Nation
Climate Change: NGO Educates IDPs On Tree Planting Benefits
The Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative, an NGO, has taken its campaign of planting one million trees to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Durumi, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Chief Executive of the Initiative, Mrs Noni Okocha, said during the campaign in Abuja, that the project was targeted at children of the IDPs to foster environmental awareness and sustainability among them.
Okocha said the project was designed to arm the children with the understanding of the climate crisis and the power to make a difference.
“Project one million books-children-trees for climate action” is a pilot initiative and it aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” to promote echo-conscious initiative.
“The project is geared towards protecting the environment and securing a sustainable future, a commitment geared towards preserving our planet.
“We have a responsibility to equip ourselves with requisite knowledge and tools necessary to combat this global crisis”, she said.
Okocha also said that through the initiative, knowledge and inspiration would be delivered to a million young minds, and instill an understanding of climate change from an early stage.
She said the seed of responsibility, empathy and action would also be planted.
According to her, the children are not just the beneficiaries of this knowledge, they are partners in this fight, their creativity and passion are invaluable assets safeguarding their planet.
Similarly, the Press Secretary, Indian High Commission, Mr Primod Kurmar-Agrawal, said inculcating the attitude of tree planting into the children would secure a healthier planet for the future generations.
Kurmar-Agrawal said that planting of trees was essential to protect and preserve the environment, and involving the children would make them aware of issues relating to climate change.
“And as the children are the future, to protect and preserve the environment is most important in their lives”, she said.
Kurmar-Agrawal further urged the organisers of the initiative to do more of such a project, while pledging the commission’s support towards such a goal.
In his remarks, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internationally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Alhaji Tijani Ahmed, said the country would be a very green nation in the next three years if everyone would be committed to planting a tree every year.
Represented by Mr Mohammed Albashir, his Special Assistant, Ahmed said it would go a long way in protecting the environment if everyone could commit to planting a tree.
He highlighted the importance of planting trees, saying that it would be impactful in the community and the society at large.
“We all know how impacting our environment is to all persons, our homes, schools and markets among others”, he said.
About 1,000 lecturers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka have protested non-payment of their salaries after five years of employment.
The protesting lecturers said a total of 12 of their colleagues, who were employed at the same period have died while waiting to be paid their emoluments.
Wielding placards with inscriptions to tell their stories, the lecturers appealed for payment of their salaries, saying that the current economic hardship in the country bites more on them and their families.
One of the affected lecturers, Mr Ibezim Echezona, said, “Our members are dying and we have buried 12 members so far, the last one was this year and this is someone that we saw last December and today she is no more and that is to tell you what we are going through due to non payment of our salaries for five to six years now.
“This problem is in the hands of the university because the IPPIS is no more. We demand an explanation. They should tell us if it is Abuja or the school management that is holding our salaries.”
Another staff who works at the Center for Disabilities And Special Needs Research, Mr Chukwuebuka Emmanuel said since his employment in 2019, he has not received any remuneration, yet he has been delivering services.
Emmanuel, a blind staff said: “We were employed since 2019 and till date we have not received any salary and initially we were told that the problem is with the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System IPPIS. Later the then Governing Council came on board and approved our payments and capturing, yet nothing came out of it.
“This has been affecting us generally not to talk of people with disabilities and it has not been easy as a family man taking care of his wife and children.
“If I remove my spectacle you can see that I am crying and we are owing our landlords and there is a limit at which the landlord can assist you and what do I tell my children when they demand school fees and other needs?
“We do not know those that are holding our salaries we do not know if it is the Federal government or the Ministry of Education or the University,” he said.
Nigerian workers have announced February 4, 2025, as the date to embark on a nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications services tariff hike in the country.
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
This comes as the Nigerian Communications Commission on January 20, 2025, announced the approval for telecom companies to hike services tariffs by 50 percent.
The approval has sparked a wide tide of rejection by Nigerians, including the NLC.
In an update to press home their opposition against the telecom tariff hike, the NLC vowed to shut down the country through a nationwide protest.
This is part of its mobilisation against the planned 50 percent telecom tariff hike.
The Tide’s source noted that the nationwide protest was agreed on at the National Admini-strative Council, NAC, of the labour union.
The protest aims at sounding a note of warning to the government that workers would resist the planned hike as it would worsen the poverty level across the country.
Recall that NLC had, on January 22, rejected the 50 percent telecommunication tariffs hike approved by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.
The NLC said that the 50 percent tariff hike approval, at a time Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.
“This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats,” the statement by NLC president, Joe Ajaero partly reads.
Earlier, Nigerians under the aegis of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers vowed to drag the Nigerian government and telcos to court over the 50 percent telecoms service tariff hike.
Meanwhile, the government had repeatedly justified the latest telecom tariff hike on rising inflation which stood at 34.80 percent in December.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court, yesterday, adjourned the trial in the alleged money laundering case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to Apriil 3, 24 and May 6, 2024.
Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case for continuation of hearing after the first witness, Fabian Nworah, a property developer, was called to testify.
When the matter was called for hearing, the Prosecution Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that he had five witnesses to call for the day. However, Justice Maryann Anenih said she could only take one witness, as she had other matters lined up.
The court also announced that it would not be sitting tomorrow (Thursday) as previously scheduled.
Counsel for the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, however, informed the court that the prosecution had not made the statements on oath of the 2nd Defendant available to the defense team.
He said he was aware that the 1st Defendant had not made any statement yet.
Daudu, SAN, also objected to the witness presented by the prosecution, arguing that the defendants had no prior knowledge of the witness and were only seeing him in court for the first time.
Citing authorities, he emphasized that legal proceedings should not be a “hide and seek” game, stating that the prosecution was required to provide the witness’ statements on oath in advance so the defense could adequately prepare for cross-examination.
“The statements of the second defendant have not been served on us to be able to know if we will be able to represent him or not.
“So, it is a serious handicap on us. They need to serve us all the statements made by the defendants.
“I understand the first defendant has not made a statement. Fortunately, we are still within the housekeeping stage of the proceeding,” he added.
Corroborating this, Counsel for the 3rd Defendant, Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, said, “Mine is not a comment but an observation, my lord. My application is for the court to order the prosecution to provide us with the statements of the 2nd and 3rd defendants.”
When the judge asked if he had previously requested the statements, Aliyu SAN said he discovered on Tuesday that the said statements were not part of the proof of evidence served on the defendants.
He stated, “I am also applying that the court order the prosecution to provide us with copies of the recovered digital device and the report or the extract therefrom mentioned on Page 14 of Volume 1 of the proof of evidence and the report of the forensic expert, if any.
“I am following the procedure followed in Okoye against the Commissioner of Police, which was adopted by the Supreme Court in Okemini Vs Comm of Police.”
The Prosecution, however, disagreed, saying the Defendants were trying to delay the speedy trial.
He insisted that the proof of evidence had been served on the defendants on November 27.
“The constitutional provision, which they rely on, does not imply that the prosecution should provide all the documents which it relies on.
“The law only provides that the prosecution should oblige the defense with all the documents requested for,” Pinheiro argued.
He noted that the issues would be addressed whenever they receive formal applications from the Defendants and urged the court to proceed with the business for the day.
“As it is, we have almost utilized more than an hour on these arguments,” he stated.
The judge asked the Defendant’s Counsel why he did not raise the issues in December.
Daudu SAN replied that it was because it had to be done after arraignment.
“I have applied and they are not obliging me. It is absolutely necessary for our defense,” Counsel for the 3rd Defendant said.
The judge, however, declined the application for adjournment and directed the prosecution to proceed with the case.
The Prosecution then proceeded to call its first witness, Fabian Nwora, a property developer with Efab Property Nigeria Limited.
Nwora testified that he was invited to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 8, 2023, regarding a transaction between Shehu Bello and EFAB Property concerning a property located at No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama.
However, throughout his submission in court on Wednesday, he didn’t mention the name of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
He stated that he sold the said property to Shehu Bello but observed that the name on the sale agreement was Dr. Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello.
He said, in 2023, Shehu Bello approached EFAB Property, informing them that the property was under investigation by the EFCC. He returned all documents related to the purchase and demanded a refund of the N550 million that was paid.
Subsequently, he said, EFAB Property was invited by the EFCC to explain what transpired between them and Shehu Bello. The EFCC instructed the company to refund the entire sum to an EFCC-designated account. EFAB Property complied in two batches.
Since then, Nwora said he had not had any contact with Shehu Bello or Dr. Bello Ohiani until December 2024, when the EFCC summoned them to court to testify as witnesses in the case related to their transaction with Shehu Bello.
The court, after listening to the witness, adjourned the case to 3rd and 24th April and 6th May, 2025, for continuation of hearing.