Author: nationalpoint

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,…

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has charged lawyers to rise above professional and establishment interests and defend the rights of citizens, constitutional democracy and the rule of law. Fubara gave the charge on at the ongoing 2026 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, with the theme, “Beyond Limits.” The Governor urged legal professionals not to become mere apologists or conformists, particularly when political power attempts to overreach the Constitution and established democratic principles. He said the legal profession had a critical responsibility to prevent the abuse of power, protect fundamental rights and ensure…

BEYOND POLITICS: SUSTAINING TANTITA FOR INCREASED OIL PRODUCTION, JOB CREATION AND PEACE IN THE NIGER DELTA*Why TANTITA Must Remain: Fragmenting Pipeline Security Would Jeopardise Gains in Oil Output, Revenue and Regional StabilityBy Alaowei Oyeinfie E. Jonjon, PhD The Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s economic survival, energy security, and national revenue generation. For decades, however, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining, insecurity, and environmental degradation have constrained the country’s ability to realise the full value of its petroleum resources. Against this backdrop, the emergence of Tantita Security Services Limited — TSSL — as a principal indigenous participant in the…

The Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership has condemned the alleged sack of over 21,000 local government workers in Rivers State, describing the development as “penny wise, pounds foolish.” The group, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, C.C.E. Obujunwo, alleged that the workers were sacked to enable the 23 local government areas generate funds ahead of the 2027 general elections. It claimed that the decision was based on the outcome of a biometric exercise conducted by the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, headed by Israel Amadi. According to the group, the sack was concluded on August 19,…