Author: Emmanuel Obe

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has charged the newly elected leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide to reposition the organisation and restore the values upon which it was founded. Diri gave the charge on Wednesday when the new IYC President Worldwide, Dr. Doubra Collins Okotete, and members of his National Executive Council paid a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Yenagoa. The governor congratulated the new executive on its emergence, describing the IYC as the umbrella body and conscience of Ijaw youths worldwide. He urged the leadership to prioritise unity, peace and development while working…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed reports of a disagreement between his administration and the State House of Assembly over the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, said on Wednesday that he was not at loggerheads with members of the Assembly, insisting that both arms of government were working together in the interest of the people of the state. The clarification followed reports published by some national newspapers and online platforms alleging a disagreement between the Executive and Legislative arms over the 2026 budget proposal. According to the statement, the reports were misleading,…

The Eleme Local Government Council of Rivers State has constituted a 22-member Land Disputes Investigation Panel to investigate allegations of land grabbing, unlawful encroachment and illegal acquisition of ancestral community lands in the area. The Executive Chairman of the council, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, announced the constitution of the panel on Monday, August 10, 2026, during a press conference at the Eleme Local Government Council Secretariat. Ollor said the initiative was in response to growing concerns over the alleged forceful dispossession of individuals and families of their legitimate properties by criminal elements operating under the guise of real estate companies. He…

…gives up on Warri over internal divisions Popular Nigerian comedian and actress, Anita Asuoha, better known as Real Warri Pikin, has cancelled her planned show in Warri, Delta State, citing what she described as “unfortunate divisions” surrounding the event. The comedian, who was scheduled to stage the show in the coming weeks, announced the cancellation in a statement expressing disappointment that divisions were emerging “where there should be unity.” Real Warri Pikin said the decision was made with a “heavy heart”, but stressed that the cancellation of the show would not diminish her commitment to Delta State, Nigeria and Africa.…

…Says resilience of Asaba people has overcome tragedy The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, has endorsed plans for the construction of a new monument to immortalise the victims of the 1967 Asaba Massacre, saying the people have risen above the tragedy and transformed the community into a thriving city. The monarch spoke on Friday when an Asaba-based artist and sculptor, Mr. Enyi Echezona, presented a proposal for the construction of a gigantic symbolic monument in memory of the more than 1,000 Asaba indigenes reportedly killed during the tragic events of October 1967. Prof. Azinge acknowledged…

President Bola Tinubu has approved a salary increase of between 30 and 80 per cent for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from Nigerians, with many welcoming the development while others questioned the military’s performance and called for similar relief for other public sector workers. The new salary structure, announced in a State House statement on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, will benefit about 250,000 military personnel and takes effect from September 1, 2026. Under the arrangement, officers above the rank of colonel—including brigadier-generals, major-generals, lieutenant-generals…

Sixteen beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) overseas postgraduate scholarship scheme have successfully completed their master’s degree programmes at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, with four of them graduating with distinction. The PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, attributed the academic achievements to the sustained support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the successes reflect the Federal Government’s commitment to human capital development in the Niger Delta. The graduates studied in diverse fields, including software engineering, oil and gas, data science and engineering, financial management, law, construction engineering management, global public health, and other specialised…

Former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has called on Nigeria’s foremost indigenous automobile manufacturer, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), to make electric vehicles the company’s primary production focus, saying the future of the global automobile industry is electric. In a public message addressed to the Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Murray-Bruce commended the industrialist for establishing Nigeria’s first indigenous automobile manufacturing company and placing locally made vehicles on the nation’s roads. “My good friend Chief Innocent Chukwuma, you did what nobody else dared. You built a car company in Nnewi and put Made-in-Nigeria vehicles on our roads. I still drive Innoson…

The Ijaw Elders Forum (IEF), Lagos, has called for urgent restructuring of Nigeria and the implementation of true federalism, warning that the country’s growing governance challenges, insecurity and perceived marginalisation of the Ijaw people threaten national unity and stability. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Chief Bukazi Etete, and Secretary, Efiye Bribena, the forum said Nigeria’s current federal structure has failed to address longstanding inequities and called for a comprehensive national dialogue on restructuring, fiscal federalism and resource control. The forum argued that the nation’s political and constitutional challenges could not be resolved through elections alone, insisting that…

The Fiyewei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom, High Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has dismissed allegations that former Niger Delta militant leader and Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, operates an illegal detention facility or is involved in torture and abduction. Reacting to an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu containing the allegations, Gbenekama described the claims as false and politically motivated, alleging that they were sponsored by individuals whose illegal crude oil bunkering activities had been disrupted by the ongoing crackdown on oil theft in the Niger Delta. Speaking on the…