Author: Emmanuel Obe

Imo State Government has directed all principals and head teachers of public and private schools in the state to desist from compelling parents and guardians to provide items such as shovels, hoes, cutlasses, buckets, toiletries, detergents, and cash levies as conditions for admitting students into JSS1 and SSS1. The Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. B. T. O. Ikegwuoha, who issued the directive in a special announcement on Sunday, described the practice as “illegal and unapproved,” stressing that it has become a major concern to the Ministry as schools resumed on Monday, September 8, 2025. He said reports indicated…

The centuries-old question of identity has once again sparked intense debate in Delta State, following a renewed push by some Okpe elites and cultural organizations for the formal recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality separate from Urhobo. What began as a historical reassertion by the Okpe Union has escalated into a fiery exchange of rebuttals, accusations, and deeply personal reflections across political, academic, and cultural circles. At the heart of the controversy lies a fundamental question: Is Okpe a sub-group of the Urhobo Nation, or is it a separate ethnic group with a unique history, language, and cultural…

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has said that the state government would soon set up the State Emergency Management Agency to take over the duties of the Central Working Committee on Emergency Preparedness, Flood Management and Control. The administrator also said that the government was engaging with the Federal Government and international partners to mobilise resources for improved flood management systems, covering pre-flood measures, interventions during flooding, and post-flood recovery projects, as well as early warning infrastructure. Speaking during a sensitisation campaign of the Central Working Committee on Flood Management and Control at the Dr.…

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…