General
Africa Day: Hundreds Protest Against Total in Nigeria, Others
By Adedapo Adesanya
Climate activists marked Africa Day by staging protests at Total’s petrol stations in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana.
The protests highlighted Total’s alleged human rights violations, greenwashing strategies and climate inaction.
According to the organisers of the protests, 350.org, Total is involved in controversial projects across the continent, notably the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Mozambique Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) project that have witnessed the displacement of local communities from their ancestral land as well as several human rights abuse and other issues that have been called out by activists and frontline communities.
Speaking on the protest, Ms Landry Ninteretse of 350.org said, “At a time when the international scientific community is telling us that the world cannot absorb any new fossil fuel developments if we are to tackle the climate crisis, Total is still pushing for the construction of highly controversial pipelines such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and the Mozambique LNG that threaten to destroy the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people, while affecting a great portion of diverse ecosystems and adding millions of tons of carbon emissions yearly.”
Ms Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan activist, said: “We cannot drink oil. This is why we cannot accept the construction of the East African Crude oil pipeline. It is going to cause massive displacement of people, destruction of ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
“We have no future in the extraction of oil because it only means destroying the livelihoods of the people and the planet. It is time to choose people above pipelines. It is time to rise up for the people and the planet.”
Mr Andre Moliro, a DRC activist, said: “Total’s fossil fuel developments pose grave risks to protected environments, water sources and wetlands in the Great Lakes and East Africa regions.
“Communities have been raising concerns on the impact of oil extraction on Lake Albert fisheries and the disastrous consequences of an oil spill in Lake Victoria, that would affect millions of people that rely on the two lakes for their livelihoods, watersheds for drinking water and food production.”
Earlier in the year, more than 260 African and international organisations sent an open letter to 25 banks urging them not to finance the construction of the EACOP.
Total issued statements on its website describing its environmental and social risk assessment and mitigation strategies for the EACOP and Tilenga oil extraction project as rigorous and claiming to act responsibly and transparently on the social and environmental issues related to the projects.
The #StopEACOP Alliance went ahead to issue a statement clarifying several misleading figures presented by Total such as the number of oil wells to be drilled within Murchison Falls National Park, and the number of project-affected people for Tilenga and EACOP.
Total seeks to position itself as a climate leader but chooses to ignore the massive climate risks posed by going ahead with its fossil fuel projects across Africa.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has been urged to extend the deadline for the payment of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) by property owners in Abuja.
This plea for an extension was asked by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) through a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ezema.
The group said the initial two-week grace period given to the affected allottees, which expired on Friday, January 3, 2025, was insufficient, considering the current economic challenges facing the country.
Recall that after public outcries, Mr Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers State, granted an extension to the owners of the 762 revoked plots of land in Maitama, Abuja.
“We are appealing to the Minister and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to tamper justice with mercy and issue an extension in the spirit of the yuletide and in view of the economic challenges in the country,” the association stated.
It stressed that the extension would give the affected individuals and groups ample time to comply with the directive, thereby avoiding any undue hardship or loss.
“We pray that the Minister and the FCTA will grant the allottees an extension to comply with the directive, giving all the affected individuals and groups enough time to have themselves to blame at the end of the final extension,” the statement added.
The CNPP’s appeal comes on the heels of its recent expression of concern over the escalating hunger and suffering faced by millions of Nigerians due to the economic realities in the country.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has dissociated itself from an unofficial viral statement by one of it members, regarding posters indicating activities of the organisation.
The group dissociated itself from the member in a statement signed by its National President and the National Secretary, Mr Kabiru Ibrahim, and Mr Yunusa Halidu, respectively.
“This post is made by an authorized member, Ado A Ado Kano.
“The opinions and views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the group, its administrators, or other members.
“For official statements, please refer to AFAN official contact or platform,” parts of the statement made available to Business Post stated.
According to AFAN, the unofficial posters flying around doesn’t represent the association, noting that Mr Kano is not authorized by AFAN or its officials but those of the author.
AFAN is the umbrella organisation for all farmers’ commodity associations in Nigeria.
Its vision and mission are to assemble all Nigerian producers into one organization, providing a single interlocutor for the government to address agricultural issues with the farming community.
AFAN was formed by the merger of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFA) and the National Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (NAFAN). The merger was recommended by former Nigerian president, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo.
By Adedapo Adesanya
BUA Group has denied widespread reports that its ongoing construction of a 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery located in Akwa Ibom State is 90 per cent completed.
In a statement signed on Sunday, the group with subsidiaries in food, cement, and energy sectors said that the claims that the structure was at end stage did not come from it.
“Contrary to a misleading report stating that our 200,000 barrels/day refinery is at 90% completion, BUA wishes to advise the public to disregard such misleading reports that did not emanate from us,” a part of the statement read.
It clarified that the project was progressing well and added that it was going to meet the project timeline of 2025.
“As we make remarkable strides on our Akwa Ibom refinery project, we are proud to share that construction is progressing steadily.
“Whilst the refinery is not at 90% completion, we are however on track to meet our delivery timelines in collaboration with our partners.
“This BUA Refinery & Petrochemicals project represents a major milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s refining capacity and energy security,” the group said.
BUA is also carrying out other energy projects, including the construction of a mini-LNG plant and several new hybrid power plants across the country, which it said are also progressing rapidly.
The group says this will add additional capacity to our over 1,000MW installed captive power generation capacity.
“The public is advised to verify any news through our official channels and platforms so as not to be misled by mischievous persons,” the statement said.
“At BUA, we remain committed to transparency and excellence. As we have consistently done with over 12 of our completed mega industrial projects worth over $ 3.5 billion in the past 10 years, we will continue to keep you updated with verifiable and accurate information only where necessary, and as milestones are achieved.
“We appreciate the public’s interest and enthusiasm for this transformative project as we work together in building a stronger industrial and manufacturing base for a self-reliant Nigeria,” it added.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism8 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN