Author: Emmanuel Obe

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has proposed a partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in healthcare. The WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, made the proposal during a courtesy call in Port Harcourt on Friday as he handed over the framework that will direct its partnership to NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku. The WHO envoy applauded the Commission for placing priority on health matters and taking proactive measures to address the challenge of a looming cholera outbreak in the Niger Delta region. Mulombo, who later commissioned 13 ambulances acquired by the NDDC for distribution…

On March 19, 1990, global attention was focused on the rural community of Umuagbai, then of Khana/Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State when the Princess of Wales, Lady Diana, accompanied by her husband, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) formally inaugurated the Women Weaving and Training Centre. For many, the event was to mark a turning point in the evolvement of the over a century old unique art of women of Umuagbai and other neighbouring Ndoki communities in the weaving of the Akuruaku cloth, which had become well known all over the world. The centre built by the then…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has presented scholarship letters to the 200 scholars that passed its assessment for postgraduate programmes. According to a statement by the Director of Corporate Affairs of the Commission, Ms. Seledi Thompson-Wakama, the 200 beneficiaries received their award letters from the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Chiedu Ebie at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt. Ebie charged the scholars to be ambassadors of the Niger Delta region as they carry the flag of Nigeria to foreign lands. He advised the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them to acquire technical…

Youths of Alesa, Eleme, host community to Port Harcourt Refining Company, early on Tuesday barricaded the Main gate of the refinery complex to demand their due in the ongoing employment of workers at the rehabilitated refinery. The youths who braved the early morning rains to take position at the main gate of the refinery complex however conducted themselves peacefully singing and dancing to tunes of a performing band. They demanded to speak with the management of the company but were only attended to by the head of the security personnel at the gate, who promised to contact the chief executive…

The threat by Alhaji Aliko Dangote to quit petroleum refining business in Nigeria is a huge threat to foreign investments in the country, a prominent player in the petroleum marketing business, Dr. Joseph Obele, has said. Dangote had in the wake of his conflict with officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said he might sell his shares in his multibillion dollar refinery in Lagos to the state-owned energy company, NNPC Limited. Obele, who is the immediate-past Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Rivers State branch, said the threat by Dangote would make international…

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has congratulated Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack on her appointment as Head of Civil Service of the Federation. The President of MOSIEND, Dr Kennedy Tonjo-West, in a statement, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for finding Walson-Jack, an illustrious daughter of Ijaw nation worthy of the appointment. He described Walson-Jack’s appointment as a square peg in a square hole, assuring the president that she would bring her wealth of experience to bear and also bring about reforms that will better the lots of the federal government and workers.…

The political camps of Chief Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, have continued to fight over who takes control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State. Just as the party got set to hold its ward congresses in the state on Saturday, the Fubara camp secured an order from a Rivers State High Court to stop the congress. Consequent upon the court order the, the National Working Committee of the PDP suspended the congresses in Rivers State and dissolved the Caretaker Committee of the party…

…Nigerians skeptical about resumption of operations The lights and flare of the old Port Harcourt refinery (also known as Area 5) at Alesa Eleme, Rivers State were on Friday activated as the contractors handling the rehabilitation of the plant prepared it for the final commissioning. The bright lights around the plant and the glow from the flare created a galaxy of stars around the complex and excited people and communities around the refinery. This result had come after several weeks of trying to start up the plant following the mechanical and other completions, a source at the plant told National…

Legendary Nigerian international, George Finidi, has been signed on as the Technical Manager of top Nigeria’s Premiership side, Rivers United FC. George signed for the Port Harcourt-based side at a special ceremony witnessed by sports writers at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Popularly known as Finito by local fans, Finidi came into prominence 30 years ago while playing for Sharks FC, Port Harcourt that translated to Rivers United a few years ago. It was while playing for Sharks that he was identifies and called up to the Super Eagles of Nigeria by the popular Dutch Manager of the…

The 2024 European Football Championship, which kicked off June 15, has reached its knockout stages with 16 of the 24 teams that started the tournament filing out in the next rounds. It has indeed been an action packed tournament so far with a few exciting upsets here and there, the latest being the 2-0 stunning of one of the favourites Portugal by a much less fancied Georgia. Portugal qualified however despite the defeat at the top of Group F. The countries that qualified for the knockout stage are Portugal, Turkey and Georgia (Group F) hosts, Germany, and Switzerland (Group A),…