The Nation Newspaper

Tag: residents

  • Residents protest at Shell facilities

    Protesters marched on oil facilities operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa State at the weekend over the company’s divestment plans and proposed sale of its Oil Mining Licences (OMLs).

    Stakeholders and indigenes of Nembe-Bassambiri, who are host to some of Shell’s installations in Nembe Local Government Area, were angry at Shell’s plan to sell OML 29 without consulting them.

    Shell has reportedly  placed its 45 per cent stake in four oil wells, including OML 29, for sale as part of the company’s divestment.

    OML 29 is believed to be the most lucrative asset of the wells being sold.

    Its output is said to have increased to 62,000 bpd of oil and 40 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/d). It also holds reserves of 2.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

    Oil theft and pipeline vandalism were said to be the reasons why Shell decided to engage in divestments.

    Aggrieved protesters  asked Shell to stop production  for three days to address their demands.

    Over 100 demonstrators, consisting of women, youths, chiefs, leaders and elders, came in 15 speedboats; they were led by a member of the community’s oil and gas committee, Chief Brigidi.

    They took over the Nembe-Brass waterways, singing solidarity songs.

    They took their protests to Shell’s Santa Barbara Flow Station, Tora Manifold and Odema Flow Station.

    Their presence initially created panic among Shell workers living in houseboats.

    But the tension was dispelled after operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) deployed to guard the facilities discovered that the protesters were armless.

    A member of the Nembe-Bassambiri Council of Chiefs, Bukunor Alfred, said members of the community were angry  with Shell.

    Also, the Chairman of Opu-Nembe Improvement Union (ONIU), Ebinyo Robert, said the community would not let the company leave unceremoniously after destroying its environment through pollution.

    He insisted that the company must involve the community in all the processes involved in selling OML 29.

    Robert said the communities have nominated three companies, Amot Oil E&P Limited, A-Abas Resources and Isea BMG, to participate in the bidding process.

    The Operations Team Leader, Santa Barbara Flow Station, Akpe Emmanuel, welcomed the protesters on behalf of Shell.

    He thanked them for the peaceful manner in which they conducted the demonstration and promised to pass their grievances across to the management.

  • Residents to benefit from club’s gesture

    The Guardian of the Citizens Club, a socio-cultural organisation, has disclosed that over 70 residents of Abuja will benefit from an empowerment scheme and loan facilities to start their own businesses.

    An official of the club, Mr. Akachukwu Nwankpo said that the empowerment programme will enable Nigerian citizens to contribute to the growth and development of the country, even as he said it would prevent them from indulging in evil deeds.

    He blamed the current situation in the country on the inability of citizens to independently create wealth, said the growth expected can only be achieved if natural and human resources are properly harnessed.

    The Guardian of the Citizens Club further explained that until Nigerians start thinking of what they can do for themselves and the country, progress won’t be achieved.

    It also disclosed that the common good of the country can be achieved if citizens learn from founding fathers and football teams.

    Mr. Akachukwu Nwankpo noted that the best in Nigeria can be achieved if the natural gifts of its citizens are appropriately harnessed.

    Speaking on the empowerment scheme in Abuja at the induction of over 70 residents, Mr. Nwankpo said: “We are ready to give them fair access to funding, employment and enterprise alongside conditions that stimulate their enthusiasm.

    “We offer enterprise opportunities, give loans and also train them on the values of the club. We empower them so that they can help themselves and, in turn, help the country.

    Some of the partners of the club are First Bank Nigeria Plc and Eta Zuma Group. Residents were lectured on how to become entrepreneurs while some were taught how to make coal stove.

    Nwankpo, however, noted that what stands as obstacle between Nigeria and its progress is self-inflicted.

    “Some of the obstacles” he said, “are tribalism, indiscipline, corruption, selfishness and political jobbers. They blind us from the great promise of Nigeria and promote divisiveness that mess up our effort at making this rich land a successful country.

    “It is time we learnt from our founding fathers and our football teams in order to harness the potential of every citizen and together pursue the prosperity of Nigeria for the happiness of all.

    “The successes of our founding fathers and that of our football teams have demonstrated that we can achieve Nigeria’s greatness if we develop and mobilise the natural gifts of over 160 million Nigerians.

  • Residents urged to immunise their children

    The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Micah Jiba has advised residents of the area to ensure that children between zero and five years are immunised against all child killer diseases during the current exercise.

    The council chief spoke while flagging off Immunisation Plus Day at Angwuan Hausawa in Damagaza Village. He said there was need for co-operation from every stakeholder in the council in order to ensure the success of this year’s immunisation exercise.

    He further said since the council has attained 85 per cent success in the fight against polio last year, there was need to sustain and exceed the success this year.

    The Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Healthcare Development Board (PHCDB), Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, appealed to the Federal Government to enact a law to prevent landlords from building houses without toilet facilities.

    Mohammed advised individuals and organisations to ensure that they make toilet facilities major component of their houses.

    According to him, any corporate organisation that plans to construct a place of leisure or celebrations must also include toilet facilities, saying that at the Millennium Park, there are no toilet facilities while in Wonderland, there are very few toilet facilities.

    “It is not proper that such places do not have toilet facilities. Any child that is pressed would defecate anywhere. That is why we are having outbreak of diseases like polio in Nigeria. There should be adequate toilet facilities for people’s conveniences.

    “I also appeal to the communities to make sure that their children are immunised in this round of the exercise and that of April,” he said.

  • Gofidna residents seek infrastructures

    The Chief of Gofidna village in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Ismaila Tukura, has appealed to the Chairman, Hon. Micah Jiba to provide the community with basic infrastructures.

    Tukura, who made the appeal also seek provision of water boreholes, to arrest the problem of potable drinking water in the community, which the people have been experiencing.

    Amongst other infrastructures the community is lacking, he also appealed for the construction of a standard health centre to prevent the people from traveling long distance to other places, for medical attention.

    The chief also urged the government of the FCT to expedite action to repair the dilapidated road linking Zuba-Suleja express road, in the interest of commuters plying the road.

    Tukura further advised residents AMAC to continue to support the government for the development of the area, saying that there is need for continuous peace to reign in the community, in order to encourage the development efforts of Hon. Micah Jiba.

    Similarly, the community’s youth leader, Mr. Rabiu Tukura, urged the FCT Administration to build a Junior Secondary School in the area, to save the children the hardships of attending schools in the neighbouring towns.

    According to him, the AMAC boss is a God fearing leader that has the intention to work for the benefit of the people and to provide them with basic infrastructures, appealing that the AMAC chairman should provide fertilizers to farmers on time during the cropping season, to enable them have a bumper harvest in the council.

  • Residents seek development of satellite towns

    Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed to concentrate more on the development of satellite towns this year.

    Some of the residents who spoke with Abuja Review in Gwagwalada, Kwali, Zuba, Kuje and Kubwa said that the promise by the administration to decongest the city centre by developing of satellite towns were still unfulfilled.

    One of the residents, Abdullahi Zaki stated that good road network, stable potable water and electricity supply were still inadequate in satellite towns, adding that most contracts awarded in such areas have been abandoned and forgotten.

    “Some contracts awarded in the area council for a very long time are still not completed. Such areas are the Kuje-Gwagwalada Road, Gwagwalada Iziom-Dobi Road, Yebu Road in Kwali and many other roads. When a community is cut off from others because of bad road, it is always hard for development to get to that community,” he said.

    Another resident in Gwagwalada, George Ikwu, expressed worry that the idea of decongestion of the city centre would be a mirage if the administration did not put enough effort in the development of the satellite towns, adding that some of the agencies that had headquarters in Gwagwalada had relocated to the city centre.

    “I know of one agency, FCT Muslims Pilgrims Board. I don’t know what happened but I know its secretariat has returned to the city centre. If things continue like this, we will have problem in the near future.  If there are infrastructure in the satellite towns, people will come down and live there,” he said.

    Isa Abubakar Zuba stated that the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed has performed well in terms of restoring the Master Plan of the capital city and in the area of opening of more districts in the territory.

    “The minister has really worked because no leader is perfect. He can only work to the best of his knowledge and ability. But he needs to concentrate on projects and programme that are community and people-oriented. He should concentrate on projects that will benefit the common man on areas such as low-cost housing for the low-income earners.

    “Yes, some of the agencies and ministries should be taken to places like Gugu in Orozo Ward of the FCT, Karshi, Abaji so that traffic jam will reduce drastically,” he said.

    He also stated that residents could complement the efforts of government by ensuring environmental cleanliness, maintenance of sewer lines, avoiding indiscriminate pasting of posters, ensuring highway safety and the monitoring of development projects in the FCT.

  • Abuja residents urged to ensure good hygiene

    Abuja residents urged to ensure good hygiene

    Residents of Abuja and its environs have been urged to ensure proper hygiene so as not to be infected by Cholera.

    The Secretary FCT Health & Human Services Secretariat Dr. Demola  Onakomaiya said in Abuja  the recent outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country has attracted the attention of the FCT Administration.

    He pointed out that good environmental sanitation habits and simple personal hygiene practices can help reduce incidence of cholera to the barest minimum.

    According to the secretary, cholera is transmitted to human by drinking water contaminated by bacteria which effects the small intestine and causes severe vomiting and diarrhea.

    He further stated that most victims of cholera have limited chances of survival when there is loss of electrolyte due to frequent or excessive passage of watery stool and severe vomiting.

    Dr. Demola advised the residents of the FCT to always keep their environments clean at all times, avoid the consumption of dirty water, contaminated food and other items, which is a certified way to prevent the disease.

    He further advised them to report any suspected case to the nearest FCT hospital as the hospitals are fully equipped and capable of handling any reported case of cholera that may occur in the territory.

     

  • ‘Arrest of residents for oil pollution wrong’

    The Lagos State Government has kicked against what it described as indiscriminate arrest of innocent residents around Idimu/Ejigbo areas of the state for oil pollution of underground water. It said the arrest did not follow proper investigation.

    Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, yesterday, said the random arrests by men of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) constitute infraction on the residents’ human right.

    He asked leaders of the Community Development Associations (CDAs) in the affected communities to institute legal actions against the Federal Government for exposing their communities to danger, arising from the failure of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to perform its statutory responsibility.

    He said while the state government supports every effort of the Federal Government to curb stealing of petroleum products and pipeline vandalism across the nation, it frowns at any act that constitutes an infraction on residents’ rights through unjust arrests by NSCDC officials.

    He said: “Successive administrations in the state had drawn the attention of the Federal Government to the hazards being experienced by residents of Baruwa-Ipaja,Ilado, Amuwo-Odofin and Ejigbo among others, through polluted boreholes, contamination of underground water and ruptured pipelines among others. But no visible action has been taken till date by the respective agencies of the Federal Government”.

    Bello said the state government has records showing that official letters were written by the immediate past governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000.

    He added that the Babatunde Fashola-led administration also wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke about the serious oil pollution and high-level degradation that residents of these areas are daily exposed to, without any response.

    The commissioner explained that the state government also urged the Federal Government to consider modern methods of protecting oil pipelines, including casing and tamper-proof warning devices among others.

    He said there are many other ruptured NNPC pipelines in other parts of Lagos, which are not being attended to by the agencies.

    He added: “An example is the Diamond Estate where over 137 boreholes/deep wells are affected by the seepage of petroleum products as a result of pipeline vandalism, destroying the source of potable water of inhabitants.

    “Two of the estate’s housing units are now seriously affected while their boreholes have turned into oil wells and without any noticeable remedial action from the NNPC.”

    Bello urged the NNPC to conduct an integrity test on its pipelines in the state without delayand provide the state government with necessary information on how to prevent future re-occurrence.

  • Security men terrorise residents, destroy shops

    There was chaos yesterday at Esuk Utan in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, when security men comprising Army, Navy and police terrorised the residents.

    When The Nation visited the scene, people were running helter-skelter and shops were shut.

    It was learnt that the problem started when members of the Quick Intervention Squad (QIS) accosted a man on a motorcycle and attempted to seize his bike, since motorcycles have been banned by the government.

    Our source said the man resisted and he was attacked by members of the squad, which consist of the Army, Navy and Police.

    The squad was inaugurated to aid in handling emergency cases.

    It was learnt that a lady, whose identity could not be ascertained, told them to stop beating up the man. At that point, the security men reportedly attacked the lady, beating her up for daring to question them.

    The source said when they would not stop, nearby youths attacked the security men and injured one of them.

    The security men then called for a reinforcement. Several truckloads of QIS vehicles brought more security men, who shot sporadically, beating anyone in sight and destroying shops.

  • Oyo residents protest lawmaker’s ‘shirking of responsibility’

    There was a drama at the weekend in Oyo town when residents of Isale –Oyo protested what they alleged as the shirking of responsibility and disregard of a member of the House of Representatives to the Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.

    They also accused him of conducting himself in a manner likely to breach the peace by inciting the people against the state government and the Alaafin of Oyo.

    The protesters marched from Isale-Oyo to the Alaafin’s palace where they expressed their grievances.

    Their spokesman, Alhaji Jimoh Ikolaba, alleged that since the lawmaker was elected, he had neither rendered his stewardship when called upon to do so nor listed what the constituents had benefited from him.

    He said: “We hear of his colleagues within and outside the state providing social welfare packages for their constituents. Our own lawmaker has done nothing for us in the last six years he has been elected as a lawmaker. He only takes care of a few friends and has never attended any ward or constituency meeting. Even if we go to his house, he will send us away. As a result, we disown and pass a-vote-of-no confidence in him.”

    Pa Ikolaba urged the Oyo-Mesi, led by the Basorun of Oyo, who were also in attendance, to prevail on the Alaafin to endorse his son, Hakeem Adeniyi Adeyemi, as the lawmaker’s successor in the House of Representatives in 2015.

    They described Prince Adeyemi, the Caretaker Chairman of Atiba Local Government, as “kind-hearted, focused, committed to the well-being of the downtrodden, charitable and humble.”

    The Oyo-Mesi prostrated for the Alaafin, appealing to him to accept the people’s choice and allow his son to contest the 2015 National Assembly election.

    Oba Adeyemi said it has never been his character to lord over the people what is against their desire, adding that he has assisted people, who are neither his family nor biological children, and they are making waves in their chosen professions within and outside the country.

    He said: “When my daughter was appointed as a commissioner by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, I opposed it. The reason being that an indigene of my town was removed not long before my daughter was considered competent for the position. I felt bad about it because of the negative impression people created. Consequently, I sent the Oyo-Mesi to the governor demanding an explanation on why the former commissioner was removed and my daughter was appointed. After the explanation and appeal, I reluctantly agreed that my daughter should serve the state.”

    The paramount ruler said his institution is committed to the well-being of the indigenes, adding: “This is why my support and loyalty to the Ajimobi administration is total. He is a man of conscience, who cares for his people’s welfare.”

    He later endorsed the choice of his son as the next candidate for the House of Representatives seat in Oyo Federal Constituency.

  • Lagos urges residents to plant trees

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, has advised residents to embrace the principle of tree planting; saying that it is essential for people’s well-being.

    Speaking through the director of Laboratory Services Mrs Adetola Onisarotu during the state’s sixth annual tree planting exercise organized by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) held at the Nigerian Breweries, Mr Bello noted that tree planting is a panacea for issues of climate change like global warming and other ecological challenges.

    He said that “Green is Peace,” which is the theme for this year’s exercise, even as he added that the exercise has continued to expand with over four million trees planted within six years.

    He reeled of the benefits of afforestation; which are beautification of the environment, shield for rare and endangered animals, wind barriers, deflectors of sun rays as well as other adverse weather.

    He said: “Trees serve as breeding ground for some animals and equally help to check erosion as well as supply food and materials for building houses. The more trees we plant, the more we reclaim our forests.”

    In order to continue the tree-planting initiative, the state government has established the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK); which an institutional structure to integrate the initiative into the system and to improve the aesthetics of the environment.

    Nursery, primary and secondary school pupils were not left out of the environmental re-engineering as tree planting and nurturing techniques have also been included in the school curriculum by LASPARK, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

    The general manager of LASEPA Mr. Adebola Rasheed Shabi, an engineer who represented Governor Fashola at the event, noted that the existence of a green environment is germane for the well-being of individuals and the society.

    He, however, advised individuals to inculcate the habit of planting trees, even as he added that “one can even name a tree after one’s child.

    He said “I planted a tree in my house and named it Babatunde Fashola.”

    Mr. Chukwuemeka Ezobu, a lecturer and consultant in the Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos shed light on the significance of trees to the ecosystem. He explained that trees act as agent for extracting pollution from the atmosphere. He therefore identified tree planting as a natural means of removing carbon-dioxide from the environment.

    He said: “I need to mention the key element of protecting human population because people’s well-being depends on the availability of sustainable resources and the ecosystem. In the past, trees have been used to preserve memorable dates, form an archive of the past and used to project cultural appreciation. Trees also serve as purifying agents as they ensure clean air and soil by removing dust from the atmosphere. They serve as natural biodiversity, form shade and increase property value. They produce oxygen for us to breathe in.

    “So, I enjoin all participants here today to engage in this global fight. Join this cause so that we would have peace in the environment.”

    Mr Samson Aigbedo who represented the managing director of the Nigerian Breweries Aigbedo commended the efforts of the government on providing a sustainable environment for operation.