Nation

Probe Sheikh Gumi Over Inciting Comments On Bandits, SOKAPU Insists

Published

5 years ago

February 24, 2021

The spokesman of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU), Mr Luka Binniyat, has strongly advocated for the arrest and prosecution of the influential Islamic preacher, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, for allegedly telling Fulani kidnappers that soldiers killing them are not Muslim soldiers.

He alleged that the Muslim cleric, in a recent video in a meeting with the suspected criminals, told them that when they (criminals) attack a community in vengeance, they should choose their targets well, telling them that a group recently kidnapped a group of travellers, and among them was a woman in the Islamic hijab carrying a small baby.

Binniyat questioned the integrity of the Islamic preacher, saying that Gumi’s attribution that “Such act dents the work of kidnappers, insinuates that the cleric is making himself like the spiritual leader of the bandits.”

He added, “We have always suspected that there was something that the Islamic cleric is doing with these people that we do not understand.”

The spokesman said in Kaduna that it was very unfortunate, condemnable and unacceptable under this government human beings were stolen daily like animals.

He noted that Niger and Kaduna states share a border in the West and East axis which form part of Kamuku forest, where the bandits are, describing it as the most dangerous and lawless forest, as the infamous Sambisa forest in the North-East.

Describing Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s negotiation with the suspected Fulani kidnappers as curiously dubious, he said, “It is a disgraceful way of succumbing to the wiles and evil of a band of violent criminals who are more feared and respected by the state, not really because of their capacity for bloodletting, but because they are seen as kinsmen of the number one man of Nigeria. SOKAPU is totally against Sheikh Gumi in that project.

“Such wicked, heartless and unprincipled criminals must not be dignified in that matter. We have always suspected that there was something that the Islamic cleric is doing with these people that we do not understand.”

The spokesman wondered, “Why is the Islamic cleric not interested in justice and restitution for thousands of the surviving victims of their evil but the welfare and freedom of those who killed others?

”In Southern Kaduna, we have over 50,000 IDPs and over 100 communities that have been captured and occupied by these evil men that our people confirmed to be Fulani armed men. We have mass graves dotted all over our area as a result of their wickedness.

“Last year alone, our poor people paid nothing less than N1billion as ransom for the freedom of their abducted people. Why is the cleric not negotiating with relevant authorities for justice? His proposition is irrational and dumbfounding. SOKAPU wants Sheikh Gumi investigated for his role with these people.”

On amnesty for the suspected Fulani kidnappers, Binniyat observed that the kidnappers have killed, raped, received ransom, and have succeeded in displacing many communities from their ancestral lands, but in the case of the Niger Delta, he likened them “To the goose that laid the golden egg, yet, it is one of the most deprived, degraded and marginalised areas in Nigeria. The agitation for fairness and equity for Niger Delta region dates back to the fifties.

“Who does not know Adaka Boro? Who does not know the slain Ogoni freedom fighter, Ken Saro-Wiwa? The youth of the Niger Delta had a legitimate right to use violence to seek attention in the manner they did theirs. They kidnapped foreign oil workers to seek international attention. They didn’t kill them. They sabotaged oil pipelines to hurt the economy so that a deaf government will take them seriously.”

He explained that “the Niger Delta militants never invaded any community, talk of raping, killing, abducting citizens, and setting the communities ablaze. They were civilised in their approach of expressing their grievances to the concerned authorities, and the world agreed that they had a legitimate cause”.

The SOKAPU spokesman asked, “What are the Fulani armed men looking for? Even the Sultan of Sokoto has said that out of 10 bandits caught, between eight and seven are Fulani. In what ways have the Nigerian state and peaceful, vulnerable communities been against their interests? What is their contribution to the economy? Do you know how much harm they are doing to agriculture and chasing away investors from the Middle Belt and the North?

“What are their grievances? Why must they be so rewarded after such massive destruction of lives and property? Then, let all the armed robbers, rapists, arsonists and every criminal be forgiven and granted amnesty!”

On Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed’s comment that all forests belong to Nigerians, and as such, there was no need evicting any Fulani herdsman from Ondo State forest, Binniyat argued, “The Presidential Villa, Abuja, belongs to Nigerians, let the governor of Bauchi State go and tell his relatives to move there and live.

“The FCT and Bauchi State belong to Nigerians, why was he officially allocating land as the FCT minister and signing Certificates-Of-Occupancy when everyone could as well just occupy any space he wanted. When it comes bigotry and favouritism, sentiments becloud their reasoning”, he lamented.

Nation

HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.

The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.

According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.

Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.

In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.

The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.

Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 months ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

2 months ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.