Author: Emmanuel Obe

The University of Port Harcourt has made tree planting a cardinal objective to contribute to the international campaign to fight global warming. At a special ceremony just before its 34th convocation ceremonies, the best graduating student f the university, Osisi Upadhi Solomon, assisted by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, planted a tree at the university’s new convocation arena. Solomon had a 4.91 cumulative grade point aggregate. At the convocation, which held between 23rd and 24th of February, the university conferred degrees on a total of 13,816 students. Giving a breakdown of the awards, the vice-chancellor said 477 of the graduands…

The Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Rivers State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Amaechi Okonkwo, has lamented the serious damage that illegal crude oil bunkering is causing in some oil bearing communities in Rivers State. Mr. Okonkwo, who just returned from a trip to some oil producing communities in Andoni Local Government Area, described as wicked the operations of the illegal bunkerers and artisanal oil refineries. He said the operations of the illegal refineries, known as Kpofire locally, have snuffed life out of the environment as a lot of animal life has been decimated. “Ooh! If only…

Eleme language spoken by the indigenous people of Eleme in Eleme Local Government Area in Rivers State came into focus last Wednesday when the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) celebrated the 2024 International Day of the Mother Tongue in Port Harcourt. At an elaborate ceremony at the National Museum in Port Harcourt, the Curator of the Nationaluseum, Mr. Victor Otuka, said the UNESCO international mother tongue day is dedicated to recognizing the vital role language plays in society. The theme of this year’s celebration is: Multilingual Education is the Pillar of Intergenerational Learning. Otuka said, “Our indigenous languages…

The erstwhile fortress of the Nyesom Wike political empire has suffered an earthquake and from unexpected quarters. His most formidable political platform, the Grassroots Democratic Initiative has received a crack. Leaders of the GDI in seven local governments on Sunday March 10, paid a visit to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, where they pledged their support for his administration. They said they were joining the Rivers people behind the governor, thus throwing aside ex-governor Nyesom Wike who before now, had a strong grip on them. The GDI is the major base of Wike’s political structure in Rivers State but from all indications,…

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that the state government cancelled the employment of about 2,000 people by Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) because of gross irregularities discovered in the process. The head of service, Dr. George Nwaeke, who stood in for the governor when those who were affected by the cancellation protested to Government House, Port Harcourt, however said government would revisit the process. He said the government could not ignore the irregularities, which he said was intolerable, and had to cancel the entire employment process. He said the management of the institution was directed, based…

The world literally converged on the quiet town of Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday to join family members to pay their last respects to Dr. Hebert Wigwe, former Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank PLC, his wife Chizoba and son, Chizi, who were killed in a helicopter crash in California, USA on February 9. The list of eminent guests was endless as they filled the RCCG Lion of Judah auditorium venue of the funeral service and the premises. At the head of the Nigerian government delegation was the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio,…

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 not 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…

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has said that the Ijaw Nation has been watching with dismay the confrontation between the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara and is warning the it would not accept the impeachment of the governor in whatever guise. The President of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, gave the warning on Wednesday in Port Harcourt while addressing a press conference on the political crisis in Rivers State. The INC president said the House of Assembly was overstepping its constitutional boundaries by querying appointments allowed the governor by the constitution thereby…

Mba Okase Eleme Initiative, Eleme, a women-focused civil society organization in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State has decried the disturbing level of the pollution of sources of domestic water in the area. At a convergence meeting in December at Alode, Eleme, members of the organization said that both surface and underground waters, which the people depended on for domestic use have been polluted by major industries operating in the area. The women decried indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste, open defecation and gas flaring in the area. The convener of the meeting and Coordinator of Mba Okase Initiative, Eleme.…

As Nigerians groan under the yoke of economic hardship and poor governance, a former President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Amaopusenibo Bobo Brown, has said the media had a duty now more than ever before to better the society in which it operates. Brown spoke last Saturday at the first reunion of former directors, management and staff of Sunray Publications Limited in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Sunray Publications Limited, which published the first full colour newspapers in Nigeria, also and ran a high quality graphics and printing company in Port Harcourt between 1992 and 1998.…