The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Monday Achoja Oghenechovwe: Driving youth empowerment, infrastructure growth in Delta

    Monday Achoja Oghenechovwe: Driving youth empowerment, infrastructure growth in Delta

    Monday Achoja Oghenechovwe (born January 15, in Edeje Irhodo, Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian politician, entrepreneur, and community advocate.

    He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Mondiloh Ltd, a travel solutions company specializing in tourism, visa processing, and travel support services for individuals and organizations.

    Under his leadership, the firm has grown into a reputable brand in Nigeria’s travel industry.

    Read Also: How Global Mondiloh is changing lives through travel and beyond

    Beyond business, Achoja is actively engaged in grassroots politics and community development in Delta State.

    He has supported several initiatives focused on youth empowerment, social welfare, and the improvement of local infrastructure in his constituency.

    By combining political engagement with entrepreneurial vision, Achoja continues to champion sustainable development while building opportunities for growth within his community.

  • Ijaw, Urhobo communities threaten boycott of CVR

    Ijaw, Urhobo communities threaten boycott of CVR

    • Implement Supreme Court judgment

    • INEC ‘to address’ grievances’

    The Ijaw and Urhobo communities of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State have threatened to boycott the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The apex court had ordered a fresh delineation of electoral wards and units in the constituency.

    A delegation from the two communities staged a peaceful protest at the INEC headquarters yesterday in Abuja to register their displeasure.

    They claimed that the failure to abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling was part of a ploy to disenfranchise them in 2027.

    The protesters said they were from Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West local government areas, which are under the Federal constituency.

    They accused the commission of failing to implement the judgment of the apex court, even after a field exercise, and refusing to release the report for implementation.

    READ ALSO; Open letter to the Northeast Development Commission

    The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, such as: “Warri Federal Constituency: No Ward, No Units for CVR”; “CVR Today is Political Fraud in Warri Federal Constituency”  and “INEC,  Give Us the Final Report.”

    Spokesman of the protesters, Chief David Reje, accused INEC of undermining the constitutional rights of the people by conducting the CVR with the “defunct arrangement” that the Supreme Court had nullified.

    He noted that despite INEC’s field exercise and stakeholders’ engagements, which produced a new delineation report in compliance with the apex court’s judgment, the commission still failed to release and implement the final report.

    Reje addedd: “Our patience and cooperation are being taken for granted as machinery has been set in place to disenfranchise us from participating in future elections.

    “We can no longer wait while our democratic rights, guaranteed by the Constitution and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court judgment, are being eroded.”

    The spokesman said his people might be compelled to occupy the commission’s premises until their demands were met.

    He described the move as the second phase of his people’s “non-violent struggle to restore political dignity”.

    According to him, the protesters were under “consistent pressure” from their people and could not guarantee that the agitation would remain peaceful if INEC continued to ignore the court order.

    They urged the commission to immediately release and implement the delineation report and that the CVR should only proceed based on the newly approved electoral arrangements.

    “We shall not stand idly by and watch our democratic rights and franchise being frittered away. A stitch in time saves nine,” Raja said.

    Addressing the protesters, INEC’s National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Abdulzuru, assured them that their concerns over the implementation of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral wards and units would be addressed.

    He hailed the groups for adopting a peaceful approach in presenting their grievances and acknowledged receipt of their formal petition.

    “I have listened carefully to your demands and read through your submission. I will tender the documents to the commission,” Abdulzuru said.

    The protesters included Dr. Joel Bisina, Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Chief John Eramvor, Dr. Paul Bebenimibo, Chief Sylvester Femi Okumagba, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Chief Wilson Ogbodu, Chief Emmanuel Serondi, and Mrs. Ann Gagiyovwi (JP).

    Others are: Rev. Samuel Ako, Ambassador Jude Ebitimi Ukori (JP), Frank Pukon, Mrs. Vero Emmanuel Tangbewei, and Mrs. Margaret Ikinbor.

  • 5,000 Itsekiri graduates of Novena Varsity not part of scholarship beneficiaries – PAP

    5,000 Itsekiri graduates of Novena Varsity not part of scholarship beneficiaries – PAP

    …we are not owning fees in any institution

    The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has said that it is not owing school fees of 5000 students of Itsekiri extraction in Novena University, Ogume, Delta State.

    In a statement on Tuesday by Mr. Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, PAP stated that the agency is not owing fees in Novena or any institution within or outside the country.

    The Sole Representative of His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri to NNPLC, had alleged that the Amnesty Programme is “indebted” to Novena University concerning “all Itsekiri students” who graduated from the institution purportedly under the programme’s scholarship scheme.

    But reacting to the claim, PAP said that there were no records in Novena University and the Amnesty Office concerning award of scholarship to the 5000 Itsekiri students of the institution.

    PAP explained in the statement that the report of an inquiry into the issue by previous heads of the agency revealed that the 5000 Itsekiri indigenes were sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 without the involvement of the agency.

    It added that it was not conceivable for the PAP to take responsibility for the students who were not deployed by the agency.

    The statement reads, “The management of PAP wishes to state unequivocally that it is not owing Novena university any tuition fees on account of the said Itsekiri graduates and any claim to the contrary is totally false, baseless, and represents an attempt to stand truth on its head.

    “PAP wishes to say also that it is not owing tuition fees in any institution within or outside the country.

    “To set the records straight, it is necessary to inform the public that the affected Itsekiri graduates were a subject of a formal investigation launched by a previous PAP leadership into allegations of scholarship admission racketeering under the programme’s formal education at Novena. Three other partnering universities were also investigated.

    “The report of the inquiry showed that the affected Itsekiri graduates constituted a list of 5000 Itsekiri indigenes that was sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 purporting them to be PAP scholarship beneficiaries.

    “The investigation revealed that the list in question did not emanate from the PAP, and did not also have any authorization or approval of the Amnesty Programme office. Therefore, the affected Itsekiri indigenes could not have been deemed to be beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.

    “Additionally, the inquiry also revealed that there was no correspondence between the PAP and Novena university indicating that the PAP approved the purported list of 5000 Itsekiri students to be deployed to the institution.

    “The investigative committee, during its work, met with the INYC president and the secretary, as well as principal officers of Novena university led by its Vice-Chancellor who could not produce any documentation between the PAP and the institution on the affected Itsekiri graduates.

    “At the end of the exercise, the PAP duly informed the management of Novena university that the Amnesty Programme office would not bear any liability for the affected students. Doing so would have amounted to encouraging sharp practices.

    “Therefore, the PAP could not have accepted responsibility and obligation where it had none. The affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena university that the Olu’s palace is intervening for, were never beneficiaries of the amnesty programme’s scholarship.

    “All the PAP administrations that preceded the current one headed by the Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, had seen the official report of the investigation and they respected the incontrovertible truth so established.

    “Thankfully, Dr Otuaro has expanded the PAP scholarship scheme in order to create more access to higher education for ex-agitators and beneficiaries, and aggressively bridge the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta.

    “His noble reforms and initiatives to ensure that the PAP renders efficient service to the people of the Niger Delta have been applauded in official quarters, as well as by all well-meaning individuals and organisations.

    “Dr Otuaro remains unwaveringly committed to deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate, especially through his policy of inclusivity, to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for the Niger Delta.”

  • As hurricane Odey sweeps across the North, leaving trails of sweetness

    As hurricane Odey sweeps across the North, leaving trails of sweetness

    • Linus Obogo 

    From Obanliku, crisscrossing Obudu, Bekwarra, Yala with Ogoja as the melting pot, the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River was aglow with renewed fervor as the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon (Dr) Peter Odey, undertook a five-local government areas tour that was more than an official outing. It was a pilgrimage of culture, unity, and sweetness. From Ogoja to Obanliku, the echoes of drumming feet, the colours of dancing fabrics, and the warmth of communal embrace testify to a people reawakened by leadership with a listening heart.

    Like a storm that does not destroy but fertilizes, Odey’s tour has swept across the northern landscape with a hurricane’s energy and a farmer’s patience. Villages and towns have become theaters of joy, where communities pour out their dances, tell their stories, and offer their loyalty in celebration of a government that remembers its people. It is the “Season of Sweetness” not as rhetoric but as lived reality, alive in the faces of market women, farmers, youths, and elders who thronged out to welcome him.

    At every stop, the Deputy Governor became less of an emissary of government and more of a bridge between the people and their destiny. His words, heavy with reassurance, painted a vision of inclusion where no voice is too faint and no culture too small to matter. “This administration belongs to you, and it is for you,” Odey declared with conviction, his voice rising above the hum of anticipation. “We are committed to ensuring that every community feels the sweetness of governance.”

    The tour has become a rolling carnival of identity, a celebration where masquerades and maiden dancers weave the threads of heritage into the garment of unity. The colors of the north—its foods, festivals, and rhythms—have met the melody of government presence, creating a symphony where culture and governance dance in harmony. For the Deputy Governor, culture is not a relic of the past but the soul of a people, and by celebrating it, he affirms their pride of place in the state’s collective journey.

    Beyond the dancing and drumming, Odey’s visit also carried the weight of purposeful engagement. In town halls and village squares, he listened attentively as farmers spoke of roads, as women raised concerns of health facilities, and as youths dreamt aloud of skills and opportunities. Each voice was not dismissed as noise but gathered into the fabric of government’s promise—a testament to the administration’s “People First” philosophy.

    Observers note that the Deputy Governor’s northern odyssey is both symbolic and strategic. Symbolic, because it reconnects government to the grassroots heartbeat; strategic, because it fosters the unity without which development remains an empty shell. The north, often seen as the cultural citadel of Cross River, has now been given the sweet assurance that it is also at the center of governance and progress.

    Indeed, Peter Odey’s tour has turned into a tapestry of belonging. Where once there may have been distance, now there is closeness. Where once there may have been skepticism, now there is faith. The Deputy Governor has not merely visited communities; he has inhabited their hopes, embraced their concerns, and amplified their dreams into the corridors of power.

    As the caravan of sweetness rolled on, it left in its wake not only mud splashing from village paths but also the fragrance of promise rising from grateful hearts. In this unfolding season, the north has rediscovered itself—not as a forgotten corner, but as a vibrant pulse in the Cross River story. And at the center of this rediscovery stands Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, the hurricane that sweeps with grace, unites with purpose, and leaves behind the sweetness of hope.

    Obogo is Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Media and Publicity

  • PAP disowns 5000 Itsekiri graduates of Novena Varsity

    PAP disowns 5000 Itsekiri graduates of Novena Varsity

    …says ‘we are not owing fees in any institution’

    The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has clarified that it is not owing school fees of 5000 students of Itsekiri extraction in Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, explaining that the students are not part of its scholarship scheme.

    The PAP in a statement on Tuesday signed by the Special Assistant on Media to its Administrator, Igoniko Oduma, insisted that it was not owing fees in Novena or any institution within or outside the country.

    PAP was reacting to claims by the so-called Office of the Sole Representative of His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri to NNPLC that the Amnesty Programme was “indebted” to Novena University concerning “all Itsekiri students” who graduated from the institution purportedly under the programme’s scholarship scheme.

    The monarch’s agent, Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, reportedly made the curious claim in a statement that the alleged liability compelled the Olu’s palace to announce an intervention to settle the “outstanding tuition and clearance fees” of all the affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena.

    But PAP said there were no records in Novena University and the Amnesty Office concerning award of scholarship to the 5000 Itsekiri students of the institution.

    PAP explained that the report of an inquiry into the issue by previous heads of the agency revealed that the 5000 Itsekiri indigenes were sent to the management of Novena University by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 without its involvement.

    The scheme added that it was not conceivable for the PAP to take responsibility for the students who were not deployed by the agency.

    The statement said, “The management of PAP wishes to state unequivocally that it is not owing Novena University any tuition fees on account of the said Itsekiri graduates and any claim to the contrary is totally false, baseless, and represents an attempt to stand truth on its head.

    “PAP wishes to say also that it is not owing tuition fees in any institution within or outside the country.

    “To set the records straight, it is necessary to inform the public that the affected Itsekiri graduates were a subject of a formal investigation launched by a previous PAP leadership into allegations of scholarship admission racketeering under the programme’s formal education at Novena. Three other partnering universities were also investigated.

    Read Also: Kemepadei, Tompolo, PAP coordinator launch voter sensitisation, empowerment drive in Niger Delta

    “The report of the inquiry showed that the affected Itsekiri graduates constituted a list of 5000 Itsekiri indigenes that was sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 purporting them to be PAP  scholarship beneficiaries.

    “The investigation revealed that the list in question did not emanate from the PAP, and did not also have any authorization or approval of the Amnesty Programme office. Therefore, the affected Itsekiri indigenes could not have been deemed to be beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.

    “Additionally, the inquiry also revealed that there was no correspondence between the PAP and Novena university indicating that the PAP approved the purported list of 5000 Itsekiri students to be deployed to the institution.

    “The investigative committee, during its work, met with the INYC president and the secretary, as well as principal officers of Novena University led by its Vice-Chancellor who could not produce any documentation between the PAP and the institution on the affected Itsekiri graduates.

    “At the end of the exercise, the PAP duly informed the management of Novena University that the Amnesty Programme office would not bear any liability for the affected students. Doing so would have amounted to encouraging sharp practices.

    “Therefore, the PAP could not have accepted responsibility and obligation where it had none. The affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena University that the Olu’s palace is intervening for, were never beneficiaries of the amnesty programme’s scholarship.

    “All the PAP administrations that preceded the current one headed by the Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, had seen the official report of the investigation and they respected the incontrovertible truth so established”.

    The statement said that Otuaro had expanded the PAP scholarship scheme in order to create more access to higher education for ex-agitators and beneficiaries, and aggressively bridge the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta.

    “His noble reforms and initiatives to ensure that the PAP renders efficient service to the people of the Niger Delta have been applauded in official quarters, as well as by all well-meaning individuals and organisations.

    “Dr Otuaro remains unwaveringly committed to deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate, especially through his policy of inclusivity, to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for the Niger Delta”, the statement said.

  • Ijaw forum urges FG to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts in Niger Delta

    Ijaw forum urges FG to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts in Niger Delta

    The Southern Ijaw Unity Forum has called on the federal government to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts to include all major stakeholders in the Niger Delta.

    The group warned that Nigeria is making little progress in tackling oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining under the current arrangement.

    Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Timothy Amadiowei, in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bashir Ojulari, and National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, advised against renewing contracts for existing beneficiaries, insisting that the strategy has failed.

    Amadiowei criticised past administrations for awarding surveillance contracts to a single individual with the hope of ending oil theft, a move he argued has instead worsened insecurity in the region.

    He said this approach sidelined other ex-agitators and freedom fighters who contributed to peace and stability in the Niger Delta, citing Alhaji Asari Dokubo and Endurance Amagbein as examples of stakeholders who were neglected.

    According to him, government claims of success in the fight against oil theft are “only in the news,” while in reality the illegal trade persists, with filling stations nationwide still selling adulterated petroleum products.

     “The only solution to oil theft and illegal refining is decentralization,” Amadiowei said. “Every stakeholder is angry with the current arrangement. How can one man from Delta State, whose kingdom comprises just eight communities, be awarded a surveillance contract to secure pipelines in territories belonging to other stakeholders, like Bayelsa?”

    He argued that ex-agitators such as Asari Dokubo, King Ateke Tom, and Endurance Amagbein understand the terrain and should be brought on board.

    “Let everybody secure their own domains,” he added. “If anybody is doing illegal bunkering in my community, I know them and know how to deal with them, but a stranger does not. This is not the time to re-award all pipeline surveillance jobs to one man. This is the time to share it among major stakeholders so the entire region is covered and oil theft can finally end.”

  • Kemepadei, Tompolo, PAP coordinator launch voter sensitisation, empowerment drive in Niger Delta

    Kemepadei, Tompolo, PAP coordinator launch voter sensitisation, empowerment drive in Niger Delta

    A prominent stakeholder in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Apostle Bodmas Prince Kemepadei, has flagged off voter awareness and sensitisation campaigns across the Niger Delta coastal communities.

    The initiative, aimed at boosting the ongoing voter registration exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections, is being carried out in collaboration with the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), and PAP Coordinator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro.

    Kicking off the exercise in Koluama, Bayelsa State, Kemepadei, who also chairs the Izon Cultural Heritage Centre (ICHC), said the campaign targets hard-to-reach communities along the Atlantic coastline.

    Beyond sensitisation, the outreach also included empowerment programmes, with the distribution of cash, school materials, fishing nets, clippers, uniforms, sandals, and other work tools to hundreds of beneficiaries.

    Read Also: Synod to detractors: leave Tompolo alone

    Kemepadei described the exercise as a movement of renewed hope, stressing that the Niger Delta must embrace peace, productivity, and support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, while shunning vices such as pipeline vandalism, oil theft, and lawlessness.

    He added that the campaign, carried out in solidarity with Tompolo and Dr. Otuaro’s leadership, would be extended to other targeted communities across Bayelsa and the region.

    One of the beneficiaries, Paghaebi Amos, commended the gesture and pledged support for the programmes and policies of the Tinubu administration.

  • Olu of Warri rescues stranded Itsekiri PAP graduates

    Olu of Warri rescues stranded Itsekiri PAP graduates

    The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, has stepped in to rescue many Itsekiri students-beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), who completed their studies but were denied certificates due to unpaid tuition and clearance fees.

    The students, all graduates of Novena University, Ogume, Delta state, had been stranded for years unable to collect their certificates or proceed for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    A statement by Prince Collins Edema, Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Joint Venture partners on Sunday, stated that the monarch approved the intervention to ensure payment of all outstanding fees, ensuring that affected students are cleared and can move forward with their lives.

    “The Office of the Sole Representative of His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR the Olu of Warri to NNPCL wishes to inform all Itsekiri students who are beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), and who have graduated from Novena University but have been unable to obtain their certificates or proceed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to outstanding tuition and clearance fees, that His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri, has graciously approved an intervention to resolve this matter.

    READ ALSO: How Nigeria can achieve ICT’s 21% GDP target – MTN boss

    “In line with His Majesty’s passion and unwavering commitment to the growth, development, and empowerment of the Itsekiri youth, a structured process has been established to address these outstanding obligations,” th3 statement read.

    The affected students were part of the federally sponsored amnesty programme to rehabilitate and empower ex-agitators and youths from the Niger Delta.                  

    The statement called on affected students to complete a Google Form, https://forms.gle/Ah89Gj5CYqqatzrMA, by submitting their details for data collation, which would run from Sunday September 7, to September 30, 2025.                          

    He assured that payment of the tuition and clearance fees of the affected graduands of Itsekiri extraction, would commence immediately in batches, at the end of the exercise.

    Repeated efforts to get a reaction from the Media Aide of the PAP Administrator, Igoniko Oduma, on the latest development failed, showing “line busy”.

  • Niger Delta youth leaders back ongoing reforms in NNPCL

    Niger Delta youth leaders back ongoing reforms in NNPCL

    The Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council (NDENYC) has backed ongoing reforms in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.)

    President-General of NDENYC, Mr. Terry Obieh, welcomed the decision of President Bola Tinubu to retain the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr Bashir Ojulari, despite the call for Ojulari’s removal.

    The group distanced itself from the recent protest at the NNPCL Towers in Abuja, where a group demanded the resignation of Ojulari, over alleged corruption and mismanagement.

    At a press briefing in Abuja, Obieh said that Ojulari should be allowed to continue with the reforms currently being implemented in the national oil company.

    He said, “We appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for refusing to be swayed by calls for the sack of the NNPC GCEO.

    “We emphasise the need to allow Ojulari to continue with the reforms currently being implemented in the company.”

    Obieh said that Ojulari, who assumed office in April 2025, has introduced measures aimed at improving transparency, raising oil output, and stabilising domestic fuel supply.

    He stated, “Within his first 100 days, he strengthened collaboration with upstream partners and enhanced security along key pipelines, which helped raise daily crude oil production from 1.2 million barrels to 1.8 million barrels by August 2025.

    “NNPC also resumed publishing its monthly financial and operational reports, which had been suspended for three years. Efforts have also begun to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, easing fuel supply pressures.

    Read Also: Olagbegi: NNPCL’s Odeh, Adewunmi will be instrumental to increased investment

    “Ojulari’s reform agenda, including implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), has faced resistance from entrenched interests.

    “This has led to misinformation campaigns, including recent false claims of his resignation.

    “We understand that resistance to reforms is expected, but we remain confident that transparency will prevail.”

    The Niger Delta youth leader urged NNPC Ltd. to maintain standards of transparency, accountability, and efficiency in order to rebuild public trust and strengthen its position as Nigeria’s leading national asset.

  • Nwuche urges newly elected council chairmen, councillors to emulate Wike, end mismanagement of funds

    Nwuche urges newly elected council chairmen, councillors to emulate Wike, end mismanagement of funds

    Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudum Nwuche, has charged newly elected council chairmen and councillors to emulate the developmental legacy of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, stressing that the era of diverting council funds is over.

    Nwuche gave the charge while addressing political leaders from Ahoada-East and Ahoada-West Local Government Areas at his country home in Ochiba, Ekpeye clan, Rivers State.

    He cautioned that communities would no longer tolerate the mismanagement of public resources by local government officials, warning that elected officers must be accountable and committed to grassroots development.

    The former Deputy Speaker recalled Wike’s tenure as chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, during which he executed impactful projects and empowered residents, urging the new council bosses to adopt a similar model of governance.

    “Radical changes are required at the local government level,” Nwuche said. “There is also the need to hold past officials accountable, particularly those who may have embezzled or tampered with councils’ funds.”

    He maintained that the success of the new chairmen and councillors would be measured by their ability to deliver tangible development and improve the welfare of their people.

    “We shall start this process with the past local government sole administrator, who was there for three months and there was a litany of complaints of looting of council Treasury with civil servants to buy houses, vehicles and land.

    “There is a need for full investigations by the EFCC, the ICPC and the police. They must investigate civil servants, who connived with the administration to loot the Treasury as no project was recorded to have been undertaken in this period.”

    Nwuche, who congratulated the newly elected grassroots’ officials particularly the chairmen of Ahoada East, Solomon Ochoma and Ahoada West, Eugene Cheta as well as councilors from the two local government areas, asked them to invest money in roads, electricity, water, healthcare, security among others.

    Read Also: Wike flags off emergency reconstruction of Abuja road

    He said: “Security is paramount and I urge them to devote their security votes to supporting the police, the DSS, the army, the civil defence and other agencies to protect our local government areas.

    “Ekpeye has been in the news for negative cult activities and killings for the past years. This is partly because past local government administrations did not prioritize security. The monies were diverted to their pockets leaving our communities porous. 

    “Our people are at the mercy of armed cultists with the police unable to respond most times on account of lack of vehicles, mobility, sometimes even as little as fuel”.

    Nwuche, who is also the Chairman of the South South Development Commission (SSDC) called on the chairmen to offer the cultists the options of either surrendering their arms and embracing amnesty or facing the wrath of the law.

    He called on on local government authorities in the two councils to decisively deploy their security votes to tackle criminality.

    He cried that Ahoada once known for its economic vitality and peace had become a shadow of itself, calling on the elected individuals to work for security of the area.

    He said, “Ahoada used to be the commercial heartbeat of the old Ahoada Division. Today, it is deserted, plagued by cult activities, and neglected by those who should protect it. This must stop,” Nwuche declared.

    “You must release and fund the security agencies to return fully. Repair their vehicles, equip their offices, and fund their operations. That is what the security vote is for the security of our people.

    “Ekpeye land has become notorious for cult activity from the 1990s with groups like Elephant, Igbudu, Kumasi, and the late 2 Baba. We must sound a clear warning to the cultists. Their time is up.”

    The SSDC Chairman emphasised that without law and order, development would remain elusive and appealed to the traditional rulers, including Eze Ekpeye Logbo, Eze Upata, Eze Igbuduya, and Eze Ahoada to lead by example and stop shielding cult elements.

    He said, “Let us offer a window for rehabilitation. After the amnesty, we will back the security agencies to fish out those who refuse peace and bring them to justice.

    “Some traditional leaders have, regrettably, empowered cultists to settle personal scores. That betrayal of leadership must end now.”