Author: Emmanuel Obe

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has promised that he would not allow the privileges and authorities of his office as governor get him power drunk. Fubara, who made this declaration on Tuesday in Port Harcourt during the celebration of his 50th birthday with some elders of the state, said position of power will not change his humble disposition. He said that rather than get power drunk he would commit himself to fulfilling the campaign promises he made to the people of Rivers State and transform the state to their dreams. He said though he was not given to celebrating birthdays,…

The Ogoni people have expressed their willingness to negotiate the resumption of oil production in their land, but only if the Nigerian government is prepared to address the long-standing demands outlined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights. This stance follows a recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Ogoni leaders in Abuja. While the details of that meeting remain undisclosed, many believe its primary focus was to secure Ogoni consent for the return of oil companies. Oil production in Ogoniland has been suspended since 1993, following widespread protests led by environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa against the environmental devastation caused by…

…caretaker committee to be appointed to run council’s affairs The Eighth Triennial Delegates Conference of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, ended in a stalemate on Wednesday after an alleged interference by the state government went awry.The National Vice-president of the union, Mr. Opaka Dokubo, who presided over the business session of the conference announced to the delegates at about 5.30 pm that the election of a new state executive committee of the union has been suspended. He said the chairmen and secretaries of the respective chapels if the NUJ in the state would meet…

The oil spill, which occurred at Bukuma on the New Calabar River in Rivers State about two weeks ago, has spread to the neighbourhoods of Ido, Tombia and other communities through the river in Degema and Asari Toru Local Government Areas of Rivers State. The fire that followed the spill to surrounding farmlands and settlements on Iwoama Bukuma has however been put out. But that was after it had destroyed several hundreds of hectares of farmlands, fishing settlements and vegetation. The effects of the fire and spill are heavy on the communities where they have caused respiratory issues. Farmers have…

…Gokpa calls for urgent intervention on the road The body of the expatriate that died in when his car plunged into Okulu River, Aleto, Eleme on the East Road on Monday night has been recovered.The body was recovered from the river about 4pm followed a combined operation by the Eleme Local Government, the Marine Unit of the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Navy, Federal Road Safety Corps and the National Emergency Management Agency.The Rivers State Police Relations Officer, Mrs. Grace Iringe-Koko, identified the deceased as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Cassava Project Limited, Gibson Reuben. The…

The Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, is leading a search and rescue operation for occupants of a Hilux van that fell into the Okulu River on the East-West Road at Aleto, Eleme on Monday night. Witnesses said the driver of the van was trying to evade an ambush by armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers when he skidded off the bridge and fell into the river. The van was among a convoy of company workers returning to Port Harcourt at about 10pm. Details were still sketchy about the identity of the victims on Tuesday morning when the Chairman…

Uche Okwukwu has been elected as the new President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organization of the Igbo ethnic in Nigeria.Okwukwu, who was elected at Enugu was once the secretary general of the organization. But his election came on the heels of a controversy because the mainstream of the Ikwerre, his ethnic group in Rivers State have declared that they were not Igbo and would have nothing to do with Ohaneze Ndigbo.Ohaneze had however zoned the Presidency of the organization to Rivers State on a rotational basis and it was the turn of its members in Rivers State to…

Property owners along the Eleme axis of the East-West Road have called on President Bola Tinubu to revoke the contract for the reconstruction of the road given to Reynolds Construction Company Limited, RCC. In a press release, the Chairman and Secretary of an association of the property owners in the area, Joseph Obele and Peter Haraca, said the contractors have been slow, incompetent and their poor work culture has led to avoidable accidents, traffic congestion and delays in evacuation of petroleum products from the refinery and the seaport at Onne. “Despite receiving N33 billion from the Federal Ministry of Works,…

Concerned about the growing incidence of domestic violence in the area, the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Brain Gokpa, has entered into a partnership with the Healthy Life Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization to curb the menace.According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Hon. Udeme Obot, the partnership will provide advocacy against sexual and gender-based violence, with a focus on protecting women and children. Chairman Eleme Local Government, Chief Brain Gokpa Obot said, “During a courtesy call at his office, Chief Gokpa emphasized the council’s commitment to tackling domestic…

The Deputy National President of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Dr Emi Membere-Otaji, has called for urgent action to be taken to contain the oil spill emanating from the blowout of An oil pipeline on the Asari Toru River also known as New Calabar River in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. Dr. Membere-Otaji, who said the spill was already choking sea life around the area, stated that irrespective of who or what caused the blowout, let all stakeholders join hands to save the environment. The Blow out site oil blowout…