News
Agip Oil Spill Hits Bayelsa Shoreline
Crude oil discharged into the Atlantic Ocean from the Agip’s export terminal has hit the Bayelsa shoreline.
The spill, which occurred last Thursday, spread to the coastline on Saturday.
Residents of Odioama, a coastal community along the Atlantic shoreline, fishermen and members of the community noticed the spill on Friday in the high seas.
According to the residents, tidal currents eventually conveyed the oil deposits to the coastline where it littered the shoreline.
Chairman of Odioama Council of Chiefs, Chief Francis Ikagi said yesterday that the thick coating of crude, which covered the waters, had spread into Odioama creeks and St Nicholas River in Brass Council Area of Bayelsa.
“On November 29, 2013, when I was returning home from Yenagoa to my community through Nembe route, I saw a very thick layer of crude oil on the river. ”That was from a distance of about 35 minutes by speedboat. I started noticing the signs of crude oil on the water from that far up to the Odioama Creek. “The thickness was too much, even water spraying up from the speedboat engine was very black in colour as a result of the crude oil on the water,” Ikagi said.
According to the community leader, officials of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) have been making frantic efforts to contain the spill.
“They have deployed aircraft, boats, vessels and personnel as well as materials to the spill site, which is an indication that the spill is a major one. “We have communicated to them in writing on the extent of the impact on our communities but we still await a response from them,” he said.
Officials of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have commenced a probe into the incident and had dispatched its oil spill response vessel to the site.
All efforts to obtain comments from Agip were unsuccessful as Mr Tajudeen Adigun, the spokesman for the oil firm, neither took calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile phone.
News
Tinubu Congratulates Ghana’s President-Elect, John Mahama
President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria’s Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, have congratulated Ghanaian President-elect, John Mahama, on his victory in the country’s December 7, 2024 general election.
This came after Mahama’s rival, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat, yesterday, saying this was to ease tensions after reported fights in several local constituencies.
Ghana’s ex-president, John Mahama won the country’s presidential election held on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Although Ghana’s Electoral Commission is yet to announce the results, Bawumia’s ruling National Democratic Congress said its internal review showed Mahama leading with 56.3 per cent of the vote against its 41.3 per cent.
The official results were likely to be announced by the election commission, tomorrow.
A statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, yesterday, said, “In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States, of which President Tinubu is the chairman.”
The statement is titled, ‘Ghana: President Tinubu congratulates President-Elect John Mahama in a telephone call.’
Tinubu commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice and transparent governance in Africa.
“He affirmed that Nigeria’s and the region’s belief in the principles of the people’s right to choose their leaders freely will remain a source of pride.
“The Nigerian leader applauded the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party, the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission,” Onanuga revealed.
Tinubu said Bawumia’s stance reinforced Ghana’s democratic ethos.
He noted that Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, having served as President from 2012 to 2017, reflects the Ghanaian people’s trust in his stewardship and vision to take the country to greater heights.
Mahama served as Ghana’s Vice President from 2009 to 2012, Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009, and held deputy and ministerial roles between 1998 and 2001.
Tinubu renewed his steadfast support for deepening the fraternal bonds between Nigeria and Ghana, underpinned by shared history, cultural ties, mutual support and cooperation, Pan-African goals, democracy, the rule of law, and economic integration.
The Nigerian leader thanked President Nana Akufo-Addo for his exemplary leadership and numerous contributions to Ghana’s progress and regional peace and stability.
He said he looks forward to working with Mahama’s incoming administration to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors and build a brighter future in the West Africa region.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, also yesterday, commended Ghana’s electoral process, highlighting its innovations and political stability as key factors in the smooth conduct of its 2024 presidential election.
Yakubu, who monitored the election and spoke in a short video obtained by The Tide, observed the political stability inherent in Ghana’s democracy, noting the consistency of its political party structures and voter loyalty.
Yakubu cited the perseverance of the main opposition candidate, a former vice president and the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo who contested multiple elections before achieving success.
“Rarely in Ghana do you see people moving from one party to another with every general election. So, that is important.
“It provides stability. It also provides their supporters (with) stability. So, there are people who have supported political parties for many years. So, whether the party is in power or opposition, they stick to the political party,” he added.
The INEC boss also noted that Ghana’s approach to managing results at the constituency level, inspired by Nigeria, has improved the efficiency of the electoral process.
Previously, all parliamentary and presidential results were sent to the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Accra for announcement.
However, Ghana has adopted a decentralised system, allowing constituency-level officers to announce parliamentary results locally while only presidential results are sent to Accra.
“The second thing for me is the lesson that Ghana also learnt from Nigeria in the area of managing constituency election results. Until the last election in Ghana, all results come to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra; which is parliamentary and presidential.
“Although Ghana is not a federal system, they learnt from Nigeria where you have returning officers who announce results for parliamentary elections in the various constituencies around the country. Only the presidential election results come to Accra.
“In Nigeria, this is what we have done and they borrowed a leave from us, and this is the second time they are implementing that. That is why, as you can see, the declaration of the presidential election result was a lot faster than it used to be in the past,” he explained.
Expressing satisfaction with the process, Yakubu stated, “We are grateful that the election has gone very well. The process and its outcome so far have been commendable, and we continue to support our colleagues in Ghana’s Electoral Commission.”
The defeat in Saturday’s election ends two terms in power for the governing New Patriotic Party under Akufo-Addo, marked by Ghana’s worst economic crisis in years, involving high inflation and a debt default.
News
Rivers State Flood Committee Inspects Ongoing Desilting Of Major Cannals
The Rivers State Government has reassured people in the NIMET-predicted flood-prone Local Government Areas that the Government will continue to provide succor to them.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu gave this reassurance at the Central Medical Stores in Port Harcourt, shortly after members of the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee undertook a facility tour of the ongoing desilting of major canals in the Obio Akpor axis of Port Harcourt, as well as the inspection of the remaining relief materials procured for those affected by the flood, last Thursday.
According to Prof. Odu, “The distilling is in progress, and we saw the areas that have been cleared. The areas that are yet to be removed, we have noted. The contractor will get back to work and finish the work. Even the little that we did helped when there was so much flooding,” Prof. Odu quipped.
The Deputy Governor said Palliatives were earlier, sent to the high flood-prone areas in parts of ONELGA, Abua Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West as well as Oyigbo Local Government Areas, noting that the remaining palliatives would be distributed equally amongst the 18 Flood Prone Local Government Areas NIMET had predicted.
“Everybody would be part of it, whether they were directly impacted or not, we will share it to everybody that is why we wanted you to come today, to see some of these things, and be able to let people know that the Flood Committee of 2024 has been on their toes working and we will continue to work until these things all shared out” The Deputy Governor further stressed.
News
RSG Set To Demolish Shanties, Gives Seven-Day Ultimatum
The Rivers State Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to residents of shanties in Port Harcourt to evacuate as it is set to begin demolition of shanties.
Rivers State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Hon. Evans Bipi, issued the notice on Saturday in Port Harcourt.
Bipi expressed concern about the activities of scavengers at the Trans-Amadi industrial area who currently occupy large hectares of private lands using them for sorting and assemblage of solid waste.
He condemned the act of proliferation of illegal dumpsites as well as shanties in business areas and advised occupants to vacate affected properties which had already been marked for demolition.
“Scavengers here are contributing to environmental hazards, their operation is highly unacceptable. This administration will no longer continue to allow them to deface our residential and industrial areas.
“We have given occupants seven days to vacate affected properties as we shall commence waste clearing and demolition of shanties in the area.
“Property owners should refrain from leasing their properties to operators of unapproved and hazardous businesses or face the full weight of the law,” the commissioner warned.
Chairman, Special Committee on Development Control of the ministry, Mr David Ogbanga, also assured of efforts towards sustainable urban development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
According to Ogbanga, apart from defacing the city outlook, slums impede urbanization, and they constitute a breeding ground for miscreants as well as hideouts for criminals and perpetrators of all forms of social vices.
“We will put an end to this in the coming days, our enforcement team will begin demolition to restore serenity to our city as well as protect residents,” he said.
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