The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PortHarcourt

  • 19-yr-old gets N.4m bail for allegedly stealing

    A senior magistrate court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Monday granted bail to a 19-year-old Miracle Sunday who allegedly stole gutter manhole slabs in the state.

    Sunday, who was arraigned before a senior magistrates court in Port Harcourt, was accused of stealing three of the concrete slabs from the state ministry of works, was granted bail in the sum of N400, 000.

    The incident reportedly took place at UTC junction, Port Harcourt on March 1, 2019.

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    He pleaded not guilty to the one count charge of stealing slammed on him.

    He was also not represented by any lawyer

    The presiding Magistrate, Gomba Osaro granted bail to the sum of N400,000 with one Surety.

    He said Surety must be a civil servant of any grade and must present his national identity card or permanent voters card and his address must be verified by the prosecutor, Godwin Nwinam.

    Osaro adjourned the matter till April 9, for hearing.

  • Wike’s commissioner, PDP lawmaker, others paraded in Rivers

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, has paraded Governor Nyesom Wike’s Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Dr. Reason Onya; and the representative of Ahoada West constituency in Rivers House of Assembly, Nwanaka Okpokiri, for rigging last Saturday’s elections in the state.

    The Camp Commandant of Government House, Port Harcourt, Oyoku Ifelle, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP); Major Akpoge Peter Ubah of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt and thirty one others, including policemen, thugs and ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including two women, were also paraded.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham paraded the 35 suspects Tuesday through 6 division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, at a crowded news conference at 6 division, Port Harcourt on the discoveries and arrests made by troops of the formation, in conjunction with other security agencies, for electoral offences between February 22 and 23.

    All the 35 suspects were handed over to the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Rivers Police Command, Ahmed Kontagora, who represented the Rivers state Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.

    The Assistant Director, Public Relations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Rivers, Violet Appolo-Ibizugbe, also insisted that no corps member died in the state during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly polls, contrary to insinuations making the round.

    Appolo-Ibizugbe said: “Rivers State NYSC management has been inundated with the rumour of the death of a corps member during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State on February 23. Management wishes to inform the general public that no corps member was killed before, during and after the February 23 elections.

    “While we commiserate with the family of the late Mrs. Ibisaki Amachree, an INEC ad hoc staff member, who unfortunately died on her way back from electoral duties in Degema LGA, we wish to state that she was not a corps member and that NYSC, Rivers State did not lose any corps member during the February 23 elections.”

    The GOC also disclosed that a lot of maneuvers by political actors were witnessed in the division’s Area of Responsibility (AOR), covering Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, during last Saturday’s elections.

    He noted that the maneuvers were normal in a democracy, but stressed that most worrisome and dangerous was the employment of political thugs by some desperate politicians to disrupt a legitimate national process for their pecuniary gains.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham said: “Equally of grave concern is the daring attempt by the Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to compromise security agencies, particularly troops of 6 Division, with hefty financial inducements to help him in his illegitimate act of thwarting a free and fair electoral process to his favour, while accusing the Nigerian Army and its command hierarchy of bias daily.

    “Apparently, Governor Wike must have underestimated the Nigerian Army’s commitment to being professionally responsive in the discharge of our constitutional roles.

    “The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has overtime reiterated and demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s resolve to being apolitical, neutral and unbiased. He (COAS) has also left no one in doubt of our total and absolute loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the President/Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (President Muhammadu Buhari).

    “No amount of cheap blackmail and unsubstantiated allegations will make us bulge. While we do not intend to take issues with any one, however, it has become expedient to bring to the notice of the general public the actual reasons behind Governor Wike’s attrition against the Nigerian Army and its leadership, with the hope that he will finally sheathe his sword and publicly apologise to the Nigerian Army, as we present the shocking discoveries.”

    The GOC reiterated that on February 15 this year, “one Barr. Emma Okah” (Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications) issued a statement, alleging that a very senior officer of the division attempted to tamper with INEC’s sensitive materials at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Port Harcourt.

    He noted that a rejoinder was immediately issued by the headquarters of 6 division, which not only rebutted Okah’s allegation, but also demanded an apology from him within 72 hours or face legal action, disclosing that Rivers information commissioner had “arrogantly” refused to heed the advice.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham said: “On February 23, 2019 at about 8:45 am, following a tip-off on attempt by Governor Wike’s aides to induce and compromise troops deployed at the CBN, Port Harcourt premises, Major Akpoge Peter Ubah of 6 Division and four other police personnel: DSP Oyoku Ifelle (Camp Commandant, Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt), Sgt. Akanu Garba, Inspector Hycent Oboi and Sgt. Nketan Chucks, were arrested by a team from headquarters of 6 Division.

    “Preliminary investigations discovered the sum of N2, 250,000 in a Range Rover car belonging to the DSP. Other items recovered are four INEC 2019 electoral tags, customised Rivers State Government House brown envelopes, while the sum of N500,000 was found in the Toyota vehicle belonging to Major Akpoge Peter Ubah, which he confessed was given to him by Rivers Governor’s aides, in addition to offer of a well-furnished accommodation for the period of his tour of duty.

    “On the same day (February 23), at about 7 a.m., a member of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Nwanaka Okpokiri, in company with Dr. Reason Onya, visited our troops’ camp at Akinima (headquarters of Ahoada West LGA of Rivers) and requested to be acquainted with the Commander of the troops at the location. Hon. Okpokiri offered the officer some amount of money he removed from his pocket, but the officer not only rejected the offer, but he sent the duo away.

    “While the officer and his men were manning a check point at Mbiama Bridge (Ahoada West LGA of Rivers), a white Hilux vehicle, with a Rivers State Government registration number: L02-03RV RIVERS and eight occupants, was stopped for routine search and clearance. A carton and two bundles of INEC 2019 presidential election ballot papers were discovered in the vehicle. Preliminary investigation reveals that none of the occupants of the vehicle is an INEC staff, INEC’s ad-hoc staff or security agent.

    “During the course of on-the-spot interrogations, Hon. Okpokiri and Dr. Onya appeared at the spot and tried to convince the suspecting troops that the vehicle is part of INEC convoy that was left behind and that the vehicle should be allowed to go, because the electorate was waiting. When the vigilant officer refused to be convinced, Dr. Onya immediately placed a call to Governor Wike and His Excellency (Wike) requested to speak with the officer, who declined and requested the governor to please call the GOC.

    “After much resistance, the officer gave Dr. Onya his mobile number to pass to Governor Wike, which he did via Whatsapp message. Within ten minutes, Governor Wike placed a call to the officer.”

    The GOC also played the recorded telephone conversation between the officer of 6 division and Rivers governor, with Wike promising to send money to the army officer, through the Rivers commissioner (Onya), who recently stepped aside during the building collapse in Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt.

  • Trump inauguration: Army brutalise protesters, journalist

    Trump inauguration: Army brutalise protesters, journalist

    Some soldiers allegedly detailed to stop a peaceful demonstration by Pro-Biafra members, on Friday, brutalised the Acting  South-South Editor of The Authority newspaper, Mr Willie Etim while trying to take pictures of protesting youths.

    The over one thousand Pro-Biafra youths in Port Harcourt, had staged a peaceful match in solidarity to the inauguration of the American President, Donald Trump and also to express the plight of Biafrans to the world.

    Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the personnel of the Nigerian Army who were fully armed in their numbers trying to stop the protest, Mr Willie Etim said, while on his way to the office, he noticed the massive crowd and he decided as a journalist to cover the protest, only to be attacked by some soldiers.

    He said that he narrowly escaped being lynched by two of the soldiers, after they had hit him with the butt of their gun,  destroyed his phone and other gadgets.

    Mr Willie said “At about 10:00am today, I was on my way to the office when I ran into a huge traffic holdup between Waterlines and Garrison bus stop in Port Harcourt. One lane was blocked and I was wondering what would have caused such massive crowd.

    “I got closer and discovered that it was Pro-Biafra protest in solidarity for the inauguration of Donald Trump and also to draw the world attention to the Biafra situation in Nigeria.

    “Haven gotten a brief from some of the protesters, I went further to take a picture of the protesting youths, unknowingly, one of the soldiers detailed to quell the protest sighted me as I was taking the picture while I was driving pass the crowd. Immediately, three of the soldiers walked up to me, asked me who authorised me to take the picture. It was then I introduced myself to them that I am a journalist.

    “One of them flared up and said ‘what stupid journalist’ and seized my phone which I use in snapping the picture and smashed it on the ground.

    “When I attempted to plead with them, to allow me to pick my sim card, they refused and threatened to shoot me if I come down from the car, as the two of them pointed their guns at me from the driver and passenger side of the window. When I insisted on picking my Sim card, one of them hit my car with the butt of his gun.

    “Afterwards, the soldier also hit me with the butt of his gun. It was then I got scared and narrowly escaped from the scene to my office”,  he said.

  • Photo: Destruction of illegal crude oil refineries

    Photo: Destruction of illegal crude oil refineries

    DESTRUCTION OF ILLEGAL CRUDE OIL REFINERIES IN BUGAMA, ASARI TORU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS BY THE NIGERIAN NAVY SHIP PATHFINDER PORT HARCOURT ON SUNDAY
    DESTRUCTION OF ILLEGAL CRUDE OIL REFINERIES IN BUGAMA, ASARI TORU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS BY THE NIGERIAN NAVY SHIP PATHFINDER PORT HARCOURT ON SUNDAY
  • Sharks boss confident of good start

    Sharks boss confident of good start

    General Manager of Sharks football club of PortHarcourt, Okey Kpaluku has said he is confident of a good outing in Day One of the 2013/2014 season in the weekend of 21st-23rd February.

    Kpaluku who stated this shortly after the draws for the new season by the League Management Company said the series of pre season friendlies and tournament will put Sharks FC in good stead against CAF Confederations Cup campaigners, Bayelsa united.

    “It is a good draw though it’s like a derby and will be an opportunity for us to put to good use all the preparation we have had,” Kpaluku said

    “It is a must win, as we know fully well that a trip to Bayelsa United is like a home game to us,” he added.

    Kpaluku also insisted that the mandate given to the technical crew led by Gbenga Ogunbote, in the forthcoming season is to win a continental ticket and get the first away win in Yenagoa.

    “The mandate is for the coach to get a continental ticket and a trophy in addition and start the season with an away win in yenagoa,” he echoed.

  • ‘Politics no threat to Port Harcourt Book Festival‘

    ‘Politics no threat to Port Harcourt Book Festival‘

    Founder of Rainbow Book Club, Mrs Koko Kalango has reassured Nigerians that the current political crises in Rivers State will not impact negatively on this year’s Port Harcourt Book Festival holding in October. She said concrete steps are being taken to institutionalise the festival such that it could run successfully on its own with little or no support from government. The festival originally known as Garden City Literary Festival has been changed to Port Harcourt Book Festival. This transformation, she said, is to enable organisers to expand the scope of the festival beyond literary, which many think restrict the content of the festival. She also noted that the change of name for the festival was in line with international best practices where festivals such as London Book Fair, The Cape Town Book Fair, The Edinburgh Book Festival and Frankfurt Book Fair are named after their host cities.

    “There are apparently several Garden Cities around the world and on the world wide web, which creates a lot of room for ambiguity. However, there is only one Port Harcourt. The name change, therefore, makes us easily and quickly recognisable by internet search engines,” she added.

    She disclosed that the founding of the Port Harcourt Book Society, which comprises elder statesmen such as Elechi Amadi and Prof Tekena Tamuno as patrons, and Tonye Cole Chidi Amuta as trustees among others is one of such steps at institionalising the festival for sustainability. “The institutionalisation of the festival is on course. And the festival is not only important to Port Harcourt and Nigeria but also to the continent. The festival has come to stay. In fact, a development driven project like the festival will always weather the political storm currently threatening the state,” she said.

    Kalango who spoke in Lagos recently on update on the festival stressed that the festival is very important because it is the year for the celebration of Port Harcourt centenary anniversary aswell as the last festival before the UNESCO Book Capital City activities. She explained that for ‘us to be able to play on the world stage, we must look into creative industry and its benefits. Our writers and Nollywood artistes must synergise in bringing our good books to limelight for the globe to enjoy.’

    The festival that has Literature and the creative economy as theme will motivate and inspire creative minds to take advantage of the global ‘economic spring’ to express themselves, square up to challenges facing the sector and exceed aspirations. It will focus on sub-themes such as literature and the performing arts, digital technology and the literary sector, museums, and cultural heritage and the sustainability of the creative industries.

    Among the guest authors expected at the festival include winner of 2012 LNG Prize for Literature, Chika Unigwe, Julius Agwu, and Titi Horsfall. There Was A Country by Chinua Achebe, On Black Sisters’ Street by Chika Unigwe, Jokes Apart by Julius Agwu, and Esther by Titi Horsfall make the ‘books of the festival.’ The festival will feature symposium, book fair, meet the author sessions, writers workshops (script writing), events for children and drama performances.

     

  • Radio documentary series on Port Harcourt @ 100

    A radio Documentary Series initiated by Port Harcourt-born filmmaker, writer and photojournalist Tam Fiofori, to commemorate the centenary of the creation of Port Harcourt by the British colonial government in August 1913; is being produced in partnership with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria South South Zone – FRCN SSZ and, in collaboration with Treasure FM Port Harcourt.

    The first segment of the series, History and Geography is to be aired on August 30; to coincide with the exact date 100 years ago, when the British named the newly-built port.

    Port Harcourt which in its 100 years of existence has been the capital of Owerri province, the Garden City of Nigeria, capital of Rivers State and oil and gas capital of Nigeria; was built by the then Governor General of Nigeria Lord Lugard; specifically to evacuate coal which had been discovered in Enugu in 1909 to Britain and, named in August 1913 after the then British Secretary of State for the Colonies Sir Lewis Viscount Harcourt.

    According to Fiofori who is an internationally-acclaimed award-winning filmmaker, writer and photojournalist, “Port Harcourt’s illustrious history and growth into an international megacity which now attracts people from across the world needs to be properly commemorated at 100 years. Port Harcourt has produced some of Africa’s and the world’s best academics, sportsmen and women, musicians in various genres, poets, writers, dramatists, beauty queens as well as become an international economic and industrial centre. It has gone from being the Garden City of Nigeria to the Energy Capital of Africa with a very promising future!”

    The major segments of the radio documentary series on Port Harcourt at 100, are History and Geography; Arts and Culture; Sports; Transport Hub; Oil and Gas; and Business and Commerce. The programmes would be broadcast on the Network service of Radio Nigeria Abuja in addition to Treasure FM Port Harcourt, Bronze FM Benin City and Atlantic FM Uyo.

    This important radio documentary series is targeted at over [80] million listeners across socio-cultural, political and economic groups in Nigeria, as well as an equally large number of local and international listeners who access via the web stream. In addition, a book entitled Port Harcourt @ 100 will be produced from materials gathered for the radio documentary series and relevant photographs, visuals and maps.

  • Warri to PortHarcourt: Ride on the rough side

    Warri to PortHarcourt: Ride on the rough side

    The East/West Road is the artery of communication in the Niger Delta region. SHOLA O’NEIL recently traversed the road and reports.

     

    The East/West highway is a festering sore that has defied all balms. It took forever for it to leave the drawing board after it was mooted in the early 1970s. Decades after there are concerns that it may take eternity for it to be completed.

    The Warri-Port Harcourt axis of the strategic highway, links two of the nation’s major oil hubs; and it is the only land route for transportation of heavy duty oil-field equipment, including coil-tubing and wellheads, between the two cities. The only alternative is the Asaba-Onitsha-Owerri road, which is longer.

    The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) first brought the project into national discourse in 2006 when it made its construction one of its key demands during negotiations with the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose government was almost brought to its knees by the groups unbridled attacks on oil installations in the region.

    Since the Federal Government bowed to the demand, the road has been supervised first by the Federal Ministry of Works, and later the Niger Delta Development Commission, which drew up the Niger Delta Master Plan and marked the highway as an integral part for the region’s transformation.

    The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs assumed direct supervision of the project in November2010 after President Goodluck Jonathan took over from the late former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. Elder Godsday Orubebe was entrusted with the responsibility of satisfying the yearnings of about 20 million Niger Deltans afterwards.

    Mr. Samuel Ebikeme, executive director of the Niger Delta Development Initiative (NDDI), posited that who controls the huge budget for the project, rather than desire to deliver the project, is the underlying scramble for the control of the project.

    A spanner in the works

    More controversy surfaced when Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, which got the contract for the Kaiama-Mbiama-Ahoada-Port Harcourt section of the road, threw in the towel in 2008. The company hinged its decision on insecurity and relentless kidnap of its workers. That was after two of its expatriate staff were killed and scores abducted until huge ransoms were paid.

    After that debacle, there was a short delay before Setraco’s contract was extended beyond the Warri to Kaiama to Warri-Kaiama-Port Harcourt. The company’s performance in the past two years has heightened concerns that the 2014 completion date touted by Orubebe is unrealistic.

    Even before the dogfight between the minister and Amaechi, who is Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), the road project is a sore spot for politicians, businessmen and every user alike, not least because of the huge cost it has extracted in human losses resulting from numerous fatal clashes and the notorious potholes and dangerous ditches.

    The most infamous being the Okogbe petrol tanker disaster in Rivers on July 12 last year. The death toll from that incident exceeded 230 lives; dozen others would carry the scare of the deadly tanker explosion for the rest of their lives. The victims were burnt beyond recognition when people of the area swooped on a petrol tanker which upturned after crashing into a crater on the road.

    Since that accident, the condemnation of the delay in completing the road has grown with traditional rulers, governors and lawmakers hurling criticisms at the Niger Delta Ministry and Orubebe.

    Paul Bebenimibo, media aide to former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, is among the doubters of the minister’s ability to deliver on the 2014 promise. He accused the minister of being economical with the truth on his reports to President Goodluck Jonathan on the progress of work.

    “I disagree with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs that the road will be completed in 2014 because there is so much to do. Even if the contractor works day and night, they will not be able to complete it by 2014.”

    Our reporter who drove through the 170km stretch from Warri to Port Harcourt on Wednesday, January 23, said it was easy to empathise with those who fear that the December 2014 completion date may just be a pipedream.

    Our investigation revealed that just 23km (from Effurun Roundabout to Ughelli) has been completed and opened to traffic. Within this span, only three of the six bridges (at kilometres five, 10.8, 15) were fully constructed – all on onward Port Harcourt lane.

    It was not immediately clear if the contract term allowed the contractor to refurbish existing bridges or leave them as they are on the new road. Staff of Setraco refused to speak with our reporter during the fact-finding mission.

    Our finding revealed that the existing bridges, especially the one at Agbarho, have become death