Author: nationalpoint

The Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action), a human and environmental rights organisation, has called for an urgent investigation into the October 15 gas pipeline explosion in Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, and appropriate remedies for affected residents. The explosion reportedly caused injuries and extensive damage to residential buildings, businesses, vehicles, shops and other property. In a statement made available to this publication on October 22, 2026, the organisation said its visits to the community on October 16 and 18 revealed the extent of the destruction and raised serious questions about the handling of an alleged…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has honoured the late pioneer Chairman of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, Chief Albert Horsfall, with a friendly football match in recognition of his contributions to the development of the Niger Delta region and his passion for sports. The NDDC All-Stars team played the match at Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt, bringing together members of the late Horsfall’s family and friends to celebrate his life, legacy, and love for football. The late AK Horsfall’s daughter, Soibi Godwin-Clark, and the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs Department, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, took the kick-off…

Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD) has called for an urgent scientific investigation into renewed earth tremors reported in communities in Bayelsa and Rivers states, following accounts of shaking buildings, damaged property and widespread panic among residents. The environmental organisation made the call after conducting a field investigation into ground vibrations experienced on Thursday, October 8, in communities across Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. ECARD’s field team, led by Emmanuel Ezue and Alagoa Morris, visited Kalaba and Ikarama in Bayelsa, as well as Mbiama and Iluma in Rivers,…

A fire outbreak has destroyed several makeshift shops and goods worth millions of naira at the popular Creek Road Market in Old Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State. The fire, which occurred along the Bende Street axis of the market, reportedly razed several structures and left many traders counting their losses. The incident has renewed calls by traders for the Rivers State Government to fast-track the reconstruction of the market to provide safer and more durable trading facilities. Speaking with our correspondent, some of the affected traders said the fire destroyed goods and properties worth millions of naira. According to them,…

Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, has approved the immediate upgrade of Community Secondary School, Agbonchia, in Eleme Local Government Area, from a junior to a senior secondary school. Nwagor also directed the deployment of teachers to the school to strengthen teaching and learning. The Commissioner announced the approval on Thursday, September 24, 2026, during an official visit to the school following an invitation by the Oneh-Eh-Eta of Agbonchia Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Emere Joseph Ngeto. He commended the traditional ruler and people of Agbonchia for their commitment to providing educational opportunities for children and youths in the…

The Rivers State Government has cancelled the Independence Day parade scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2026. The government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Dagogo S. A. Wokoma, said the decision was in line with the approach adopted by the Federal Government for this year’s national celebration. According to the statement, the anniversary will instead be observed in a “modest and purposeful manner,” reflecting the solemnity of the occasion and the shared responsibility of building a stronger Nigeria. The state government felicitated with the people of Rivers State and…

It is happening again. Under President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians are facing an increasingly repressive political and legal environment. Like the Muhammadu Buhari government before it, the Tinubu administration is making an utter mockery of Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. There is something deeply troubling about a country in which the security agency created to protect the state and its people increasingly finds itself in court seeking to restrain citizens from speaking, organising and criticising those in power. Nigeria has been here before. But under Tinubu, threats, harassment and intimidation of…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called for stronger and more sustainable partnerships among stakeholders as part of efforts to accelerate development across the Niger Delta region. The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, made the call at the 2026 Partners for Sustainable Development Conference held in Port Harcourt under the theme, “Synergy for Transformation.” The two-day conference, which took place on September 22 and 23 at J’s Signature Hotel, GRA Phase 3, and the Obi Wali Cultural Centre, Port Harcourt, brought together government officials, development partners, private-sector representatives, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, academics and other…

Weekenders Magazine Publisher Calls for Urgent Verification to Protect Women and Girls The Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Weekenders Magazine, Princess Joy Omagha Idam, has charged the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, to urgently launch an investigation into claims that some sanitary pads may contain harmful chemicals. Princess Idam said the issue should not be treated as mere speculation, considering the millions of women and girls who use sanitary pads regularly. She stressed that Nigerians deserve clear scientific answers from the agency responsible for regulating the safety of products consumed…

At the Tripartite Book Launch and Award Ceremony in Yenagoa, the Chairman of the Occasion, Senior High Chief (Hon.) Dr. Kingsley Kemebradigha Kuku, Esq., Agbagbatuwa Puoye (Mighty Rock) of Arogbo Kingdom, delivered a thought-provoking lecture on the historical, cultural, and oral traditions surrounding the ancestral roots and ethnogenesis of the Ijaw nation. In his presentation, he explored the enduring traditions connecting Oru, also remembered in some traditions as Horu or Tobu-Otu, with the emergence and historical development of the Ijo/Izon people. He emphasized that the assertion that “Ijo are Oru” should primarily be understood within the context of ancestry, ethnogenesis,…