Author: Emmanuel Obe

With over 100 of its people killed and all the houses in the community flattened during the seven-week occupation by the Nigerian military there, it remains to be seen if Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State can ever be restored. Our Editor, EMMANUEL OBE and Correspondent, CLIFFORD CHRISTOPHER SOLOMON, visited Okuama, the Internally Displaced Camp at Ewu and other neighbouring communities and report. It’s been over one month since the military pulled out of Okuama, the settlement of fishermen and farmers on the west bank of the Forcados River in Delta State, but fear and…

There is palpable tension in Rivers State as elected local government Chairmen and Councillors insist that they would not vacate office beyond the June 17, 2024 date when their current tenure expires. The present crop of elected council chairmen and councillors whose tenures will expire on June 17th, have said they will not vacate their seats because a faction of the House of Assembly led by Hon. Martins Amaewhule had amended the Rivers State Local Government Law to extend their tenures by six months. One of the council chairmen, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike of Ikwerre LGA, had said categorically, “We will…

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday began a 20-day programme of events and activities to celebrate his first year in office, with the inauguration of the 10.9-kilometre Aleto-Ogale-Ebubu-Eteo section of the old Port Harcourt – Bori road. The project plaque was unveiled by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, who urged the people of Rivers State to support Fubara because he was focused on delivering development to the state. Governor Fubara said the rehabilitated road would serve as an alternative route to the busy East-West road, which is currently undergoing reconstruction. The project executed at the cost of…

A total of seven commissioners have so far resigned from the Rivers State Executive Council, saying they could no longer work in an atmosphere they considered too toxic for them. The latest resignations came from Prof. Chinedu Mmom (Education), Mrs. Inime Aguma (Social Welfare), Gift Worlu (Housing), Austin Ben-Chioma (Environment), and Jacobson Nbina (Transport). About a week earlier, two commissioners, Isaac Kamalu (Finance) and Zaccheaus Adangor (Justice) had tendered their resignations after rejecting their reassignment to employment generation and special duties respectively. The erstwhile commissioner for works, Alabo Dax-Kelly and Emeka Woke had resigned to take up federal appointments. E,…

The crisis in the politics of Rivers State reached a crescendo during the week when Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that he would throw in everything to save his government from detractors. Fubara’s declaration followed a confession by his estranged political godfather and immediate-past Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, that his installation of Fubara was a mistake, which he would soon correct. The governor further declared that he would set up a panel of inquiry to probe governance in the state and charged the new attorney general of the state, Mr. Dagogo Iboroma, to brace up for action as…

An American-based Nigerian investor in renewable energy, Mr. Joshua Okorie, has said that renewable energy derivable from solar, wind and nuclear power is what Nigeria needs to get out of the conundrum of public power supply. Mr. Okorie, who is the chief executive officer of Kodion Energy (Kodion Consulting) with bases in Kansas City, Missouri, Nigeria, and China, said the current dependence on fossil fuel and thermal stations to generate electricity is dirty and in sustainable. Okorie, who spoke during an online interaction with energy editors on Friday, said wind, solar and nuclear energy is not only renewable and cost…

Dozens of property owners at Igbo-Etche, a suburb of Port Harcourt, have cried out for help as armed men believed to be agents of powerful land grabbers have continued to destroy their properties and seizing their lands. The gunmen recently moved bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment to the area where they pulled down houses and destroyed household equipment worth hundreds of millions of naira. The perplexed landowners who, spoke to National Point, said they acquired the lands legitimately and registered them duly with the requisite authorities, and many of them had gone ahead to develop the properties before the land…

Hundreds of retired workers of Rivers State Government on Wednesday stormed the state secretariat complex in Port Harcourt to demand the full settlement of their gratuities from 2012 to 2024. The retirees who carried placards and attracted attention to their plight were organized under the umbrella of Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP). They eventually met the Director-General of the state Pensions Board, Mr. Samuel Ijeoma, who told them that the present government was working hard to clear all the backlog of gratuities it inherited from the previous two administrations. The director-general however said that all backlog would not be cleared…

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has assured original owners of shops at the Mile One (Rumuwoji) Market in Port Harcourt that there interests would be protected if they participate in the ongoing verification and capturing exercise. The governor gave the assurance when some aggrieved traders under the auspices of ‘Mile One (Rumuwoji) Market Phase 2 Genuine Shop Owners Affected by 2013 Inferno’ marched in protest to Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday. The governor, who was represented by the Head of Service, Dr George Nwaeke, appealed to them to work with the Rivers State Government Reconciliation Committee on Lockup…

Banking legend and former minister of Science and Technology, HRM King Ebitimi Banigo, Ibenyanaowi XXI, has formally opted to abdicate his throne as the Ibenyanaowi of Okpoama Kingdom in Bayelsa State. In a proclamation he issued on Apri 15, King Banigo, said he took the decision to retire because his prevailing health challenges, which requires his long absence from the kingdom, would not allow him to spend good time with the people as his throne demands. He therefore, offered to vacate the stool with effect from July 31, 2024 to allow for enough time for the people to elect and…