Environment
Shell Denies Discharge Of Toxic Chemicals from Focados Terminal
The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Monday, said that the dead fishes floating and littering the Niger Delta coastline had nothing to do with its operations.
Residents along the Atlantic coastline in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom have reported massive death of croaker fish specie since February raising concerns of increased toxicity of the territorial waters.
An Environmentalist, Mr Furoebi Akene, had alleged that the dead fishes littering Niger Delta coastline were caused by the discharge of toxic chemicals from Shell’s operations at Ogulagha in Delta.
SPDC in a response statement said that there was no discharge of toxic chemicals from its operations at the Focados crude export terminal off Delta.
According to the statement signed by Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, Media Relations Manager at SPDC, there was no oil leakage from its activities linked to the dead fishes.
Odugbesan said that Shell was supporting the Delta government’s in investigating the cause of the massive death of fishes as well as participating in ongoing joint investigation by oil industry regulators.
“The SPDC hereby clarifies that there is no release of dangerous, toxic or chemical substances from its operations at the Forcados Oil Terminal, or from its facilities in Ogulagha or any part of the Niger Delta where the company operates.
“Relevant government agencies are already investigating the alleged fish kill incident along the coastline in the Niger Delta and SPDC is supporting the investigations.
“The Nigeria Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was widely reported to have clearly stated that there is no evidence that oil and gas operations may have impacted the aquatic environment as being claimed in respect of the fish kill incident.
“On our part, we are working with the relevant government agencies and the Delta State Ministry of Environment in the investigation of the allegation.
“We have conducted a joint investigation visit to the coastline, samples have been collected and testing is ongoing in accredited laboratories,” Odugbesan stated.
Mr Idris Musa, Director-General of NOSDRA, said that the agency found no connection with oil spills to the dead fishes and was looking at other probable causes.
Musa said that NOSDRA was coordinating a multi-agency investigation aimed at unraveling the cause of the massive death of fishes within the nation’s territorial waters and was looking beyond oil spill.
He said other regulatory agencies with mandates of safety in the maritime space, were deploying their expertise in the ongoing investigation, assuring that the process was being carried out with best practices.
“The death of fishes in large numbers make it expedient to look beyond oil spillage as the likely cause, as we found no trace of oil leakage to link with the dead fishes.
“The agency proceeded to collect samples of water, sediments and some of the dead fish for laboratory testing.
”In doing so, the agency brought onboard other relevant agencies of government that have mandate on our territorial waters.
“In particular, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Instutue of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Federal Institute of Fisheries Research and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
”This is for an all hands must be on deck in assessment of the possible cause or causes of death of the fishes in such large numbers,” Musa said.
Environment
Prolonged Public Holidays Come with Negative Economic Effects on Citizens – Anambra Residents
Anambra residents have slammed the additional day approved by the Federal Government for the Muslim faithful to celebrate the 2024 Eid-Ei-Fitr, saying this will have negative effects on the economy.
The Federal government had early declared April 9 and 10 as Muslim-Ummah for the successful completion of a month’s spiritual rejuvenation.
Reports says that residents of Anambra capital city believe that the additional day which they did not plan for will result in economic hardship to the citizenry.
Most respondents believe that people had planned to resume their economic activities instead of wasting their time staying at home doing nothing..
Former Chairman, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Chief Felly Akosa, described the additional day to the two days approved earlier as “unfair to the economy of the country as people were unprepared for the additional day.
Akosa said that although it is right for the Muslim faithful to celebrate their holiday after a month-long fasting, the process needs to be carefully planned for in place of the additional rest day which could inhibit business activities.
Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President of Igbo Apex Social Cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said the policy would cause huge economic waste as businesses are put on hold,
He advised that, in future, a proper and well planned programme needs to be in place before declaring a public holiday for any celebration that will be national.
“Our economy and other sectors are not very healthy,” and it would, therefore be appropriate to plan well to avoid declarations that will hamper the citizens’ welfare.
Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, a business man in Awka, described the extension of the Eid-El-Fitr public holiday to Thursday, April 11, as an added hardship for the citizenry.
Beluchukwu said that any public holiday for three days, April 9 to 11, to celebrate any feast in the country is an economic loss to the nation.
He said that it was best to stick to the two-day national public holidays as this gives room for the people to plan their activities very well.
He stated that his wife went to a public hospital on Tuesday and was unattended to because there was no doctor on seat to provide medical attention.
“She resorted to visiting a private hospital which cost extra money which the public hospital is expected to handle at a reasonable cost. (NAN)
The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC) has said that the World Bank fund received would be used to boost water supply to Bukuru and environs in Jos South Local Government Area.
Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director of the corporation, said that N1.7 billion would be expended on the rehabilitation of water treatment plant, over head steel tank and laying of pipes to homes of consumers.
Samchi, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, during a two-day capacity building workshop, said that the projects were expected to be completed in four months.
Reports says that the workshop organised for contractors has at its theme: “Implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for Projects in Jos South.
The MD said that the projects would ensure steady provision of potable water to residents in Gyel and Kurgiya in Jos South Local Government Area.
He said the treatment plant when rehabilitated would pump out 5,000 cubic litres of water daily.
The MD further stated that the reticulation exercise would cover residents who weren’t initially connected to public water supply in the area.
Samchi said that the essence of the workshop was to ensure that the contractors were trained to develop adequate measures and controls to minimise and mitigate potential environmental and social risks that could adversely affect the project implementation.
He called on all the contractors handling the projects to ensure that they adhered to the environmental and safety standards and deliver within the specified timeframe.
In his remarks, Mr Jonathan Malann, the Plateau Project Coordinator, Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (SURWASH), also advised contractors to adhere to the environmental and safety standards as provided by the World Bank.
The Federal Government had received $700m financing from the World Bank to ensure that all its people have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.
The seven participating states are Plateau, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Kaduna.(NAN)
The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) has approved payment of N389 million as compensation for residents that would be affected by the gully erosion control project at Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical and its surrounding communities.
The Commissioner for Finance, Gombe State, Malam Mohammed Magaji, stated this at the end of the SEC meeting on Friday in Gombe.
Magaji said the payment, which would commence immediately, would be for individuals and organisations along the gully erosion site.
He said almost 1000 persons were expected to benefit from the gesture.
According to him, the compensation is part of the requirements of the World Bank, which specifies that such payments be made to property owners.
Magaji said the payment would also be made to ensure seamless resettlement of affected persons.
“The beneficiaries are in hundreds, almost a 1,000 people; there is compensation for houses, and also for business premises.
“There is also stipends for the elderly living around that area so that they are able to have good livelihood,” he said.
The commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Maigari, also said the SEC approved upgrade of the five mega senior secondary schools in the state to sustain improvement in the education sector.
Maigari said the upgrade would be carried out based on the needs of each of the schools.
She stated that infrastructure in some of the schools were already being upgraded to global standards.
“We have seen construction of toilets, installation of solar-powered light, construction of roads, school clinics, boreholes and many more,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 23 signed a N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Ltd. for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.
The project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria. (NAN)
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