Author: Emmanuel Obe

Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited has said that the oil spill that occured at its manifold at Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers on Monday was an operational accident. The admission came as the Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, demanded that urgent steps be taken to clean up the spill. The admission by Shell was made by the the company’s Head of Government Relations, Asomba Meshach, during a meeting with the council chairman at Ogale. Meshach outlined steps taken so far to contain the spill and pledged further investigations to determine the cause of the spill.…

Despite the severity and urgency of the Buguma 008 Wellhead Fire blowout and oil spill at Bukuma in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State required, the Senate on Thursday shelved taking a motion of “Urgent Public Importance” seeking an intervention of the National Assembly and the Federal Government till its next adjourned sitting.The senator representing Rivers West, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, had sought the permission of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to move the motion on Thursday. But the Senate President said the Senate could only take the motion at its next sitting date. Senator Banigo He first asked…

A fresh crude oil spill has been reported in Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.The spill, which occurred at a manifold operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited occurred during maintenance work on the manifold.The spill of crude oil flowed into farmlands and vegetation close to an area that the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) had carried out remediated work a few years ago. Sources said it first filled underground pits before overflowing to the surface.Though Shell had not responded to the spill, some people in the area attributed it o equipment failure at the site.Fyneface Dumnamene…

There has been a groundswell of celebration among the Ogoni people Rivers State after President Bola Tinubu gave his assent to the law establishing the Federal University of Environment, Ogoni.The frontline Ogoni activist, Celestine Akpobari, said, “The government of Nigeria is gradually paying for the oil that was stolen over 30 years long. This is a welcome development.Robins Pie said, “We thank God Almighty and let’s hope they continue to toe the right path. What the Ogonis are asking for is not much, given their environment that has been degraded for over 60 years from hydrocarbon pollution.”For me the total…

Once a contender for Nigeria’s top city, Port Harcourt’s development has lagged behind Lagos and Abuja, raising questions about its potential and the factors that have hindered its progress. But Surv. Samuel Ndubisi Agwor, a former top governorship contender in Rivers State and one of the elders behind Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the governor was working hard to restore the lost glory of the city and indeed the entire Rivers State. In an interview with National Point, Agwor, who has played top politics in Rivers State for over three decades, recalled a time when Port Harcourt was rapidly…

The Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has expressed solidarity with residents of Bukuma community in Rivers State currently grappling with the impact of the crude oil wellhead blowout in the area for the last one month. MOSIEND said the continued leakage and fire in Bukuma was not only a serious threat to public health and safety but also a severe failure of regulatory oversight on the part of the federal government and related agencies that are charged with maintaining our natural resources and ensuring the safety of communities. In a statement signed…

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has urged the national leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Presidency to ignore Senator Ned Nwoko’s call for the dissolution of the Delta State Executive Committee of the party. Nwaoboshi, former senator representing Delta North Senatorial District made the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri. Nwaoboshi alleged that Nwoko, currently representing Delta North in the Senate was plotting with some elements in the Presidency to dissolve the State Executives Committee of the party. He said that such move would amount to total disregard to the democratic principles of party as well…

The Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, has berated the managements of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, PHRC, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, for neglecting their host communities and youths their employment programmes. Gokpa, who hosted a meeting of the Joint Community Relations Committee, JCRC, of PHRC and representatives of Alesa and Alode communities at the council’s chambers at Ogale on Friday, said his administration would said companies’ neglect of the communities was unjust and deliberate to deny the people their legitimate opportunities in the companies. The council chairman vowed to use his offices to…

The Chairman of Bonny Local Government, Mrs. Anengi Claude-Wilcox, has said that the council would investigate the passenger boat that failed to offer assistance to victims of last Sunday’s boat mishap on the Bonny River. In a statement signed by the Secretary to the council, Mr. John Gabriel-Pepple, the chairman said she was deeply saddened by the incident and has commiserated with the victims and their families. Three people including a toddler drowned when a passenger boat travelling from Port Harcourt to Bonny on Sunday evening. The incident was reportedly caused by a storm at an area called ‘Yellow Platform”…

The Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Chief Brain Gokpa, has said he and other younger politicians in the local government have retired Senator Olaka Nwogu from the political leadership of the local government area. Chief Gokpa spoke on a day that Senator Nwogu celebrated his 60th birthday. Olaka Nwogu, a former Chairman of Tai/Eleme Local Government, was at different times a Member of the House of Representatives and a senator representing Rivers South East. The Eleme council chairman was incensed that Nwogu had failed to demonstrate leadership in the local government area despite holding influential political offices in the past.…