From Blessing Douglas, Port Harcourt
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria has sensitised students of Government Secondary School, Oyigbo against all forms of organised crimes particularly, illegal oil refining activities, in Rivers State.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Mr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, during a sensitisation workshop for the students in Oyigbo, warned against involvement of organised crime especially artisanal refineries which are common sight in communities across the State and the Niger Delta region.
With the aid of photographic examples and illustrations, the students were shown how artisanal refinery activities cause environmental pollution, deaths as well as jeopardise young people’s future.
According to him, organised crimes are continuously maintained through corruption of public officials and the use of intimidation, threats or forces to protect its operations.
With over 500 students sensitised at GSS Oyigbo, he added that YEAC-Nigeria has already sensitised over 10,000 students in Rivers State between 2019 and 2023 while targeting to reach 10million students across Niger Delta region over time.
Fyneface also showed the students pictorial evidence of those arrested by the NDLEA for getting involved in drugs and advised the students involved in drugs and cultists to desist forthwith or risked being arrested and prosecuted by the NDLEA and the police.
“By this sensitization programme, YEAC-Nigeria is warning you all against involvement of organized crime especially artisanal refineries which are common sight in communities across Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.
“Illegal refining activities cause environmental pollution and cause explosions that lead to the killing of those involved with a few survivors sustaining lifetime injuries that leads to permanent deformation while some others are arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned by the NSCDC turning them into convicts and ex-convicts, and you will be stigmatized against for the rest of your lives making you less useful to society, a situation that is avoidable.”
Fyneface blamed the rising cases of exam malpractice in secondary schools on parenting failure, corrupt educational system, poor students attitude, societal failure, undue emphasis on academic results/certificates acquisition against knowledge, and inadequate preparation by students.
YEAC-Nigeria described examination malpractice as a deliberate wrongdoing contrary to official examination rules designed to place a candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage, and warned the students that penalty for exam malpractice under the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act include five years jail term or a fine of N100,000.
YEAC-Nigeria further cautioned the students against involvement in drug abuse by not succumbing to peer pressure or using drugs illicitly, noting that the United Nations has set aside June 16 every year as a special day to raise more awareness on drug abuse.
He advised them against violent extremism, which according to him “is the use of violence to achieve ideological, religious, political goals or any kind of goal, including terrorism and other forms of politically motivated and communal violence”, warning that violent extremism undermines peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.
Picture: A cross section of students of Government Secondary School, Oyigbo, Rivers State, during a sensitisation workshop by The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, (YEAC-Nigeria)
