
News
ATWAP warns against immediate ban of Single-Use Plastics, urges alternatives at Reps public hearing
The Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP) has urged lawmakers to consider practical alternatives before implementing a nationwide ban on single-use plastics, warning that the policy could disrupt water supply and increase illegal production.
Mrs. Clementina Ativie, a representative of ATWAP, made the appeal while presenting her address at a one-day public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Preparedness for the Single-Use Plastic Ban in Nigeria at the National Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of table water producers across the country, Ativie said the association represents more than 45,000 indigenous water producers operating across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and local government areas.
She explained that the packaged water industry, including sachet and bottled water, plays a vital role in providing affordable drinking water for millions of Nigerians, particularly low-income households.
According to her, a sudden ban on single-use plastic packaging without viable alternatives could lead to unregulated water production and serious public health risks.
“If you ban water production without an alternative, you will introduce illegal production where there will be no traceable address, no identity, and no regulatory oversight,” she said, warning that such a development could lead to the spread of waterborne diseases.

Ativie also highlighted the sector’s role in employment generation, noting that the industry provides jobs for thousands of Nigerians, many of whom lack formal education and depend on the sector for their livelihoods.
She urged lawmakers to adopt a gradual approach to environmental reforms by focusing on recycling initiatives and developing affordable alternatives to plastic packaging.
According to her, ATWAP already has nationwide structures that could support recycling programs, including systems to recover used nylon packaging through distributors and customers.
She stressed that recycling remains the most practical option for now until affordable and widely available alternatives to plastic packaging are developed.
The public hearing forms part of the House of Representatives’ efforts to evaluate Nigeria’s readiness for a potential ban on single-use plastics and to gather input from stakeholders across the manufacturing, environmental, and public health sectors.

News
My govt cares – Tinubu reassures Nigerians amid worsening insecurity, hardship

President Bola Tinubu has restated that his government is committed to addressing the country’s main problems, including economic difficulties, power shortages and safety issues.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tinubu stated that his government is still focused on policies aimed at helping the poorest and most at-risk Nigerians.
He said: “We won’t stop moving forward, and we’ll keep looking for ways to help those who are struggling.
“This is a government that really cares.”
He noted that having steady power supply is very important for development, stressing that industrial growth and learning new skills mostly rely on having dependable electricity.
“You can’t have industrial growth, learning new skills, or people gaining strength without having enough power.

“I promise Nigerians that we will provide electricity to support our country’s development,” he said.
The president also thanked Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for the way he leads the state.
“Diri has shown the strength of leading with a clear purpose, and I am here today making a promise that the challenges we face, along with the legacy of those who led this country, including the battles and difficulties of ensuring security, will be met with hard work to properly equip and train our men and women in the Armed Forces. We will defeat terrorism and banditry.”

News
BREAKING: Ebonyi Catholic Bishop, Peter Chukwu is dead
The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Dr Peter Chukwu is dead.
A source said the Bishop died where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Meanwhile, a social media influencer, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, in a post on his Facebook page, mourned the demise of the Bishop.
He wrote, “A very bad one for us in Ebonyi State. The loss of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter Chukwu is a terrible loss.
“This loss is huge. God knows why, but it’s painful losing him in his 50s. A refined man and Associate Professor. This loss is beyond Ezza’s loss. It’s well. We can’t take war to God’s place. Kidney transplant issue. NCN.”
The authorities of the Catholic Church is expected to issue an official statement announcing the demise of the Bishop.


News
Terrorism: Ex-Borno senatorial candidate jailed 10 years
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years’ imprisonment for aiding terrorism through the sale of petroleum products to insurgents.
The trial judge, Peter Lifu, convicted Habeeb on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed by the Federal Government.
Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had pleaded guilty to the charge upon arraignment, admitting that he sold fuel to members of the Boko Haram operating in the North-East.
The convict, however, claimed that the transactions might have been carried out by attendants at his filling station.
During the proceedings, Habeeb appealed for leniency, kneeling in the dock as he urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He told the court that he had two wives and six children and had been in detention for over 10 years without contact with his family.

Counsel to the Federal Government, David Kaswe, opposed the plea, arguing that the support provided to the terrorist group had serious consequences.
Kaswe submitted that the supply of fuel enabled the insurgents to power motorcycles used in attacks, leading to loss of lives and displacement of communities.
He urged the court to impose a stiffer penalty, noting that although the defendant had spent over a decade in custody, a 20-year sentence would be appropriate.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that there was no evidence establishing that the defendant was a member of Boko Haram or had undergone weapons training.
He, however, ruled that the admission of selling fuel to the insurgents was sufficient to sustain the charge of aiding terrorism.
The judge also noted that the prosecution did not challenge the defendant’s claim of prolonged detention.
Justice Lifu consequently sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment.
He ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of the convict’s arrest and detention.

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