By Sani Idris

In commemoration of the 2022 International Youth Day, an NGO, Centre for Water and Environment Development (CWED), has on Friday sensitised youths drawn from various communities in Kaduna on climate change management.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the theme of the year's international youth day celebration is 'Intergenerational Solidarity Across Generations'.

Delivering a paper tittled 'youths and climate change', a resource person at the event, Dr. Joseph Ariko, said climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of the present times.

He said recent events have emphatically demonstrated growing vulnerability to climate change and its impacts ranging from affecting agriculture and further endangering food security.

He added that climate change also caused sea-level rise and the accelerated erosion of coastal zones increasing the intensity of natural disasters, species extinction, and spread of vector-borne diseases.

Ariko stressed that the issue was of immense importance for every global citizen and therefore required an initiative against it globally.

He noted that youths amount to 60 per cent of the population in Nigeria thereby making their relationship with climate change highly interwoven.

He said youths affect the climate system by virtue of being the most active proportion of the population where activities of component of the global ecosystem result to the increase in greenhouse gases emission.

He mentioned some of the activities resulting to greenhouse emissions to include burning of fusil fuel as results of massive industrialization, use of tokumbo vehicles and Improper waste management through open burning of domestic, industrial wastes.

He further mentioned bush burning which was common in most developing world and agrarian economy where youths embark on hunting either as source of livelihood, or for adventure.

"Most of these youths set bushes on fire, and agricultural activities such as use of nitrogen fertilizer, animal dungs bush burning during farm preparation are also accelerative means of greenhouse gases emission",he said.

Ariko noted that youths are partners in forest destruction through their everyday activities such as cutting down of trees for firewood, charcoal business, lumbering for timbers, among others, which has led to carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere.

He however, mentioned the extent to which climate change affected the youths, noting that agriculture as one of earlier occupations of man has been destructed through direct influences that alter precipitation amount, intensity, frequency and type of soil.

"Warming accelerated land surface drying and increases the potential incidence of drought which has been observed in many places worldwide, these have direct effects on crop production and animal husbandry.

"This scenario has resulted to limited arable lands for agriculture that has rendered millions of youths unemployed, among many other factors,"he said.

Ariko called on the general public especially the youths to engage in massive advocacy against activities that accelerate climate change by carrying out campaign against and on the need for sustainable use of the environment

He said the youths could change the narrative by proper educating the general society on the need to imbibe the principle of sustainable use of resources such as afforThe reduction of the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

"We must as youths campaign for enactment of laws that will protect our forests, we need active youths representation in all levels of legislations that will aids in formulation of laws and policies that will protect our vegetation.

"As youths we are equally expected to educate the general populace on how to adapt to the climate change extreme events and possible ways of mitigating the effects,"Ariko said.

Also, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, a climate Justice activist and energy enthusiast, said climate change has affected Kaduna state, where flooding, desert encroachment, drought, land degradation, run-off, soil erosion and loss of water resources, among others had permeated many area of the state.

He added that, Kaduna being the major producer of maize in Nigeria is now ranked 3rd with low productivity due to land degradation and irregular rainfall pattern pushing more people to extreme poverty and malnutrition.

Muhammad lamenting that while flooding impacts residents from a wide range of demographics, it was most damaging to low-income, minority groups.

"This is because the majority live in neighborhoods with little or no green spaces to absorb water and in areas that have historically received less flood protection investment,"he said.

He urged the general public especially the youths to reduce carbon footprint by conserving energy through walking bicycle riding or carpool for transportation when possible.

He also urged turning off of lights when no one is in a room; taking shorter showers, planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using reusable shopping bags, water bottles, straws, among others to prevent plastic waste.

Earlier, the Program Manager of CWED, Mrs. Doris Zakama, said it was deliberate they chose to sensitise youths on climate change in celebrating the year's International youth day.

Zakama, represented by CWED Program Officer, Lydia Saleh, said climate change issues was central to the NGO's establishment.

She lamented that climate change, through its effects such as droughts and flooding, has led to the destruction of many lives and properties.

Zakama noted that the UN Sustainable Development Goals for climate action was more important than ever, stressing the impacts of climate change such as droughts and desertification which according to her were partly responsible for violent activities in Nigeria.

"Our young and carefree days don’t last forever, unfortunately many youngsters around the world face difficulties and have limited access to essential resources that can pave way for better future

"That is why this day is very important because it encourages youth around the world to organize activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country," Zakama said.

She called for more Government support for youth activities around sustainability and stronger communication channels between youths and representatives, and public-orivate partnerships to facilitate youth projects and activities.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

News Politics

Wike drags Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal to court

IMA ELIJAH

August 12, 2022 10:42 AM

Wike is insisting that for peace to reign, the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign from office.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike. (DailyPost)

Following the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential primary election held on May 29, 2022, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has sued PDP; its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

The PDP crisis: Wike and his loyalists have been in a face-off with Atiku’s camp since the conclusion of the PDP’s primary election.

Wike's next step: Following the prolonged crisis rocking the party, Wike and a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon have now dragged Atiku, Tambuwal and the PDP to court in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022.

What Wike is suing for: In the originating summons, Wike and his co-applicant asked the court to determine eight issues including whether the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku by the PDP was illegal and void.

The plaintiffs asked the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes the moment he stepped down for Atiku.

Wike and Ekamon argued that should these issues be determined in their favour, the court should grant nine reliefs including a declaration that the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku be declared null and void.

The plaintiffs are also seeking a declaration that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary.

They prayed the court to “cancel the transfer of votes and a corresponding order restraining the 3rd respondent (Tambuwal’s) withdrawal in the primary was done after voting had commenced.”

The applicants also prayed the court to declare that the PDP and Atiku took undue advantage of Tambuwal’s withdrawal when they allowed the Sokoto governor to persuade delegates to vote for the former Vice-President in the primary.

They are also seeking an order commanding the PDP to recount the votes of the primary that was held on May 28 and May 29.

Lastly, the applicants are seeking an order of the court “directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to declare the 2nd applicant (Wike), a presidential aspirant in the May 28 and May 29 primary as the winner of the aforesaid primary with a corresponding order directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to forward his name as the candidate to contest the presidential election in 2023.”

What happened during the PDP primaries: During the primary election held in Abuja, the Sokoto Governor, while addressing delegates, asked them to vote for him but later declared that he stepped down for the former Vice President, Atiku.

At the primary, Atiku polled 371 votes while Wike and Bukola Saraki garnered 237 and 70 votes respectively. After the convention, the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, described Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention.”

Dele Momodu sends message to Wike: Former presidential aspirant of PDP, Dele Momodu has urged Governor Wike of River State to thread softly before it becomes too late.

He said, “My dear Brother, good evening. I have watched you in recent months with trepidation. I’m scared about your inability to comprehend the country called Nigeria. You must have underrated how the owners of Nigeria operate.

“I studied the biography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. I was an insider in the June 12 1993 crisis, and a veritable witness to the tribulations of my great mentor, Chief Moshood Abiola. Closer home, you must have seen how your predecessor, Dr. Peter Odili, was stopped in his tracks in 2007.

“You’re certainly one of Nigeria’s best performing Governors, if not the best. Personally, I’m very proud of your uncommon achievements. I know you are very angry. It is your right to be. But I’m begging you in the name of God not to take decisions based on anger… Nigeria has been very kind to you."

Wike's condition for peace: Governor Wike is insisting that for peace to reign, the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, must resign from office.