Environment
55 Dead, Properties Destroyed in Hawaii Wildfires
The death toll has reached 55 and could be higher because of wildfires in Maui in the US state of Hawaii. The fires which started on August 8, have continued to burn, leading to loss of life, property, and harm to the environment. Over 271 structures have been torched, including the Lahaina Beach Resort. Some have described the devastation as apocalyptic. Fumes from the fire have heavily polluted the air.
Investigations are still on about the actual cause of the fire. Some have attributed the cause to human action. Others point to possible natural causes including, volcanoes, lightning, and dry hurricane winds.
Speaking anonymously by phone to Philco News, a resident said, “I have lost everything…I have no documents, no passport, nothing…I just ran to safety with my family”.
Maui is in the northwest of Hawaii and is a hotspot for tourists. Many tourists are attracted to the Lahaina Beach Resort. Popular celebs own property on the island, of note, Oprah Winfrey.
The fires in Hawaii are grim pointers to the need to better protect our environment.
First Published: 11/08/2023
Philip Ephraim
Calabar, Nigeria
KADSEMA and NEMA Issue Flood Alerts for 2023
The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) has issued flood alerts for 2023. Speaking to reporters, Muhammed Mukkadas, the Executive Secretary of KADSEMA said, “going by experience, the floods will begin at the end of August going into September”. Mukkadas added that the agency has identified all flood-prone local government areas and is taking proactive steps to mitigate the effects of the flood, including the dredging of rivers and desilting of water canals and drainages.
Speaking anonymously to Philco News, a man commented that, “The 2022 floods were terrible, so many people lost their lives…till date, we cannot ascertain the number of those who died last year”.
On the cause of flooding, another man commented that “people have built houses on water pathways, for example, in the Rigo Road area. Rents charged for these houses are cheap, and the occupants are unwilling to evacuate”.
The Kaduna State SEMA’s alerts come a week after the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issued flood alerts in 14 states and 31 communities in Nigeria. Ibrahim Farinloye, Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office, appealed to state governments and relevant bodies to take precautionary measures to mitigate the effects of flooding in 2023.
First Published: 16/07/2023
Philip Ephraim
Calabar, Nigeria
No Concern for the Environment: Bayelsa Monarch Knocks Nigerian Government on Rogue Vessel Burning
HRM Bubraye Dakolo, King of the Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman of the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council has severely reprimanded the operatives of the Joint Task Force and Tantita Security on the burning of a rogue oil vessel in the Escravos region in Delta State Nigeria. The vessel was leaving the country’s shores with illegal crude when it was intercepted by security operatives. Shots from Nigerian Airforce Helicopters set the vessel ablaze with its contents. The crew was arrested.
Speaking to Philco News on July 12, the monarch expressed his displeasure on the approach of the security agents. The monarch pointed out the lack of concern for the environmental consequences of the act. King Dakolo described the act as barbaric and as “jungle justice from the fourteenth century”. The King stressed that huge fumes from the fire have worsened the methane pollution already caused by gas flares in the region and that oil from the vessel has further depleted marine life.
The author of The Riddle of the Oil Thief, King Dakolo said that the whole incident was a coverup to destroy evidence. He argued that the Nigerian government knows the real oil thieves. He described the thieves as rich and influential people in power and close to power. This group owns various vessels and colludes with security personnel. He added that rogue vessels have operated nefariously in the region for several years. These vessels illegally convey Nigeria’s crude to countries like the UK, China, India, and other African countries.
The monarch argued that the crew on the vessel were mere pawns of the main thieves. The crew comprises poor, uneducated, and unemployed youths struggling to make a living.
On strategies to end or control oil theft in Nigeria, the monarch said that the power lies with the president. He said “Oil theft will stop whenever the President wants it to. The president must be firm about this…he should get the country working; create jobs for the youths and improve the economic situation in the region”.
First Published: 15/07/2023
Philip Ephraim
Calabar, Nigeria