoni land is not like that of USA and that is why UNEP made recommendations about institutions’ building and having adequate structures on the ground, which are being addressed. Before the end of January 2017, there will be a Project Manager, who will be in charge of the day-to-day affairs of HYPREP. Applications were received from within and outside Nigeria.”
Pyagbara also stated that the high level of youths’ unemployment in Ogoni land must be holistically addressed, stressing that if urgent measures were not taken to absorb the teeming young population that were graduating without jobs into gainful and meaningful employment, people would be looking for alternatives like illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism to survive, while urging government at all levels and the private sector to rise to the occasion.
He noted that there would be no way to address youth restiveness or criminality, without tackling unemployment.
MOSOP president, who is also one of the representatives of Ogoni stakeholders on the Governing Council of the reformed HYPREP, also stated that for Ogoni clean-up to be successful, there must be peace in the area, stressing that without peace, there would never be the much-desired sustainable development and that nothing noteworthy would be achieved in the area.
Pyagbara also stated that the UNEP report came as a result of the collective struggle of Ogoni people, who non-violently challenged environmental degradation that was taking place in Ogoni land, because of pollution from crude oil and gas.
MOSOP president noted that the struggle led to the launch of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) in 1990, especially for greater part of Ogoni’s resources to be for Ogoni development; adequate and direct representation, as of right and the rights of Ogoni people to a clean environment, among others.
While also speaking at the roundtable, one of the representatives of Ogoni stakeholders on the Governing Council of the reformed HYPREP, Dr. Batam Ndegwe, admonished all Ogoni people and other stakeholders to fully support the clean-up of Ogoni land and the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the UNEP report.
MOSOP president states that: “As a response to the continuing destruction of the Ogoni environment, unparalleled military repression and horrendous human rights abuses in Ogoni land, that attended the prosecution of the non-violent struggle of the Ogoni people, the United Nations responded by creating the position of the Special Rapporteur on Nigeria in 1997 and appointed Mr. Soli Sorabjee to the position.
”In his report to the 48th Session of the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights in March 1998, the Special Rapporteur recommended that the Nigerian government should undertake an independent environmental study of Ogoni land.
”This was the setting that led to the invitation extended to UNEP in July 2006, within the context of the Ogoni-Shell Reconciliation Process, to carry out the environmental assessment of Ogoni land.
”The UNEP released its report on August 4, 2011. As a response, in July 2012, the Federal Government set up HYPREP.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2005, appointed Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah (now Bishop) as the mediator between the Ogoni people and SPDC.
As part of the reconciliation process, an impartial, international agency was to be appointed to undertake an environmental assessment and supervise the clean-up of the areas damaged by the effects of oil operations in Ogoni land.
Buhari, on August 5, last year, approved many actions to fast-track the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoni land.
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Nigeria plans investors’ match-making platform, says minister
Nigeria is set to establish a match-making data base for international business interconnectivity and stress-free investments, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said yesterday.
Onyeama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the cpuntry’s 119 missions abroad would serve as one-stop shops to spur investments through information sharing and elimination of bottlenecks.
He said the initiative would enable Nigeria’s products and investors to access the world market easily and also enable foreign investors to have unfettered access to informed and genuine information concerning business opportunities in Nigeria.
The minister explained that the scheme would be implemented through a matching-making data base aimed at promoting exports and enhancing the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
According to Onyeama, the design is an economic diplomacy, which is a framework to address the severe economic challenges facing Nigeria.
He said Nigeria has representations in 119 countries and the ministry could leverage on the advantage to deliver concrete economic benefit to the nation.
“It is a pet project. It is a matching making data base for our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and export promotion.
“So, this data base will essentially enable any Nigerian business to upload to our data base that could be managed from Foreign Affairs together with the ministry of trade and investment,” he said.
He said all the information needed about what they want to export and investment types would be readily made available in all the119 countries, where Nigeria has presence.
“I felt that when we have presence in 119 countries, it is a fantastic advantage to push Nigerian products and businesses in 119 countries.
“So, we would like to present a one-stop shop to export Nigerian goods.
“And that whenever any business is uploaded in each of their countries, they have to seek for partners and match that business person with a partner in that country to put in place a business agreement,” he explained.
According to him, “such people can access all the information about what they want to deal in and we together with Ministry of Trade will match them with Nigerian businesses.”
Besides, he said the scheme would also save Nigerian businessmen from going through all kinds of bottlenecks and paying all kinds of fees in foreign countries.
“We have the markets in all these countries, so that our business people and traders have the world at their finger-tips,” he said.Onyeama said his ministry was also looking at how to utilise the same method to attract more FDI into Nigeria.
He said Nigerians in the Diaspora would also be able to utilise the database to search for partners in Nigeria and other countries. -
Concerns over Ogoni clean up as minister moves to UN
The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, did not mince words while describing the competence of the outgoing Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed, during a media roundtable organised by the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people on December 22.
The roundtable on the implementation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the environmental assessment of Ogoni land took place at the MOSOP Secretariat, Off Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerly Stadium) Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015, appointed Mohammed as the environment minister. Mohammed, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the reformed Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), was on December 15, appointed as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
The environment minister, immediately after her appointment by President Buhari, took special interest in the Ogoni clean-up and the implementation of the recommendations contained in the UNEP report.
The UNEP’s team of environmentalists made 76 recommendations. 50 of the recommendations are for the government, 22 for the Anglo/Dutch oil giant, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and four are for Ogoni communities.
UNEP’s recommendations are divided into two parts. The first set of recommendations, once implemented, will have an immediate positive impact on Ogoni land, while the second set of recommendations has longer timelines and which when implemented, will be a path to sustainability that will bring lasting improvements for Ogoni land and Nigeria as a whole.
MOSOP president said at the media roundtable: “Mrs. Amina Mohammed was not working alone on Ogoni clean-up. She was working with a team, including the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril. Definitely, we (Ogoni people) are going to miss Mrs. Mohammed. We are going to miss her passion, commitment, dedication to duties and hard work.
“We are pleading with President Buhari to either elevate the equally-competent minister of state for environment or appoint a committed substantive minister of environment, in order to fast-track the Ogoni clean-up.
“The Ogoni clean-up process has begun, but the actual clean-up has not started. The clean-up is to be done in an environment where there is nothing (no structure). You cannot compare the intervention in Ogoni land with the intervention in the Gulf of Mexico, already with Environmental Protection Agency for over four decades in the United States of America and it is one of the most highly-respected environmental protection agencies in the world.
“The USA has already-established institutions that can respond immediately to such situations. The situation in Ogoni land is not like that of USA and that is why UNEP made recommendations about institutions’ building and having adequate structures on the ground, which are being addressed. Before the end of January 2017, there will be a Project Manager, who will be in charge of the day-to-day affairs of HYPREP. Applications were received from within and outside Nigeria.”
Pyagbara also stated that the high level of youths’ unemployment in Ogoni land must be holistically addressed, stressing that if urgent measures were not taken to absorb the teeming young population that were graduating without jobs into gainful and meaningful employment, people would be looking for alternatives like illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism to survive, while urging government at all levels and the private sector to rise to the occasion.
He noted that there would be no way to address youth restiveness or criminality, without tackling unemployment.
MOSOP president, who is also one of the representatives of Ogoni stakeholders on the Governing Council of the reformed HYPREP, also stated that for Ogoni clean-up to be successful, there must be peace in the area, stressing that without peace, there would never be the much-desired sustainable development and that nothing noteworthy would be achieved in the area.
Pyagbara also stated that the UNEP report came as a result of the collective struggle of Ogoni people, who non-violently challenged environmental degradation that was taking place in Ogoni land, because of pollution from crude oil and gas.
MOSOP president noted that the struggle led to the launch of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) in 1990, especially for greater part of Ogoni’s resources to be for Ogoni development; adequate and direct representation, as of right and the rights of Ogoni people to a clean environment, among others.
While also speaking at the roundtable, one of the representatives of Ogoni stakeholders on the Governing Council of the reformed HYPREP, Dr. Batam Ndegwe, admonished all Ogoni people and other stakeholders to fully support the clean-up of Ogoni land and the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the UNEP report.
MOSOP president states that: “As a response to the continuing destruction of the Ogoni environment, unparalleled military repression and horrendous human rights abuses in Ogoni land, that attended the prosecution of the non-violent struggle of the Ogoni people, the United Nations responded by creating the position of the Special Rapporteur on Nigeria in 1997 and appointed Mr. Soli Sorabjee to the position.
”In his report to the 48th Session of the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights in March 1998, the Special Rapporteur recommended that the Nigerian government should undertake an independent environmental study of Ogoni land.
”This was the setting that led to the invitation extended to UNEP in July 2006, within the context of the Ogoni-Shell Reconciliation Process, to carry out the environmental assessment of Ogoni land.
”The UNEP released its report on August 4, 2011. As a response, in July 2012, the Federal Government set up HYPREP.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2005, appointed Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah (now Bishop) as the mediator between the Ogoni people and SPDC.
As part of the reconciliation process, an impartial, international agency was to be appointed to undertake an environmental assessment and supervise the clean-up of the areas damaged by the effects of oil operations in Ogoni land.
Buhari, on August 5, last year, approved many actions to fast-track the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoni land.
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Minister urges ambassadors to explore FDI for FCT
The 47 newly appointed career Ambassadors have been urged to explore possibilities of attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello gave this charge on when the ambassadors paid him a working visit.
Bello emphasized that with Foreign Direct Investment, the economic challenge the nation is facing today would become a thing of the past as that would drastically reduce dependence on imported goods and services.
The minister reiterated that there are lots of investment opportunities in the Federal Capital Territory that could be marketed by the new Ambassadors to their host countries and that the FCTA would leverage on their expertise to sell Abuja to the world.
Bello remarked that there exist opportunities for light industries in the Federal Capital Territory; saying that the Idu Industrial Layout has been provided with adequate infrastructure for such purpose.
According to him, the FCT Administration has also provided an enabling environment for would-be genuine investors to strive and further urged the new envoys to take advantage of such liberalisation.
He reminded them that Abuja is the only city that is a creation of law in Nigeria, the home to all Nigerians, including the ambassadors, and the window through which the world sees the country.
The minister assured that the FCT Administration would continue to jealously guard the Abuja Master Plan and all the diplomatic plots meant for embassies and High Commissions in the city.
He prayed that all of the ambassadors would make the nation proud as well as the Federal Capital Territory; stressing, “all of you have Abuja as either first or second home”.
His words: “You know all the challenges of the Federal Capital Territory because all of you live here and therefore you can best market the city by bringing Foreign Direct Investment to tackle all those challenges.”
The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, who led the group, appreciated the warm reception accorded the team.
Enikanolaiye said the visit is part of the induction programme organised for the ambassadors to acquaint them of the ingredients of the government policies in terms of protocol and its priority in terms of domestic agenda which is built on change, good governance, economic, security and anti-corruption.