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Akwa Ibom Community Cries Out Over Gas Flaring: “We Can’t Sleep Anymore” (Video).
For residents of Ikot Ebidang in Onna Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, sleep has become a luxury due to ongoing oil and gas activities in their community.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The pervasive stench from gas emissions and the constant roar from flare sites have forced some residents to leave, while those who remain struggle with sleepless nights. Ikot Ebidang, home to the oil and gas company Natural Oilfield Service (Sterling Global), has raised alarms about environmental degradation, declining crop yields, and adverse health effects linked to fossil fuel extraction.
Many rooftops in the once-quiet community are now blackened and corroded from flare combustion residues. During a dialogue on renewable energy, locals decried damage to aquatic ecosystems, farmland, and rising cases of heat-related illnesses and skin rashes.
One community stakeholder said:
“We have lost many people, and our health is at risk. Anyone entering the community can smell the gas, and those living nearby experience constant noise like an earthquake. Our soil, rivers, and forests are polluted, and aquatic life has been affected. We are dying—we need urgent help.”
While the company’s operations are sanctioned through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government and the community, residents are demanding a renegotiation to address pollution and environmental harm.
In a statement, the community urged the Akwa Ibom government to halt fossil fuel extraction and called on the company to redirect gas away from residential areas instead of flaring it on-site. They also demanded compensation for livelihood losses, damages from oil activities, and the provision of adequate health facilities.
Gas Flaring Remains Illegal
Environmental expert Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), emphasized that gas flaring is illegal and violates human rights when conducted near residential areas. He warned that the community is only beginning to feel the health impacts, which could escalate to reproductive issues, cancers, blood disorders, and other life-threatening conditions. Dr. Bassey pledged to support the community in achieving environmental justice.
Documenting Evidence is Key
Residents were advised to document all environmental damages in real time, including oil spills and gas flare impacts, using photos with GPS coordinates and samples for testing. Facilitators Umo Isua-Ikoh of Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF) and Edem Edem, former African representative of the Climate Investment Fund, stressed that proper documentation is critical for legal action and long-term monitoring.
They added that compensation, health support, and renewable energy solutions should be provided, while environmental advocates should be trained within the community. Regular environmental monitoring and air quality inspections by the government are necessary to safeguard both community health and the environment.
A faction of the Labour Party (LP) led by the Nenadi Usman Caretaker Committee has suspended 26 members loyal to the Julius Abure-led faction.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Factional Labour Party South-West Vice Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, has insisted that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will never be allowed to return to the Labour Party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Arabambi said attempts by the Nenadi Usman-led faction to reintegrate Obi would fail, stressing that the party’s leadership has taken a final position on the matter.
He made the statement during an interview on News Central, saying the decision followed internal consultations involving key figures such as the Julius Abure-led leadership and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
According to him, the party has also resolved to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Arabambi further blamed Obi and his supporters for contributing to Labour Party’s internal challenges during the 2023 elections, alleging organizational failures during the polls.
He maintained that Obi’s return to the party is completely off the table, insisting that the issue is already settled within the party’s leadership structure.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that it is part of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
In a statement on Thursday, NNPP National Secretary Ogini Olaposi said the party is not affiliated with the ADC and has no plans to join or merge with the coalition.
He clarified that the involvement of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and members of the Kwankwasiya Movement in ADC activities does not represent the NNPP as a political party.
Olaposi also claimed that only a minority of Kwankwasiya supporters followed Kwankwaso, insisting that many of them have since joined the APC.
He further accused Atiku of misinformation, stressing that NNPP remains an independent political party focused on contesting elections on its own platform.
According to him, any previous association with the Kwankwasiya Movement ended after the 2023 general elections, adding that Kwankwaso and some associates had already been expelled from the party.
The NNPP maintained that it respects other political parties but has no interest in joining the ADC coalition.
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