The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Popular Benin man in trouble for daring Oba

    Popular Benin man in trouble for daring Oba

    An Oredo Magistrate’s Court sitting in Benin City on Wednesday remanded Richard Arisco Osemwengie in prison custody for coronating himself as the Ogiamien of Utantan Benin.

    Also remanded alongside Osemwengie is Patrick Osabuohien, who joined others to install Arisco as a traditional ruler without approval of the Executive Council. Osemwengie was arraigned on a four-count charge. Osabuohien was arraigned on a two- count charge.

    After over 900 years when their forefathers were defeated in a battle by forces loyal to the Benin monarchy, a faction of the Ogiamien family dared the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa.

    The Ogiamien faction is led by Osemwengie, who was last week installed as the Ogiamien of Benin kingdom.  The last occupant of the seat, Chief Ogiamien Osarobo, was last seen in 1998 and he was said to have travelled abroad but no member of the family is sure of his whereabouts.

    Ogiamien Osarobo, a Master Degree holder in History, succeeded his father at a tender age. He was 13 when Oba Erediauwa ascended the throne in 1979 and he led the Ogiamen family to perform the Ekiokpagha war-a mock battle that is performed by a new Oba to reenact the defeat of the Ogiamen by Oba Eweka 1.

    The palace of Ogiamien on Sokponba Road is the only building that survived the British Invasion of 1897. It is a historical site that attracts thousands of visitors but also abandoned. A section of it is used for selling wood and the entire palace is unkempt.

    What is however assuming a frightening dimension is the move by Osemwengie to challenge the Benin monarchy and restore alleged lost glories of the Ogiamien.

    To the group supporting Ogiamien Osemwengie, the supposed treaty reached between their forefathers and Oba Eweka has been breached. They want to reclaim control of parts of Benin kingdom under the authority of their forebears. They claimed that they have amassed the resources to fight their course.

    In a letter written to the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, Arisco is demanding the establishment of a separate traditional council for the Ogiamien kingdom, total refund of money due to the Ogiamiens from three and half local government council areas and the payment of N350m.

    Other demand is not to refer to Ogiamien as a Chief under the authority of the Benin monarch.

    In another letter to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Ogiamien Arisco among other things demanded for the payment of royalties due to the Ogiamien to be deducted as source and paid into a First Bank account and the recognition of Ogiamien as a king and not a chief.

    Osemwengie said the reigning Ogiamien, Osarobo, abandoned his people since 1998 and has made no contact with any family member.

    Osemwengie said his great great grand father, Obanor, was a son to one Ogiamien Ekunwe and that he was appointed by the entire family to be the next Ogiamien.

    He said he was appointed by the family because the family wanted to restore the lost glory of the Ogiamiens as well as renegotiate the treaty their forefathers had with Oba Eweka the first.

    In what is seemed as a sacrilege and a confrontation of the Benin monarch, Osemwengie named some palace chiefs in his newly created Ogiamien Traditional Council and appointed some Enogies (Dukes).

    He said his territory covered three local governments namely part of Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode.

    According to him, “I am a full fledge member of the Ogiamen family. Obanor gave birth to my great-grand father Orumwense. Orumwense gave birth to Osemwengie and Osemwengie gave birth to me.

    “Ogiamien is the rightful owner of the land. Ogiamen functions well in the Benin nation. He has his Chiefs. Without an Ogiamien, who will lead the Eki-Okpagha ceremony. We have been cheated for a long time.”

    Some members of the Ogiamien family loyal to the missing Osarobo, who claimed to be descendants of Edo Nori Ogiamien, disowned the installation of Arisco as the  Ogiamien.

    Sister of the ‘missing’ Ogiamien, Ehimwenma and seven  others, who spoke in a press statement said Arisco was not a member of the Ogiamien family.

    They said Chief Osarobo remained the recognised Ogiamien as there was no evidence that he was dead and burial rites performed.

    The Edo Nori Ogiamien descendants said they have maintained friendly relationship with the Benin monarch for over nine centuries since the Eki-Okpagha treaty was sealed.

    According to the statement, “The Palace of the Oba of Benin and Ogiamiens have had years of cordial relationship.

    “Mr. Osemwengie has no locus standing to speak or act on behalf of the Ogiamien family whether directly or indirectly.”

    They said the treaty being referred to by Arisco was a guarded secret between the Oba and the Ogiamien.

    Reacting to the installation of Arisco, the Ayobahan of Benin kingdom, Chief John Osamede Adun, described the action of the Arisco-led Ogiamiens as a taboo and an abomination, as according to him, nobody has the right and powers to challenge the authority of the Oba of the kingdom.

    Chief Adun stated that the Ogiamiens have no blue blood (Princely lineage) and therefore “its palace … could be described as a mere ‘cave’.

    Adun warned the Ogiamien family not to drag the kingdom into a bloody war saying that the Oba conquered their forefathers several centuries ago.

    According to Chief Adun, “Ogiamien family was perished by our forefather many years ago. He is not a chief; he is a (alleged) slave. He is not a prince, people who can bear prince in Benin are the children of Oba of Benin. It is an abomination, and it is a taboo to the Benin people for anybody to challenge the authority of the Oba.

    “He is challenging the authority of the Benin.  Our Oba is not for sale and Oba is an authority. After God, it is the Oba. If you go down the history of Benin kingdom there is only one Oba, nobody has the right to challenge the Oba. The Ogiamien’s family wants to cause war in the kingdom.

    “Nobody in the whole world can challenge the Oba of Benin, he is an authority himself. Anybody who aligns himself or herself with the Ogiamien’s family is an enemy of Benin kingdom.”

    Edo State government threatened to invoke the relevant laws against anyone who proclaims himself a chief or traditional ruler in the state, saying anyone who does so will face criminal charges.

    In a statement signed by the Secretary to State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, reads: “Government condemns in totality the abusive language used in the publication. The family says it has forwarded a petition on their grievances to the State Government.  The family is therefore advised to await Government response to the petition.

    “Government condemns in strong terms, the disrespect the Ogiamien family has shown to HRM Omo N’ Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba of Benin. The publishers are therefore admonished to desist forthwith, from showing such rudeness to a personage, the whole nation holds in very high esteem, our most revered monarch.

    “Government will invoke the relevant sections of the Traditional Rulers and Chieftaincy Law, 1979 which prohibit any person or group to proclaim self as a Chief or Traditional Ruler, a breach of which is a criminal offence.

    “Government will not tolerate any act calculated to disturb the peace of the State or any part thereof.”

     

  • Akwa Ibom: 28 candles for The Land of Promise

    The creation of Akwa Ibom State by the administration of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, was the culmination of a struggle that spanned more than four decades.

    The first agitation for a state for the people of today’s Akwa Ibom was made by the Ibibio Union, a socio-cultural organization, as far back as the late 1940s. The efforts of the founding fathers, though did not yield the required fruits at that time, kick-started a struggle that outlived them. A semblance of the wish of the people came in 1967, when General Yakubu Gowon created 12 states more as a strategy to kill the birth of Biafra, than to satisfy the yearnings of any section of the country for states.

    South Eastern State, one of the three states created from the then Eastern Region, comprised the Ibibio, Annang, Eket, Oron, Efik and the former Ogoja. The state was not exactly what the people of the present Akwa Ibom wanted, but it was a step in the right direction, all the same

    When the late General Murtala Mohammed created seven more states in 1976 to bring the total number of states in the country to 19, he merely changed the name of South Eastern State to Cross River State, which did not necessarily address the need of the people of the area that would later be referred to as Cross River Mainland, which comprised what is today the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom North, Akwa Ibom North East and Akwa Ibom South.

    Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the demand for a state for the area that was covered by the Ibibio Union was kept in abeyance during the brief period of civilian rule that lasted from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983. Looking back now, it is perhaps appropriate to say that it was divinely ordained that the demand for a state for the people of the area would only be met by a military administration.

    The people resumed their demand when they submitted a memorandum to the military administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, which probably did not have time to carry out such an exercise before it was changed by Babangida.

    The opportunity to reignite the struggle and agitation for a state came in 1986, when Babangida set up the Political Bureau to determine the type of government that was best for the country.

    The rest, as they say, is now history. But it is worth recalling that Cross River Mainland erupted in wild celebrations in the afternoon of Wednesday, September 23, 1987, when news filled the airwaves announcing the creation of Akwa Ibom as Nigeria’s 21st state. The people of the present Katsina State shared the same fortune on the same day.

    Twenty-eight years down the road, Akwa Ibom has lived up to its sobriquet of Land of Promise, a state that offers hope and presents opportunities for its people to excel; a state that has created the needed conducive environment for visitors to live and do business. From the perspective of physical development, it would take somebody who was in Uyo after it became a state capital in 1987 to appreciate the transformation that has taken place in the last 28 years, a transformation that has been more significant than what has taken place in many states that were created much earlier.

    The free and compulsory education policy of the administration of former governor, Obong Godswill Akpabio, has ensured that the state is no longer synonymous with production of domestic servants. In different tertiary institutions within and outside the country today, indigenes are studying hard to obliterate the state’s inglorious past as an enclave of backwardness, illiteracy and poverty.

    I assume that the present administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, not being that of an opposition party, is continuing with the policies of its predecessor in creating opportunities for the youth of the state to realize their full potential. For instance, the previous government had in place a programme for equipping the state’s indigenes in the Nigerian Law School with laptops, apart from bursary, and also paying the tuition for medical students in Nigerian and foreign institutions. The administration of Obong Victor Attah had a programme for the training of students from the state in information communication technology in the United States and Canada.

    These are the people that will return to follow in the footsteps of those who, by their successes in their chosen fields, have remained shinning lights, contributing to the development of the state in particular and the country in general. They will replicate the successes of Akwa Ibomites like Edet Amana, patriarch of the Amana dynasty and Don Etiebet, who have distinguished themselves in the area of information communication technology, an area in which they have made immense contributions.

    They will seek to prove that the successes of legal giants like Paul Usoro and Assam Assam, former Nigerian ambassador to Russia, both senior advocates of Nigeria and Udoma Udo Udoma, a lawyer, senator in the First Senate of the Fourth Republic and current chairman of Union Bank, are no flukes.

    Special mention must be made of Obong Attah. An architect of international acclaim, Attah’s imprint can be found in prominent structures around the country. But that is not what makes him or his contributions unique.

    As governor, Attah single handedly fought for the scrapping of the obnoxious onshore-offshore dichotomy that threatened the very existence of the state during the Obasanjo era, after the Supreme Court had curiously re-introduced a policy that the Babangida administration had abolished. The state owes its financial buoyancy today to the effort of Attah in ensuring that it got what rightly belongs to it as revenue from derivation as an oil bearing state.

    There is something of a consensus among the people of Akwa Ibom that the time has come to make the state fulfill the dream of their forefathers. Governor Emmanuel’s recent trip to the United States where he met the state’s indigenes was presumably for the purpose of selling the state to its people and making them understand that the state will be what they want it to be only when they show more than a passing interest in what is happening at home.

    • Umoren lives in Port Harcourt

  • More awards for Rivers REC as departed souls key in

    The last general elections in Rivers State that sent many residents to their early graves was conducted by Dame Gesila Khan. Since Governor Nyesom Wike took office as a result of the election,  Mrs Khan has been receiving awards from registered and unregistered organisations for a job well done. The last of the award was on Tuesday the day an official of the commission  revealed that the governorship election was a farce.

    Mrs Khan is not the only Resident Electoral Commissioner in Nigeria but she has received more awards than any other REC.

    Now a new twist is being added, as the late Cyracus Wobodo from my home town (Ubima community) who was sent to early grave during the governorship election  appeared to me in a dream and dragged me to witness a meeting of their association in the land of ghost. In that dream, he told me that their organisation was planning to appreciate the REC for conducting the best election ever in the history of the land of the living.

    I was shocked when he made such comment but somehow I kept quiet knowing that the bullet that hit him to death might have also affected his thinking.  The name of the organisation was “Association of Departed souls in Rivers 2015 Election” and their motto is: “Our killers have no peace”.

    Addressing members of the association, the chairman, late Hon. Christopher Adube, former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Area, who was sent to early grave with his family in one day, said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to present their award to Rivers REC for conducting a decent and transparent election ever in the history of Nigeria.

    The Auditor of the organisation, the late Chief Godspower Ahiaidu  from ONELGA,  who was murdered during one of the election rallies in the area, insisted that since the award was to appreciate the REC  for presiding over an election that led to their untimely death, they must go in group like other unregistered organisations to present their award. He said with the recent award presented to REC chairman by youth wing of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN)   he can now attest why many Christians are queuing at the gate of hell.

    When another ONELGA man raised his hand to speak there was a commotion which made the chairman to call for calm.  Later I discovered that the noise at the meeting was because another   ONELGA man wanted to speak and the young man from Etche Local Government Area,  Mr. Hope Allison, who was killed and burnt alive during  election in the area shouted on the late Mr. Sampson Oreke,  the late Mr. George Eweh  and the late  Mr. Nwabueze Robinson who were  murdered in Okposi  and  Obiozimini in ONELGA during  election.

    Though  the late Hon Clever Orukwowu, APC youth leader in Ward 6 Idu-Obosiukwu community ONELGA,  who  was murdered by armed thugs in military uniform while accreditation was going on, wanted to fight late Allison for insulting his elders. Orukwowu who introduced himself as the youth leader of the organisation said there numerical strength in the organisation was because their killers considered their zone as must- win area. He reminded them that the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is from his zone and for that nobody should talk about dominance.

    At the end of the argument late Allison from  Etche  Local government who was burnt alive during the governorship and House of Assembly elections, said as the secretary, they will do everything possible to ensure that the Award get to INEC office in Rivers State. He said he left behind an aged parent because he came out on the Election Day to cast his vote. He also suggested that if they cannot physically walk down to INEC office they can spiritually send the award across to REC chairman in Rivers.

    Before Allison stood up to speak, I thought he was speaking on behalf of the  six Etche citizens killed during election violence at Umuaturu community in Etche Local Government Area. But the late Miss Ada Wele, a pregnant young lady, who was  among the six victims,  said the award must get to Madam for her excellent job.

    But the Publicity Secretary late Mr. Saturday Lekia  from  Tai Local government in Ogoni land,  the only surviving son of his family who was murdered on the day of governorship and House of Assembly elections said the number of people who attended the meeting were few compared to the number of people killed  before, during and after the 2015 election in Rivers State. He announced that by next week Monday they will queue behind other numerous organisations who have appreciated the good work done by REC to present their Award. Then, I suddenly woke up, asking myself:  Is this  a dream?

     

  • Bad times for oil thieves in Rivers

    Bad times for oil thieves in Rivers

    For a long time, they reigned. From creeks to creeks, they set up shops. Their tools were crude; their tactics crude too; but the money they made was not crude. They were sweet cash made from almost zero investment.

    Welcome to the world of Rivers’ operators of illegal oil refineries whose presence was felt from Buguma to Okrika to Obio Akpor and many other parts of the state.

    The good times are going away. Almost no week has passed in the last one month that they have not had bad times with the Army or the Navy. Soon, the Air Force may even go after them. The police are also not left out of the battle to kill the economic saboteurs called oil thieves and illegal bunkerers.

    The country was shocked about three weeks ago when an illegal refinery was discovered not far from the Rivers State Government House. The Army made the shocking find. It is the biggest illegal bunkering site ever discovered anywhere in the country. It is near the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and two kilometres away from the Rivers state Government House, Port Harcourt.

    The Commander of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Stevenson Olabanji, told reporters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that the discovery followed a tip-off. Thousands of litres of illegally refined diesel were discovered at the site.

    Olabanji added that army personnel were immediately deplored in the site, located at Makoba Beach.

    The Commander said: “About 16:40 hours on Monday, we got an information that some illegal bunkering activities were going on along Makoba Beach.

    “On arrival, our personnel discovered illegal activities, which involved bunkering (of illegally refined petroleum products) and lifting of diesel to local boats.

    “At the site, we found over 5,000 drums loaded with illegally refined diesel, four tanker trucks containing 132,000 litres of diesel combined and a badge with 165,000 litres of stolen diesel.

    “This discovery is unprecedented, because since we started our operations 10 days ago, this is about the biggest that we have uncovered.”

    Olabanji also stated that additional 150 drums loaded with about 3,150 litres of diesel were also discovered in 21 Cotonou boats in the area.

    He noted that 13 suspects were arrested at the scene of the illegal activity.

    The commander stressed that the illegal bunkering dump was yet to be set ablaze, in line with the Joint Task Force’s (JTF’s) mandate, in view of its closeness to residential buildings and the NPA.

    Olabanji said: “Our mandate requires us to destroy the site in situ, but we cannot do this because it will degrade the environment and affect residents, as it is situated in the heart of Port Harcourt.

    “Our plan is to move them to a safe location for destruction. Preliminary investigation has already begun to unravel the sponsors of the facility. The 13 suspects will be handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution.”

    The commander also warned against sabotage of oil and gas installations by oil thieves, while assuring that the JTF would not rest, until it rid the state of illegal bunkering activities.

    He declared: “Let it be known that the army will not and will never tolerate illegal bunkering in our area of responsibility.”

    Olabanji also called on the members of the public to provide the JTF with timely information which could lead to the arrest of oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

    The Navy was to discover more a few days ago. This was barely two weeks after the personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt destroyed many illegal bunkering and refining sites in Rivers State.

    The naval personnel, who had been combing the creeks of Rivers State to prevent the activities of the illegal bunkerers and refiners, were offered N600,000, which was rejected, with four suspects subsequently arrested.

    Commander of the NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Shuwa Mohammed, spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt, after taking them round on aerial and land surveillance of the sites of the newly-discovered artisanal refineries in Rivers.

    He stressed that the arrested suspects would be handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for further investigation and prosecution.

    During the aerial surveillance, many artisanal/illegal refineries, hidden under the mangrove forest, were sighted, with the environment polluted.

    There are over 33,000 creeks in the Niger Delta, of which the NNS Pathfinder is saddled with responsibility of monitoring activities in more than 1,000 of the creeks and waterways.

    •Illegal refinery set ablaze in Rivers
    •Illegal refinery set ablaze in Rivers

    The commander said: “While earlier setting ablaze one of the illegal refineries in Rivers State, four out of the fleeing oil thieves came back and offered us a bribe of N600,000 to leave the refinery. They were immediately arrested.”

    Mohammed also stated that the mop-up was aimed at ending the colossal damage done to the environment by activities of the oil thieves, who he said through their acts of sabotage, had been puncturing pipelines to obtain crude oil illegally.

    The commander of NNS Pathfinder, who was represented by the Base Operation Officer, Commander Chidi Ejiofor, declared that there would be no hiding place for oil thieves and pipeline vandals in Rivers state.

    Mohammed said: “The mop-up ordered by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, is part of a series of operations lined up to end incessant crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Rivers State.

    “During the aerial surveillance, many new illegal refineries were sighted, which prompted troops’ mobilisation.

    “In the course of our operations, an illegal refinery with 15 storage metal tanks, loaded with 145,000 litres of stolen crude oil, was set ablaze in Buguma, Asari-Toru LGA of Rivers State.”

    The commander of NNS Pathfinder also stated that more than 50,000 litres of illegally-refined diesel, stored in ten cooking tanks, was also destroyed.

    He noted that a metal badge and dump, with the capacity of storing thousands of litres of petroleum products, were also destroyed during the raid.

    Mohammed maintained that more operators of the illegal refineries in Rivers state, who had been fleeing the sites of their illegal activities, upon sighting the naval personnel, would soon be apprehended and prosecuted, to serve as a deterrent to others.

    He noted that in spite of the renewed efforts by the naval high command to stop oil theft, sensitisation was key, in order to end the illegal activity, rather than destruction alone.

    The commander said: “It is difficult to maintain 24-hour presence in all the creeks and oil facilities, especially considering the shallowness of some of the creeks, making them near impossible to patrol.

    “Sensitisation and government partnership with communities will greatly help put a stop to attacks on oil and gas installations, which not only affect everyone, but degrade the environment.”

    Mohammed also assured that in spite of the challenges being faced by the naval personnel, the mop-up operation would continue, until all the newly-discovered illegal refineries were completely destroyed and their operators arrested and prosecuted.

    Observers are of the view that if the security agencies can keep the heat on the oil thieves their days will be numbered, not just in Rivers but the entire Niger Delta.

     

  • Rivers monarch cries out as subjects abandon community over fear of military attack

    Rivers monarch cries out as subjects abandon community over fear of military attack

    Bodies were found in the bush close to the Emohua Model Secondary School in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. The bodies were not of ‘bloody civilians’. They were of two members of the Joint Task Force (JTF). That was in August. The Army, whose men were killed by unknown people, was angry and it gave an ultimatum: the killers must be produced by the community in seven days. The seven days lapsed on September 1. The community has no clue as to who the killers are.

    Now, the people are running. They are afraid the military will come after them and vent their anger on the community.

    The monarch of Emohua, His Royal Majesty Eze Vincent Chituru Okor, the Nne NewEli of Emohua Kingdom, is sad that his community has been deserted.  He was at The Nation’s office in Port Harcourt at the weekend. He wants his subjects, who are leaving the community, to stay back because the army had ruled out a reprisal attack.

    The monarch said: “Because the ultimatum was given which elapsed on Tuesday, September 1,  delegation from the paramount ruler of Emohua, led by Chief Dr. Esezi Obilor, met with the Brigade Commander in-charge of the Rumuokoro Army Barracks in Port Harcourt on Friday, August 28, 2015.  The other members of the delegation are Chief Barrister Gabriel Enyi, Chief Vincent Chukwu and Engr. Nnamdi Abah.

    “The meeting was prompted by the 7-day ultimatum handed down to the Emohua Monarch to produce and surrender to the Army the killer(s) of a soldier and a policeman attached to JTF, whose dead bodies were found along the ever-busy Emohua-Kalabari highway at ending of the month of August. The same road leading to where the bodies were found stretched from the Choba East/West Road  and end to the three  Kalabari Local Government Councils of Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema.  To be frank, apart from the mass exodus of residents from the communities, the rest are living in great fear.  There is panic everywhere.

    “The delegation commiserated with the Brigade Commander, Lt Col. A.A. Lawal over the death of the security personnel and craved the understanding of the military in the peculiar circumstances of the matter.  The history of this notorious highway mocks the very essence and meaning of the army’s ultimatum.  It was on this road that one Progress Onuekwa of the Mgbo Royal House of Emohua was abducted about three months ago.  He has not been seen since then.  The police have several reports of vicious criminal activities along this road.  Emohua, in every good sense, cannot be held solely responsible for the death of the men.

    “The delegation prayed the security and law enforcement agencies to deploy the awesome intelligence and other resources at their disposal to apprehend and punish the culprits: Emohua lacks the competence and capability to do so.  Emohua would enlist the Special Anti-Robbery Squared stationed at the Emohua-Ogbakiri junction of the East-West road in the task of dislodging violent criminals. Emohua will offer any form of help to the military and law enforcement agencies in her effort to fish out and punish all those behind that dastardly crime.”

    He further stated that Emohua had not exonerated any individual or group of persons from the killing of the two security agents. He added that it had duly taken adequate traditional measures to ensure that such heinous acts were nipped in the bud.

    He said during a meeting with the Brigade Commander, Lt Col. A.A. Lawal, he assured the delegation that the army would not go to the extreme length of a military reprisal on the people of Emohua.

    “There is no need of running away from the community; the commander has said he is not going to attack the community. He only advised that the community should do everything within its powers to assist the military authorities in identifying criminal elements in the community, especially those who masterminded the killing of the officers. The commander also assured the community that regular military patrols along the Emohua-Kalabari Highway and environs would be intensified.”

     

     

  • Okomu oil, community resolve conflict

    It appears there is an end in sight to the lingering conflict between Okomu Oil Plc and Okomu community following the intervention of the Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Major General Emmanuel Atewe.

    Eight persons who are workers of Okomu Oil have been killed and hundreds of hectares of rubber trees were burnt since the quarrel started. In February, two Okomu Oil workers were shot and maimed while others sustained severe injuries after they were attacked by suspected Ijaw youths.

    Okomu community is one of the 17 communities located within the precincts of the oil firm operational base in Ovia South West Local Government and it is the only community at loggerheads with the company.

    The resolution to end the conflict was reached at a round table meeting held at the premises of the oil firm after an initial peace process was brokered between both parties in Bayelsa State.

    In attendance at the close door round table meeting under the watchful eyes of JTF representatives were members of Okomu Community Development Association and top management of Okomu Oil.

    Managing Director of Okomu Oil, Graham Heifer who spoke to newsmen after the meeting expressed optimism that the peace process would stop any further killing of his staff.

    Heifer said the company has spent over N40m on the Okomu Community in the past as part of the firm’s social responsibility and that he was ready to do more just as other communities  benefited within the limits of available funds.

    According to him, “We try to help as many communities as we can. In the past we have help this community with development programme worth over N40m. We gave them roads, boreholes and other amenities.”

    “The JTF played a significant role. They did the most prominent mediators. The JTF did a good job. As a result of its mediation, we hope we can now work together”.

    “The incident of killing my staff was very regrettable. I cannot be in charge of arresting the perpetrators. The law will do that. I am sure the law wil its course if it takes its course. I cannot predetermine what the law would do. We need to make sure it does not happen again. By this peace meeting, I hope we will not witness any loss of life again.”

    “I want to also be sure that it would stopped vandalism of our crops in the future. We will rely on the community executive to pass the message around that it is not good for them to steal our produce. We are confident they will take the message back. That they should desist from doing that.”

    Spokesman for the Okomu community, Ajele Sunday, said the company should deal with only recognized executives of the community and should arrest any imposter.

    Ajele said what they want is transparency on the part of the company in terms of living up to its corporate social responsibility.

    According to him, “We have only one chairman. What stops you from arresting any persons that want to cause trouble. We are always ready but let transparency be our watchword. We only asked the company to do their social responsibility.

    “We need to establish if the attacks came from outsiders or from members of the public. The security should play their roles by doing proper investigation and not on allegations.”

     

  • Eight arrested for selling pirated works in Edo

    Neither persons have been arrested in Benin City the Edo State capital for allegedly dealing in pirated works.

    They were arrested by officials of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) who were on a routine raid on hotspots like Sapele road, Ramat Park and Siluko road.

    Several bags of audiovisual materials were recovered from the suspects.

    Zonal Head of Operations, Mr. Joseph Ajang, said the exercise was part of measures to check the spread of piracy in Edo and Delta after several petitions from intellectual property owners.

    One of the suspects, Jonathan Okeke, said he was not aware that he was selling pirated works.

    He said: “I buy in Benin and Lagos. Unfortunately, the NCC came to my shop and said that I sell pirated audiovisual materials.

    “I have been in the business for two to three years now. But I do not know that they (audiovisual materials) are pirated material. It is my first time to hear about piracy.?”

    Ajang said the suspects would be prosecuted at the end of investigation.

    He said, “They will always claim ignorance. But we have been educating them that what they sell is against the law. They know the originals, yet they insist that man must survive.

    “These siezed materials will serve as exhibits. They destroy the economy deny the rightful owners of the benefits of their works.

    “The public should be warned that piracy is a crime and the commission has zero tolerance for piracy. We will continue this fight until we win.?”

     

  • NDDC committed to Niger Delta development, says Abia

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is determined to fulfil its core mandate of developing the Niger Delta region, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission, Sir Bassey Dan Abia has said.

    Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Abia expressed the commitment of the Commission to tackle youths  and women unemployment in the region through capacity building and economic empowerment programmes  for youths and women in the Niger delta region.

    It was at a ceremony organised in his honour by a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Niger Delta Network Advancement Program (NDNAP), which conferred an Award of Excellence on him for “transparent corporate  management ethics, poverty, disaster reductions and capacity building among the youths in line with SDGs 2030”.

    Abia, who expressed delight delight at the recognition, thanked the group, assuring that the award would further spur him to deliver on the mandate of the Commission as put forward by the Federal Government.

    Across the Nine Niger Delta States, the NDDC boss pointed out that the intervention of the agency within the short period of his leadership has ensured the spread of development projects in roads, water, electricity, scholarships and development of educational infrastructures in Universities within the region.

    Presenting the award on behalf of NDNAP, the representative of GNDR, the London, United Kingdom affiliate  group, Mr. Chibundu Uchegbu, explained that the global body “is committed to addressing the problems of poverty and disaster reduction in Niger Delta”.

    He commended the agency under Abia for its contributions towards disaster reductions, climate change and poverty reduction which has earned him this unique recognition by the global body.

    Besides, the group commended the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, for his giant strides in the last 100 days in office, noting that “what the President has achieved within this few months in office shows that he has good intentions for Nigeria and Nigerians”.

    Earlier, the President of the organisation , Al mustapher Emem Edoho, called on the Federal Government to “strengthen the Commission as a critical intervention agency in Nigeria to continue to deliver on its set goals and mandate”.

    He urged for increased funding of the agency through immediate release of backlog of NDDC withheld funds , which according to investigation stands in excess of N800 billion, adding that “such an amount, if released will greatly help in massive infrastructural transformation of the Niger Delta as a whole”.

    He also commended Buhari’s anti corruption agenda, noting that “this has manifested in the steady supply of power up to 4000 megawatts in the country, improved refining capacity at the Port Harcourt refinery to reduce importation of refined petroleum products”, among others within these 100 days of Buhari’s tenure”.

     

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife seeks financial literacy for women

    Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has identified lack of business skills, saving support and financial literacy as   factors militating against women in business. The governor’s wife made the disclosure at the 8th edition of the Onna Women’s day held at the Onna sports stadium.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Edet, the first lady noted that though many women have business ideas, they do not often have information and access to the small capital they need to launch themselves. “Our women need business skills, saving support, and financial literacy, often times, they have good ideas but they do not have access to the small capital they need to launch out and help themselves and their families.” She remarked.

    Mrs. Emmanuel stated that the need for the empowerment of women is long overdue, hence remains a key priority of the Udom Emmanuel’s development agenda, adding that on her part, she is poised to do all she can towards ensuring that Akwa Ibom women will never take the back seat in the economic life and development of the state.

    As part of the celebration, the governor’s wife  performed the ground breaking of the Onna Women’s daily market along Onna-Eket road.

    The chairman of occasion, Mrs. Ini Akpauso, thanked the governor’s wife for her love and support for the event adding that over the years, any programme aimed at touching and impacting the lives of women, she is always passionate about it. She appreciated the founder for the insight of establishing the programme saying it will go down in history.

    She also congratulated the governor on his first 100 days in office saying that with him on the saddle, the women will be better off.

    Also speaking, the founder and initiator of the event, Akwa Obongawan Patience Akpabio Ukpa  appreciated God for making the week long programme a success.

    She appreciated the governor’s wife for her motherly and supportive role in making sure the event was a success as well as her pivotal role in encouraging and developing Akwa Ibom women saying that indeed she is a noble and worthy daughter of the soil.

    Dignitaries at the event were thrilled with various cultural dances and renditions by the various women groups. Traditional titles were also given out to deserving daughters and friends of the area for their meritorious and selfless service by the Paramount Ruler of the area, His Eminence Akwa Edidem Akpabio Udo Ukpa, Oku Ibom Ibibio (111).

    Among dignitaries who accompanied the first lady were, former chairman, Technical School Board,  Comfort Etuk, wife of Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Anne Enoidem, wife of Commissioner Housing and Urban Renewal, Mrs. Inem Enobong Uwah, legislators’ wives and wives of transition chairmen.

     

  • Ijaw groups hail Okowa for Izoukumor’s appointment

    Ijaw groups hail Okowa for Izoukumor’s appointment

    The appointment of the chairman of the Delta Ijaw Oil and Gas Producing Commumities, Chief Favour Izoukumor, into the newly constituted board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has continued to attract accolades to the Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his deputy, Kingsley Otuaro.

    Various Ijaw unions and groups, through individual memos and messages, have continued to congratulate Chief Izoukumor over his new appointment as well as thank the governor for deeming him fit to serve the state in the capacity of a board commissioner of the DESOPDEC.

    In a letter of commendation, Ijaw kingdoms, such as Ogbe-Ijoh Warri, Gbaramatu, Egbema, Iduwini, Diebiri and Ogulagha kingdoms, after expressing gratitude to Governor Okowa for choosing Izoukumor to represent the Ijaw on the board, said they all accepted the choice of the Ijaw activist, who  happened to be the chairman of their union.

    “We have consulted widely and are happy to state without fear of contradiction that the appointment of Chief Favour Izoukumor is widely accepted and commended by the people of core oil bearing Ijaw communities. This shows that your Excellency understands and listen to the feelings, pains and aspirations of the people of Ijaw Oil producing Communities, who have been marginalized for long.

    Chief Favour Izoukumor is vast, knowledgeable, competent and experienced hand in oil and gas matters as it relates to the bearing communities. He is the Coordinator of this body and a notable leader of Ajuju, an oil producing community in Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom.

    “Moreover, he was a two-time Secretary and President of the Izon-ebe Oil Producing Communities Forum (now Izon-ebe Oil Producing Communities Association), a notable association recognised by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other Oil multinationalsoperating in the Niger Delta Region. The association, which is registered with CAC, is the frontline body in the protection of the interests of Oil producing communities. During his tenures he mobilized and galvanised the support of the oil producing Communities for common action towards their benefits. He is diligent, accommodative, listening and consultative”, the body attested.

    From his Ogbe-Ijoh home front, Izoukumor, who is both the Fiye-Wei (Spokesperson) and the Pulo-Ibediwei (Oil Minister) of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, was hailed as deserving the appointment, being “an unblemished and highly respected leader in the Kingdom”.

    In a statement issued by the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Governing Council and signed by its chairman, Lucky Oromoni and secretary, Elvis Wurusibewei,, the people of Ogbe-Ijoh hailed their own and commended the state government for deeming him worthy of the office.

    “Your Excellency, the people of Ogbe-Ijoh are indeed elated by this appointment, as it is the first time someone from a core oil producing community in this Kingdom will be appointed into the board of DESOPADEC, particularly in the midst of diverse interests. This is a rare privilege and honour accorded us and we are full of exhilaration. This appointment goes to show that your Excellency has our interest in mind and that you will never disappoint us.

    “Chief Favour Izoukumor, the Fiye-Wei (Spokesperson) of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs, was also the Pulo-Ibediwei (Oil Minister) of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom. He is an unblemished and highly respected leader in the Kingdom and we have no doubt that he will justify the confidence reposed in him by Your Excellency, as you have displayed the good will and intention that informed the restructuring of the Commission for a better performance, efficiency and effective service delivery to meeting the great expectation of the Oil producing Communities and Deltans at large”, the statement said.

    In another statement issued by Ajuju community and signed by the secretary and spokesman of the community’s governing council, Samson Oyimi and Wilfred Ikika, Okowa’s choice of Chief Izoukumor as the commissioner representing the the Ijaw oil and gas host communities in the state was a honour done to the Ijaw people in the state.

    The statement noted that Izoukumor had, through the exemplary leadership he had shown in his community and among his people, earned the respect of the state’s administration and by extension the appointment duly given to him by the state governor.

    “We wish to state unequivocally that Chief Favour Izoukumor, who  is the Chairman of our (Ajuju) oil producing Community in the Ajuju-Batan oil field, is well known and highly respected leader of this community and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and we are in no doubt that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear in this new assignment”, Ajuju noted.