Author: Emmanuel Obe

…Nigerians skeptical about resumption of operations The lights and flare of the old Port Harcourt refinery (also known as Area 5) at Alesa Eleme, Rivers State were on Friday activated as the contractors handling the rehabilitation of the plant prepared it for the final commissioning. The bright lights around the plant and the glow from the flare created a galaxy of stars around the complex and excited people and communities around the refinery. This result had come after several weeks of trying to start up the plant following the mechanical and other completions, a source at the plant told National…

Legendary Nigerian international, George Finidi, has been signed on as the Technical Manager of top Nigeria’s Premiership side, Rivers United FC. George signed for the Port Harcourt-based side at a special ceremony witnessed by sports writers at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Popularly known as Finito by local fans, Finidi came into prominence 30 years ago while playing for Sharks FC, Port Harcourt that translated to Rivers United a few years ago. It was while playing for Sharks that he was identifies and called up to the Super Eagles of Nigeria by the popular Dutch Manager of the…

The 2024 European Football Championship, which kicked off June 15, has reached its knockout stages with 16 of the 24 teams that started the tournament filing out in the next rounds. It has indeed been an action packed tournament so far with a few exciting upsets here and there, the latest being the 2-0 stunning of one of the favourites Portugal by a much less fancied Georgia. Portugal qualified however despite the defeat at the top of Group F. The countries that qualified for the knockout stage are Portugal, Turkey and Georgia (Group F) hosts, Germany, and Switzerland (Group A),…

Rangers International Football Club of Enugu have won the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier League after chalking up a total of 70 points from 38 matches. The Flying Antelopes of Enugu capped their victory with a decisive 2-1 away win over Gombe United at the new Jos Township Stadium. But their victory had actually been secured before the final match. As the team matched into the stadium to play against Gombe United, the home side, which was already relegation bound gave them a guard of honour. Within seven minutes, the Enugu Rangers scored two goals through Kazeem Ogunleye and Godwin Obaje. But…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has warned flood endemic states and local governments to brace up for increased flooding as the peak of the rainy seasons approaches. The warning came as Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, sent a bill to establish Rivers State Emergency Management Bill 2024 to the House of Assembly for consideration. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, also called for steps to be taken to protect people in risk areas against the outbreak of cholera. The minister, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday, said 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases have already…

A former senatorial candidate for Rivers South-East, Dr. Patience Osaroejiji, has said that the newly inaugurated Stakeholders for Democracy for Good Governance (SHDGG) will change the narratives in politics to promote integrity, transparency and good governance. Dr. Osaroejiji, who is the Woman Leader for Rivers State and a member of the National Board of Trustees of the organization, stated this last Saturday in Port Harcourt, when the BOT and state executive committee were inaugurated. She said the people could no longer allow people who cannot give good account of their stewardship to hold political offices. “We are going to change…

The police in Rivers State have taken custody of a man, who was said to have held the dynamite that exploded in front of Hotel Presidential Port Harcourt when supporters of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike were protesting in the city last Tuesday. Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, said the man was traced to Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port after news broke that dynamite had exploded in his hands in front of the hotel during the protest. Dr. Oreh said the plan was to detonate the bomb at the Presidential Hotel axis of the state capital to…

Despite not having an office yet to operate from, the newly inaugurated Caretaker Committee of Eleme Local Government in Rivers has begun to clear the mountains of rubbish around the local government area left behind by the immediate past government. Among the decomposing refuse dumps cleared so far were the ones at Echieta Nchia Main Market, the one at the NNPC filling Station near GVC on the East-West Road, the dump at Refinery Junction and Onne. He had promised during his thanksgiving service that he would move into action to clear the local government area of rubbish and keep everywhere…

Reynolds Construction Company Limited (RCC), the contractor reconstructing the Eleme axis of the East – West road has not resumed work more than one week after the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi ordered it back to site. While on a visit to Rivers State recently, the Minister of Works had given RCC a seven-day ultimatum to remobilize on site almost one month after the contractor suspended work on the project. But by last Wednesday, there was no sign of men and materials of the company at any point of the project sites from Eleme Junction on the Port Harcourt -…

Local government elections in Rivers State will now take place on October 5, 2024, according to the Chairman of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli. Enebeli announced the new date at a special stakeholders’ meeting the commission called at its office in Port Harcourt to discuss he the elections. At the meeting, the Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Committee, Sensei Solsuema Osaro presented the list of authentic party chairman and secretaries in the state. The tenure of the last local government chairmen and councilors elapsed on June 17th, 2024. But they were not replaced with elected officials…