The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Niger Delta princess feeds Bayelsa

    Niger Delta princess feeds Bayelsa

    The charming fair-woman was mistaken by the anxious elders, youths, children and women for an oyibo (white) woman. They were further convinced when she spoke like an American.

    Little did they know that Princess Modupe Ozolua is one of the amazons of the Niger Delta. In fact, a Niger Delta princess from Edo State. On discovering her origin, the indigenes of various communities in Ogbia, including Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan, appreciated her with a standing ovation.

    Ozolua brought the train of her foundation, Body Enhancement Foundation (BEF), to Bayelsa State and berthed first in Ogbia. The Princess and her crew of 18 experts established their temporary base at the Otuoke Cottage Hospital from where their food and medical mission kicked off.

    The foundation was in Bayelsa to give free medical treatments and distribute bags of rice to communities. As expected, after the princess, in company with Madam Cynthia, went round the communities in Ogbia, the first beneficiaries, to inform them about her mission,  residents trooped to the cottage hospital to have their share of the gesture.

    The elderly, the youths and children found their ways to the hospital complex. For five days, the hospital experienced a beehive of activities. The sick hurried to go and lodge their health complaints. The visually-impaired moved gently down the busy road while the youths and children raced down to partake in the generosity of the Niger Delta queen.

    In fact, in a twinkle, all the seats in the hospital waiting room were occupied by the people of Ogbia including the paramount ruler of Otueke and other chiefs. Nobody was left out. Those who could not go on their own because of their health conditions were taken there by their loved ones.

    After undergoing examinations by the team of doctors, many of the beneficiaries had free eye surgeries; went home with free eyeglasses and drugs. They sang the praises of the princess. On sighting heaps of bags of rice, the women, elders and youths refused to go home. They sat patiently to collect their share of the rice.

    Could this gesture be politically-motivated especially coming at a time of campaigns for 2015? Princess Ozolua quickly cleared the air. She said there was no political motive behind her gesture. It was just coincidental that the period scheduled by the foundation to undertake the mission fell within a political period.

    She said: “Most people may think it is a politically-motivated thing. But I don’t bother to hesitate because I have many friends as politicians. But in all the parties, it doesn’t make a difference for me.

    “I am not a politician. I don’t belong to any political party. That will not stop me or my organisation from going anywhere in the federation and it is a very bad habit that when something is good, people try to associate it with hidden intentions.

    “People in Bayelsa State based on what we have seen, definitely need more programmes like this. There are so many places you can’t even reach by land.

    “There are so many communities you will look at and say ‘oh my God there is s much wealth coming from this place but they are so underdeveloped’. It is very disturbing.”

    Ozolua explained that the mission was a bi-monthly affair and inherently part of the programmes of the foundation. On how Bayelsa was selected, she said: “Every two months, what we do, is we randomly pick a state in Nigeria. Bayelsa was picked at the last random selection”.

    She added: “It is a programme we have been doing for 11 years. We also do free reconstruction surgeries like deformities and cataracts.” She said Otuoke was chosen as a base for the programme in Ogbia because of the medical facility in the community.

    Princess could not hide her feelings over the level of poverty in the land. She said people have an erroneous belief that all was well in the state because the President hails from there.

    “Unfortunately, when people hear Bayelsa, the first thing they think of is that because the President is from the area. They assume that everybody is okay. That is a very wrong impression.

    “There are many people suffering all over the country. There is a great deal of poverty. I was even in my state, Edo State in Sptember. We donated rice and medication. We didn’t even do eye programme like this.

    “Even my local government which is not the poorest local government in Nigeria; people were on the ground packing rice that mixed with sand. It goes to show that there is a great deal of need in the country and people should reignite the spirit of help.

    “Everything is by the grace of God. Nothing prevents any of us from having an eye problem tomorrow and it is not everybody that can afford to fly out of the country for care.

    “So, what do you do? The first thing is, if you can’t afford to go to the hospital, you look for an NGO or someone that can do it for you. That is why organisations like ours, Body Enhancement Foundation, is on ground to help.”

    She said the foundation donated food items, 650 bags of 50 kg rice, and offered free medical mission to the people of Bayelsa State. She said the mission was undertaken in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration, Dana, a member of the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Gusau, Auto Plaza and other organisations.

    “During this mission, which took place for five days, in the eight LGAs in the state, we offered free ophthalmology, gave away eye glasses, reading glasses, medication and others to the under-privileged individuals in the state.”

    In his marks, the Chairman who declared the event open in the state, King Obigbomikimiki of Opume Kingdom, A. J. Turner, described Ozolua as “our sister and good woman”.

    Turner who was represented by the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Mr. Frebie Akeni, asked people to imitate the good heart of the Princess saying judgement before God depends on one’s goodness to people.

    Also, the Commissioner for Health, Mr. Ayibatonye Owei, who represented Governor Seriake Dickson said Ozolua came to empower the people the state with good health.

    “We are happy for this gesture. Our government will like to encourage all other foundations to imitate the spirits of Ozolua”, he said.

    The elated people of Ogbia gave three happy cheers to Ozolua to commend her gestures. The Vice-Chairman of Otuoke Community Development Committee, Chief Obodo Cornelius also thanked the princess on behalf of all the benefitting communities.

  • Umana Okon Umana

    Umana Okon Umana

    Power is sweet. It appears sweeter in this special clime called Nigeria. And it is sweetest in states where petro-dollar rolls-in in folds every month.

    Akwa Ibom is one of such states, where power is at its sweetest. Forget that siren and long convoy announce the governor’s arrival and departure from events. Think less of the retinue of aides who go about with His Excellency. And pay little attention to the fact that the office attracts freebies upon freebies.

    You can think of the fact that aides have headache on behalf of Governor Godswill Akpabio. Think also of the fact that contractors, businessmen and others are ready to worship His Excellency to have a piece of the action in Akwa Ibom. Just a piece is enough to change lives. Such is the power on that seat. Enormous. With an average of N15 billion every month coming from the Federation Account, Akwa Ibom is good to go. It is the nation’s biggest on the revenue-earning ladder. Thanks to the battle it won against its sister state, Cross River, at the Supreme Court. Since that ruling ceding all offshore oil hitherto belonging to Cross River to Akwa Ibom, things have not remained the same again, financially. Since then, it has led the chart of the top 10 on the Federal Allocation.

    With this sort of wealth, not a few expect that poverty should be a history in the oil-rich state. But the streets of Uyo, Eket, Ikot-Ekpene and so are not laced with gold and diamond. Poverty still walks on all fours in the state. Many of its citizens can still not afford three square meals and life is certainly not sweet for these people ravaged by extreme poverty. It is believed only a fraction of the state’s population enjoys the chunk of its wealth. What the majority benefits from is nothing but crumbs.

    The state is on the march again. Akpabio is on his way out of the Government House and plotting to take a seat as a senator at the National Assembly. The political air in the state, which has truly changed from its village-like look of its early years, is now fouled. It is all about the race to succeed Akpabio. It is a ding-dong battle that has pitched the governor against people who used to be his allies. It has also turned the back of elders in the state, such as former Governor Victor Attah and former Minister Don Etiebet, against His Excellency.

    One of the governor’s ex-allies who have parted ways with him on account of who rules the state next is Umana Okon Umana. He was Akpabio’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and not a few had thought the governor brought him into his cabinet to prepare him as his successor. But when the bubble burst and Umana was to leave the government, it was not on a good note. There were reports that his office was sealed by security operatives on the instruction of the governor before he was ‘forced’ to quit.

    Umana yesterday became a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). He is in the party to realise his ambition to become governor, a dream Akpabio killed in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he got the National Working Committee (NWC) to zone out Umana and others from the race. Umana is from Uyo district. The NWC has zoned the governorship seat to Eket district. Not a few believe Akpabio favoured Eket because of his immediate past SSG, Mr Udom Emmanuel, who had an excellent career in the banking sector. The governor has not openly endorsed Emmanuel, but his body language has done more than that. The closest he got to publicly endorsing Emmanuel was to list him as one of three aspirants he has in mind as a worthy successor.

    Attah, Etiebet and many others have queried the NWC’s decision to stamp Akpabio’s zoning arrangement and refuse to accept the clamour for zoning in Rivers State. But no matter their outcry, the NWC has spoken and it is final. So, they either get out like Umana has done or shape in.

    For Umana, this is going to be the battle of his life. Before he joined the APC, the arrowhead of the party, James Akpanudoedehe, a former minister who was Akpabio Campaign Organisation’s Director-General in his first term, has indicated interest in running for the office, which he lost to Akpabio in 2011. It is not clear if there is any deal between him and Udoedehe on who flies the party’s flag.

    Umana and Akpabio have been at each other’s jugular since he quit the government. The battle line has now been refined, with his exit from the PDP. It is believed Umana was one of the aspirants the governor was referring to when he made his speech about people who wanted to take power through backdoor and the fate that awaited them on account of acts of betrayal. The controversial amendment which Akpabio made (and later reversed) to the state’s pension law was an opportunity for Umana to get even with his former boss.  The law literally meant the governor did not have to work again for the rest of his life. Umana condemned the law and promised to repeal it if he gets into power next May 29.

    He described the legislation as “obscene, provocative and insensitive”.

    In his words: “It is surprising that in spite of a nationwide public outcry against the bill, the state House of Assembly rushed to pass it within 11 days and the governor signed it into law with indecent haste within 24 hours without any inputs from members of the public who will foot the bill.”

    A clearer picture of Umana’s deal with the Udoedehe, and by extension the APC, should begin to emerge soon.  I have a strong feeling he must have joined after an understanding has been reached that he will have the ticket to help wrest the state from the PDP. I hear that in terms of financial muscle, he is in a better stead to ruffle the status quo. I have also heard that it will not be an easy fight because Akpabio will put his all in the ring. It is going to be a bout between Umana and Akpabio and not between Umana and Emmanuel. We expect to see more brick-bats in the days to come.

    Umana Okon Umana, there is work ahead, serious work. My final take: Both parties should put the interest of the people first in this political contest. There should be no violence. The violence recorded during the run-up to the 2011 election was senseless and did harm to the state. No such nonsense should be tried this time around. If this is all about serving the people, it should not be a do-or-die matter. The people first and the people always. Only then will the state be the “Nest of Champions”. God bless Akwa Abasi Ibom State.

     

  • City of lost gardens

    City of lost gardens

    •Port Harcourt’s race to regain glory

    Make una commot for here abeg. Dorty no dey kill Afrika man…The disparaging situation (garbage city status of Port Harcourt and its environs) made different administrations in the state to put in diverse strategies to address the challenges of municipal waste management and pollution

    Efforts are now being made to return Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital to its Garden City status. BISI OLANIYI writes on the determination of the stakeholders to effect the change.

    In the 60s and 70s, Rivers State was known for its clean, green and healthy environment. The lushness and serenity of the environment earned Port Harcourt, the state capital, its Garden City status.

    The Port Harcourt City, and indeed other parts of the state, lost the status due to the rapid influx of people into the state, occasioned by oil and gas exploration and exploitation, industrialisation and increased commercial activities. Port Harcourt, once known for its beauty and serenity, became a garbage city.

    Governor Rotimi Amaechi and other stakeholders are making efforts to restore the lost glory.

    In view of the efforts of the stakeholders, the Rivers State capital can easily take over from Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, as Nigeria’s cleanest city, if seen as a collective responsibility.

    Amaechi also called on the all the stakeholders to support the Rivers government in keeping the state’s environment clean.

    Amaechi, while inaugurating in Port Harcourt an Ashok Leyland refuse compactor truck donated to the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) Unlimited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, declared that he was determined to ensure a clean Rivers State. Two more compactors are expected from Mobil.

    The donation to RIWAMA was facilitated by a Port Harcourt-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Manpower Development and Environmental Protection Initiative (MADEPIN), which has Livingstone Membere as its Chief Operating Officer.

    The Rivers governor, who was represented by the Chairman of the Rivers House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Mrs. Victoria Nyeche, of Port Harcourt Constituency One, noted that the money spent on healthcare would reduce, with a clean environment.

    Amaechi also lauded the Sole Administrator of the RIWAMA, Ade Adeogun, for ensuring a clean Rivers state, and Mobil for the initiative, in spite of operating on Bonny Island, with office in Onne, Rivers State, while asking other multinationals to emulate the oil giant.

    The Rivers government, through RIWAMA, seeks to transform Rivers into a state characterised by clean and greener cities, fresh waters and low carbon footprints, by enhancing the health and well-being, as well as raising the average life expectancy of the people.

    The Amaechi administration is also working towards improving sanitary habits and working at collectively harnessing the inner resources of the people in the state, to enhance wealth, job creation and economic empowerment, through effective modern waste management strategies.

    The ever-increasing population of Port Harcourt city and its metropolitan nature have increased the tonnage of household and commercial wastes, making it to become obvious that restoring Port Harcourt and indeed Rivers state to its Garden City status is a task that cannot be left to the government alone.

    The Rivers Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Charles Okaye, urged the contractors working for RIWAMA to avoid refuse dispersal on the state’s roads, thereby ensuring a clean Rivers State.

    The Commissioner for Environment in Rivers state, Dr. Nyema Weli, who was represented by Stephen Nyeenenwa, stressed that the population of Rivers had exploded, compared to when the agency was established in 1984, leading to massive production of refuse, which must be well disposed and that RIWAMA is adequately tackling the challenge.

    The General Manager, Public and Government Affairs of Mobil, Paul Arinze, who was represented by Yemi Fakayejo, the oil firm’s Manager, Public and Government Affairs, disclosed that the compactor was purchased for N16.5 million, while calling on RIWAMA to ensure its adequate maintenance.

    Arinze said: “As a responsible corporate citizen, the NNPC/MPN joint venture seeks to support the government in every small way we can, by embarking on sustainable community development projects presented to us for assistance by a broad spectrum of stakeholders, ranging from government, community, NGOs and civil society, to mention but a few.

    “The refuse compactor truck is courtesy of a request from RIWAMA and MADEPIN. Consistent with our avowed objective of supporting the government with the development of its people, we have delivered an average of one major corporate social responsibility project per quarter, since the beginning of the year, in various parts of Rivers State.

    “The truck is backed up with additional funding support to MADEPIN to implement an environmental awareness, sensitisation and advocacy programmes, in partnership with RIWAMA, towards the strengthening of institutional framework to sustain a culture of cleanliness in Port Harcourt and its environs.”

    Mobil’s general manager also reminded MADEPIN and RIWAMA that they were selected out of a pool of many NGOs and organisations requiring the oil giant’s support, having presented themselves as highly responsible and professional organisations.

    He asked RIWAMA and MADEPIN to know that Mobil’s support was given to them in trust and expected not only to be judicious in the use of the funds and equipment received, but to ensure the project was implemented in a sustainable way, in order to have the maximum impact.

    Arinze noted that the NNPC/MPN joint venture hoped that Port Harcourt would someday become Nigeria’s cleanest city, which he described as a vision, which he believed the management of RIWAMA could make happen.

    He stated that the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which owns 60 per cent in the NNPC/MPN joint venture, deserved commendation for co-funding the project.

    Mobil’s general manager said: “For nine days in August 2014, the NNPC/MPN joint venture facilitated the provision of a free healthcare for the people of Omagwa, Ipo and Igwuruta, communities which are near the Port Harcourt International Airport.

    “Over 3,600 people (children, men and women) benefited from the support, which was provided courtesy of a request from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Port Harcourt International Airport

    “Although, our company has no physical presence or relationship to the aforementioned communities, we acknowledge that corporations can be forces for social good, by complementing government in discharging its responsibility of meeting the social, health and welfare needs of the people.”

    Arinze also admonished Rivers people to continue to give peace a chance, stressing that there could only be development in an atmosphere of peace.

    The Chief Operating Officer of MADEPIN, Livingstone Membere narrated his experience with a resident in one of the waterfronts in Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt, during the NGO’s visit to the area, who said in Pidgin English: “make una commot for here abeg. Dorty no dey kill Afrika man.”

    Membere described the comment as an expression of the attitude and perception of most residents of Port Harcourt and its environs, indicating how, with the carefree attitude, residents had been defacing the city with garbage and other wastes.

    MADEPIN’s chief operating officer said: “The disparaging situation (garbage city status of Port Harcourt and its environs) made different administrations in the state to put in diverse strategies to address the challenges of municipal waste management and pollution. The RIWAMA, established by law in 2014, is the latest outcome of these efforts.

    “RIWAMA’s efforts under the leadership of the present Sole Administrator (Ade Adeogun) are yielding results. However, there is a very slow response from households and other stakeholders in complying with the regulations and also complementing RIWAMA’s efforts.

    “MADEPIN is working in six locations (Onne, Alesa and Akpajo in Eleme LGA; Elelenwo and Woji in Obio/Akpor LGA and Mile One in Port Harcourt City LGA) to create awareness on the dangers of a dirty environment and on how residents can keep their environment clean, through regular sanitation.

    “The sensitisation message is centred on waste reduction, reuse, recycling and proper disposal methods. To help RIWAMA with monitoring and enforcement, MADEPIN is working with residents in our pilot areas to facilitate the emergence of Volunteer Sanitation Marshalls (VSMs). We presently have 45 VSMs operating in the Sangana axis of Port Harcourt.”

    Membere also disclosed that MADEPIN had had scaled up what Mobil triggered, into a multi-stakeholder partnership for providing waste management support to the Rivers state government, christened the “Clean Rivers Initiative,” with youth corps members as some of the partners.

    MADEPIN, according to the chief operating officer, is also working with primary and secondary school students on its “Waste Craft Project,” with 100 to 150 students, between the age of 6 to 16 from various private and public schools involved, with the goal of training them on how to make useful gift items and toys from the waste they generate.

    The Sole Administrator of RIWAMA, Ade Adeogun, in his address, disclosed that 18 months after writing letters to multinationals and other companies operating in Rivers state, only Mobil had so far responded to assist the agency, while admonishing other firms to emulate the oil giant.

    He disclosed that the magnificent edifice when the handing over of the truck took place, about a year ago, was a mechanic workshop, without roof, but was redesigned into a beautiful storey building with befitting offices and a conference room.

    The RIWAMA’s sole administrator also revealed that before he came on board, companies operating in Rivers state were each sending N100,000 monthly to support environmental sanitation, without proper utilisation, but told the firms to stop the funds, while opting for enduring partnership and support for the agency, in form of equipment and vehicles to be branded.

    Adeogun assured that the compactor would be well maintained, while insisting that having a clean environment is a collective responsibility, in order to ensure good health and better productivity, while thanking Mobil, MADEPIN and other stakeholders for the support.

    To achieve a cleaner, greener and healthier Rivers state, all the stakeholders must collaborate and should not be seen as the job of a few persons.

     

  • 2,500 cases of diabetes, others found in Ogoni

    2,500 cases of diabetes, others found in Ogoni

    A foundation’s free medical mission in Ogoniland reveals no fewer   than 2,500 cases of dibatetes, high blood pressure and others, reports PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA 

    As the world marked the Diabetes Week, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Senator Lee Maeba Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Diabetes Association of Nigeria last weekend provided free diabetes and Blood Pressure (BP) screening and treatment to about 2,500 beneficiaries in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

    Apart from observing the Diabetes Week, it was learnt that the foundation, floated by Seantor Lee Maeba, had been providing for indignant members of the society. It also distributed free drugs to rural communities in the state, including free eye testing and treatment in Garrison, Borokiri, and Bori all in Rivers State.

    Some of the beneficiaries at the Bori intervention, which was attended by Niger Delta Report, expressed their happiness. They said the long-challenging health issues in the area have received due attention through the foundation’s intervention.

    Mr. Celestine Viula, one of the beneficiaries, said: “A marmot crowd came for the exercise and have taken drugs. The Honourable Senator in his benevolence brought health care service to our door step today. The project is so good and very beneficial to the people. The project is good and should be encouraged. I want to say a big thank you to the Honourable Senator for this good work. This has shown that if we vote for him in the forthcoming election and he wins he will have us at heart.”

    Another beneficiary, Mr. Samuel kporbari, said: “I have not been going for treatment since I was diagnosed of diabetes because there is no money. But the doctors that came here today have given me some drugs and advised me on the kind of foods that I should be eating and some that I should reduce. I prayed that God should bless the organiser of the programme and give him more grace to continuously bear the burdens of the less-privileged in the society.”

    Mrs. Love Nugha said: “I got a hand bill when I came to the market, that medical team will be coming to Bori. When I came here the doctor that I meet asked me to go and run test after that they gave me drug. I will go home and try the drugs. I am happy with them because everything was free and less stressful. I pray that this drug should cure me because I am down.”

    Barina Kogbara, who got free drugs, was joyfully and said: “I heard the advert over the radio yesterday, I thought it will be in Port Harcourt. But when I got to Bori this morning somebody told me to come here that the programme is on. When I came down the medical team was already on ground, they tested me and the test showed that the sugar level has reduced, so I was asked to go with some free drugs that could take care of my health. I know that these drugs can be found in the market but the poor people do not have money to buy them. This gesture by the Senator has reduced cost on the helpless people of the area. I am happy that a thing like this is happening at this time. ”

    Comrade Siabe Dum Eluanwi, State Coordinator of D’ Network, an NGO working with the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, (MOSOP), said: “What is happening here today is to the amazement of everyone who has visited. The people have come out in their numbers to benefit from the benevolence of our son, Senator Lee Maeba.”

    Eluanwi said over 2500 people benefited from the project, adding: “We are very much happy. I have never seen this kind of gesture in Ogoni before.  I am happy that my people are today getting solutions to the problem that has been with them for years. If this kind of programme continues our people will begin to live to ripe age. I commend the Senator and encourage him to continue to do this for his people of Rivers State.”

    Speaking at the event, Dr. Barinua Kekii Gbaranor, who led the medical team to Ogoni expressed his pleasure with the success and outcome of the programme. He said the programme had truly impacted positively on the lives of the people. He also advised the people of Ogoni to be health-conscious and to visit medical homes instead of resorting to self-help.

    “I am very happy that the Honourable Leader, Senator Lee Maeba has ensured that health care delivery gets to the grassroots, and I am glad to be part of this great project. From the turn up here today, it is clear that the people at the rural level lack the resources that will help them have a healthy living,” he said.

  • Ngo campaigns against violence in Warri

    The streets of Warri  were agog with songs and dances as hundreds of youths participated in a road-show floated to promote peaceful engagement of the political class by youths as the next general elections approach.

    The road-show, which was put together by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), took off from the Okere Road axis of the metropolis, paraded through many streets and terminated at the Redeemer Catholic Church hall at Airport Junction, where a town-hall meeting was held with stakeholders.

    Speaking on the target of the activity, the Assistant Programme Manager of the SDN, which is under the Niger Delta Legacy Engagement, Mrs Brenda Bepe, said the event was particularly organised to sensitise the youths towards peaceful engagement, especially in matters concerning the upcoming elections.

    Also speaking, the Programme Analyst, (Monitoring and Evaluation) of the SDN, Oludare Oresanya, said the Warri event was the second in Delta state, as one had been held about two weeks back in Adagbrassa-Ugolo in Okpe council area of Delta state.

    According to the organisers, SDN had been involved in a project of changing the narrative of the Niger Delta from that of violence and criminality hitherto held by the outside world, through empowerment and constructive engagement.

    “These roads show is to send our message of peace across that people should embrace peace, especially looking at the upcoming 2015 elections, we are trying to tell the people to engage their government through peaceful means, not involving violence. It is about community mobilization. We want to move the Niger Delta forward through mass mobilisation.

    “As a matter of fact, Stakeholder Democracy Network is a proud organisation with over a decade-long history of working with communities in the Niger Delta, particularly on changing the narrative of violence, empowering communities to engage in civic, constructive collaborative mechanisms with their governments. What we have done, thanks especially to the United States’ government, is to provide a platform to change the narrative of violence, especially among the youths in the Niger Delta.

    “The Dawn in the Creeks is trying to change the narrative about the Niger Delta; we want people to talk about positive things about the Niger Delta, we want to change the discussion from violence pays to peace and we are engaged in different activities to achieve this.

    “We have trained 21 film makers from the three core Niger Delta states; Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers and from these three states we trained seven persons each from Nembe in Bayelsa, Erema in Rivers and Ozoro in Delta.

    “We have done several different engagements, currently we are doing community reporting, young people in the community have been given media training to empower them to report from their communities things that are working and things that are not working and also to engage with government,” Oresanya said.

  • Cross River expresses worry over rising unemployment

    Cross River expresses worry over rising unemployment

    The Cross River  State has expressed worry over the case of rising unemployment among its youth.

    Deputy Governor Efiok Cobham, speaking during the launch of the YouLead project in Calabar, said the unemployment rate rose from 7.9 per cent in 2002 to 18.2 in 2011.

    The project in partnership with the Canadian government is a capacity building project promoting environmentally sustainable and market driven employment and entrepreneurship for young people in the state.

    Cobham said it was in recognition of the circumstances that they see entrepreneurship development as a veritable means of livelihood for our youths. .

    He said the state has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Canada and expressed gratitude that the project would promote economic growth, employment and check rural drift.

    Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Perry Calderwood, said his country would contribute N2.4 billion to the project which would span five years.

    “The project aims to reduce youth unemployment through better quality technical vocational training in natural resource sectors. Through this project, Canada is proud to help increase employment, support small entrepreneurs and enable the youth of Cross River to achieve sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

    Calderwood said the need for meaningful, sustainable employment, especially for youth is a pressing issue in Nigeria as well as in many other developing countries.

    “Nigeria has a young population and its youth is energetic, creative and keen to realise its potential and contribute to the country’s development.

    “YouLead builds on Canada’s previous and ongoing work with various Nigerian organisation and government bodies to improve how your country manages the development of its natural resources.

    “In promoting sustainable livelihood we are committed to sharing proven Canadian approaches and experience on how best to manage natural resources,” he said.

    The Chairman of the YouLead Project Steering Committee, Prof Ndem Ayara, said 5, 000 micro-small youth entrepreneurs would be employed by the project.

  • UNESCO builds leadership capacity in women

    UNESCO builds leadership capacity in women

    Worried by the low response of Nigerians to issues of governance and leadership ahead of the 2015 general elections, the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has engaged women on a series of trainings to increase women participation in leadership and governance.

    The training entitled “Gender Transformative Training Workshop (TOT) had been held in Lagos and Gombe before coming to Rivers State. It was organised with the support of four other international bodies.

    The organisers said it was aimed at helping women unleash their potentials in the development quest of the nation.

    Prof. Funmi Soetan of the Department of Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,  a  Gender and Development Specialist,  said the workshop was necessitated by the fact that: “We’ve noticed that although women constitute roughly 60 per cent of Nigeria population, when it comes to their participation in leadership and decision making, they are less than 10 per cent. What this means is that we are neglected, wasting, overlooking roughly half of our human resources, their contributions and potential.  They cannot contribute their potential to development.”

    She went on: “This is a great loss to our nation, and we want to rectify it.  It is for this reason that the UKaid, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),  European Union (EU), and United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), are supporting United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),  to organise the workshop.

    For Prof. Rosemary Oko of the Department of Agric-Economics, Delta State University, contrary to the assumption in many Christian quarters that politics is not for serious Christians, she encouraged Christians to embrace politics.

    She said: “One of the issues that have been identified as hindrance to women participation in politics and other leadership position is the mind-set that politics is not for certain group of people, women, Christians, among others.

    “For the Christians, men and women, I don’t believe that God is against politics but sin.”

    Dr. Eteng Etobe, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology of the University of Calabar, called on women to take the lead.

    “Our women in Nigeria have been relegated to the background to the extent that their potential/ contributions to societal development have been shielded off.

    “I am advocating for a chance for women in core leadership positions in the country. The ideas some men hold about women being too tough, stringent in their decisions among others are the stereotype we are strongly campaigning against.

    “I call on women to rise up against this injustice on them by coming out enmass and embrace politics and leadership and give massive support to their colleagues when they come out in the next year’s general elections.”

  • Navy relieves stress in Yenagoa with band

    Navy relieves stress in Yenagoa with band

    Market women twisted their waists. Drivers in their various vehicles kept shaking their heads. Children rushed out of their classrooms to enjoy the rhythm. Vendors and almost everybody who heard the sound from the naval bands could not help but dance.

    It was, indeed, a bug that bit residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State recently.  The Central Naval Command with its headquarters in Yenagoa rolled out their drums to entertain their hosts.

    In a stress-relieving exercise, the band in an open vehicle went round the city trumpeting familiar military and social tunes to the enjoyment of the residents.

    From the Pobeni Camp of the CNC headquarters, through Tombia roundabout, Ekeki Park, Hospital Road, Akenfa and Agudiama, the spirited band went round the city under the supervision of the Director of Music, Nigerian Navy, Lt. Commander Olalekan Anthony Abiodun.

    Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Peter Agba, described the entertaining event as the Navy Band Road/Flag Show.

    Agba, who was represented by the Command Operations Officer, CNC, Commodore Bamidupe Babagbale, said the event was designed to lay emphasis on civil-military relationship.

    He said civil-military synergy was necessary to achieve sustainable peace and security in the country. He insisted that the Navy is a friendly military outfit. He urged the able-bodied Nigerian men and women to join the Nigerian Navy.

    Agba said: “The exercise of today is a little bit of a diversion from the usual Naval operations. We call this ‘roadside show’. It was a directive that was passed from the headquarters through the wisdom of the Chief of Naval Staff to basically create awareness about the existence of the Nigerian Navy in the environment where we are located.

    “The show is also unique because many people are saying they just see people wearing white and white or blue and white. Some are wearing blue and blue, some are wearing camouflage.

    “They do not really know what we are here for. They do not know whether we are in existence or that we are one of those security organizations’ outfit that are in town.

    “With the road show, we were able to go round the town, and show the residents that this is the Navy. We are showcasing the Navy. The objectives are to enlighten the people about the Navy’s social life so that the Nigerian Navy will not be seen as going only to the creeks, to the sea or to the ocean. They should know that we have social life and the public can key into our social programmes.”

    He said that the show was also to prove to the people that the Navy is a peaceful and civil organization which seeks the common happiness of the people.

    Agba stated: “We are in a way trying to encourage and attract young and able-bodied men and women to join the Navy. We feel that it is a way of encouraging them that if they join the Navy, especially now that our forms for recruitment are on sale, they would have wonderful careers.

    “We want them to go to the Internet en masse, key into the programme and come in to see what we are doing. Do not forget that if you join the Navy,  you will definitely sail around the world.”

  • Government and his army

    Government and his army

    Bad blood. Lives lost. Properties destroyed. Neigbours becoming suspicious of one another. Trust taking a long vacation. And like Femi Kuti noted in one of his songs: “Truth don die.” This, in a nutshell, is the tale of the $16b Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project in Warri southwest, Delta State, which has remained stagnant all this while.

    But despite all these, nothing prepared me for the event of Sunday, November 16. My phone buzzed. The first instinct when the inspiring ringtone “There is power in the name of Jesus” blared out was for me to meditate and allow the phone ring for some time before answering it.

    The man at the other end is Shola O’Neil, our Southsouth Regional Editor, who I consider one of the shining stars of Nigerian journalism’s new generation.

    I was nearing the newsroom’s door when his call came in. I had taken permission to close early because I needed rest. Unlike my restless self, I had sat the bulk of the four hours or so that I spent at work that day.

    “Hello Shola,” I said.

    “Hello editor,” he answered me. The humble man in Shola always likes to address me as editor.

    “I don’t even know how to start,” he said and paused, “we are in a kind of situation.”

    The reception was not very good. So, at some point, I was not hearing Shola very well.

    He told me a group of 14 reporters, including two from The Nation— Shola and Bolaji Ogundele— were in the custody of men of Tompolo, the man whose full name is Government Ekpumopolo.

    The phone cut at a point. I went into my car and re-dialled Shola’s number. He explained to me that they were arrested on their way back from a news conference addressed by Itsekiri over the controversial EPZ that President Goodluck Jonathan was not allowed to carry out its ground-breaking last weekend.

    The EPZ has been a subject of controversy between the Ijaw and Itsekiri since the idea was mooted. Last week, this paper had used the picture of Ijaw youths declaring war against the Itsekiri to lead its Southsouth edition. With this in mind, I wondered why it became a sin for reporters to cover the Itsekiri side of the debacle. Shola was in Oporoza, the home town of Tompolo to cover this news conference and rally over the $16bn EPZ project. Shola has been on top of the fuzz over the project and he was excited when he got a call that the Itsekiri were also protesting at Ogidigben. So, there he went to get their side of the EPZ brouhaha.

    On their way back to Warri from the Itsekiri event, Tompolo’s boys hijacked the boat conveying them and took them to their camp in Oporoza.  They seized all documents on them and the pictures of the Itsekiri protest.

    What Shola told me next shocked me: “They came with a rifle, which they claimed to have found on our boat.” The gun, Shola said, was only ‘discovered’ two clear hours after they were seized by gun-wielding men and held at their camp. The mention of camp got me thinking. Do they still have camps? I thought all such camps were disbanded when the militants accepted the presidential amnesty programme. I began to query the sincerity of the leadership of the militants to the whole amnesty programme.

    The excuse that a gun was found on the boat carrying the reporters, which also had some civilians on it, gave the militants the temerity to manhandle them. Shola, Bolaji, Shola Adebayo, Regional Editor of Leadership, who has covered Delta State for many major newspapers in the country, and others were there for no less than six hours before they were handed over to the Navy.

    Other seized reporters are: Regional Editor of Vanguard, Emma Amaize, Warri correspondent of National Daily, Emma Arubi, Awoso Harry of Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Warri; Olu Philips and Paulinus Odedeyi of Channels Television; Osarose Sadoh and Alex Omoniyi, of Africa Independent Television (AIT); Anthony Ebule, Celestine Ukah, Josephine Ughweri and Victoria Nwaeze, all of Fresh Angle, a Warri-based tabloid.

    The excuse for handing them over to the Navy was that a gun was found on their boat. That makes them criminals. Warped logic.

    The news hounds were thus guilty of taking sides with the Itsekiri to attack them. Their explanation of covering the Itsekiri event for fair hearing made no sense to the obviously high militants, who detained them from 1pm till about 7pm.

    Shola could only call after they had been handed over to the Navy. The militants, he told me, said Itsekiri journalists were colluding with their people. Shola is Itsekiri. Bolaji is not and the bulk of the 14 seized reporters are not Itsekiri. So, how did they arrive at this conclusion?

    The reporters spent the night at the NN base in Escalon and were brought to Warri on Monday morning. When I spoke with Shola on their way to Warri, I assumed they were being taken home by the Navy. How wrong I was! They were actually taken to another naval base in Warri for detention. They spent several hours and only regained their full freedom in the evening. They left the naval base traumatised and sorry for our dear country.

    Daily Independent’s Arubi was tortured alongside the other six non-journalists seized on the boat. Their sin: being Itsekiri. They accused Arubi of writing ‘nonsense’ against their leader (Tompolo). He was forced to hold a rifle and his picture was taken and reportedly published on the social media.

    What kind of a nation is this? The militants who handed over the reporters to the naval men for alleged gun-running were also bearing arms, which I doubt they have licence for. The navy could not query them on this; yet, it willingly detained men who have, over the years, contributed through their pen to the nation.

    Aside contributing to the nation, these men have also contributed to the lives of men such as Tompolo, who became overnight billionaires. In saner societies, Tompolo and his like are unlikely to be treated as heroes. It is very unlikely they will have the sort of access they have to the corridors of power, not to talk of enjoying million-dollar contracts from government agencies.

    Since we started Niger Delta Report last year, Shola has repeatedly promoted the activities of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) floated by Tompolo to burnish his image. He would always plead with me to accommodate the stories on the foundation. That was why I was shocked that Shola could have problem with Tompolo’s boys.

    Perhaps Shola and others fell victim to the dictum that “all is fair in a war” because that is what the EPZ matter has become.  Brothers do not trust brothers again. Or how does one explain the situation in Ugborodo, one of the communities hosting the EPZ? Camps have emerged in Ugborodo and destruction has been the name of the game. And now the Ijaw have joined the fray demanding that the name of the project must reflect joint ownership by Ijaw and Itsekiri. The Itsekiri say the project is on their land and so should have no Ijaw colouration.

    What is in a name, you may ask? Will the project be more beneficial to the people on the account of the name it is given? Will its name mean a better tomorrow for the people?

    My final take: This avoidable fight over name and sundry issue has dragged on unnecessarily. I suggest that a neutral name should be found to ease the tension. I believe Jonathan can call Tompolo to order and remedy the situation. Detaining and torturing reporters for writing ‘nonsense’ against Tompolo gives me the impression he runs a government of his own. At the risk of being marked for writing ‘nonsense’, I dare say that the fact that he bears ‘Government’ and is close to the powers-that-be should not get into his head. He has been lucky thus far and should not take it for granted.

  • Cross River politics… No longer business as usual

    A time there was in Cross River State when elections came and went without much ado. Then, the usual intrigues and horse-trading that characterised the process of getting new leadership elsewhere was always lacking. That was because the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, which emphatically dominated and still dominates the political space, was one united and happy family, which settled all issues over the table. Of course, there were usually dissenters but always not strong enough to go against the tide of the consensus. Their grumblings at best were water off a duck’s back.

    The colouration this time, however, seems different. Developments already unfolding indicate electioneering in the state would have more gusto. As the primaries of the party draw close, the tempo of politicking has grown very intense as aspirants seek to clinch the party’s tickets for various elective offices.  At the centre of these all is the politicking over who takes over the reins of the state next year as governor.

    Several have expressed their desire to succeed Liyel Imoke, all from the northern senatorial district. However, of all these aspirants one seems peculiar. He is former Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Godwin Jedy-Agba. His aspiration is the one on everyone’s lips.

    His emergence, many feel, is changing the political configuration in the state. The Imoke administration appears indisposed to him, especially coming from a relatively independent background.

    The politics of Cross River since this political dispensation has always experienced the snuffing out of political aspirants who are not aligned to the status quo, a situation which has been challenged in a couple of recent developments and which analysts believe Jedy-Agba’s emergence would be the ultimate game changer as he would be no pushover.

    There is a growing feeling in government circle not to bring in an “outsider” to run the state. The governor had, on a few occasions, hinted that whoever would succeed him should be someone who would carry out a governance of continuity. Hence the job is not one for any “new kid on the block.” Observers feel the development is a manifestation of a growing feeling of apprehension in government circle about Jedy-Agba’s emergence.

    Despite his achievements, Jedy-Agba, who is the son of Uti Joseph Davies Agba, the Paramount Ruler of Obudu, who has been on the throne for over 50 years, is clearly not the “poster boy” for the establishment in the state.

    At one time, Jedy-Agba was denied by the chairman of the PDP in the state, John Okon, who said he was not a member of the party. Not long after that, he was said to have been suspended from the party by the same chairman.

    The party sure faces a major test for the unity of the PDP in the state as Jedy-Agba himself is a strong member and is already garnering a huge base of supporters across various circles. He does not seem deterred. If anything, he appears to be gaining momentum. An indication of this was clear a few weeks ago, when Calabar, the state capital, went agog as enthusiastic supporters of the governorship hopeful, welcomed him back to the state after being away for some time.

    From the Margaret Ekpo Airport, where he was received, to the Holy Child Secondary School where a grand reception was held for him, it was a bustle of activities as thousands declared their support.

    At the occasion, former governor of the state, Donald Duke, believed to be Imoke’s close friend, declared total support for the Obudu Prince.

    The Director-General of Jeddy-Agba Campaign Organisation, Dr Sandy Onor, described him as a machine that cannot be stopped, given his experience, contacts and connections. “He is the man for Cross River,” Onor said.

    Imoke has said he is not going to foist a governor on the people. According to him, he would not be part of such an arrangement as it is undemocratic. The people should own the process that throws up people for elective positions, he maintained.

    By this declaration, it will be expected that the governor has an open mind and is willing to accommodate everybody who is desirous of being governor next year so far as he or she is qualified. Many, however, feel only time will tell if that will be the case.

    However, one thing has become clear, which is that politics in Cross River State is no longer business as usual – a situation many feel Jedy-Agba’s entry into the political scene has contributed immensely to.