Author: Emmanuel Obe

The street protest by youths of Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State has been suspended following an intervention by the Paramount ruler of the community, HRM Philip Obele. The youths have withdrawn from the Old Port Harcourt road and dismantled the road blocks. Businesses around the area have also opened to the public. The youths had begun the street protest on Wednesday to press home their demands for the payment of their dividends from Indorama shares, which were suspended because of a dispute over the leadership of community trust committee that oversees the dividends. After not getting…

Youths of Aleto, a major host community of the multi-billion dollar Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Company Limited on Wednesday braved the rains to protect the delay in the payment of the community’s dividends from Indorama. The youths blocked the busy Old Port Harcourt Road, set up camp and sang protest songs as early as dawn. They demanded that the community trust should pay up the several arrears of the dividends of the community running into billions on naira and give account of their tenure. Though the youths were said to have taken their protest to the council of chiefs…

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has called on the people of the Niger Delta region to rally behind the resolution by South-South All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders endorsing President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office. Dr. Otuaro made this appeal in Abuja while reacting to the recent decision by regional APC governors and leaders. Speaking to journalists, Otuaro described the South-South APC leaders’ action as the “right way to reward a sincere and committed leader who has shown in practical terms his love for the region and the people.” APC leaders and…

The Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers has appointed a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Ndowa Lale, to head a Peace and Reconciliation Committee to resolve the crisis in the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP). It is a major step towards ending the prolonged division in MOSOP, unifying all factions and restoring stability within the movement. The Committee was inaugurated on Tuesday, 15th July 2025, by the King of Tai, HRM Samuel L. A. Nnee, who also serves as the Coordinator/Convener of the Supreme Council. The inauguration followed a leave of court granted…

…commends PINL on zero infractions The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on host communities along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) to take greater ownership of national assets within their territories and work collectively to protect them. Speaking through Navy Captain Lassie Audi Ozovehe at a monthly stakeholders’ engagement hosted by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in Port Harcourt, General Musa warned that the primary victims of pipeline vandalism and oil theft are often the communities themselves. “If you break a pipeline, the environmental and health hazards will affect the community more than the oil companies,”…

At the 17th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture held virtually on July 13, 2025, leading voices in journalism and human rights raised the alarm over growing surveillance, digital threats, and the systematic silencing of journalists across Africa. They called for urgent reforms to safeguard press freedom, strengthen privacy protections, and build public awareness of the consequences of suppressing independent media. Themed, “Surveillance, Safety and the Silencing of Truth,” this year’s lecture marked the 91st birthday of Nobel Laureate and grand patron of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Prof. Wole Soyinka.The event featured a keynote by Angela Quintal,…

…SOLAD directs people to move upland The consistent rainfall in Port Harcourt and environs has led to serious flooding that has been causing residents anxious moments.In Oyigbo urban, residents are trapped in the floods while vehicles cannot move around. Areas like Rumuagholu, Rukpoku, Eleme and Elimgbu were also affected.Other affected areas were Odili Road, Eliozu, East West Road and many other places.Victor Ezuma, who operates the Oyigbo TV said on his Facebook handle that people are moving out of their homes as their homes are besieged by the flood.”Politicians don’t want to fix internal roads because of me. They feel…

Stakeholders in the Niger Delta region have urged the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to ensure that the funds allocated in its 2025 budget are in line with current economic realities, to ensure that conceptualised projects are completed for the benefit of the communities. This was part of the resolutions issued at the end of a two-day NDDC 2025 Budget Conference and Partners for Sustainable Development, PSD Forum, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The stakeholders emphasised the importance of handing over projects to communities, noting, “To avoid cases of non-utilisation or under-utilisation of projects, all completed projects should be…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Niger Delta region. Speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop to commemorate International Women’s Day in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the NDDC Executive Director of Projects, Mr. Victor Antai, said the Commission was taking significant steps toward promoting inclusivity and development for women across the region. Antai, represented by the Akwa Ibom State Director, Mr. Evong Evong commended the resilience and hard work of the women in the region. He emphasised NDDC’s dedication to gender inclusivity, stating, “In our sustainable development…

The Director-General of Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, Mr. Yibo Koko, has said the political crisis in Rivers State that culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency in the state regressed the gains the tourism industry made towards the end of 2024. Writing on his Facebook handle, Koko said, “Between December 20th, 2024, and January 5th, 2025, data revealed an unprecedented movement of people into Rivers State through the Umuagwa Airport, surpassing numbers from the last nine and a half years.” He said this followed the rejuvenation of cultural and social activities across the state during that period.…