Author: nationalpoint

During the national commemoration of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024 in Abuja, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), in partnership with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Nigeria) and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD), launched the Guidelines for the Localization of Nigeria’s National Action Plan (NAP) on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and supporting resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Developed by GNWP and WANEP-Nigeria, with support from Global Affairs Canada’s Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOP), the Guidelines are a step-by-step tool for Nigerian state and…

In a recent press briefing, Pastor GoodLife Ben, chairman of Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, refuted claims of any local government council uncovering ghost workers within the state. Addressing reporters in his office, Pastor Ben emphasized that only the commission holds the statutory authority to dismiss and discipline local government employees for misconduct. He stated that the commission has not received any communication from any local government area regarding the discovery of ghost workers. Emohua Local Government Area has been in the news over non-payment of staff dubbed ‘ghost workers’ and attempts to deny confirmed staff opportunity for promotion…

Worried over the incessant cases of pollution and the accompanying negative impact on communities in the Niger Delta, a rights advocate group, PILEX Center has embarked on a health, social and environmental impact of unchecked pollution in three communities in Rivers State. According to the coordinator of the center, Courage Nsirimovu the outcome of the investigation will serve as a “veritable tool for advocacy and litigations where necessary in view of securing justice for impacted communities and setting a new standard for future engagement” Giving rationale for the exercise, he stated: “For over 70 years, SHELL, TOTAL AGIP and other…

As the Ogoni clean-up reaches the advanced stage of shoreline clean-up and mangrove planting, the coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, Prof Neeniibari Zabbey has tasked Ogoni youths to stay clear of illegal bunkering as that could hamper the on-going exercise in the area. Prof Zabbey made the call at the HYPREP first quarter interactive session with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The HYPREP boss while delivering his opening remark, condemned in totality, the activities of some disgruntled elements among the youths, noting that such illegal bunkering activities could hinder the progress of the…

Since the beginning of the political quagmire in Rivers State which saw the unsuccessful impeachment attempt by a section of the Rivers State House of Assembly, down to the dispute over the speakership of the house; the declaration of the seats of some lawmakers vacant, and series of midnight sittings by some of the lawmakers; the Rivers State House of Assembly has been the epicentre of the political crisis in the state. In what has seemed like a vendetta move, this present assembly whose membership is largely constituted by members of the previous assembly, has proposed and passed bills to…

In recent political discourse, Rivers State’s governance landscape has been defined by a series of headlines, each capturing the intricate dynamics at play. From Punch Newspapers’ “Secondus, PDP campaign council back Fubara,…” to Channels Television’s “Rivers Reps Member Declares Support For Fubara.” Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s influence continues to gather party consolidation and people’s mass support. Traditional institutions add weight to Fubara’s support, as seen in Channels Television’s “Rivers Traditional Council Pledges Support For (Fubara),” showcasing the fusion of political and traditional spheres. However, amid Fubara’s ascent, warning signs emerge. “Wike Gets Final Warning As Atiku’s Men, throw support for Fubara,”…

Dear secondary school teachers and school owners, please, help the students and the public by ensuring that students in your schools write examinations by themselves and merit the grades they brandish on their SSCE results. We are tired of seeing students with A1 in Mathematics but cannot solve the smallest of fractions. A student with distinctions in Physics and Chemistry but knows next to nothing about chemical reactions or energy conversion. Students with distinctions in Literature, Government, and CRS, yet blank on the differences between Drama and Prose Fiction, the forms of Government, and the significance of Religious stories. I…

Criminals (land grabbers and armed cultists) who claimed to be empowered by top security personnel and the governor of Rivers State, including first-class traditional rulers, to carry out land grabbing have illegally demolished the house I built on a plot of land I bought in 2016 at Umuazu Imeh, Igboetche in Etche Local Government Area in Rivers State. The land has been affected by no court case or communal clash since the day I bought it until today. During chatting before buying the land, it was confirmed by the state housing authority that the land is not government-owned but is…

The tragedy of leadership in Nigeria is that it never acts in the interest of the people until something disastrous or serious violence erupts. A government’s duty is to protect the welfare of its people and for that reason, its actions are focussed on collective actions with the single goal of improving lives through provision of amenities, developing right policies and watching out for anything that runs contrary to its goals. For Nigeria, the story is different. Even when the people cry and die, our duty bearers would rather opt to protect their personal goals which in most instances, tramples…

HYPREP participated in the just concluded Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria 17th National Council on Environment themed, “Environment Financing: Need to mobilize more financial inflows for generating adequate resources in support of Environmental Sustainability Effort”. According to the project director of HYPREP, Prof Nenubarini Zabbey, it was an opportunity to showcase the agency’s mangrove re-vegetation effort aimed at environmental mitigation. “We jumped on the opportunity and showcased the effort HYPREP is contributing to mitigate climate change especially with the mangrove re-vegetation projects ongoing in Ogoniland under the UN Environment Programme.”