JAMB has rescheduled examination for candidates who technical challenges prevented from writing the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Tuesday.
The board’s spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the declaration in Abuja on Tuesday after the board’s management meeting at the close of the first day of the examination.
“Following the announcement, candidates who, for technical reasons, could not take the examination are to print new examination notifications early on April 26 to know their rescheduled sessions.
“It is to be noted that about 100 centres out of the 708 centres participating in the 2023 UTME experienced technical challenges that prevented the candidates from taking the examination,’’ he stated.
Benjamin reiterated JAMB’s determination to deploy world-class assessment in line with global best practices to deliver quality assessment and regretted any inconveniences experienced by candidates and their parents.
He added that challenges encountered arose from some novel features deployed by the Board to safeguard the sanctity of the examination to checkmate examination misconduct being perpetrated.
“The Board reiterates the commitment of its technical team working round-the-clock to ensure that Wednesday’s exercise is devoid of hitches.
“Meanwhile, the Board assures Nigerians that no candidate would be denied the right of taking his or her examination.
“If any challenges are experienced, candidates would be rescheduled to take the examination on the next available date and space,’’ Benjamin stressed.
Choose to take care of your physical health: Making a decision to take care of your physical health by engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep can improve your quality of life, prevent illness, and help you live longer.
Choose to pursue your passions: Make a decision to pursue your passions and do what you love. This can lead to a more fulfilling life and may even lead to a successful career.
Choose to surround yourself with positive people: Surrounding yourself with positive people who encourage and support you can make a big difference in your life. Choose to spend time with people who lift you up, rather than those who bring you down.
Choose to develop a growth mindset: Developing a growth mindset means believing that you can learn and improve, and that failures are opportunities to learn and grow. This can help you overcome challenges and achieve your goals.
Choose to prioritize your mental health: Making a decision to prioritize your mental health by practicing self-care, seeking professional help if needed, and surrounding yourself with a supportive network can improve your overall well-being.
Choose to manage your finances responsibly: Making smart financial decisions, such as saving money and avoiding debt, can help you avoid financial stress and achieve your long-term financial goals.
Choose to continue learning and growing: Making a decision to continue learning and growing can help you stay relevant in your career, expand your knowledge and skills, and keep your mind active and engaged.
Choose to pursue meaningful relationships: Building strong, meaningful relationships with family, friends, and loved ones can improve your quality of life and provide a support system during difficult times.
Choose to take risks and embrace change: Taking calculated risks and embracing change can lead to personal growth and open up new opportunities in your life.
Choose to make a positive impact on the world: Making a positive impact on the world, whether through volunteering, philanthropy, or simply being kind to others, can give your life a sense of purpose and make a difference in the lives of others.
A police officer attached to Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters in Ibadan was reportedly shot dead by hoodlums while chasing some suspected criminals in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the incident took place at Moniya Motor Park in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan.
Mr Osifeso said that the operatives attached to Moniya Area Command, under Oyo State Police Command, while on lawful intelligence-led stop-and-search around a major black spot, were attacked in the line of duty on Monday at about 10.15 a.m.
He said that preliminary investigation showed that the patrol team, while acting on credible intelligence through visible policing duties, extended its presence to some black spots, highways and roads to deter criminal elements from settling and establishing dominance within the area.
Mr Osifeso said that the team, led by one Insp Stanley Ikhine, flagged-down an ash-coloured Lexus 350 SUV, with a faintly inscribed worn-off number plate, thus further arousing suspicion from the officers on watch.
“In the process, the vehicle initially slowed down in compliance with the directive before eventually picking up speed and dashing off to evade the officers on duty.
“This action led to a chase by the officers in a bid to establish further clarity of facts,” he said.
Mr Osifeso said few meters away from the initial stoppage point, the vehicle veered off the road to a nearby garage, driving directly into the waiting hands of hoodlums who were also collaborators in the criminal process.
He stated further that the hoodlums not only obstructed the officers from discharging their duties but also aided the escape of the SUV and its occupants.
“Consequent upon the above, the hoodlums attacked the officers unprovoked and attempted to forcefully drag a rifle from one of them, which led to a shot being discharged from the barrel during the process of the struggle.
“Sadly, the gallant officer paid the supreme price, suffering a heavy blow to his skull, inflicted by one of the hoodlums while preventing them from dispossessing him of his firearm,” he said.
The police spokesman said that the body of the deceased had been deposited at the state morgue for a post-mortem, while seven persons had been arrested and 12 motorcycles impounded in connection with the incident.
President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has emphasized the need for joint actions by global stakeholders to achieve the collective goal of eliminating malaria disease by 2030.
Dangote, also United Nations’ Malaria Ambassador for Nigeria, said this in his World Malaria Day statement titled; “With Urgent Investment, Innovation and Implementation, Zero Malaria Spread is Possible” on Tuesday.
According to him, all stakeholders must work together to decimate malaria, which has brought untold human suffering with the economic toll of the disease on global productivity.
He stressed that urgent investment, innovation and implementation by global players would help curtail its spread.
Dangote said that since 2000, global partnerships and investments in the fight against malaria had yielded positive results by preventing some 2 billion malaria cases, saving 11.7 million lives and putting eradication within reach.
He, however, lamented that 96 per cent of malaria deaths, globally, were found in 29 countries, with Nigeria sadly among the four countries which accounted for over half of all malaria deaths globally in 2021.
The business mogul stated that 2023 World Malaria Day, WMD, presented an opportunity to galvanise global efforts toward advocacy and sustained political will and investment to end the scourge.
Dangote, expressing his readiness to lead the way, pledged that Aliko Dangote Foundation, ADF, would further strengthen its engagements with the various key stakeholders to attain the collective goal of malaria elimination by 2030.
“More than ever, we must collaborate to ensure that no child or person dies of malaria or loses another day to this debilitating illness again.
“We must also drive further progress toward malaria elimination in Nigeria and Africa at large.
“This is by focusing on three key areas to ensure that malaria elimination remains high on Nigeria’s public health and development agenda.
“We would continue to advocate at all levels to ensure sufficient funding to sustain the progress made so far, as we jointly seek to end malaria for good.
“We encourage private sector leaders to implement malaria prevention and treatment programmes in their companies, as we do across our businesses in the Dangote Group.
“For Africa to move forward, the continent has to get rid of malaria once and for all and now is the time to take decisive action to deliver on our goal of zero malaria, spur overall development and achieve the 2030 targets,” he said.
He lauded the positive efforts of the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, as the second national drug regulator to approve the use of the R21 vaccine.
Mr Dangote stated further that as countries look forward to the malaria vaccine rollout, all efforts must be made to sustain its sourcing and application; akin to the noble efforts made to ensure the eradication of polio in Nigeria and Africa.
A 22-year-old Canadian actor Saint Von Colucci has died after spending $220,000 on 12 plastic surgeries to like BTS’s KPOP star Jimin.
Jimin is a member of The Bangtan Boys, BTS, a popular South Korean boy band.
According to Daily Mail UK, Colucci went for plastic surgery so as to feature as Jimin in a forthcoming series for a US-based streaming platform.
The 22-year-old actor, however, suffered complications from jaw surgery and was confirmed dead at a South Korean hospital on Sunday.
Colucci was said to have developed an infection from the jaw implants and due to complications, he was intubated before he died hours later.
Eric Blake, Saint’s publicist, said the actor was aware of the risks associated with cosmetic surgeries but still wanted to get them.
Blake disclosed that Saint wanted to reshape his square jawline and chin into more of a V-shape and transform himself so he could resemble Jimin.
He said the Canadian actor moved to South Korea in 2019 to try and break into the music industry.
The publicist said Saint “felt very discriminated against his Western looks” and was insecure about his face and appearance because he wasn’t getting roles.
Blake added that the actor had undergone twelve cosmetic procedures over the last year – including jaw surgery, implants, facelift, a nose job, an eye lift, eyebrow lift, lip reduction, and other minor surgeries.
“It’s very tragic and very unfortunate. He was very insecure about his looks,” he said.
“He had a very square jawline and chin and he didn’t like the shape of it because he thought it was too wide and wanted a V-shape, the shape many Asians have.
“It was very hard for him to get a job in South Korea, and he felt very discriminated against because of his Western looks.”
Last year, he was reportedly cast in the Korean drama series ‘Pretty Lies [Cogimar]’, which was filmed from June until December.
The drama series is set to air on a major US streaming platform in October.
The federal government is preparing to evacuate Nigerian students from crisis-ridden Sudan following the students cry for help.
Foreign countries had rushed to evacuate their nationals from Sudan as deadly fighting raged between forces loyal to two rival generals in the second week.
In a tweet by the Chairman of the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the students were seen to be in a queue.
Abike in the tweet said; “As our students in Sudan queued up orderly to board their buses to Egypt enroute to Nigeria, supervised by Nigerian mission officials in Sudan. Let’s remember them in our prayers as they journey home. War is a terrible thing !!”
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), has warned skit makers to stop using its logo and jackets in their production.
The warning is contained in a statement issued by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Babafemi warned that those fond of the indiscretion of misusing its official jackets to mislead and create false impressions, to be ready for the consequences
He was reacting to a trending video of some people wearing red jackets similar to the ones used by officers and men of the agency, which the Agency had disclaimed a year ago.
The spokesman said that the agency had in a well-publicised statement on May 21, 2022, stated that the video was a skit produced by one Mathew C Eze who lived in the Lekki area of Lagos.
“A year after, the video has returned to the social media space, a development that has led to several enquiries from concerned members of the public on the authenticity of the content of the video.
“We will like to reiterate again that the confusion the controversial video has created in the minds of members of the public underscores the need for some social media content producers to show restraint.
“Also, they need to show responsibility and decorum in how they misuse paraphernalia of law enforcement officers, to avoid misconceptions and insinuations,” he said.
Determining the wealthiest Nigerian cities is a complex and subjective task, as there are many different factors that can be considered. However, some of the cities that are often considered to be the wealthiest in Nigeria include:
Lagos: Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city and is home to a thriving economy, with a diverse range of industries such as finance, real estate, media, and entertainment. It is also a major port city and the commercial center of Nigeria, making it a hub for international trade.
Abuja: As Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja is home to many government agencies and international organizations, making it a hub for politics and diplomacy. It also has a growing economy and a thriving real estate industry.
Port Harcourt: Port Harcourt is an oil-rich city in southern Nigeria and is home to many oil and gas companies, making it a major economic center. It also has a thriving manufacturing industry and is home to many multinational corporations.
Kano: Kano is a major commercial and industrial center in northern Nigeria, with a diverse range of industries such as textile manufacturing, agriculture, and trade.
Ibadan: Ibadan is the largest city in Nigeria’s southwestern region and is home to a growing economy, with a diverse range of industries such as agriculture, education, and healthcare.
Overall, these cities are considered wealthy because they have thriving economies, diverse industries, and a high concentration of multinational corporations, which attract investment and contribute to their overall economic growth. They are also centers of political and diplomatic activity, which further enhances their economic and social importance.
Here are 10 of the most influential female politicians of all time, based on their impact on history and their contribution to women’s rights and political progress:
Margaret Thatcher – The first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who served from 1979 to 1990 and is known for her conservative policies and leadership during the Falklands War.
Golda Meir – The first and only female Prime Minister of Israel, who served from 1969 to 1974 and played a key role in the founding of the state of Israel.
Benazir Bhutto – The first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, who served two terms from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996, and was assassinated in 2007.
Angela Merkel – The first female Chancellor of Germany, who has served since 2005 and is known for her leadership during the European financial crisis and the refugee crisis.
Indira Gandhi – The first and only female Prime Minister of India, who served from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – The first female President of Liberia, who served from 2006 to 2018 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her efforts to promote women’s rights and democracy.
Hillary Clinton – The first female major-party nominee for President of the United States, who served as Secretary of State under President Obama from 2009 to 2013.
Aung San Suu Kyi – A Burmese politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been a prominent pro-democracy leader in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) for decades.
Park Geun-hye – The first female President of South Korea, who served from 2013 to 2017 and was impeached and removed from office over a corruption scandal.
Jacinda Ardern – The current Prime Minister of New Zealand, who took office in 2017 and has been praised for her leadership during the Christchurch mosque shootings and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following is a list of 20 of the most influential warriors of all time, based on their military achievements, impact on history, and lasting legacy:
Alexander the Great – Conquered much of the known world and spread Greek culture and civilization throughout the Mediterranean and Asia.
Julius Caesar – Led the Roman Republic to its height of power and transformed it into an empire.
Genghis Khan – Founded and expanded the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history.
Napoleon Bonaparte – Conquered much of Europe and played a major role in the modernization of France.
Sun Tzu – Author of “The Art of War,” one of the most influential military treatises in history.
Hannibal Barca – Carthaginian general who nearly defeated Rome in the Second Punic War.
Saladin – Muslim general who conquered Jerusalem and established a dynasty that lasted for centuries.
Joan of Arc – French heroine who led the French army to several victories during the Hundred Years’ War.
Attila the Hun – Led the Huns in their conquest of much of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
Miyamoto Musashi – Legendary Japanese swordsman and author of “The Book of Five Rings,” a classic treatise on strategy and tactics.
William Wallace – Scottish hero who fought for Scottish independence from England in the 13th century.
Khalid ibn al-Walid – Muslim general who led the early Islamic conquests and played a key role in the Battle of Mu’tah and the Battle of Hunayn.
Richard the Lionheart – King of England who led the Third Crusade to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims.
Simón Bolívar – South American revolutionary who played a key role in the independence movements of several South American countries.
Shaka Zulu – Zulu king who united and expanded the Zulu kingdom in Southern Africa in the early 19th century.
Robert E. Lee – Confederate general who led the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.
Leonidas – King of Sparta who led the famous 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian Empire.
Che Guevara – Argentine revolutionary who played a key role in the Cuban Revolution and other leftist movements in Latin America.
Tariq ibn Ziyad – Muslim general who led the Muslim conquest of Spain and established the Umayyad Caliphate in the region.
Yi Sun-sin – Korean admiral who led a series of naval victories against the Japanese during the Imjin War in the late 16th century.
The following is a list of 10 of the most well-paid jobs in the world, based on the latest available data and salary information:
Surgeon – Surgeons are highly skilled medical professionals who perform complex surgical procedures. They are well-compensated for their specialized knowledge and expertise, with an average annual salary of around $409,665. This high salary is due to the high level of training and skill required to become a surgeon, as well as the responsibility and pressure that comes with the job.
Psychiatrist – Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. They earn an average annual salary of around $220,380. Their high salary reflects the significant amount of education and training required to become a psychiatrist, as well as the important role they play in helping people with mental health issues.
Orthodontist – Orthodontists are dental specialists who help to correct misaligned teeth and jaws. They earn an average annual salary of around $228,780. This high salary reflects the specialized nature of their work and the importance of dental health in overall health and well-being.
Corporate Executive – Corporate executives are senior-level managers who oversee the operations of large companies. They earn an average annual salary of around $196,050. This high salary reflects the significant responsibility and pressure that comes with managing a large organization, as well as the specialized knowledge and skills required to do so successfully.
Software Architect – Software architects are highly skilled professionals who design and develop complex software systems. They earn an average annual salary of around $128,250. This high salary reflects the demand for their specialized skills and the importance of technology in modern business and society.
Investment Banker – Investment bankers are financial professionals who help companies and governments to raise capital through the sale of securities. They earn an average annual salary of around $100,000 – $300,000. This high salary reflects the high-pressure nature of the job and the importance of the financial sector to the global economy.
Petroleum Engineer – Petroleum engineers are professionals who design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from the ground. They earn an average annual salary of around $137,170. This high salary reflects the importance of the oil and gas industry to the global economy, as well as the specialized knowledge and skills required to work in this field.
Lawyer – Lawyers are legal professionals who provide advice and representation to clients in legal matters. They earn an average annual salary of around $120,910. This high salary reflects the significant education and training required to become a lawyer, as well as the importance of the legal profession in protecting individual rights and upholding the rule of law.
Data Scientist – Data scientists are professionals who analyze and interpret large sets of data in order to identify patterns and insights. They earn an average annual salary of around $113,309. This high salary reflects the growing importance of data in modern business and the demand for professionals who can make sense of it.
Airline Pilot – Airline pilots are highly skilled professionals who operate commercial aircraft. They earn an average annual salary of around $121,430. This high salary reflects the responsibility and pressure that comes with the job, as well as the specialized knowledge and skills required to safely operate a commercial aircraft.
Shell oil spill in a compound in Bodo community in Niger Delta that took place in late August 2022. Source: Facebook. Posted by George Adinwin on August 31, 2022.
This four months investigation by Kevin Woke and Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi revealed that while British Shell continues to pollute the Ogoniland without cleanup, HYPREP on the other hand is yet to provide water to the Ogoni people as recommended by UNEP. Only the Alesa Eleme community has been given borehole water while communities like in Tai LGA are yet to see water from HYPREP despite construction of the water tanks.
In the early hours of August 23, 2022, in the Bodo community in Gokana Local government area of Rivers State, Livinus Zabbey, a farmer whose livelihoods include raising chickens and cultivating pears, wakes up to find crude oil all over his compound. He was shocked and could only think of the impact of such an incident on his family should there be a fire. According to him, his family was moved out of his compound to his eldest sister’s house in the same community that had not been affected by the oil leak.
In late August, a leaky crude oil pipeline belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, a subsidiary of Shell Plc, flowed over the Bodo community, ruining farmlands, aquatic life, drinking water, and contaminating the air. The spill that affected Zabbey’s compound engulfed a total area of 3900 metres in Bodo community, spilling over 16,000 barrels of crude oil, according to the data obtained from the NOSDRA oil spill monitor website. Zabbey said his compound was affected by the Shell oil spill on 23 August, but NOSDRA recorded the incident to have happened on 25 August 2022, while a joint investigation by the agency and Shell took place on 7 October — more than a month after the spill had engulfed the community.
George Adinwin, a Bodo community youth said: “It took Shell more than a week before they visited the polluted sites and worked on their pipelines.”
When the reporters arrived in Bodo last December, there was still the smell of crude oil coming from Zabbey’s compound. This odour was also present in his 21 sachets of water he kept and in the water drawn from the well. Zabbey’s words: “If anybody tells you it is good water, you can test it to prove if it is good water.”
Livinus Zabbey in his compound in Bodo Community in Niger Delta/Faith Imbu
Bodo in Gokana Local government area is one of the host communities of Shell in Rivers State —the company has its pipelines across Bodo, linking to different areas of its facilities. Zabbey sells his farm produce to cater to the needs of his family, but the sudden Shell oil spill from the company’s pipeline has destroyed his crops and caused the deaths of over two hundred fowl, he said.
“This was my economic tree,’’ he said while pointing and breaking the dry stem of his peer tree that was burnt by the oil spill.
Livinus Zabbey remaining fowls after over 200 fowls have been killed by Shell Nigeria oil spill in Bodo community in the Niger Delta that took place in 23 August 2022/Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi (Photo taken on December 29, 2022)
“My pineapple and other aquatic life are all gone. I have about 300 fowls but as they perceive the oil spill, it killed them” and “this is what is left,’’ he pointed to the fowls that were rushing for food.
It’s more than six months since the pollution of the Bodo community, no word of sympathy from Shell, nor has there been any compensation or environmental impact assessment of the polluted areas, and crops no longer yield for consumption, according to Zabbey and other community residents. Well, water and sachet water- popularly known as “pure water” was also polluted by the oil spill, Zabbey said.
The spill that affected Zabbey’s compound is one in three spills that suddenly visited the people of Bodo just in August 2022. The inhabitants are still counting their losses after the spill destroyed their livelihood. On August 2 and 3, there was an oil spill from Shell’s pipeline according to several residents, of which the company claimed a total of 5 barrels was spilled on August 3.
Bodo Community Chief, Saga Giobari Promise in his compound in Bodo/Faith Imbu
The spill on August 25 also destroyed crops like cassava, and entered into the river, said Saga Giobari Promise, a community chief. He said the company (Shell) hastened to clean up the spill to avoid public outcry.
Promise words: “This recent spill that happened in August, happened here,” he said while standing on the spot on the farmland where the oil spilled.
“Shell quickly came and crammed it so that it would not engulf the whole community and before they came, it had already spoiled all our farmlands, you can even smell it, it spoiled the cassava here and moved to the waterside and killed all our aquatic life.
“Everything we used to manage life has been spoiled,’ he added..
Promise recalls the spill followed through the small gutter and moved to the bigger gutter, and entered the well where they get drinking water, including farmlands
Community residents and reporter collecting soil samples from the farmland destroyed by Shell’s oil spill in late August to take to the laboratory for analysis. Photo taken on 29 December 2022/Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi
In the same farmlands where Mr. Promise had earlier told reporters that the Shell oil spill had ruined the crops, soil samples were also collected. To measure the level of crude oil pollution, total hydrocarbon testing was done. The total Hydrocarbon test is one of the other variables to measure the amount of crude oil in the farmland. The soil had a total hydrocarbon content of 48,300, according to the lab’s test results from University of Port Harcourt Plant Science and Biotechnology, which the laboratory attendant at the University, Japhet Onuegbu, described as “ really polluted.”
According to the American Soil Science Society, soils contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons can have an impact on both persons and the health of the soil. It can have negative impacts on soil microorganisms and soil activities, and it can do so at far lower quantities than it may have negative effects on human health.
Polluted well water. The well water in Bodo community where reporters took samples on December 29, 2022 for laboratory analysis/Kevin Woke.
The reporters collected three samples of water: one from a borehole that HYPREP provided in Alesa Eleme, one from a community well (Zabbey’s compound) in Bodo, and another from the Bodo river. The samples of water collected were mainly to ascertain the level of total hydrocarbon in the water. The total hydrocarbon test is used to detect the level of crude oil pollution in water while the pH test is used to find out the acidic nature of water.
We sent the samples to the University of Port Harcourt Plant Science and Biotechnology, which has a laboratory. The drinking water from Alesa Eleme village, where UNEP HYPREP built a borehole for the community as part of the UNEP recommendation Report for the Ogoniland, has level of 208.5mg/l, while the well water from Bodo community has 316.5mg/l and the level of total Hydrocarbons in the Bodo River is 304mg/l. All test results show that the hydrocarbon in the water is very high. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) says a Total Hydrocarbon limit of at 0.5 mg/litre is “quite high”.
Test results of the Well and river sample taken on December 29 2022 to the laboratory.
Drinking water containing petroleum hydrocarbons can cause an upset stomach, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. According to research, drinking water containing hydrocarbons can have major harmful effects, and exposure to hydrocarbons by inhalation, ingestion, or aspiration can result in death.
The test findings show that the pH of the water from the Bodo well is 5.03 whereas the pH of the water from the Alesa Eleme borehole is 5.40. WHO suggested a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5. Neither the pH of the Alesa Eleme water nor the Bodo community well water is safe for human consumption. Several research shows that low pH, which turns toxic solution, is dangerous to humans body and can cause digestive problems from a high acidic stomach.
Bodo community is among the 17 communities in Gokana, precisely the last village in Gokana Local government area and has 69,000 people, according Pius Dukor, an indigene, who founded Pius Dukor Foundation, a local nonprofit organisation whose objectives include advocating against environmental crime.
“If you had come during the spill, you would have seen the fresh spill,’’ Dukor said, accusing the company of failing to change and maintain their pipelines in Bodo.
The company’s spokesperson in Nigeria, Abimbola Essien-Nelson, did not respond to email, seeking for comment, after promising to make comment on the issue.
A photograph of one of the Shell’s leaked pipelines that polluted the Bodo Community in early August 2022. Source: Facebook. Posted by George Adinwin on August 9, 2022.
Shell’s decades pollution and UNEP recommendation
Shell has a history of pollution in the Ogoni land — pollution that destroyed the livelihood and caused environmental degradation. However, the recent oil spills gave rise to youth agitation against the company’s lackadaisical attitude towards the host community.
Shell’s massive pollution from Gokana local government area (LGA) to Eleme LGA, which occurred over a decade, resulted in a global presence, including international organisations such as the UNEP. Over thirty thousand barrels of oil spill destroyed several farmlands, including rivers and major drinking water. UNEP 14-month evaluation of the pollution revealed that the massive pollution affected biodiversity, farmlands, creeks, rivers including areas that surface appear unaffected were also contaminated after the scientific analysis of the areas.
Although, according to UNEP, the cleanup would take between 20-25 years , however, in order to reduce the suffering of the community residents, UNEP recommended an emergency action including cleanup, provision of water and a Integrated Contaminated Soil Management Centre, to be built in Ogoniland and supported by potentially hundreds of mini treatment centres, would treat contaminated soil and provide hundreds of job opportunities.
However, further findings revealed that no soil testing centre has been built and some communities are yet to be given water while the Tai local government never used the borehole dug despite completion of the water tank.
Farmland in Bodo community polluted by Shell’s oil spill that took place in late August 2022. Photograph taken on December 29 by Faith Imbu
Failed UNEP recommended project
In 2018, UN began a new project—Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) with the aim to respond to the issues of Shell’s pollution after its 2011 Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland.
HYPREP formation is expected to help Shell “discharge their responsibilities better and clean up oil contamination in Ogoniland,” according to UNEP.
Shell in its 2022 annual Report pointed out it prioritised the Ogoni cleanup, adding that the first phase has been completed in August 2018. The company agreed to commit $900 million across five years to the Ogoni Trust Fund as recommended by the UNEP with a capital fund of $1 billion and co-funded by the Nigerian government and other operators in the area. According to Shell 2022 annual report, the company contributed $180 million for the cleanup in July 2018, and another $180 million in 2019. Although HYPREP did not request for a release of funds in 2020 but in 2022, Shell released $212 million to the Ogoni Trust Fund, according to data gathered from the company 2022 annual Report. The company confirms in its annual Report that repollution is among the challenges facing the Ogoni cleanup as recommended by UNEP.
Laboratory results from the soil collected from the farmland polluted by Shell on 25 August 2022 in Bodo.
But Adinwin said Shell has never done any empowerment programme, nor provided water or a proper functioning health centre in Bodo community.
The company has spilled a total of 1,112 barrels of oil between 2017 and 2023, with 2023 recording the largest number, according to data collected from the oil monitor website. The agency said that the information on its website is based on information provided by oil companies, but may, however, be inaccurate. Companies are required by the NOSDRA Act 2006 to report oil spills in writing within 24 hours; failure to do so will result in fines of N500,000 for each day that passes and N1 million for failing to clean up the affected areas. However, stakeholders and rights lawyers have since pushed for the law’s reconsideration, stating it gives polluters freedom to continue their pollution. The government on its side has been talking about the review of the law but not much has been done.
However, despite Shell’s commitment of a total of $572 million, the aim of the project seems not to be achieved; most communities that were supposed to be provided borehole water for drinking are yet to see any construction while communities like Tai that have been constructed—the borehole is not functional.
Barrister Chima Williams, Executive director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, criticised the UNEP HYPREP cleanup in the Ogoni land, stating the cleanup is “too slow” and not going well as expected.
Williams worries that the basic life sustainable UNEP Report recommendations are still not fulfilled such as provision of potable water and the creation of life sustaining programs that will empower the Ogoni people to invest back while they are waiting for the polluted area to be cleaned and remediated.
He said: “And the most critical components of the UNEP report recommendations are not being followed through those life sustaining recommendations because we would have expected that those would have been the first thing to be done so that people will be alive to witness and benefits from a clean up Ogoni environments, not the other way around.
“You know, if those activities have been conducted, executed in accordance with the recommendation of the UNEP, then, we would have seen tangible things on the ground and since those things we can see are not being done, that is why there is a campaign on the centre stage that nothing is happening,” Williams said.
Human Rights activist, Celestine Akpobari blamed the slow pace of the Ogoni cleanup on the constant change of the Minister of Environment. According to him, HYPREP is a project under the environment ministry and the Minister supervises the project and decides what happens despite the fact that funds have already been kept in the UK for the project.
Akpobari said: “About six Ministers of Environment have been changed and when the new Minister comes, he tries to roll back what has happened and try to rewrite his own and at the time of implementation, the Minister will be changed.”
Akpobari who also doubles as a member of the HYPREP governing council said water is an emergency measure that was supposed to be the first thing to be done among the recommendation lists, however, HYPREP has been too slow in providing potable water.
Akpobari wants the National Assembly to enact a law that gives HYPREP an autonomy to be on its own, according to him; it would HYPREP to speed up in the implementation of UNEP recommendations.
“HYPREP should not be under the ministry of environment so that if the Minister travels, the project should not stand still rather they (HYPREP) will continue to work.
“This is one project that already has the money in the bank in London and the law of independence given to HYPREP would help the Ogoni project.
No Response from HYPREP
A call put across to the Coordinator of HPREP, Dr. Ferdinand Giadom was not responded to and a message sent via WhatsApp on 14 February 2023, was read the same February 14 at 12:34pm. UK time. Further, we reached out to the spokesperson of HYPREP, Joseph Nafo Kpobari for comment about the lack of drinking water in the mapped community despite constructing a borehole. He said: “We have awarded six contracts, we have completed one in Alesa Eleme and the other Five are still in the process.
When asked further about the cause of the slow pace of the cleanup and remediation in the Ogoni land, he said: “remediation is not something that is fast, it takes time for the land to heal.
“But we have awarded the first contract in phase 1, batch 2 and we are moving to the next contract phase of contract award which is phase 2, batch 2. They are there for you to come and see.”
Paul Nedee just returned from the Bodo river on 29 December 2022 after touring 45 hours only to catch less than 13 small fish/Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi
More pains for community residents
Bodo-city is a small community where some residents survived either through farming or fishing. However, with the recent new oil spill, there has been a decline in fish in the river and plants hardly yield crops according to several sources. Paul Nedee, is a fisherman that has been fishing for over a decade. “Before now, I caught seven basins of big fish but now, I toured all night only to see this size of fish,’ Nedee lamented while showing a small quantity of fresh fish he caught on his palm. “There is a lot of crude oil in the river that stained my fishing net, ” he added.
According to Promise, the community chief, all efforts made by reaching the appropriate authorities for compensation and remediation have been abortive.
“There is food scarcity and an increase in food prices due to limited farm produce,” said Chief Baribo kabaridom Togbe 86, a community leader of Gabanga Dynasty in Bodo council of chiefs and elders.
Promise said prior to the oil spill from Shell pipelines, a basin of Garri(cassava flask) used to be very cheap as cassava yielded bountifully for farmers. “Then, a basin is sold for five hundred ($1) to one thousand five hundred ($3) but now, no one (garri) to sip, we are hungry and even when crops are planted, before it is due for harvesting, they are all rotten,” he added.
The long time effect from the continuous drinking of the polluted well water has affected his eyes. “Not only me but other people have kidney problems,’’ he claimed. “If you go to the community, there are a lot of deaths because of the inhaling of carbon and water they are drinking. We are crying and you people (media) including the government should help us on how we can be alive and wait when God will finally call us,’ Promise said.
Beauty Dopka in Bodo community. Credit: Faith Imbu
Beauty Dopka, picks periwinkle (seafood) in the river to sell and care for her family, but the oil spill from the Shell pipelines have destroyed the river where she and other women enter to pick periwinkle and other seafood. According to her, the pollution from the company pipeline has made seafood to be sold costly because only a few are seen in the river.
Dokpa said:“The most annoying part of it is that many women like me survive by picking periwinkle. We eat and sell it to buy other things we need and that is why periwinkle is very costly.
“When we breathe in and even when we want to cough, we cough out black mucus from our throat.
Dokpa appealed to British Shell to come and help the community, stating the pollution that has resulted in the loss of biodiversity and farm produce has made families to barely feed their child.
A visit to the Community
A visit to the Tai communityconfirmed the borehole constructed by HYPREP is not functioning and several sources told reporters that there has never been water from the tank.
The tap vicinity looks dried unlike a functioning tap water in use, however, residents say they have never drank from the borehole before, since after it was constructed
Ndabekara Doctor Nwifambale in front of the HYPREP constructed borehole in Tai community that has never been used/Faith Imbu
Ndabekara Doctor Nwifambale, an indigene and resident told reporters that early last year when the water project came, the federal government brought a water tank —for one year, the water is still not running. Nwifambale said: “No one has drank from the water project.
“If the water project is functional, bushes would not have taken over the site,’’ he said, stating that the video on media about the water project is only a deceit.
“The video is a different place (HYPREP PR video) to show the world that they have provided water to the Tai. But thank God you are here to see things for yourselves,’’ he said, referring to the reports of water provision in the Ogoni people .
“This same money would have been shared among each compound (village house) to dig a borehole rather than this abandonment of an empty water tank. Leaving people to suffer water scarcity,” he said.
Queen Sampson , another resident, when asked about the source of drinking water in Nowa Tai, said ” We buy water though”. “Since I came to this place I haven’t seen anybody fetching water from this water tank,” she said while pointing to the HYPREP constructed borehole that is not working. “No water comes out from this water tank. We buy water,’’ Sampson added.
Additional reporting by Faith Imbu.
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Update
Shell responds
More than a week after NewsWireNGR published her four- month investigation on the oil spillage that engulfed a total area of 3900 metres in Bodo community, spilling over 16,000 barrels of crude oil, Shell Media Relations Manager, Bola Essien-Nelson, reached out to one of the reporters on a WhatsApp chat, apologised for the company’s delay in responding to the email sent seeking comments during the investigation.
Essien-Nelson in an email to the reporters on 3 May at 8:18. p.m. (BST) admitted the company’s awareness of its oil spill, but exonerated SPDC and hinged blame on some community members who barred the company officials from carrying out remediation.
Essien-Nelson said: “The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) reported a spill in Bodo on August 25, 2022.
“While the spill was contained and the crude oil recovered, the remediation is on hold due to the refusal by some members of the community to grant SPDC staff access.
“SPDC will resume remediation as soon as access is granted, and the safety of its staff is guaranteed.”
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