Author: Emmanuel Obe

The remains of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, were interred on Tuesday in his hometown, Kiagbodo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State amidst eulogies and commendations for virtues he lived and and stood for. At the funeral service held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Kiagbodo, President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said in Chief Clark’s death, Nigeria lost a man of courage and wisdom. Tinubu said Clark was a champion of his community and country and was never afraid to stand alone when speaking truth…

…Nwuche appointed chairman President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Ms. Usoro Akpabio for appointment as the Managing Director of the South South Development Commission (SSDC). Usoro Akpabio hails from Uruan LGA in Akwa Ibom State.Also nominated was former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche from Rivers State, as Chairman of the Commission. The President’s request for confirmation of the appointments was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate and read during Thursday’s plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill AkpabioIn the letter, Tinubu also sought the Senate’s approval for the appointment of 16 other nominees, including…

Ikata, Rivers State — Renaissance, the new operator of oil assets formerly owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), has shut down operations on its 14-inch Okordia–Rumuekpe pipeline following an oil spill in the Ikata community of Ahoada East Local Government Area. The company confirmed the shutdown through its spokesperson, Mr. Michael Adande, who stated that the decision was made to contain the spill and prevent further environmental damage. “Production into the affected pipeline segment has been halted to mitigate the impact and allow for investigation and cleanup,” he said. Local sources, including a pipeline surveillance guard who spoke under…

Rivers State Government has pledged immediate intervention to address worsening security and developmental issues in Etche Local Government Area, following a high-level assessment visit led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olugbenga Adepoju, on behalf of the State Administrator. During the visit, which featured engagements with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, and security agencies, pressing concerns were raised about rising insecurity, decaying infrastructure, youth unemployment, and ongoing land encroachment by herdsmen. Etche LGA Administrator, Hon. Onyenachi Nwankwor, described the security situation as dire, citing rampant kidnapping, land grabbing, and violent herdsmen activities that have left many residents in fear…

…as Mrs. Tinubu Empowers 500 Women Tension marred an empowerment event hosted under the Renewed Hope Initiative in Port Harcourt on Friday, as hundreds of Rivers women walked out in protest after the wife of the state’s Sole Administrator, Dr. Theresa Ibas, was introduced to represent Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Cross session of women at the event The women, dressed uniformly in white polo shirts bearing the First Lady’s image and red George wrappers, erupted in chants of “We Want Sim! We Want Sim!” rejecting Dr. Ibas’ introduction as the “mother of the state.” Their reaction appeared to…

Rivers State Government has responded to public criticisms against the retrieval of three official vehicles from the residence of the suspended Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu. In a statement on Wednesday evening, the government said the withdrawal was a routine administrative measure that has been “deliberately misrepresented” by political actors. In the press statement made by the Office of the Sole Administrator, the government confirmed that two Toyota Hilux vehicles and one Hiace bus were recovered from the premises of the embattled Deputy Governor. The move, it said, was necessary for the protection and proper management of government property. “Rivers…

The Chairmen of the eight branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Rivers State have rejected a query issued to the Chairman of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch, Cordelia Eke, by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State through the Ministry of Justice. The controversial query, dated April 25 and signed by Ebiriemg Deresima, Director of Administration at the Ministry, accused Mrs. Eke of “serious misconduct” for co-authoring a communique that criticised the state’s administration. The communique condemned what it described as “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity,” including the dismantling of democratic institutions and the suppression of…

Tragedy struck in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State on Saturday as an explosion at an illegal petroleum product storage site claimed the lives of five people. According to the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), the incident occurred around 11 a.m. in a residential building where illegally refined petroleum products, including condensate, were being stored for resale. Reports from members of YEAC-Nigeria’s One Million Youth Volunteers Network confirmed that the victims — four women and one man — were burnt beyond recognition. Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, called for an immediate investigation into…

A coalition of concerned women under the banner of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group has issued a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to lift the ongoing state of emergency in Rivers State, which they say is stifling economic activities and inflicting untold hardship on women and children. In a press statement signed by Dr. Vivian Ige-Elenwo and Chikodi Okpara and read on behalf of the group by Professor Roseline Konya, the women called on the President to “save Rivers people from the burden of the emergency rule,” describing it as a growing threat to peace, reconciliation,…

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has licensed 83 refineries across the country, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to transform its oil sector under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). According to a press statement released by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), the newly licensed refineries possess a combined refining capacity of 1,124,500 barrels per day. The licenses comprise eight refineries granted Licenses to Operate (LTO), 30 with Licenses to Construct (LTC), and 45 issued Licenses to Establish (LTE). At a recent event in Abuja marking his 65th birthday, PETROAN…