The House of Representatives has bemoaned the non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021 that provided for environmental remediation funds by relevant organisations.

The Chairman, House Committee on South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Rep. Julius Pondi said this during an interactive session with stakeholders in Abuja.

“As you know, these two essential funds were created under the PIA to make sure oil and gas companies are fully responsible to properly decommissioning outdated facilities and restoring environments degraded by decades of exploration and production activities,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that most companies had not been implementing the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund and the Environmental Remediation Fund as provided under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021 by companies.

Pondi said that the law is intended to prevent the ongoing shifting of environmental liabilities to local communities by multi-national firms and to establish a clear, transparent and well-funded system for repairing affected ecosystems.

The SSDC committee chairman regretted that after four years of the enactment of the PIA, there has been non-implementation of these provisions.

“Available data before this committee indicates that, had the provisions been operationalized as required since 2021, the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund should have accrued an estimated N850 billion to N1.1 trillion since the enactment.”

“The Environmental Remediation Fund alone should have accrued no less than N420 billion to N550 billion within the same period.”

Pondi explained that these figures represent lost opportunities to restore damaged lands, protect the livelihoods of millions through provision of potable water, rehabilitating of polluted ecosystems and secure community safety.

He reeled out the consequences of the non-implementation which includes polluted farmlands, contaminated rivers, abandoned installations posing safety hazards and declining fisheries.

According to him, other consequences are health challenges and devastated livelihoods in communities whose resources continue to power our national economy.

Pondi, therefore, described the continuous non-implementation as contraventions of both the PIA 2021 and the SSDC Act, 2025.

“Lack of visibility and operational progress on these funds have raised serious concerns regarding the institutional capacity and readiness of the responsible agencies, particularly the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Mid-Stream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).’’

Pondi said that such brazen lack of capacity has informed the ongoing contemplation on the necessity of establishing a new agency and operational structure to administer these funds effectively and transparently.

He said that the session is aimed at creating a platform that fosters constructive dialogue among the NUPRC, NMDPRA, NOSDRA and SSDC.

Pondi reaffirmed the resolve of the lawmakers in ensuring that the goals of these legislative instruments translate into tangible outcomes.

He expressed confidence that, with sincerity of purpose, these funds can become transformative instruments for environmental justice and sustainable development.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. have strengthened collaboration to boost the security of the nation’s critical oil and gas infrastructure.

This followed a courtesy visit by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Aneke said that securing pipelines, flow stations, offshore platforms and other key assets was vital to Nigeria’s economic stability and central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the NAF remained committed to supporting NNPC to curb oil theft, protect investments and enhance national revenue.

The CAS said improved synergy among security agencies had already reduced oil theft, adding that the Air Force was scaling up its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations to detect and counter emerging threats.

He also highlighted NAF’s strengthened maritime security posture, noting that aligning operations with NNPC’s priorities would ensure uninterrupted energy supply and increased production.

Aneke reaffirmed the NAF’s resolve to support NNPC in protecting national resources and tackling criminal networks undermining the country’s energy sector.

Responding, Ojulari commended the NAF for its sustained support, saying the renewed partnership was crucial to boosting energy security, stabilising production and improving the safety of industry operations.

He assured that NNPC would expand cooperation with the Air Force in intelligence sharing, joint planning and the deployment of modern security technology across vulnerable assets.

Nigeria will have to realign its democracy, education, and federalism to be able to tackle its challenges adequately, Prof. Adewumi Falode of the History and International Studies Department, Lagos State University (LASU), has said.

Falode said this while delivering LASU’s 115th Inaugural Lecture Series at its Ojo Campus.

The lecture entitled, “Bespoke Solutions: Reimagining, Reifying and Realigning the Wheels of the Nigerian State’’.

Falode is a Professor of International Relations, History, and Strategic Studies.

According to him, Nigeria’s version of democracy is alien and expensive.

“Since its introduction, the form of democracy practised in the country has not been able to fulfil the basic desire of the citizens for full and inclusive participation in governance.

“It failed to deliver dividends to the people.

“I am not in any way advocating a militocracy or plutocracy or oligarchy.

“What I am simply advocating is that Nigeria’s democracy should be domesticated to meet local realities,” he said.

Falode said that the last general elections gulped much money, adding that 2027 elections might cost more.

“Democracy has always been expensive in Nigeria.

“That of 1983 federal elections frittered away two billon Naira, and at the end of the day, the military derailed the whole process.

“Nigeria budgeted N1.5 billion for elections in 1999, N42 billion in 2011, N108.8 billion in 2015.

“The monies for post-elections litigations and other incidentals are not factored into these.

“The shocking thing was that at the end of such elections, it will still take the intervention of the judiciary for the wheel of democracy to be realigned and readjusted,” he said.

On federalism, Falode said that it was the lost ideal wheel to govern a multi-ethnic country such as Nigeria.

“ Countries such as Switzerland and United Kingdom have used this system to govern themselves effectively.

“The problem with Nigeria is that the leaders adopted textbook federalism hook, line and sinker.

“Nigeria must customise or domesticate its federalism to correct fractures.

“ I call this competitive federalism. This means a weak or decentralized centre with strong states,” he said.

He, however, said that such federalism was not regionalism, adding that he was against anything that would fracture Nigeria into different parts.

“I am also against anything that champions the idea that states should be developed in silos and independently with minimal interactions with other units in the federation.

“States in the country should be allowed to coexist but based on clearly spelt out and agreed terms.

“Historically, the different constitutional conferences and constituent assemblies had done the job of creating a white paper on those things that can promote unity, peace and equitable development among the disparate groups in Nigeria.

“ The Nigerian Constitution is the best wheel to correct all the punctures, wear and tear Nigeria is experiencing.

“Nigeria is a beautiful country, and I would want it to be kept the way it is,” he said.

The professor said fiscal federalism was an important sub-wheel that must be attached to the axle of the Nigerian state.

“I am glad President Bola Tinubu is tackling that frontally with the 2025 Tax Reforms Bill.

“This will promote equitable competitive distribution of revenue and allow states to think outside the box on revenue generation, deepen taxation and allow states to have funds for construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of public facilities,”he said.

Falode said that education was the most important wheel and the key to national integration and political development.

“It is not just education but tailored or domesticated education. This is the way to go for Nigeria to realign its economy, reduce unemployment, promote unity and peace and spur development.

“Nigeria must make universal primary and secondary education free. Sending children to school must be made compulsory up to the secondary level.

“This will allow the state to shape the students into responsible citizens that will contribute to development

“Importantly, it will be difficult for religious and ethnic extremism to flourish in a society that has deployed adequate resources to combating ignorance through quality education,”he said.

In a development that has brought relief to families and residents of Kwara State, the 38 church members who were abducted from a local worship centre have regained their freedom after several days in captivity. Their release follows intense pressure from security agencies, community vigilance groups, and concerned individuals who rallied to secure their safe return.

The victims, who were attending a night programme at the church located in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, were whisked away by armed men suspected to be bandits. The incident, which occurred late in the evening, sparked widespread fear and condemnation across the state and beyond, with religious bodies and civil society organisations calling for urgent government intervention.

According to security sources, a joint operation involving the police, local hunters, and vigilante operatives was launched immediately after the abduction. The combined forces reportedly combed surrounding forests and hideouts believed to be used by criminal groups. Their efforts, coupled with strategic intelligence gathering, eventually paved the way for the release of all abducted worshippers.

Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the development, noting that the victims were rescued unharmed and have since been reunited with their families. He added that medical personnel were on ground to conduct routine examinations on the freed victims to ensure none had suffered severe distress or injury.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of the local communities and our security partners. This successful rescue is a result of timely information and relentless pursuit,” the spokesperson stated.

Families of the abducted worshippers expressed overwhelming joy as they received their loved ones. Many recounted sleepless nights and the emotional toll of not knowing the fate of their relatives. A family member of one of the rescued victims described the experience as “a nightmare that no family should ever endure,” thanking security operatives for their efforts.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has condemned the attack, reiterating its commitment to strengthening security across the state. In a statement, government officials emphasized that the protection of citizens remains a top priority and promised to support security agencies with logistics, improved intelligence operations, and community-based surveillance initiatives.
“Criminality in any form will not be tolerated. We commend the swift action of our security operatives and vow to intensify efforts to keep every community safe,” the statement read.

Security analysts have warned that the growing trend of attacks on religious centres calls for urgent review of security architecture around worship places, particularly in rural communities. They also urged residents to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities to authorities.

As the rescued victims begin their recovery from the traumatic episode, calls for improved security, better policing resources, and community collaboration continue to dominate public discourse. For now, the successful rescue of the 38 abducted worshippers stands as a testament to what coordinated efforts and timely intervention can achieve in the face of insecurity.

By: Nwogu Happiness

Nwogu Happiness Wrote From Pan African Institute of Management and Technology.

Nigeria’s editors have issued a blistering warning that the nation is sleepwalking into a humanitarian catastrophe, with children now the primary targets and casualties of insecurity, state failure, and systemic neglect.

The alarm was sounded in Lagos on Tuesday at the UNICEF–NGE–DAME World Children’s Day event, where the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba, declared that the country is in a “state of emergency” not seen since the civil war.

The government’s elevation of the national security alert level, he said, is merely an official acknowledgement of a crisis that communities have been living through for years. What has changed in recent weeks, he said, is the brazenness of school raids, mass abductions, indiscriminate killings, and communities emptied overnight. And at the centre of every incident, Anaba noted, is the same grim denominator: children.

“Whenever we try to understand who the latest victims are, we find children—killed, injured, displaced, or traumatized. The bloodshed has been relentless,” he said.

He stated that the World Children’s Day—created 71 years ago to protect children’s rights—now lands in a country where schooling is an act of courage. In swathes of the North, classrooms are shuttered, teachers have fled, and parents weigh the risk of education against the possibility of never seeing their children again.

According to him, investigations by multiple organisations, including UNICEF, show that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, Girls disappearing from education at accelerating rates, millions of infants go unvaccinated every year, child labour and early marriage are rising, while children are being recruited as fighters in conflict zones.

These indicators, Anaba argued, are not abstract. He described them as evidence of a country forfeiting its future. “With half of Nigeria’s population under 18, the collapse of childhood equals national destabilisation,” he said.

Media accused of complicity through silence

Accusing the media of complicity through its “silence”, Anaba said journalists must confront their own failures. For years, he said, “newsrooms have documented atrocities without interrogating causes, accountability structures, funding gaps, policy failures or the profiteers of violence.

“The media is not a neutral observer. Our reporting can shame leaders into action—or allow impunity to thrive,” he said.

He called for investigative series tracking child abduction networks, data-driven reporting using verifiable sources,
exposure of government inaction and policy breaches, coverage that highlights solutions and models that work.

He noted that civil society groups were now performing duties that belonged to the state by rescuing children, rehabilitating trauma victims, negotiating access to schools, and providing protection services.

UNICEF, he said, has become the primary supplier of data, training, and scientific evidence for child welfare, information the government should be gathering itself.

Anaba suggested the enforcement of child protection laws that already exist, emergency investment in education and health, prosecution of those responsible for school attacks,and secure learning environments.

Anaba challenged every sector to take a measurable action, not a speech, not a pledge, but a deliverable. “Our advocacy means nothing without consequences,” he said.

He concluded his speech with a sharp indictment of the system.

“A society that can not protect its children, he implied, is a society already in collapse, whether it admits it or not,” he stated.