Category: Featured

Experts and stakeholders gathered at Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law CPEEL, University of Ibadan to discuss effective policy framework to combat land degradation and desertification in Nigeria.

The position on the need for effective policy framework and community engagement to combat land degradation was made known at the One Day Hybrid Conference on the World Environment Day 2024 organized by the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment (NREEL) of the International Law Association (Nigerian branch).

“Critical knowledge gaps hinder effective land restoration, demanding urgent investment in research that not only addresses the gaps in understanding land degradation problems but also values and integrates the wisdom of traditional knowledge and heritage.

This integration should also extend to the legal framework, ensuring clear comprehension by community stakeholders who are fundamental to the fight against land degradation. There is also a need for everyone to move beyond discussions of sustainable practices and make concrete actions and long-term implementation strategies which are crucial for achieving lasting success, with the understanding that everyone has a role to play in this critical endeavour”.

These recommendations were made at the conference discussion to commemorate the World Environment Day 2024. The World Environment Day is an annual event led by the United Nations Environment Programme and held annually on 5 June worldwide to promote global awareness on environmental issues. 

Themed Our Land, Our Future: Land Restoration, Desertification And Resilience, a one day hybrid conferenceorganized by the Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Environment (NREEL) of the International Law Association (Nigerian branch) chaired by Ms. Oluwaseyi Ebenezer hosted by Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL) University of Ibadan in partnership with Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES Institute) and Triple Green Environment Development Foundation (TGED Foundation). Ms. Oluwaseyi Ebenezer, the convener of the World Environment Day Conference 2024 welcomed the participants and emphasized the conference theme. In her speech, she highlighted the urgent need for sustainable land management and the critical role individuals play in combating desertification and land degradation encouraging active participation, collaboration, and innovation among participants, stressing the importance of holistic approaches, robust legal frameworks, inclusive policies, and community engagement. Ms. Oluwaseyi Ebenezer expressed her confidence that the conference discussions would inspire and equip participants with new knowledge and ideas to tackle pressing environmental issues, calling for collective efforts towards environmental sustainability and resilience.

The conference featured a compelling keynote lecture by Dr. Walter Nsoh, Associate Professor of Energy and Environmental Law, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He emphasized on the theme as it combines our actions that affect land and lead to land degradation and the consequences attached to it. He highlighted that we can’t talk about land degradation without mentioning issues surrounding climate change such as flooding and to resolves these issues, there is a need to put good restoration and resilience plan in place which should be a global action and everyone has a role to play. He concluded his speech emphazing that farmers should no longer see themselves as food producers but as integrated managers who manages wild range of ecosystem services and good that are beneficial to man.

Following the keynote address, two high-level panel discussions featured prominent experts from academia, government, and civil society – Godswill Agbaitoro, PhD, Lecturer, Energy and Environmental Law, University of Essex, Jumoke Olowookere, Founder The Waste Museum, Patricia Ubiaza-Eze, Principal Partner, Patricia Ubiaza-Eze and Co, Adedoyin Adeleke PhD, Founder and Executive Director Green Growth Africa, Nenritmwa Gotodok, Secretary NREEL Committee, ILA Nigeria Branch, Managing Partner, The Sophisticated Legal Hub and Co-Founder, Green Voices for Green Planet Initiative, Dr. Afolasade Adewumi, Reader/Associate Professor, Department of International Law, University of Ibadan, Dr. Peter Oniemola, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law and Programme Coordinator, CPEEL University of Ibadan, Agbo Chinonso Bathlomeo, Director of Programmes and Projects at the Batnon Center for Environment and Sustainable Development. The panelists discussed the environmental and social impacts of desertification and land degradation, explored existing legal frameworks, and emphasized the importance of community engagement in building resilience for land restoration and environmental protection. The conference also included a quiz competition for students from Ajibode Grammar School and Community Grammar School, Ajibode.

Founded in Brussels in 1873, the International Law Associationis a non-governmental organization with over 4,500 members across 45 national and regional branches worldwide.  The Nigerian Branch of the ILA is dedicated to promoting the study and understanding of international law in Nigeria through lectures, seminars, conferences, and other capacity-building programs.

For more information about the conference or the Nigerian Branch of the ILA, please visit www.ila-hq.org

An Osun State Magistrate Court in Osogbo has sentenced a former chairman of Iwo West local council development area in Osun state, Tajudeen Babatunde, and five others to four years imprisonment for conspiring to destroy farmland valued at N10 million.

The other convicts are; Sunday Ajoko, Kohonu Deboye, Adeoye Alabi, Jonas John and an octogenarian, Kasumu Arohunfesu, who was given an option of N80,000 fine.

Upon arraignment, the convicts were said to have conspired with others, now at large, on or before the 16th day of February 2019, at Ayigbiri Orupekere farm, Iwo, to commit felony to wit damage and thereby committed an offence contrary to the law.

The prosecutor said they destroyed 400 palm trees and other economic trees valued at N10 million and burnt the farm.

The Ministry of Justice was represented by Mikaheel Idris the nominal complainant, the Oosa Olaniyi family in Iwo.

While delivering the judgement on Thursday, the presiding Magistrate, Abimbola Famuyide, convicted the defendants, noting that the case against them has been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

The counsel to the convicts, Laide Yekini, had urged the court to temper justice with mercy on his clients by giving them the option of a fine.

But Famuyide sentenced each of the convicts to four years on counts one and four, and two years each on counts two and three.

She said, “Having considered the age of Arohunfesu who was said to be about 82 years and could no longer walk as he was carried to the court, I hereby gave him an option of N20,000 on each of the four counts and advised that he should pay N80,000 to avoid going to prison.”

She directed the complainant to approach the court of competent jurisdiction for compensation, restitution or appeal.

Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested eleven persons and impounded eight truckload of assorted minerals for suspected involvement in Illegal mining activities in Ilorin, Kwara State

The suspects are Ibrahim Gambo, Hakeem Saka, Ahmad Muktar, Sulaiman Ibrahim, Ibrahim Muhammad, Jamiu Mustapha, Rabiu Musa, Aisha Muham, Abdulwasiu Hannafi, Qudus Olalere and Babatunde Hakeem.

They were arrested on Wednesday, May 5, 2024, upon credible intelligence at different locations in Ogbomosho, Oyo State while conveying assorted solid minerals suspected to be marble stone, white powder, lithium, lepidolite to undisclosed destinations without lawful authority.

The suspects will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of ongoing investigations.

Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has asked the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

Igboho’s lawsuit seeks N500 million in aggravated damages over an alleged leaked audio conversation, which he claims damaged his reputation. He is also seeking a declaration that the content of the audio clip, allegedly between Adams and a third party named Nuru Banjo in November 2021, is slanderous and defamatory.
However, Adams, through his counsel, Oluwole Kehinde of OKC Attorneys, filed a motion to strike out the suit.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, Adams, represented by Michael Oluwanmi Okunore, argues that Igboho’s lawsuit fails to follow due process.

Adams contends that the Writ of Summons lacks the mandatory endorsement required for service outside Oyo State, specifically in Lagos State. He further argues that the Writ of Summons was not signed by either a legal practitioner or Igboho himself.

Therefore, Adams’ motion concludes: “It is in the interest of justice to strike out the claimant’s suit before the Honourable Court on the basis that it lacks substance.

The Kajola Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Akeem has presented an appointment letter to the Vice Chairman Kajola Local Government Okeho to be the Political Head/Administrator Iwa LCDA Ilero.

The presentation of appointment letter was done on 3rd of Monday, June 2024 at the local government secretariat.

Also the swear-in ceremony was done for the 11 councillors who represent the 11 wards in the local government Area.

Recall, the swearing in ceremony of the council chairmen was held recently at the State Secretariat on the 24th of May, 2024.

Relief would soon come the way of motorists and commuters plying Ado-Odo/Abeokuta expressway as Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun said his administration has awarded contract for the reconstruction of the 63km road.

Governor Abiodun who disclosed this at Ilaro on Thursday, during the commissioning of Ilaro -Iwoye-Owode road in Yewa South Local Government Area said the reconstruction of the road was part of his administration’s efforts to address the infrastructural deficit in the State.

He described the road as the second busiest in the country, adding that when completed, it would allow for the evacuation of goods and services from the axis through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to other parts of the country.

He said construction work has commenced on the Sagamu-Papalanto road, while that of Papalanto to Ilaro is on course.

“We have just awarded the Ado-Odo/Abeokuta road. It will be the most expensive road this administration has reconstructed. It is 63 kilometres.

“That road is the second most busiest road in the country and extremely important to the economy of Yewaland, Ogun Central, and the entire Ogun State.

“From our industrial capital of Ado-Odo/Ota, it allows you to evacuate goods and services through that road to the hinterland. Those in Ado-Odo/Ota will go on that road through Papalanto, link the interchange, and you are there on Lagos-Ibadan expressway,” he stated.

Governor Abiodun said his administration has built affordable houses in Ilaro and constructed between eight to nine roads in Ogun West Senatorial District in fulfilment of his promise not to develop one part of the State to the detriment of others.

He said his government is working towards making the axis the food basket and cotton headquarters of the country through a strategic agricultural programme.

Abiodun maintained that the Commissioning of the Ilaro -Iwoye-Owode road which was in a deplorable condition since 1991, is part of the celebration to mark the five years of his administration, emphasizing that his focus on infrastructure was due to it being a key economy enabler that attract investors to the State.

While noting that the road would open up Yewaland, Ogun State and the country for more economic opportunities, the governor assured the people that any abandoned projects that have a direct impact on their lives would be completed.

The Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, said the road was in a state of disrepair and claimed many lives through accidents, kidnapping and robbery, adding that by putting the road in good shape, the governor has succeeded in saving the people from their harrowing experiences.

While noting that the road would give the people new lease of life and also address the infrastructural deficit in the area, Senator Adeola noted that businesses that had hitherto folded up in the axis, would be revived.

Former governor of the state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba in his goodwill message said the axis had in the past been the food basket that fed the state and Lagos, appreciating the governor for not embarking on elitist, but people oriented projects.

Osoba used the occasion to throw his weight behind the transformation of Abeokuta and other towns in the State through urban renewal programmes, urging him not to be distracted as there is the need to further open up the State for more economic prosperity.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Engr. Ade Akinsanya in his welcome address, said that the road will usher in socio-economic development and individual prosperity while investors would be attracted to do business in the area thus generating employment opportunities for the youths and get them usefully engaged.

Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, in his speech noted that despite its importance, the road was abandoned by previous State and federal governments, adding that the many palliatives done by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), did not put the road in proper shape.

The commended Governor Abiodun and members of the National Assembly from the senatorial district for working together to change the narrative, saying it helped in fostering economic growth and enhanced commercial activities in the area just as it serves as a milestone for the execution of other people oriented projects in the senatorial district.

Highlight of the occasion was the commissioning of the road performed by Aremo Osoba.