Author: nationalpoint

For three days, the fire burned uncontrollably sending thick black billows into the sky. The villagers watched as no fire fighting team came either from government or from Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, SPDC owners of the pipeline, to quench the fire until the fire petered out by itself after leaving a line of damage to vegetation and farmlands on its path. Security and surveillance personnel working along the pipeline told National Point that they noticed a leaking point on the pipeline at the Adanta end of the Ogbodo, Isiokpo section of the Trans Niger Pipeline taking crude oil from…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said it would soon reactivate its Free Health Care Programme for communities in the Niger Delta to enhance better healthcare delivery to the people. The Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NDDC, Maj. Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd.), disclosed this at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt when a beneficiary of the Commission’s healthcare intervention, Master Miracle Nwagbara and his parents paid him a “thank you” visit. Airhiavbere said the provision of quality medical services to the people of the Niger Delta region was part of its mandate. “Our budgets have just been approved…

Those in search of knowledge and a serene environment to read in Bayelsa State, especially the state capital Yenagoa have deserted the state library because of its abandoned state. The library which was built and equipped to some extent by the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha administration is now wasting away as not only have grasses grown on its roof top and the surroundings but trees now also grow on top of the roof, dilapidated tiles. There is no light and no water in the edifice . In fact, a few library lovers who still manage to go there to read…

The 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day has been observed by the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Edo State chapter who joined the rest of the world to celebrate by sensitizing and empowering the girl child in the state on the need to observe self-hygiene and to know how to maintain their menstrual flows. This is to ensure the students cultivate regular and proper health hygiene cleaning of their body, and to make sure they know about sex education. During the sensitisation visit to some secondary schools in Benin City, the chairperson of the Edo State NAWOJ, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan…

As the governorship elections in Edo state gathers momentum, some Esan traditional rulers from Edo Central led by the Enoge of Uromi, have visited the Oba of Benin, HRM Omo N’Oba Ewuare 11 to woo the monarch on the choice of the candidate irrespective of the political party, for the governorship seat to come to the district, and to also seek support for other candidates from the zone. Oba of Benin made the statements at the weekend when some Esan traditional rulers visited the Oba in his Palace, Benin City, Edo State. The Oba also cautioned them not to get…

Globally, subsidies, whether for food, transportation, energy or housing, are part of good governance. So, the issue is not subsidies but who benefit from them. In Nigeria, subsidies are primarily of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. I will highlight a few, how they are being manipulated and how huge sums of money can be recovered not just to subsidize fuel but also provide funds for development. 1. Diversion of N40 billion from Federation Account A company, Continental Transfert Technique had been hired by the Ministry of Interior to collect the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien…

Public Interest Law Center, PILEX aka The Peoples Advocate with support from Public Interest Lawyers Initiative in West Africa and Advocates for Community Aternatives, ACA, recently held a conference on Black Soot, Pollution and Flooding to draw attention to the grave dangers they are causing to lives in the Niger Delta. The very interactive session which took place at the Conference Hall of the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN in Port Harcourt, featured presentations from experts and reactions from participants drawn from the civil society and some government departments. Convener, Courage Nsirimovu Esq., said the body…

As the world marks the 2023 Environment Day, Center for Media Environment and Development Communications, CEMEDEC calls on Government and individuals to stop destroying the environment. The earth is in danger and only man- you and I -are in a position to save it. Marshall Burke, department of Earth System Science, Stanford University said of Covid-19, “Just two months of reduced pollution has saved the lives of 4000 children under age five, 73,000 adults over the age of 70”. Reduced carbon dioxide emission and human mobility caused the earth to breathe again. Wild animals came out, rivers flowed undisturbed showing…

TotalEnergies has announced end to gas flare at the end of 2023. The company also said its action plan especially on renewable energy, is fully on course. The long expected news was announced Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. Announcing the targeted flare out, the deputy managing director (Deep Water Operations) of TotalEnergies, Victor Bandele, said the international oil corporation (IOC) has been flaring not more than five percent of the gas it produced. He said the flare out was something the company had been working on.…

As world attention drifts towards cleaner energy sources, former managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), now chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, has urged Nigeria and other crude oil producing countries not to be in a hurry to discard crude oil. Okunbor told top industry players and regulators who converged in Abuja that fossil fuel is still a needed product: “We do need crude oil,” he stated. Okunbor spoke as an expert and resource panellist Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) ongoing at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja. He spoke…