The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Port Harcourt

  • Badminton: ‘Nigeria’s victory, icing on the cake’

    Francis Orbih, President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), says Nigeria’s 3-2 victory over Mauritius in All Africa Senior Mixed Team Championship on home soil is the icing on the cake for him.

    Orbih told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Alfred Diette- Spiff Sports Complex in Port Harcourt on Saturday that he had not gotten over victory.

    “I’ll say that I’m still on top of the world, we all prayed for it, worked hard for it.

    “And we happy that we are able to get it, first time in the history of the game on home soil,” he said.

    According to him, the All Africa Senior Championships in Port Harcourt has been a very wonderful and exciting event with quality play and officiating.

    “It’s been quite impressive going by past attendance and performance in other championships.

    “We had nine countries in the last edition, and we have 15 countries participating in this edition, it’s a huge improvement.

    “Even the BCA President has said that Nigeria has raised the bar, so the country that is going to host has a lot to do, and even improve upon,” he added.

    Read Also: BFN lauds FRSC for employing badminton players

    Orbih disclosed that the improvement of badminton in Nigeria in past two years was a result of vision the BFN had, proper planning and execution.

    “We had a vision as a board, and we sat down to plan, and we have gone about implementing those plans to the letter.

    “So, basically we are taking it one step at a time, we are not in a hurry, we just know the critical things to do,” Orbih said.

    The BFN President stated that Mauritius that played final with Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Ghana were strong countries that were threat to the host.

    “Yes, we had quite some strong countries but we were able to surmount all the opposition and overcame all the challenges to win the gold medal,” he said.

     

     

  • Oil tanker fire averted in Imo

    Thousands of Imo State residents scooping petrol from a fallen tanker were saved from a possible explosion, reports OKODILI NDIDI

    It was like a movie scene. Hundreds of Owerri residents threw caution to the wind as they swooped on a fallen petrol tanker, scooping fuel from the immobilised vehicle. They were not discouraged nor checked by the danger that often attends such foolhardy ventures. It was time for brisk business.

    The young and old were busy scooping the fuel in the scorching sun and selling to motorists. Within a twinkle of an eye the scene of the accident along the ever busy Port Harcourt Road was crowded.

    Unmindful of the danger that was lurking, the mob continued fetching fuel that had formed a big pool on the ground, while some discerning motorists abandoned their vehicles on the road and ran for their lives as the atmosphere charged to explosion point.

    According to some of the women who own shops close to the scene of the accident, it was “manna from heaven”. They did not consider the gory tales and pictures of charred remains of people who were unfortunate enough to be involved in petrol explosions.

    Many of them could have ended up roasted beyond recognition if there had been a fire outbreak but what could have been a major tragedy was averted, thanks to the prompt response of the Imo State Police Command, which carefully dispersed the frenzy crowd and cordoned off the area.

    Before then, the tanker with registration number XK 748 AGL which was coming from Port Harcourt to one of the outlets in Owerri, had spilled its content of 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit on the road.

    Read Also: Senate rejects oil producing status for Kogi

    The tanker was said to have run into a deep gully at Umuguma Hospital Junction in Owerri West when the tank side of the lorry slid sideways and overturned, pouring the entire content on the busy road.

    Residents, not deterred by the looming danger of possible fire outbreak, trooped out in large numbers to scoop the glittering liquid.

    One of the motorists who avoided the scene, Mr. Kingsley Udeke, said, “At first when I saw the gridlock, I thought it was an accident but when I started perceiving a strong smell of fuel, I knew something was wrong. At a point I could no longer breathe because the smell had become very strong. I was afraid that it could explode at any moment. I had to pull off my car and run away as far as I could.

    “We thank God nothing happened at the end of the day because it could have been very disastrous, our people were playing with fire, it was very unfortunate that people don’t learn from others mistakes”.

    Another motorist, who didn’t want his name in print, blamed the economic situation in the country for the actions of the women and children who came out to scoop the fuel.

    He said, “The speed with which the people came out to scoop the fuel, showed the level of suffering in the land, it doesn’t matter to them what the risk could be, so long as they get something to eat and take care of their children”.

    He urged the Federal Government to repair the failed portions on the Owerri-Port-Harcourt to avert such accidents.

  • Alleged tax invasion: Rivers govt seals NDDC’s premises

    The Rivers State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are bickering over alleged debt.

    The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS), on Wednesday, sealed off the commission’s corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital, over an alleged unpaid withholding tax that amounts to N50 billion

    Chairman of RIRS, Adoage Norteh said the NDDC premises were sealed off because the commission refused to make its financial records available for audit.

    But the NDDC denied the claims in a statement by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, saying that the commission’s record revealed that the claim is incorrect.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, accused Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of instigating the sealing off of the NDDC office.

    Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Nabena, who is also Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC said the Rivers State Governor was hiding behind the state revenue agency to witch-hunt the NDDC management.

    He said Wike, who is hiding under the guise of a bogus N50 billion unpaid tax was using the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service to harass the NDDC in a bid to frustrate the Commission’s development activities for the region.

    He said the sealing of the NDDC office did not follow due process as public records have shown, saying: “It is disheartening that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has chosen to sabotage the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission all in his bid to score political points against the President Muhammadu Buhari government.

    “Wike should know by now that an attack on NDDC’s operations is an attack on the South-south and other oil-producing states which the commission was established to develop.”

    While calling for caution, he called on the elders, leaders and other stakeholders across the Niger Delta to call Governor Wike to order.

    “In the meantime, I call on stakeholders in the Niger Delta to call Governor Nyesom Wike to order since he has decided to take his known executive rascality to new heights. Clearly, the sealing of NDDC’s office by the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service did not follow due process and is politically motivated to sabotage the President Muhammadu Buhari developmental agenda for the South-south and other oil-producing states.

    “The interest of the Niger Delta is bigger than any individual, in this case Wike. If this issue is unresolved and persists, the Federal Government must consider relocating the NDDC office to neighbouring Edo State to allow for the commission’s ease of operations.”

  • Teenagers remanded for alleged robbery, cultism

    A Chief Magistrates Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has ordered the remand in prison custody of two teenagers, Prince Ikiriko ’19’ and Johnson Chidinma ’19’ for alleged armed robbery.

    The duo and others presently at large allegedly robbed Elder Christian Abbey and Ndubueze Sunday of a sum cash of N23, 000 while armed with guns.

    They also allegedly dispossessed their victims of their phones valued at over N30, 000.

    The suspects are alleged to have belonged to a cult group called ‘Dey-gbam’ between 2016 to April, 2019 at Elechi Beach, Urualla and Afikpo waterfronts in Diobu, Port Harcourt.

    They committed the offence on April 6, 2019 at Afikpo waterfronts and Urualla, Diobu, Port Harcourt respectively.

    Read Also: Four robbery, kidnap suspects held in Edo

    The five-count charge which included armed robbery and cultism was not read to them because the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter hence; they were not allowed to take a plea.

    They were represented by a lawyer who prayed the court to assume jurisdiction and grant bail to the suspects.

    Magistrate Sokari Andrew-Jaja declined and ordered that the council should address the court on the issue of bail.

    He also ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody and adjourned till May 9, 2019 for address.

     

  • Coalition to INEC: Release CTC of Rivers results within 24 hours

    The Coalition of Governorship Candidates and Party Chairmen (CGCPC) in Rivers State have given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a 24-hour ultimatum to release the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the declared results of the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    CGCPC, Monday in Port Harcourt, through its Chairman, Pastor Warigbani Zebulun, and Secretary, Chibuzor Anele, stated that making the CTCs of the declared results available would enable leaders of the opposition political parties to have a view, for consideration and determination.

    The coalition said: “We have remained law abiding, despite the unlawful collation and announcement of results, without the presence of agents of opposition parties, which INEC and the Nigeria police denied access into the collation centre.

    Read Also: I got my figures from your server, Atiku tells INEC

    “Several other complaints, including court actions, were ignored by INEC during the collation and capable of plunging Rivers State into crisis, which we sacrificially avoided, even when fake results were declared by INEC’s fact-finding committee.

    “The leadership of INEC at the state and national levels should do the needful, to avoid unpleasant actions that are capable of plunging Rivers State into crisis.

    “We are compelled to accuse INEC of an unholy alliance with Governor Nyesom Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, while depriving many governorship candidates and the various opposition political parties of equal opportunities, rights and privileges.”

    CGCPC also accused INEC of dancing to the drumbeats of PDP, while declaring that its members would rise against such moves, at the expiration of the ultimatum.

  • Turkish Airlines starts Port Harcourt operations in June

    THE General Manager of Turkish Airlines for Lagos office, Mr. Yunus Ozbek, has said the airline is aiming to provide the best choice for Nigeria and indeed Africa.

    He was speaking during the announcement of the beginning of its operations from Port Harcourt International Airports. He said the operations will commence from June.

    He said: “Turkish Airlines aims to provide one of the best choices for a comfortable travel from Africa. The Port-Harcourt hub is a major part of the expansion of our operations in Nigeria, and our flights are aimed at meeting the growing travel demand by leisure travellers as well as a growing number of entrepreneurs from and around the region.”

    According to Ozbek, the airline flies to  more destinations than any other airline. He said: Turkish Airlines has again demonstrated its commitment to offer new international gateways across the world for its guests. In Nigeria, the airline currently operates from Lagos, Abuja and Kano and offers more than 300 destinations in 124 countries worldwide.  In addition to 56 destinations in Africa, Turkish Airlines will be operating Port-Harcourt flights four times a week from June 24.

  • Why I set up Doorstep Dispatch Services, by Delta-born net-entrepreneur

    While most people complain about the perennial gridlock in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Lagos and other major cities, budding entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Doorstep Dispatch Services, Justin Chukwuemeka Enuonye has said the traffic chaos in Nigerian cities, especially in Port Harcourt and Lagos provides an opportunity to begin a business, contribute to the economy and create employment opportunities.

    Enuonye, a native of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State, is a graduate of Business Administration from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Cyberjaya Malaysia. Unlike his counterparts who remained after studying abroad, Enuonye’s faith in Nigeria was a motivating factor for returning home after completion of his education.

    On arrival in Nigeria, he settled in Lagos which he described as a great city full of amazing people and so many great restaurants. But sadly, as a fast and ever-growing city and population, the metropolis of Lagos and its environs have acquired an unenviable reputation for traffic congestion.

    This, he said, made it difficult for people to just drive to their favourite restaurants at any time to enjoy their favourite meals.

    He said he also noticed the number of small businesses emerging in the city that was in desperate need of a reliable delivery company to help deliver items to clients. He, however, said there are many challenges which reliable logistics companies experience in the city.

    These observations gave rise to the idea of an online food, tech and parcel delivery venture, which he hoped would revolutionise food and parcel delivery services not only in the economic hub of Lagos, but also all over Nigeria. This resulted in the establishment of Doorstep Dispatch Service.

    “I thought that I can use technology to build something that will solve that logistics problem in Lagos and Nigeria.

    “I lived and studied abroad. When I came back to Nigeria, I decided to settle down in Lagos. I noticed that there is an increase in the number of businesses, restaurants and startups but one thing remained the same and that is the traffic situation. I noticed that people usually have hard time going to their favourite restaurants at any given time of the day because of the traffic situation.

    “Secondly, a lot of these businesses keep complaining of their logistics aspect of the business; that need hasn’t been met yet. They still feel backward in their business. At that point, that is where the idea of Doorstep Dispatch Service came about,” he said.

    The Doorstep Dispatch Services founder said the idea of the business was conceived in 2016, but because the country was not well-prepared for the use of technology at that point, the idea of Doorstep Dispatch Services did not materialise.

    “We started building the mobile application in February, last year and completed it around June. We started the test run from then. It was launched officially last month,” he said.

    He further explained that Doorstep Dispatch Services was aimed at being the preferred choice for dispatches in the continent and it is their goal to have and maintain a 100 per cent customer satisfaction record at all times through prompt, safe and intact delivery of food and parcels to customers anytime, anywhere.

    In order to achieve this unique goal, Doorstep Dispatch Services developed the mobile application, which can be downloaded from Apple App Store and Google Play. It allows users to order food directly from their choice restaurants and also request for pick-up and drop-off of parcels.

    Enuonye explained that the App also has an amazing feature that allows users to track their order in real time so as to ensure the safe and timely delivery of their food or parcels.

    Already, he said Doorstep Dispatch Services has about 100 restaurants on board the mobile application ready to serve every user to their utmost satisfaction.

    On its future plans, he said: “At the moment, Door Step Dispatch Services is covering the whole of Lagos Island and hopes to extend it to the Mainland and other areas of the state in the next one month.

    “The target market or audience of Doorstep Dispatch Services is everyone who has a smart phone and has access to Internet.”

    In its bid to alleviate the unemployment situation in the country, Doorstep Dispatch Services has employed over 40 youths and hopes to employ more youths as it expands its services to other parts of the city.

  • Easter: Lagos airports record higher numbers of passengers

    The domestic terminals of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos recorded higher numbers of passengers on Thursday ahead of the Easter holidays.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had declared April 19 and 22 to mark the Easter celebration by Christians in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    NAN correspondents that visited the airport terminals observed that more travelers were leaving Lagos to other destinations.

    At the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), the counters of Air Peace and Arik Air had the long queues of passengers, while Dana Air and Max Air also had the long queues at the MMA2.

    The upsurge of the out-bound passengers led to increase in air fares due to lack of seats on available flights.

    Mostly affected were flights from Lagos to Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Benin which usually sell for between N25, 000 and N32,000, but have gone up to about N42,000 and 46,000.

    A travel agent, Mr Madu Ezechi, said the increase in the air fares was normal due to the high demand by passengers.

    “This is a long holiday and many people want to take advantage of it to go home, see their loved ones and settle other issues.

    “So, getting tickets is a bit difficult, especially if you are traveling in groups. Some people want to sit with their family members and are willing to pay for it,” he said.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat to unveil key Lagos road map

    A passenger, Mr George Uko, said many Nigerians have embraced air travel, especially as it was safer and faster.

    Uko, however urged domestic airlines to improve their services by reducing incidents of delayed and cancelled flights.

    “Flight delay and cancellation are still big issues. I remember one time my flight was delayed for almost two hours and I nearly missed my appointment. I was not happy at all, “he said.

    NAN reports that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had assured passengers and other airport users that her network of airports were fully prepared and ready for the usual upsurge in passenger traffic during the Easter period.

    FAAN, in a statement signed by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, on Wednesday said that all necessary facilities, infrastructure and manpower had been deployed to ensure seamless operation at the airports.

    She said that the relevant security agencies had been mobilised to beef up security at all airports during the period.

    Yakubu advised intending travelers to endeavour to leave for the airport early enough to ensure that check-in formalities were conducted in good time.

    NAN

     

  • Shell spends N150m on Bonny youths’ capacity devt

    No fewer than 12 young entrepreneurs from host communities of Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal in Rivers State have benefitted from N150 million capacity development and empowerment programme by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).

    SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, who handed over the service entry and final settlement to the beneficiaries in Port Harcourt, described the initiative as a product of continuous effort by SPDC and its joint venture partners to empower youths, promote Nigerian content and support community participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.

    Weli said: “Developing local skills, talent and contracting capacity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry are very important to SPDC and its partners. That is why we have continued to embark on programmes and projects that have sustainable impact on our host communities and the Nigerian economy.

    “This is a demonstration of how much benefit a conducive business environment and cordial relationship between host communities and industry players can bring to the people.”

    Weli commended the beneficiaries for their industry and determination to champion entrepreneurial rebirth among youths on Bonny Island. He encouraged them to always keep an optimistic business mindset and translate the opportunities into further empowering others.

  • 60-year-old widow remanded over alleged lover’s death

    A chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has ordered the remand in prison custody of a 60-year-old widow, Priscilla Ikenga over the death of her alleged lover.

    Ikenga allegedly pushed the victim, Eziwhuo Ejuh an alleged drunk,  during an altercation and he fail to the ground on his forehead and died.

    A police document obtained from the court alleged that the deceased visited the suspect while drunk on February 23, 2019 and in the bid to resist him from gaining access into her house mistakenly pushed him.

    The incident the Police said happened in one of the communities in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.

    The two-count charge of murder preferred against him was not read to her; hence she did not take any plea.

    She had no legal representation in the sitting.

    Read Also: Widow seeks justice from Buhari

    The presiding Chief Magistrate, Sokari Andrew-Jaja said the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter and ordered that the original case file be duplicated and remitted to the office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

    Jaja ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

    He adjourned the matter till May, 9 2019 for Report of DPP’s advice.