By David Owei,Bayelsa

Growing heaps of uncollected refuse and the choking stench from waste dump sites are rapidly turning parts of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, into an environmental and public health concern.

Residents and business owners along the Azikoro Road axis, where overflowing waste collection points now emit offensive odours described their conditions as unbearable.

Also, Keke Riders tricycle operators and passengers are seen covering their noses while passing through the area, while some businesses situated near the dump sites are said to be relocating due to the persistent foul smell.

Drainage systems around the affected areas have also become clogged as refuse spills into gutters, increasing fears of flooding and disease outbreaks.

Investigations indicate that the worsening sanitation situation may be linked to challenges within the operations of the Bayelsa State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BESA), the agency established by Governor Douye Diri to implement a modern waste disposal and recycling framework.

Sources familiar with developments disclosed that a private company contracted for refuse evacuation is currently involved in a disagreement with the Authority over issues relating to payment and operational coverage.

A senior official of the company, who requested anonymity, claimed that the dispute has disrupted waste evacuation efforts and undermined the broader environmental goals of the state government.

Some of the Residents who spoke with our correspondent say the worsening conditions now pose serious health and economic implications.

“The smell from the dumps is unbearable, especially in the evenings. We cough and sneeze constantly. This has become a serious health hazard,” said Mr Ebiowei Akimi.

Another resident, Mrs Patience Ogbomo expressed concern over the situation, saying sanitation standards in the capital had deteriorated significantly.

“We used to have better sanitation before. Now refuse is everywhere and nobody seems to care. Our children are the ones suffering most,” she said.

A shop owner near one of the affected locations, Mr Tari Preye, said the poor environmental conditions have impacted businesses.

“Many of us are leaving because customers complain about the odour. Sales have dropped drastically. If urgent action is not taken, this area could become deserted,” he stated.

By Our Correspondent

The Presidential aspirant of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi has expressed particular concern on the enhancement of quality of education in Nigeria, saying that the quality of education in a country determines their level of development.

Obi who stated this during a visit to Practicing Nursery and Primary School, in his country home of Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday donated a N10millin cheque to them for the rebuilding of a part of the school gutted by mysterious fire in 2024 December.

Recall that he had earlier donated N10million as initial support for the rebuilding of the school block.

Asked what he thinks could be done to salvage schools from the dangers of insecurity in view of the kidnap of pupils and teachers and the killing of one of the teachers in Oyo State, Obi said it all depended on the decisiveness and will power of the government in power to tackle it.

I tell you, we do not only need to secure our schools from insecurity but also the society. And how we can do this is by being decisive. Government needs to be decisive against terrorists to protect schools and the society.

“I have been in government before and we knew what we did to ensure safety in Anambra. It needs decisiveness and will power of the people in government for us to defeat them.”

Donating the N10million cheque, the NDC Presidential hopeful recalled that he had visited the school last year and had promised to help rebuild it.

He said he was in the school to fulfill his promise and to help ensure a conducive environment for children to learn.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, has condemned the coordinated abduction of over 45 pupils, students, and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, on Friday, 15th May, 2026.

The affected schools are Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yaworan, Community Grammar School, Esiele, and L. A. Primary School.

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, YCE described the attack as “not just a crime against Oyo State, but an assault on the conscience of Nigeria, on the future of the Southwest, and on the sacred right of every child to learn in safety.”

The pan-Yoruba sociocultural organization said schools must never become hunting grounds for kidnappers and bandits.

“In the face of this ugly occurrence, we call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately deploy special forces, intelligence assets, and logistics support to ensure the safe and unconditional release of all abducted victims,” the statement said.

YCE further called on the Governors of the six Southwest states – Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos – to rise above partisan boundaries and deploy all available strategic resources through inter-state cooperation to secure lives and property.

“Without gainsaying, Yorubaland cannot afford to become the next frontier of mass abduction,” Oyewole stated.

The group said the Oyo incident is a symptom of a deeper national security crisis, and therefore, called for the strengthening of community and regional security architecture across Yorubaland.

YCE urged Southwest governments to immediately provide necessary materials for the Amotekun Corps, give them more training, better equipment, and legal backing for intelligence-led operations.

The Council also said it is necessary at this period for the six governors to recognize the statutory roles of the office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, alongside the contributions of Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, in promoting peace in Yorubaland.

“The six Southwest governors should therefore engage them, along with similar indigenous security groups and other well-meaning persons and organizations in the Southwest, to spread their dragnet in the protection of our territories,” YCE said.

The group further called on the Governor of Oyo State to quickly establish a joint security task force for real-time intelligence sharing across the six states to prevent cross-border movement of criminals.

YCE also recommended the deployment of Armed School Protection Units in high-risk Local Government Areas, especially those bordering forest reserves.

“Our children all over Yorubaland are not to be used as collateral damage. Every day we delay on this decisive action, we may lose another child’s future and another parent’s peace of mind,” the statement added.

The Council said it stands with the families of the abducted students and sympathizes with the family of the Mathematics teacher who was reportedly killed by the bandits during the attack.

YCE prayed that the Almighty God would grant all those directly affected strength and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

The abductions have renewed calls for urgent reforms in school security and regional collaboration across the Southwest.