Author: Emmanuel Obe

Controversy has continued to trail the removal of a proposed N6 billion allocation for Rivers State indigenes studying at PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, from the state’s 2026 budget, with parents and stakeholders appealing to the Rivers State House of Assembly to reconsider the decision. The development has also taken a legal dimension, as PAMO University has threatened to sue the Speaker of the House, Martin Chike Amaewhule, over what it described as false and defamatory statements concerning the institution’s management of funds provided under the state government’s scholarship programme. The controversy followed comments by Amaewhule during the…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, describing the development as a “breath of fresh air” and the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government. The signing ceremony was held at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, shortly after the Rivers State House of Assembly passed the budget. The budget, christened “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” was presented by the governor to the Assembly in July with a total estimate of ₦1,854,248,734,475.76, representing a 24.5 per cent increase over the…

At least 37 youths from Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State have reportedly died after inhaling toxic fumes while allegedly loading a petroleum product from an illegally tapped pipeline at Okari Jetty in Okrika Mainland. Several others were also said to be missing following the incident, which reportedly occurred around midnight on Wednesday, September 3, 2026. The incident reportedly occurred as more than 200 people, mostly youths from neighbouring communities, converged on the jetty in locally made boats to collect what residents described as “Indorama fuel” from an illegal tapping point. A community source, who spoke on condition of…

A prominent Ogoni voice, Dr.John Bazia, has called on leaders in Ogoniland to use the proposed resumption of oil production in the area to demand the creation of an Ogoni State. Bazia described the current development as “one of our finest moments” for Ogoni, urging the people to negotiate strategically to ensure that the resumption of oil production translates into lasting political and economic benefits for the people. He argued that the political circumstances surrounding the current administration presented a rare opportunity for Ogoni leaders to make state creation their single and overriding demand. “Let me remind us that this…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced the reconstruction of 15.4 kilometres of failed sections of the Benin-Sapele Expressway, barely two days after announcing its intervention in the critical road corridor. The NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this on Friday while speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Amukpe Roundabout in Delta State. Ogbuku said he accompanied the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, the Executive Director, Projects, and other directors of the Commission to the ceremony, where Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, officially flagged off the reconstruction. He said the…

Women under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite for SIM have reaffirmed their support for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his efforts to promote peace, unity and sustainable development in the state. The group also urged women and youths across the state to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to enable them to participate actively in the 2027 general elections. The women made their position known on Thursday during their August praise and thanksgiving service held at the Ecumenical Centre, Port Harcourt, where they declared that peace remained essential to the development and economic progress of Rivers State. Speaking…

Two hundred undergraduates of Eleme extraction have benefited from the 2026 scholarship scheme of the Josiah Olu Foundation, a philanthropic organisation in Rivers State. Each of the beneficiaries received N100,000 in financial support at a special presentation ceremony held on Friday at Akpajo, Eleme Local Government Area of the state. Founder of the foundation and former member representing Eleme Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr Josiah Olu, said the scholarship was an annual initiative designed to support intelligent and indigent students from Eleme to successfully pursue their tertiary education. Olu said his personal experience of struggling financially…

Women in Ogoniland have demanded greater transparency and inclusion in the ongoing dialogue on the possible resumption of oil production in the area, insisting that the concerns of grassroots women must not be lost in discussions over the future of the region. The Monagboka Community Builders Initiative (MCBI), a women-led grassroots organisation, made the demand in a public statement issued on Thursday, August 27, 2026, by its President, Mrs Annas Sorochi Dumnamene. MCBI welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to engage the Ogoni people in dialogue and acknowledged the efforts of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee and its consultations across the four…

The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for questioning over allegations he made concerning the alleged complicity of police officers in kidnapping incidents across the country. Otse made the allegations while speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, where he claimed that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways allegedly pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits. In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police described the allegations as serious, unsubstantiated and damaging…

Facilitators of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) have dismissed allegations of contract allocation, improper handling of Federal Government funds and patronage in employment opportunities secured under the ongoing dialogue between the Ogoni people and the Federal Government. The Facilitators, in a statement signed by Prof. Don Baridam, Chairman; Archbishop Ignatius Kattey, Co-Chairman; Barrister Jackson Tom Orage, Secretary; and Hon. Joe Poroma, Member, described recent media publications credited to the President of KAGOTE and two others as containing “demonstrably false claims.” They said they had initially refrained from responding publicly in the interest of preserving unity and the integrity of the…