Author: nationalpoint

“ Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have…

There is tremendous hunger in Rivers State for an end to the bellicose and toxic politics. Media headlines about the state are frequently about political assassinations, beheadings and inconclusive elections due to widespread violence. As Nigeria’s oil and gas metropolis, Rivers State suffers unique consequences when our social and political spaces are dominated by swaggering thugs and other merchants of violence baying for blood in the streets. As a former Commissioner for Information in the State, I know, I have heard business leaders silently agonize about how to conduct business in a once-peaceful state now trapped in a circle of…

In the 1970s & 1980s, a politician, a military officer, a police officer, a pastor, a cleric, a school teacher, a university lecturer, a school administrator, a civil servant, a company worker, a corporate executive, a businessman, a trader, an artisan, a professional – doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, etc, a parent, a student, a child won’t and never dreamt of the kind of material acquisitions his counterpart has today nor got involved in the kind of destructive inordinate greed of today and never lived above their means. Nigeria has not failed. We Nigerians are the ones who have failed Nigeria…

Where did the sobriquet or title “godfather” come from? I have a lot of godchildren and I love the movie. That is my number one movie in the world. I believe the greatest movie ever made- ‘the godfather’. I watch it the way you read news and the way you read a newspaper. For me, it is like a duty. There is a combination of that somewhere along the line. I have a lot of godchildren. And the last I counted, it was 32. My first godchild is in the UK now. She’s doing her PhD in Engineering and the…

With its unique position as a major food producing community, one would expect Uwheru kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State to have certain facilities to support its business of feeding millions in the state and beyond. A survey of the community, however clearly shows a picture of neglect and abandonment, with very little development when compared with the important role the place plays in feeding the teeming populace in the region and elsewhere. Founded centuries ago at about 1102 AD, Uwheru kingdom is made up of different communities and villages which include Orhoro, Erovie, Agadama, Urede,…

As incidents of land grabbing continue to rise in Benin City, the palace of the Oba of Benin has condemned the practice following complaints from various affected persons, which come to the palace on daily basis. The palace condemnation came through the Benin Traditional Council public announcement read out to the press on the directives of the Oba, Ewuare II, represented by Chief Henry Osato Bazuaye, the Aiwerioghene of Benin kingdom. The palace said the public announcement is to clarify the issue surrounding the recent incident at Ukhiri village in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. He said land…

The Bible says in the book of Proverbs, that” the counsels of a King is a second mother to a child.” As some aggrieved leaders of O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC) have agreed to sheath their sword following a peace process initiated by the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II to resolve the misunderstanding that led to the division among the socio-cultural group. Following the intervention of the Oba of Benin leaders of the two warring factions have arrived at a consensus. The leaders of the two factions led by its presidents, Aare Prince Osibote and Otunba Wasiu Afolabi had met separately…

A resurgence of a cult war arising from rivalry between Aiye and Eiye confraternities which in the past had claimed nearly 50 lives in Benin City, has claimed two more lives within 72 hours. Information available revealed that, one of the victims, 40-year-old Taiwo Edigie, was reportedly killed Thursday, 25 August, 2022 at Oho Street in the Uselu axis of the town. It was discovered that the head of the victim was severed, and dropped at a different location from where the body was found by the police. The other victim whose identity was yet to be verified as at…

The conference hall of the Legacy Center, secretariat of the Center for Human Rights and Development, CEHRD, Port Harcourt, came alive, Thursday, August 25, 2022, as environmentalists, human rights activists, academics, media and other professionals gathered at the instance of the Civil Liberties Organization, CLO to celebrate the second anniversary of the demise of a worthy colleague, journalist and activist, Patrick Naagbanton who departed two years ago. Declaring the gathering open, chairperson of the occasion Chief Constance Meju, chairman CEHRD and managing editor National Point Newspaper commended CLO for choosing Patrick’s birthday for honour. She said the late activist touched…

Delta State Government (DTSG) has said it was ready to collaborate with agencies and non-governmental organizations committed to assisting to kick out COVID-19 and other deadly diseases from the state. Delta State epidemiologist, Dr. Richard Ikwuogu, stated this when the state team responsible for implementing COVID-19 Response Mechanism and Resilient and Sustainable System for Health Strengthening and Community Strengthening System (C19/RSSH-CSS), led by Pastor Greg Sifo, paid an advocacy visit to his office. Dr. Ikwuogu appreciated the advocacy visit, saying it was timely, while thanking them for the significant activities they had embarked upon within the short period in helping…