An agreement to promote decent work and a ‘just transition’ of the workforce towards sustainable economies and societies for all has been signed by the UN’s labour and climate change organisations.
Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder
The move follows the adoption and entry-into-force of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate agreement that aims to deliver a climate stable future for every man, woman and child.
“Our members, namely governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, are key to efforts that will allow a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent jobs in the context of global action on climate change. This Memorandum of Understanding will therefore help give practical effect to the Just Transition Guidelines of the ILO as a framework to support action on climate change,” said International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director-General, Guy Ryder.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said: “We are delighted to forge an ever deeper relationship with the ILO. Implementing the Paris Agreement and realising the Sustainable Development Goals has the potential to generate more and new kinds of better quality jobs across the globe. We intend to maximise the opportunities from our mutually-shared agendas.”
The partnership promotes the integration of decent work and a just transition in the implementation of national measures on climate change.
Among other areas of collaboration, the ILO and UNFCCC will conduct studies at global and national levels to measure the impact of climate change and the transition on employment in different sectors.
These assessments will inform and guide countries on the responses that are needed in areas such as employment, social protection, occupational safety and health, industrial restructuring, skills needs identification and skills development, in their national contexts.
Other activities mentioned in the MoU include the review of national and regional experiences, the strengthening of social dialogue between governments and the social partners at all levels, and capacity building programmes on climate change and decent work for developing countries.
A Community Based Rainforest Action (COBRA) project is being implemented by an organisation known as NGO Coalition for Environment (NGOCE) with Goldman Environmental Foundation and Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco as sponsors and partners.
A cross section of some Chiefs of Okpon, with Odigha Odigha (4th from the right)
The NGOCE, being a frontline environmental outfit in Cross River State, is noteable for its invaluable contribution to conservation. In her resoluteness with policy direction by chairman, Odigha Odigha, the organisation has mobilised and formed several Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in 10 Okpon Rainforest Communities, located between Ikom and Obubra LGAs in Central Cross River. The NGOCE also sensitises them on conservation and forest governance.
Okpon Rainforest is noted for its myriad of biodiversity and marked as one of the major ecological zones in the state.
One of the community chiefs said: “We don’t have any natural resource other than the forest.”
The Okpon has a river sandwiched by this lush tropical rainforest and swamps, draining over 400,000 square kilometre of land that supplies water to more than 40 marked Forest Dependent Communities (FDCs).
The river, according to Chief Gabriel Okim, rises from the Cameroon Mountains, and that his community, Isabang, lies towards the lower course of the Okpon River which drains into the Cross River.
Its animal species includes hippopotamus, antelopes, bush pigs, porcupines and an array of reptiles and bird species. The resident plants species are ebony, achi, mahogany, Mimosop, and a host of others.
This prominent ecological spot accommodates economic activities such as farming and fishing, but is faced with serious threat by the communities.
On account of this project, a source said: “About 1,500 persons from the 10 COBRA communities are now aware of the need to sustainably use forest resources and stop further degradation.”
And in the process the community leaders came up with a number of “Resolutions”, which are listed to inlude:
Take all necessary steps to ensure the protection, conservation and sustainable management of the Okpon Forest which, according to them, “is our pride”
Stop further degradation of Okpon River
Stop the hunting of endangered wildlife
Disallow farms that are close to Okpon River, the nearest distance between the farms and the river being 10-20m.
The document, they said, will forthwith be ratified to form bye-laws to guide community activities and shall serve as a template for others around the Okpon Rain Forest.
“Arresting the threat on Okpon Rainforest: the COBRA project” is said to be a worthwhile development for the communities, as the project’s bid is to arrest the wanton threat as well as add its quota in tackling climate change and promoting green economy and sustainable development in Cross River State
The Kaduna State Government says it has recorded eight deaths since the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) was reported in parts of the country in January.
Kaduna State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo
Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo, confirmed this when he spoke with newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, May 15, 2017.
Dogo said that the state had recorded the eight deaths from 11 confirmed cases of CSM as at May 5.
He said that the state recorded 68 suspected cases in 15 local government areas, but 11 cases were confirmed to be CSM and eight among them died.
He added that the eight cases were confirmed in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi and Giwa Local Government Areas.
Dogo said: “This makes Kaduna State to be ranked 22 out of the 28 states with confirmed cases of CSM nationwide.”
He said that proactive measures were being taken and DSNOs and ADSNOs personnel were being trained on CSM outbreak investigation and case management.
According to him, relevant personnel of the ministry are handling procurement of spinal needles, pastorex kits and TI bottles as well as repositioning of drugs, ceftriaxone and medical consumables to health facilities for case management.
Dogo noted that distribution of ciprofoxacin to high risk primary contacts of confirmed cases was going on while meningitis alert had been sent to all medical doctors.
He said: “Awareness campaigns through radio jingles and distribution of posters, syringes and gloves, training on CSF sample collection and transportation is also going on to tackle further outbreak.”
Meanwhile, the commissioner said the state had also confirmed two cases of Lassa fever in the state within the period.
He said: “We have recorded two cases of Lassa fever in 2017, one male and female, both from Igabi Local Government Area.’’
Dogo said the two persons visited the state from Gombe and Ebonyi states, respectively.
He said: “While the male patient was isolated in Kakuri IDCC and treated successfully with Ribavirin, the female patient died on the day of presentation and was diagnosed post mortem with blood sample.
“All their contacts enlisted and monitored for 21 days in surveillance and none developed the symptoms.”
Shell remains strongly committed to the development of Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria said in Lagos, while announcing that The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) operated Joint Venture alone contributed $29 billion to the Nigerian purse between 2012 and 2016.
L-R: Campaign Implementation Advisor, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Mrs. Darbuni Maikori; Communications Manager, Shell Nigeria, Mrs. Sola Abulu; and Corporate Media Relations Manager, Mr. Precious Okolobo
Also in 2016, the royalties and corporate taxes paid by Shell Companies in Nigeria to the Federal Government came to $1.4 billion (SPDC $1.0 billion and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) $0.4 billion). This is besides the energy which Shell Companies contribute to the Nigerian economy, with Shell-operated ventures in Nigeria recording an output of some 572,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2016.
Mr. Okunbor, who is also the Managing Director of SPDC, gave the statistics in a review of Shell operations in Nigeria for 2016 while presenting the 2017 Shell Nigeria Briefing Notes to energy editors.
“Shell has been operating in Nigeria for more than 50 years,” he said. “And it is not by chance that we have remained deeply committed to the development of Nigeria, her people and her economy by efficiently and responsibly producing oil and gas in onshore and offshore as well as distributing gas to industries and producing liquefied natural gas for export.”
Mr. Okunbor said the determination of Shell to support the monetisation of the nation’s huge gas resources led it to establish Shell Nigeria Gas in 1998, which now supplies gas to about 90 industrial customers in Ogun, Rivers and Abia states. The gas is used for power generation and processing by industries for the manufacture of domestic products ranging from household consumables, to household utensils and hardware.
As they worked to produce energy, Shell Companies in Nigeria paid special attention to the welfare of host communities, making Nigeria the second largest recipient of social investment spending in the Shell Group after the United States. Areas of focus include community and enterprise development, education, health, access-to-energy and since 2016, road safety. This is in addition to community-driven development programmes and initiatives delivered through the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), which target themes as determined by benefiting communities.
In a bid to involve more Nigerian contractors in their operations, the Shell Contractor Funding initiative was expanded with eight participating banks committing about $2.2 billion to fund contract execution by Nigerian companies working for Shell Companies in Nigeria. Since the programme’s creation in 2011, loans worth approximately $1 billion have been awarded to 220 small and medium-sized Nigerian enterprises with no recorded defaults on repayment. The Shell Contractor Fund was approved by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) at its plenary session on “Shared Value creation and local content” in December 2016 and included in the compendium of global best practices.
SNEPCo added to its efforts to improve the capability of Nigerian vendors and service providers in deep water operations by assigning significant portion of work to this category of contractors in its recently-concluded turnaround maintenance at Bonga field.
Mr. Okunbor also commented on crude theft and other security issues in Shell operations. Crude oil theft on SPDC’s pipeline network resulted in a loss of about 5,660 barrels of oil a day (bbl/d) in 2016, which is less than the 25,000 bbl/d in 2015. The number of sabotage-related spills declined to 45 compared with 93 in 2015. He explained: “The reduction in oil theft and sabotage-related spills from the previous year can be attributed to continued improvements in air and ground surveillance and response by government security forces, lower production levels at SPDC JV operations in the Western part of the Niger Delta due to acts of sabotage and our divestment from key pipelines in 2015.”
Mr. Okunbor added: “We continue to work with the government and other key stakeholders on the security challenges in our operating environment and look towards sustained and fruitful operations for the benefit of the Nigerian state and all other shareholders.”
The main Shell companies in Nigeria are:
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), operator of a Joint Venture involving NNPC, Shell, Total and Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), incorporated in 1993 to develop Nigeria’s deep water oil and gas resources.
Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG) was set up in 2008.
Shell also holds a 25.6% interest in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has inaugurated a 17-man Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2018 Senior Africa Athletics Championship, tagged “Asaba 2018.” Asaba, the state capital, will host the event.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State
The governor, who is keen on seeing the LOC hit the ground running, charged the members to organise a world class championship that would leave a lasting mark in the state.
Former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba, heads the LOC, while Tony Okunwa, the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Athletics Commission, is the Executive Vice Chairman.
Two-time African Champion in long jump, Yusuf Alli, is also a member of the committee along side African record holder in Women’s 400m, Falilat Ogunkoya, and Special Advicer to the Minister of Sports, Nneka Anibeze. Amechi Akawu will serve as secretary.
Meanwhile, as build-up to the election into various boards of the Sports Federations continues, former Nigerian sprinter, Effiong Udobong, has indicated his intention to lead the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Udobong won gold medal for Nigeria in the 4x400m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and was a bronze medallist in the same event during the Athens Games in 2014.
Udobong believes that it is high-time Nigeria paid attention to exposing athletes to competitions to sharpen their talents.
Elections into the Sports Federations are scheduled for next month.
The United Nations is helping to ensure that young professionals from developing countries are able to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with the help of a new fellowship programme run by two key UN agencies based in Bonn, Germany.
Dr. Jakob Rhyner, Director of UNU-EHS
The fellowship initiative will offer work experience in a vibrant international policy environment at the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) will help identify and recruit the young professionals, and provide them with an exciting research environment.
Upon completion of the scheme, the “Early Career Climate Fellows” will be able to work in their home countries or internationally, deploying the valuable experience and insights they have gained in Bonn.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, said: “Young, qualified professionals from developing countries represent one of our best resources for building capacity for climate action. As we move with determination into the new era of implementation of the Paris Agreement, we need to equip young people with the skills to green economies and build resilience, and this initiative is an example of how organizations can prepare young people for the challenges of the future.”
“We will also be building their skills so they can better secure employment in the work-place. Many of the young people we will be supporting need real-life experience to get on the job ladder. What we are doing is also a living example of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) under Article 6 of the original Convention. It ranges from education to training in respect to climate change: So we are securing a great, dynamic human resource and giving back with a positive, empowering experience in partnership with UNU,” she added.
Professor Dr. Jakob Rhyner, Director of UNU-EHS, said: “There are 1.8 billion young people in the world today, more than ever before in human history, and about nine out of ten live in developing countries. Efforts for sustainable development and climate protection must build on their enthusiasm and ideas. The UNFCCC-UNU-EHS Early Career Climate Fellowship Initiative offers young people from developing countries a unique possibility to start their career at the interface between international climate policy development and research.”
Academically outstanding young graduates from developing countries who are less than three years into their careers, especially women from least developed countries, are encouraged to apply.
Fellowships may last from six months to two years and the work experience with the UNFCCC will be tailored to fit the specific skills and backgrounds of each fellow.
The collaboration will get underway following the UN Climate Change Conference, which runs to Thursday, May 18, 2017.
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Ovais Sarmad of India as Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at the Assistant Secretary-General level.
Ovais Sarmad
The appointment has been made after consultation with the Conference of Parties (COP) through its Bureau. Mr. Sarmad succeeds Richard Kinley of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary expressed gratitude for his dedicated service to United Nations climate change efforts over the past 20 years.
Mr. Sarmad, who currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), brings to the position nearly 27 years of experience with IOM, where he worked in several policy and management areas to strengthen the organisation’s operational effectiveness in close consultation with IOM Member States. He is said to be instrumental in the establishment of the organisation’s Ethics and Conduct Office and was a key team member negotiating the agreement which brought the IOM into the United Nations System.
Following an early career in financial management, both in public and private sectors in the United Kingdom, Mr. Sarmad joined IOM in 1990, in Geneva, where he served notably as Chief of Budget, Director of Resource Management, Director of the Global Administrative Centre and Chief of Mission to the Philippines.
Born in 1960, Mr. Sarmad holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India and professional certification in management accountancy from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in London.
Nigerian conservationist, Odey Oyama, recently discovered freshly cut logs on the edge of a pineapple plantation, and nearby sits a saw mill.
Odey Oyama standing beside a pineapple plantation
The Dangote Group, an industrial conglomerate, seems to be clearing the forest in the Cross River National Park to plant pineapple.
And Oyama has no doubt that the company will continue destroying forest to expand its plantations.
“Farming is outlawed within the National Park,” he says angrily. “Plantations have no business in a national park!”
According to him, the Cross River National Park is a place of outstanding biodiversity.
“It has been a refuge for colobus monkeys, mandrills, forest elephants and countless other species since 1989 – one of the last rainforest areas in a country that has otherwise been almost completely stripped of its forest cover,” he adds.
But the park, he fears, is now in danger: Dansa, a juice manufacturer, is clearing land for plantations there. Dansa is part of the business empire of Alhaji Aliko Dangote. He is the richest man in Africa, having amassed a fortune of $25 billion in the cement business.
Dangote’s pineapple plantations are big business: Nigeria has more land dedicated to growing pineapples than any other country – no less than 182,000 hectares. According to a newspaper report, Dangote has secured concessions for over 75,000 hectares – an area roughly half the size of London. The problem: one concession is located partly, and another entirely, within the boundaries of Cross River National Park.
In a written statement, the company rejects allegations that it has been clearing forest in the national park and has threatened to sue Oyama.
Dangote is currently seeking financing for the construction of an oil refinery – a project worth $11 billion. According to an insider, he has applied for a loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank.
“The World Bank must withhold the loan until Dangote has withdrawn the pineapple plantations from the National Park,” says Oyama.
The need for public consultation and participation in the approval processes of applications that directly affect the people’s health and wellbeing cannot be overstressed. Many issues surround the matter of our food and agricultural modern biotechnology that require clarifications and in-depth interrogations.
Participants at the Roundtable with Lawyers in Abuja
It is to this end that the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on April 25, 2017 had a roundtable with lawyers in Abuja to look critically at the Nigerian Biosafety Act and decide if it is capable of regulating and preserving human and environmental health in Nigeria or if it should be urgently reviewed or repealed.
The director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in his welcome words, said that access to safe and nutritious food is a universal right and modern agricultural biotechnology challenges that right with its creation of novel organisms dependent on toxic chemicals and abridgement of the rights of farmers to preserve and share seeds. He regretted the fact in some countries citizens are conned into eating unwholesome foods, some of which are actually classified as pesticides due to non-labelling of genetically engineered crops
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, a Public Policy Expert and the Convener of Nigerians against GMO, said the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is not the solution to food and agricultural problems in Nigeria. He explained that crops which are produced by the manipulation of their genes at the micro level pose severe risks to the health of man and the environment, adding that the promoters of this technology are driven by profit and not public interest.
Science has been of great benefit to mankind throughout life but it must be carefully harnessed to ensure safety and wellness. This was the position taken by another speaker at this event, Dr Ify Aniebo, who is a molecular geneticist. She underscored the fact that science itself has limitations. She explained that the process of transferring genes from the DNA of one organism to that of another organism could result in the creation of novel proteins which have never been in the food supply and could create toxins and allergens in food.
She stressed that there have not been enough studies to prove that GMOs are safe for consumption and called on the Nigerian government to invest in strict and independent scientific research to check the health, ecological, socio-economic impact of GM crops to ensure the safety of our food systems.
According to Jackie Ikotuonye-Offiah, a botanist and a Country Representative of Bio-integrity and Natural Food Awareness Initiative, the idea behind modern agricultural biotechnology is that of seed colonisation as none of the arguments about GM crops hold true. These crops are neither more nutritious nor are they more productive than organic and conventional crops. They do not reduce pesticide use but instead lead to use of more toxic pesticides that contaminate both soil and water systems. Cost of Seed in the US for example, where GM firms dominate the seed market increased dramatically compared with prices for non-GM and organic seeds.
She posited that the solution to food challenge is in agroecology and organic agriculture and suggested increased and focused support for small-scale human centric agriculture. She urged the government to provide local farmers with extension services, food processing facilities and infrastructure to be able to convey farm products to the markets in good time.
The last session for the day focused on the Nigerian Biosafety Management Act. Mariann Orovwuje, who is a lawyer and an environmental, human and food rights advocate, spoke at on the concerns, risk assessment and permits of this Act. According to her, the law which was established in 2015 leaves gaps that can be easily manipulated to allow influx of GMOs without strict regulatory measures.
She explained that the Act does not ensure the implementation of the precautionary principle that places a demand on our government to decide against approval of GMOs especially in cases of incomplete or controversial knowledge. She also mentioned that the Act does not specify clearly how large-scale field trials would be contained to avoid contamination of areas beyond the experimental fields. The lack of clear provisions for redress and strict liability was also flagged as well as the need for mandatory labeling of GMOs and derived products.
She queried the speed with which the Nigerian Biosafety Management Agency signed permits for field trials of Monsanto’s maize and cotton applications, saying that the process was not transparent and did not take public concerns into consideration. The fact that the board of the governing board of the agency is populated with pro-GMO personnel was said to be a hotbed for conflict of interest in the application and approval processes.
Participants agreed that the Nigerian Biosafety Act in its present state is defective and cannot protect the interest of Nigerians in matters relating to food and thus must be reviewed. It was also concluded that the permits given to Monsanto should be revoked.
The legal practitioners agreed to form a technical committee to carry out research on the subject of GMOs from the legal perspective and to take necessary action towards ensuring that a suitable framework is in place to defend our agriculture and food systems and the ensure an unfettered enjoyment of safe and nutritious foods by all Nigerians.
By Joyce Ebebeinwe, Project Officer, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)
Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, lawyer and coordinator of the Food Sovereignty Programme of Friends the Earth Nigeria and Africa, as well as Chair of AFSA, in a reaction to a publication, says that the authorities should take a second look at the sector
Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje (right) at the CBD/COP13 in Cancun, Mexico
I read with amusement the off-the-wall allegations against the anti- gmo activists in a write up posted on News Express, amongst other allegations that we “supported the cancellation of permits granted to Monsanto…”
For the GMO promoters’ benefit, we restate our stand that the so-called permit issued to Monsanto by the Nigerian Biosafety Management Act (NBMA) on a public holiday to introduce GMOs into Nigeria should be overturned and the Biosafety law itself should be repealed.
It might interest Nigerians to know that recently Monsanto Tribunal constituting of Five International judges presented in The Hague their legal opinion after six months of analysing the testimonies of more than 30 witnesses, lawyers and experts. They stated, “Monsanto’s practices undermine basic human rights and the right to a healthy environment, the right to food, the right to health, it calls for better protective regulations for victims of multinational corporations and concludes that International law should clearly assert the protection of the environment and ‘ecocide’ as a crime.”
The Monsanto Tribunal found that Monsanto’s activities undermine basic human rights and Monsanto’s conduct has seriously undermined the right to freedom indispensable for scientific research.
This ground-breaking advisory opinion reinforces and reaffirms our position and that of other movements, farmers and people all over the world: Monsanto “is poisoning the Earth and millions of people, pushing small farmers off the land, allowing corporations to establish monopolies and take control of our seed and food – while producing only a small fraction of the planet’s food… The Tribunal’s findings are a decisive blow to corporate power and underscores the importance of the work of thousands of activists, farmers, consumers and citizens around the world in the fight for a future of food free from toxics, GMOs, patents and corporate control.”
In 2010, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine warned that evidence is strong enough that GMOs directly cause health harm to warrant warning people to avoid eating them. The academy noted that numerous studies and incidents have suggested that GMOs can cause problems including immune dysfunction, insulin disorders and damage to organs and the reproductive system, but according to Monsanto, and their cohorts in Nigeria, some masquerading as scientists and civil society actors, we have nothing to worry about, GMOs are very safe.
It is also instructive to remember that NBMA approved Monsanto’s Bt cotton despite the fact that our Neighbors Burkina-Faso, on April 14, 2016, decided to discontinue planting the pesticide. Burkina Faso producers were unhappy with the short length of the fibre.
According to Mana Denis, a cotton farmer in the western city of Dedougou, “We’ve lost years because of this cotton… They imposed it on us, but it didn’t produce the desired effects.”
This is the same BT cotton that is been recycled here thanks to NBMA granting permits to Monsanto to bring this failed and risky product to our country Nigeria.
Least we forget, NBMA also approved the glysophate herbicide resistant maize despite the report by a World Health Organisation agency, IARC, which linked the active ingredient glyphosate to cancer. The IARC report was subject to many peer-reviewed studies; it was free from conflict of interests.
We note that nations like Sri Lanka saw the risky nature of the toxic chemicals and took action by banning Monsanto’s round up herbicide because of its link to kidney disease.
Just weeks ago, an investigation carried out by EU observer and Dutch magazine, One World, revealed that the EU’s conclusion that a potentially dangerous weed-killer was safe to sell was partially based on scientific evidence which was written or influenced by Monsanto, the manufacturer of the product.
Earlier this year, a US court released a cache of hundreds of Monsanto’s internal emails that showed the firm’s involvement in at least two academic reports on glyphosate, sold under the trade name Roundup.
It worthy to note that the permits for the confined field trial of two maize varieties were issued jointly to Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Limited and the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). Note that NBDA is a BOARD MEMBER of NBMA. That is, we have a member of the board of NBMA working together with a company to get permits to bring in GMOs into Nigeria. The relationship between National Biosafety Agency (NBMA), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and Monsanto is rife with conflict of interest against the Nigerian people.
How is it that the regulated is so influential on the regulator? How can we have NABDA sit on the Board of NABMA, be a co-applicant with Monsanto and then sit to approve the application? This should fit into the definition of corruption and indeed should “attract government sanction” as proposed by the GM Food Promoters.
Let’s go down memory lane. NABDA an ostensibly promoter of GMOs with their allies were one of the sponsors of the Public Hearing on the Biosafety Bill Organised by the Joint Committee on Science and Technology and Agriculture, Abuja, 9th December 2009. The Key promoters of GMOs are the key pushers of GM crops and are at the same time urging the Nigerian government and people to accept their designer crops by “assisting” to pass a watered-down Biosafety Act –that is clearly very, very, defective. Does this not qualify as ‘anti people’, and “anti government acts” to say the least?
If GMOs are as safe as NBMA, NABDA and their scientists’ claim, why do we need a regulatory agency to protect people and environment from the very “safe” GMOs? Do we need NBMA then?
The Promoters have acknowledged that “Nigeria signed and ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety (CPB), in 2000 and 2003 respectively. The objective of the protocol is to contribute to ensuring an adequate level of protection of human health and biodiversity from potential risks of modern biotechnological practices. Parties to the protocol are required to domesticate the protocol through administrative and legal frame work. In this regard, Nigeria came up with the National Bio-safety Management Agency Act 2015, which heralds the National Bio-safety Management Agency.”
Bravo! They knew this, yet together with NABDA and other GMO promoting Agencies and Foundations, they facilitated a very weak, watered-down and undermined Biosafety Regime which is more or less a “permitting” system instead of a BioSafety Regulation.
Nigeria clearly did not follow the tenets of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in the setting up of NMBA Act 2015. At the heart of that protocol is the Precautionary Principle – the right of countries to ban or restrict the import and use of GE organisms when there is a lack of scientific knowledge or consensus regarding their safety. It explicitly recognises a much needed Precautionary approach to the environmental release of GE organisms. This is clearly missing form NBMA Act 2015. For instance, Article 23 (2) of the Cartagena Protocol lays down affirmative obligations on Parties to: Consult the public in the decision-making process regarding LMOs; and make the results of such decisions available to the public. The language of the protocol is “Shall” not “May” The language of NBMA Act 2015 is “May”, we all know what is legally binding. What “language” NBMA Act based on?
Furthermore, the hullabaloo by pro GMO promoters and their agencies that “The insinuation by anti-GMOs campaigners that the Act was rushed is far from the truth.” No, it was not just rushed; it was done in a mad rush, which clearly reflects the lacunas, typos, references made to incorrect sections and to nonexistent sections. In fact that Act should be scrapped.
The general tone of the Act is clearly set for GMOs and products of GMOs imported for direct use as food, feed and industrial processing which is clearly at variance with the Cartagena Protocol that Nigerians ratified.
Monsanto and its corporate-driven revolution are not interested in our people or environment. These are business enterprises set up solely to make profits. It’s about time our Agencies choose us the people over these merchants.
