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Stakeholders Canvass Nature’s Rights Protection

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Stakeholders from various sectors in Rivers State are urging for efforts to protect rights of the state natural endowment from destruction.
They said this at the end of a one-day consultative forum organised by the Centre for Development And Support Initiative (CEDSI) with support from the Right of Nature Africa Hub Global Alliance in Port Harcourt.
They said protecting the rights of the natural environment should be a collective responsibility that starts with individual action, adding that the situation “calls for a paradigm shift in our relationship with the natural world”.
According to them,”each one of us can contribute this by adopting sustainable practices, reducing our ecological footprint and promoting Enviromental conservation.
Speaking with The Tide shortly after the programm, the country Director of the Center For Development Support Initiative (CEDSI), Dr.Mina Ogbanga, said the seminar was in line with the 2023 World Enviroment Day celebration.
“In summary, we have achieved the fact that, (1) the World Enviroment Day was celebrated by the Centre for Development Support Initiative and we have discussed extensively on how to beat the plastic.
“Rivers State is an industrial zone. So, you see that plastic is massive in Rivers State. So, this is what the stakeholders from the different ministries have come to discuss”.
Dr Ogbanga said the stakeholders also discussed ways of protecting the rights of nature: “we have come up with resolutions and one of the resolutions is that we are going to give the rights of nature and we are going to protect nature, and one of the ways of protecting nature is to beat the plastic in our waterways”, she said.
She said the stakeholders have resolved to do this through regular advocacy and sensitisation programmes, as well as presing for the quick passage of the climate change bill before the State House of Assembly.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Barrister Uche Uriri, said women are mostly affected by pollution more than any other groups in the society.
he stressed the need for people to change their disposal habits, stressing that plastic pollution is not only harmful to the environment, but also kills aquatic organisms.
Uriri said the ministry is putting in place programmes that will enable women to come to the ministry with their plastic bottles with a view to selling them to buyers.
The Permanent Secretary aslo stressed the need for women in the state to join in the protect nature’s right campaign
Also speaking, the Director of Administration, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Sam Ugo Onyeka, said the ministry will collaborate with relevant organizations in areas of advocacy and sensitisation of the people to protect the rights of nature.
He commended CEDSI for putting the programm together.
On his part, representative of the Ministry of Environment, Oba Monday, said the ministry is the forefront of ensuring the protection of the environment.
Monday described Environment as “our heritage”, adding that we cannot do without the environment.
According to him it takes conscious effort to bring people the knowledge that Environment is our heritage.
He also said his ministry is ready to partner with any organization towards sustainable environment.
According to him, his ministry is ensuring that all companies operating in the state comply with all statutory Environmental laws.
Also In attendances were the representatives of the ministries of health, Special duties and water resources.

By: John Bibor

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Rivers

Traditional Rulers Warn Youths Against Road Project Disruption

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The Andoni Area Traditional Rulers Council has warned some youths in the area against further obstruction of the ongoing Ngo Oyorokoto road project.
The road project was recently awarded by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to connect the major fishing settlements to the mainland of Rivers state.
The Andoni Traditional Rulers, who condemned the action of the youths, threatened that they will not hesitate to furnish the Rivers State Government and security agencies with the names of the identified youths should they cause further hindrance to the road construction.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the traditional rulers, the Vice Chairman, Andoni Area Traditional Rulers Council, and Paramount Ruler of Ataba Kingdom, His Majesty King Benson Egwenre, assured Governor Fubara of their avowed determination to play critical role towards the completion of the Ngo-Oyorokoto Road.
King Egwenre, who is also the Chairman, Obolo Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, commended Governor Fubara for prioritizing the development of Andoni, saying further measures have been taken to ensure that no one interrupts the development drive of the Governor in Andoni.
The traditional rulers also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Andoni Caretaker Committee Chairman, Hon. Reginald Ekaan, saying his programmes and policies are timely and impactful.
The meeting had in attendance the member representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Andoni Local Government Council, Hon Reginald Ekaan.

John Bibor

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Rivers

APC Councillorship Candidate Hails Fubara’s Stance On Rivers LG Polls

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A councillorship candidate for Ahoada East, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abadi Silas Uwasanim, has commended the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, for his decision to conduct local government elections in the 23 local government areas on October 5.
He also commended the governor for his assurance that the council polls would be free and fair.
Comrade Uwasanim gave the commendations while speaking with our correspondent in Port Harcourt on the preparation for October 5 council poll in the State.
The councillorship hopeful said that the local government elections would strengthen democracy and enthrone development in the rural communities.
“The democratically elected government structure at the grassroots will enhance the overall development of our rural dwellers”, he said.
Uwasanim, who is a former APC Chairman, Ward 7 in Ahoada East, assured his people of quality representation if voted as a councillor, saying the issue of development will be given priority attention just as Governor Fubara has simplified governance in the State.
He called on the security agencies to beef up security before, during and after the elections with a view to ensuring free and fair poll.
The aspirant appealed to the electorate to shun violence, but embrace peace and vote candidates of their choice.
He said with the assurance given by the governor, no voter would be intimidated or coerced to vote other than for the candidates of their choice.
He called on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to be fair in the conduct of the elections to pave way for the emergence of the right candidates that will deliver the dividends of democracy.
“It is time to get it right, but we can not get it right except the electoral umpire do the right thing correctly”, he said.
Uwasanim also hailed the Supreme Court’s judgement giving full autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country.
According to him, the judgement “will strengthen our democracy to a very large extent and provide for good governance and accountability at the local level”.

Chinedu Wosu

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CP Gives Parting Gifts To Rivers With Arrest Of Criminal Elements

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The outgoing Rivers State Commissoner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, has presented a parting gift to the State as the police operatives in a sting operation across the State arrested fake employment raceteering and a notorious dreaded criminal gang leader, ChukwumelaImela, known as Boy Satan as well as recovering of various assualt riffles and ammunition.
This appeared a major breakthrough in the ongoing assault against banditary and criminal activities in the State under the watch of the immediate past Commissioner of Police.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt at the police command recently, CP Disu said the operatives of the State command arrested a gang of online employment racketeering syndicates that specialises in obtaining money by pretence from unsuspected members of the public with intent to secure fake job employment opportunities in an oil and gas company in the State collecting from them the sum of N450,000 to N850,000 each.
According to him ,the operatives of octopus strike force of the state command ,on August 29, 2024, at about 3 pm, acting on a credible piece of information about a possible hostage situation in a compound at Igwuruta, swung into action and arrested one of the suspects, Chukwudi Okoli ‘m’, who posed as a staff of a company, Qjoseansel International Global Limited , adding that during the operation, Amiye Joseph and 15 other victims comprising 13 males and two females (2) were rescued and led to the station.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the unsuspecting victims had each paid monetary sums ranging from N 650,000 to N 850,000.00 each to the phoney company with vain assurance that they would be given jobs within the oil and gas sector and receive payment in US Dollars.
“The fraudsters operated in such a way that they would call their unsuspecting victims over the phone after a random selection of phone numbers. They would then introduce them to job opportunities and invite them to Port Harcourt where they would undergo fake interview processes.
“The victims are extorted huge sums of money and held in a facility where they would be keenly monitored. After this is achieved, the victims will be subjected to training where they will be taught to convince potential victims about the job opportunities with a pay of USD 450 per week.”
“New entrants were tasked to pay USD 25 to facilitate a registration process.
The suspects designed an online platform that generated a username and password for registrants upon completion of registration.
Throughout the process, the victims are instructed to alienate themselves from other people.”
CP Disu further sophisticated gadgets and items revealed that were recovered from the operational office of the suspect including phones, laptops, television sets, generators, industrial fans and office furniture, stressing that the suspect and the exhibits are in police custody while the investigation is ongoing.
“We have intensified efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate.”he stated.
Again, the state Commissoner of Police said that operatives also arrested a five-man notorious criminal gang said to have been responsible for car snatching and burglary in the Ada-George, Iwofe and Ogbogoro areas of Port Harcourt as well as Egbelu, Diobu, D-line, GRA II and Borikiri.
The gang has been responsible for snatching, at gunpoint, over 10 cars in the past 3 months and responsible in terrorising residents of the state seeking to enjoy their comforts and thrills of nightlife in the GRA II axis of Port Harcourt.
The state Commissioner of Police, disclosed this while parading the suspected twelve suspects at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt , Tuesday that were allegedly arrested by the operatives of the command in various operations across the State.
Disu disclosed that the gang was led by a recidivist, one ChukwumelaImela, aka Boy Satan, who had been to prison on four occasions for various crimes, ranging from cultism to raping and armed robbery along side with his childhood friend and companion, Precious Adiele, he joined the Iceland cult group in 2009.
He averred that the duo iare famed for being merciless in killing both rivals and allies, thus, earning him the moniker, ‘Boy Satan’.
“In 2022, he disagreed with the Iceland cult group over loot sharing from a robbery and angrily moved to join a rival group, ‘La Mendians Bobos’. To celebrate his defection, he decided to make a bold statement by accosting his friend, Precious Adiele and macheting him to death in his residence. After killing his friend, he boasted that he was not afraid to hurt even his family to prove a point.

Akujobi Amadi

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