Author: Emmanuel Obe

Niger Delta leaders from various ethnic nationalities have extolled the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, and the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku. The leaders under the auspices of the Forum of Presidents of Apex Ethnic Nationalities, elder statesmen, and opinion leaders in the Niger Delta expressed delight at the pace of development across the region under the current leadership of the NDDC. They lauded the Board’s transformative leadership, highlighting initiatives like Project Hope, Youth Internship Scheme, and the Light up the Niger Delta programme, which have notably improved social infrastructure and…

Eco-Citizen Ogoni Initiative (ECOI), a non-governmental organization, has launched an Eco Volunteer Portal to register 560,000 youth volunteers for the takeoff of the planting of 560 million mangrove trees in the deforested Ogoniland, Rivers State. Speaking at the launch of the portal, www.ecocitizenogoni.org, in Port Harcourt to mark the International Youth Day, 2025, the Coordinator of ECOI in Ogoni, Pastor Nature Dumale said the youths would be recruited as part of the Global Green Marshalls. He said the project would be completed in 2035. “The groundbreaking digital platform, the Eco-Volunteers Portal, is designed to mobilise and equip 560,000 Ogoni youth…

The MIIDEEKOR Environmental Development Initiative (MEDI), an indigenous non-governmental organization, has raised the alarm over the worsening oil spill and fire outbreak in Kpean community, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of neglect. Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the Team Lead of MEDI, Comrade Celestine Akpobari, said the oil spill, which started on August 3, 2025, from Well 14 at Yola, Kpean, had contaminated farmlands and rivers, crippling the livelihoods of local farmers and fisher folk. He disclosed that the situation escalated on August 15, when a fire…

The late elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark’s will is out. And in it, the former Ijaw National Leader left out three of his wives because they had left him a long time ago. According to a report by Society Watch, “The deceased left behind billions of naira in several banks, and properties scattered all over the country. However, Clark reportedly deliberately left his three wives in the cold, as they are not included among the beneficiaries of his vast estate in the Will prepared in October 2022.” Reading the Will titled “The Last Will and Testament of Chief (Dr.) Edwin…

Following the devastating floods of 2024, Rivers State is taking proactive steps to mitigate the impact of potential flooding this year, according to State Administrator Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas. Speaking during a visit from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Admiral Ibas emphasized community awareness and preparedness as key components of the state’s strategy. The state’s commitment was highlighted by the recent multi-agency flood simulation exercise in Mbiama, Ahoada West Local Government Area, which Admiral Ibas described as a crucial step in boosting public awareness and operational readiness. He stressed the severity of last year’s flooding, which displaced hundreds…

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has called on newly inaugurated board members of key state agencies to approach their duties with urgency, integrity, and innovation, emphasizing professionalism and public accountability above all else. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Friday, held at the Executive Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt, the Administrator urged the appointees to be proactive and deeply committed to delivering on their critical mandates for the people of Rivers State. The newly inaugurated boards are: Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board; Rivers State…

Women in Rivers State, under the platform Rivers Women Unite for SIM, have renewed calls for an end to the emergency rule imposed on the state since March. The women, during their monthly prayer session held on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at the Ecumenical Centre in Port Harcourt, said residents had endured six months of uncertainty and restrictions under the emergency arrangement. They prayed for divine mercy and peace to pave the way for the restoration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly. With the theme Divine Mercy and Peace, the interdenominational gathering expressed optimism…

The Hoscom Bulk Petroleum Retailers of Port Harcourt Refinery have accused the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari of deliberately undermining state-owned refineries to favour private operators. The Hoscom accusation came as the NNPCL GCEO revealed that the company has been losing between N300 million and N500 million monthly on the Port Harcourt refinery. Ojulari made the disclosure in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), led by its president, Festus Osifo. He explained that rehabilitating the refinery had proved…

The recently inaugurated local government chairmen in Rivers State have assumed duties in the various council headquarters and have begun the appointments of aides and supervisors. The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), had on Monday sworn in the 23 newly elected Local Government Chairmen with a charge to embrace transparency, accountability, and grassroots development. The ceremony, held at Government House, Port Harcourt, signaled another step in the state’s return to democratic governance after months of federal intervention following a breakdown of law and order. Ibas reminded the council chairmen that public office was a trust, not…

Rivers State Government and the Bank of Industry (BOI) have consolidated their collaboration on a N4 billion matching fund aimed at boosting Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. The initiative was discussed on Thursday when a BOI delegation, led by Mr. Babatunde Ajala, Regional Manager (South-South, MSME Directorate), visited the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Microfinance Agency (RIMA), Ms. Onene Osila Obele-Oshoko, in her Port Harcourt office. Other members of the BOI team included Mr. Pacqueens Irabor, Divisional Head (MSME), and Mr. Christopher Omondiagbe, Head of Rivers State BOI. Mr. Ajala said the…