The reoccurring trend of scooping fuel from fallen tankers by Nigerians in some parts of the country has continued to spark reactions, with the latest coming from Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku spoke via a statement on X handle on Thursday, October 24, while reacting to a viral video showing residents scooping petrol from a fallen tanker in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The footage, which spread like wildfire captured dozens of locals with buckets and containers, collecting fuel without fear or regard for their safety.

Furthermore, Atiku’s reaction comes shortly after a tragic incident in Jigawa State on October 16, where over 180 people lost their lives and many others were injured while engaging in the risky act.

A tanker, loaded with petrol, had fallen off the road along the Kano-Hadejia expressway and residents present at the scene saw an opportunity to get free petrol.

However, as the victims scooped the fuel, that was when the explosion occurred.

In his reaction, Atiku warned that the economic hardship ravaging the country is not enough for Nigerians to mortgage their lives.

According to him, government agencies should engage citizens and educate them on the dangers of scooping petrol from a fallen tanker.

Atiku decried the tragic incident in Cross River.

He described the act as a suicidal one and called on the government to do everything in its power to avert such tragedies.

Atiku’s statement reads, “I know that the times are tough for Nigerians. However, your lives are the most precious things that should never be mortgaged.

“This is why it is pertinent that the concerned government MDAs should commence a robust campaign to educate citizens on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen petroleum tankers.”

“Your lives matter to you and your loved ones. Scooping petrol, a highly flammable liquid from a fallen tanker, is a suicide that no one should undertake.

“We’ve experienced too many tragedies from incidents such as the latest one in Cross River State, and everything must be done to avert another. -AA”

Kogi State under the leadership of Governor Usman Ododo has secured the approval of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to construct an international airport in the Zariagi area of the state.

This was made known in a statement on Friday by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.

Fanwo revealed that the approval for the Kogi State International Airport which is a top priority for Governor Ododo’s government was confirmed through a letter dated October 9, 2024.

He noted that besides the potential to boost the state’s economy, the project will tackle unemployment in the state with the creation of jobs and will also push the state to the global scene.

The statement revealed that the governor expressed thanks to President Bola Tinubu and the aviation minister for approving the project which has the capacity to develop the state.

He disclosed that the aviation team sent to inspect the location of the project were satisfied. They also approved the state government’s plan regarding the project.

The Commissioner stated, “The Ododo Administration has considered it a top priority for Kogi State to have an International Airport and join the league of the aviation hub. The strategic location of the state is no doubt, an invaluable advantage in harnessing the aviation service market as the centre of the nation.

“The project will not only boost the economy of the State, it will also create jobs and bring the potential of the state to the global scene.

“The Governor is determined to hire the best hands in the industry to make the project a huge success. As you are aware, aviation is an industry of trust and standards.

“We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the Aviation Minister for the historic approval that will help to further develop Kogi State. We want to also say that the Airport will also have capacity for Cargo as that is one of our key focuses in the project.”

“Zariagi is a very strategic community that already boasts of an airstrip. The team from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development was satisfied with the location and the plans of the Kogi State Government on the project.”

In related news, the Kogi State government on Monday, October 7 announced an immediate salary increase for civil servants in the state.

According to the governor, the new wage of N72,500 aims to help civil servants in Kogi cope with the economic hardship in the country and support families in the state.

The Governor also announced a one-year suspension of the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax.

A non-governmental organization that researches into how ugly trend of increasing incidents of chronic degenerative diseases in Nigeria could be prevented, Living Science Foundation (LSF) has warned governments and citizens about major dangers posed by consuming Genetically Modified Organsams (GMOs) foods in the country.

Describing the situation as an urgent environmental-health concern in Nigeria, the group expressed deep concern over ongoing deluge of deployment of GMOs foods in the country, citing adverse health effects such as cancers, organ damage, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance and reductions in nutritional content for consumers of GMOs foods.

The research-driven foundation stated this at a press conference held as part of activities of the 9th National Conference on Environment and Health (NCEH), holding at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Wednesday.

On the impending take-over of Nigeria’s staple foods by GMOs, the statement issued by the Foundation and signed by LSD President, Prof. Joshua Ojo and Chairman of the NCEH Planning Committee, Dr Adeniyi Okinni, noted that “there are very good reasons to doubt the thoroughness of the approval processes for these products in Nigeria,”

They therefore urged relevant authorities in Nigeria to conduct appropriate chronic toxicity testings that transparently ascertain the safety of GM food products before their deployment for public consumption in the country.

“The Living Science Foundation is deeply concerned with the ongoing deluge of deployment of GMO foods in Nigeria.  At the beginning of the year, on January 11, approval was given for the cultivation of GMO TELA Maize in Nigeria. On the heels of this were the announcements that GMO cassava and potatoes are also on their way. Transgenic rice and sorghum are also known to be lurking somewhere in the pipeline. Since 2019, Nigerians have been officially eating the world’s first genetically modified beans (Bt Cowpeas). The frightening implication of all these, is that virtually all the basic staples in Nigeria are being bioengineered and released for commercial cultivation.  This is unprecedented anywhere in the world.

“We have earlier expressed (in May 2017) our deep concerns on the use of GMOs as food in Nigeria. These largely have to do with the obvious issues of loss of food sovereignty and the established adverse health effects. The germlines for the GMOs being released are proprietary products, designed and developed by multinational monopolies with history of aggressive and ruthless commercial operations. It is clear that in course of time, we would need to revert to them, repeatedly, to address issues that would inevitably arise with the deployment of these novel “black-box” products.

“It appears insane that we should submit our precious God-given food sovereignty into the hands of such (or any other) entities in this manner.  As for adverse health effects following chronic ingestion of GMOs, these, including cancers, organ damage, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance and reductions in nutritional content, are very well-established. In her ongoing tussle with the North America Free Trade Zone wherein she is seeking to stop further importation of GMO foods from the United States, Mexico has cited over 150 peer-reviewed research published in top journals, documenting the incontrovertible adverse health effects associated GMO foods.

“There are very good reasons to doubt the thoroughness of the approval processes for these products in Nigeria. For instance, the Germany-based Testbiotech e.V., Institute for Independent Impact Assessment of Biotechnology, published an extensive peer-reviewed Report, documenting the utter incredible shoddiness characterizing the Risk Assessment exercise used to greenlight GM cowpea (beans) in Nigeria.  This damning Report, to all intents and purposes, has been largely ignored by concerned authorities in Nigeria. Worse, even the basic legal and reasonable requirement that GMO food products be appropriately labelled (Section 23(2) h of the NBMA Act 2015)10 is flouted with outright impunity.

“We therefore hereby call on the relevant Nigerian authorities (specifically the Nigeria Biosafety Management Agency, NBMA, and the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC) to conduct (or commission) appropriate chronic toxicity testings that transparently ascertain the safety of GM food products before their deployment for public consumption in Nigeria. Also, these Agencies are enjoined to comply with the Nigerian laws, that require that such products, if eventually licensed, are appropriately labelled to give the public informed choice in what they feed into their bodies,” they said.

The organization has commended the announced incorporation of malaria vaccine into routine childhood immunization schedule, while harping on the need to reposition medical and health records for improved environment-health outcomes.

At the programme, Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra spoke on the topic: “Transgenic Solutions (GMOs) in Food, Human Health and Environment in Nigeria: Safety Considerations,” calling on Nigerians to be cautious about what they consume.