Author: Chim Ogwutum

The inauguration of a good number of volunteer lawyers by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has been hailed by stakeholders as a welcome development and an expectations of better days to come. The lawyers were inaugurated on Thursday, November 7, 2024, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, at an event put together by SERAP on “Strengthening Stakeholders’ Capacity to Enforce Court Judgements in Nigeria”, especially in Niger Delta Region. Community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, members of civil society organizations, legal practitioners, the media, and others were in attendance. In his opening remarks, deputy director of SERAP, Kolawole…

The Centre for Environmental, Human Rights and Development, CEHRD, civil society organizations, CSOs, community stakeholders, and the media, have unanimously and vehemently opposed the decision of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to divest from onshore operations to offshore in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In a research finding unveiling titled, ‘Recovery: Supporting Remedy for Onshore Oil Impacted Communities In The Niger Delta’ held in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, and powered by CEHRD, the people said “NO” to such negative decision, insisting, that if Shell must divest, it should first address the issue of environmental degradation caused…

Thursday, October 17, 2024, marked what the people of Oginigba community, especially their women described as a new dawn and a turning point in the history of the community. It was the day respite came to them after nearly one year of being taken out of business, following the grabbing of their slaughter market by the immediate past Governor, now FCT Minister, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. But, with the recent conduct of the Local Government Election in Rivers State, on 5th October, 2024, the new Executive Chairman, Amb. (Hon.) Chijioke Ihunwo, thought it wise and proper to reopen the market for…

Despite the mayhem and disruptions that followed the last local government elections in Rivrs State, citizens of the state have unanimously said that they expect the new council chairmen and the councils to render service and good governance. Speaking to National Point, a community leader, Elder Joseph Anyaogwu described the violence and burning of some council secretariats as very unfortunate and diversionary to create ugly scene in the state, so that a state of emergency will be declared. “What matters is that we now have democratically elected Government in place at the Local level. We expect that now that they…

Brain Ajuriebie Gokpa, the newly elected Chairman of Eleme Local Government, with his back to a burning section of the local government secretariat, stood in front of an Arise News TV camera that was waiting to beam live. He reached out for a white handkerchief in his right pocket as he waited for the anchor on the live TV to call him. He wiped his creased face of the beads of sweat that had formed there. The atmosphere was cool. But the events of that morning made things hot, actually burning for Chief Gokpa. He had woken up ready to…

A leader of the Action Peoples Party, APP, Mrs. Agnes Onyekwe, has expressed joy that the last local government election in Rivers State will go down in history as one of the best, devoid of violence, rigging and manipulation.The APP ward 8 Chairman, Obio/Akpor LGA, Engr. Richman Chuku, said the victory of APP was well deserved because they campaigned vigorously, selling their manifestos to the electorate.He thanked all voters for turning out to exercise their franchise, as it is their constitutional rights to do so.Ms Tina Ogwutum, a leader of Ward 8, Obio/Akpor, popularly known as ‘Aunty London’, noted that…

Residents of Rumuodunwere Community in Elelewo Clan, Oropotoma kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have called out for help following an oil spill that has rendered them homeless. It is the second time that an oil spill is occurring in the community since 1974, which destroyed farm lands and buildings. The latest spill occurred on Wednesday, 21st August. Speaking to National Point, on Tuesday, 27th August 2024, in his Palace, the Paramount ruler, Rumuodunwere Community, HRH Eze Ken Nnanta Otto, said the spill has destroyed their habitations and farmlands. He called on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC),…

The Atlantic Hall of Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was filled to the brim with notable personalities from Rivers and Bayelsa States as people turned up to honour the first civilian Governor of the Old Rivers State, Chief Melford Okilo on the 16th memorial of his death. The event was sponsored by the Rivers State Government with the support of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said Okilo was not only his political mentor, but was also a father to him and thanked organizers, Bayelsa Government, Movement for…

In line with its mandate of training and retraining journalists for enhanced professionalism, National Point newspaper/Foreword Communications Limited organized a one-day media training on “Investigative Journalism, Inclusive Development and Accountability,” for journalists drawn from various media houses across the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers. The event held on Friday, July 19, 2024, at the Conference Hall of New Point Hotel and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was supported by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, and Mac-Arthur Foundation. The programme, which was graced by the chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),…

The political feud between the incumbent governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara and the immediate-past governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, now minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, ignited late October 2023, got to a climax on Tuesday, June 17, 2024, when the tenure of the chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state expired. That day, Rivers State became a hotbed of political crisis following the refusal of the council chairmen and their councilors to leave office, predicating their legitimacy and action on the six months tenure elongation bill passed by the embattled Hon.…