Author: Loraine Emenike

Rivers State Government has restated its readiness to diversify the economy of the state from oil to Agriculture at the local government level. The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, disclosed this during a meeting on implementation of RAAMP in Ikwerre Local Government Area. Ogolo said the programme would create agricultural industrial hubs in the 23 local government areas, and urged the people to embrace the project. Meanwhile, rural farmers and other stakeholders in the state have commended the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Retd) for approving the implementation of Rural Access…

Stakeholders from oil and gas host communities have been urged to demand Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) from multinational companies before any exploration or production activity begins in their areas. This call was made during a one-day capacity-building workshop on “Divestment and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation”, organized by the OLEIGH Center for Community Development, a non-governmental organization, in collaboration with Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN). Mr. Henry Eferigbo, Executive Director of OLEIGH, emphasized that communities have a legal and moral right to insist on EIAs from companies seeking to operate in their environment. He noted that many oil-bearing areas across the…

Women from Polobubou community in Delta State cries out for the provision of drinkable clean water. Access to drinkable clean water by locals has been a challenge for decades. The people are plagued by adverse degradation of their ecosystem that was occasioned by oil exploration activities of multinationals operating in their community. For this reason, locals cannot access drinkable clean water. Polobubou is an Ijaw community located in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. It’s a four hours by boat from Warri municipal jetty. The community hosts multinational companies like Chevron Nigeria Limited, SPDC, CONOIL NIG. LTD, SAHARA…

A wildlife veteran hunter, Elder Ahmewhule Solomon, has called for the mitigation of the sales of forest lands in Rivers State to encourage the return of wildlife to the forests. The 66-year-old hunter said incessant sale of forested lands by indigenes and the absence of proper town planning for modern day development were inimical to forestation. Omagwa community in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State is the host of the Port Harcourt International Airport and a hub for the sale of hunted wildlife to hoteliers and restauranteurs. There are also clusters of hangouts, hotels and restaurants where wildlife meat…

In commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, senior secondary School girls at Community Secondary School Aluu (CSS Aluu) in Rivers State have called for increased mentorship from successful female science and technology professionals. The girls said mentorship was crucial to address the persistent gender imbalance in Science Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM) fields. Miss Nyewem Precious, a fifth-year science student, highlighted the belief that science and technology are ‘masculine’ domains, contributing to fewer girls pursuing these subjects. She noted that even those who initially chose science often switched to arts disciplines in higher education…

Traders in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the government and intervention bodies for support to rebuild the market and help them restart their businesses destroyed by the fire outbreak of Sunday 27, October 2024. Our reporter who visited the site of the fire, reports that owners of affected shops claimed that the fire started from the shop of a co-business operator who is involved in magical acts. Mr. Samuel Arindu, who sells mattresses, foot mats, rugs and other household items, said he received a call from a strange number that his shop was on…

Staff of Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State were tear-gassed by policemen on Monday shortly after they were addressed by the chairman of the council. Ikwerre local government was in the news recently when part of its administrative building was set ablaze by suspected political arsonists. The invading policemen however sent packing the workers, who were returning to work for the first time in about a month since the secretariat was attacked. One of the staff that spoke to National Point, Chioma Mpi, said the Chairman of the council had instructed staff of the council via heads of council departments…

Media experts have charged journalists to hold political and other public office holders to account by using relevant tools like the Freedom of Information Act and fact-checking to gather information needed to aid accurate reportage. The charge was given during a two-day media capacity building workshop held in Port Harcourt, organized by the International Press Center in partnership with the European Union. The workshop focus was on credible elections and democratic governance with emphasis on combating information disorder. Forty practising journalists drawn from the South-south and South-East regions participated in training. Executive director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said the media training is geared towards adequately…

National President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Otumba Francis Meshioye, has called on the Rivers and Bayelsa state governmens to institute a more effective and efficient consultative mechanism with the business body to ensure the sustenance of existing manufacturing companies. He made the call while delivering an address at the two-day 39th Annual General Meeting and exhibition by MAN, held at the ARK Event Center in Port Harcourt. Otumba Meshioye, who was in Port Harcourt for the first time after his emergence as MAN national president, said it is imperative for state governments to understand and appreciate the contribution of…

Oil Host Communities in Niger Delta and some Civil Society Organisations in the region have dragged the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to court over the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.et B.SThis came as the oil-producing areas in the region expressed regrets with their representatives at the National Assembly, stating that the NASS representatives from their region failed the people by allowing the Petroleum Industry Bill to scale through. Groups from the region have consistently rejected sections of the PIA, insisting that the bill is more tilted towards making operations easier for oil…