Author: Preye Okah

The National President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof Benjamin Okaba, has warned against attempts to frustrate the government of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. Okaba, who gave the warning in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State when a delegation of Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress (RIPC) led by Senator George Sekibo, visited him at Ijaw House, said Fubara was the undisputed Governor of Rivers State. He warned that the political crisis in the state could further degenerate if not properly handled, regretting that Ijaws were divided in the feud between the Rivers State Governor and his predecessor now Minister of the FCT,…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Edo State to capture qualified voters that are not on the voters’ register against the forthcoming election in the state. The commission said the registration would last for 10 days commencing from May 27 to June 5, 2024. The National Electoral Commissioner in charge of Edo State, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the commission’s head office in Benin. The National Commissioner whose speech was read by Dr. Anugum Onuoha, Edo State Residential Electoral Commissioner, said the exercise…

The Swedish government has resolved to return 39 pieces of Benin artifacts in her museum to the custody of Oba of Benin, Ewuara II. The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency Annika Hahn-Englund, conveyed the Swedish government’s decision when she paid a courtesy visit to Oba of Benin Palace in Benin City, Edo State. Ambassador Hahn-Englund informed the royal father that Sweden and Nigeria, which is Sweden’s second largest market in Sub-Sahara Africa, are trading partners in infrastructure, telecommunication, energy and other businesses that supported the economies significantly. The Swedish envoy, said, “I would like to mention that with cooperation,…

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has said he would institute a panel of inquiry to investigate how the affairs of governance were conducted in the state before he assumed office. The governor gave the hint when he swore in Mr. Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State at Government House in Port Harcourt. Fubara said Iboroma was coming on board at a critical time that there were lots of legal matters, that needed to be tackled, with bravery. He said, “Why are we bringing you at this very critical time? We have…

The National President of Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, has said that the Niger Delta Region has never been handed anything freely, arguing that all that the region has got have been fought for through enduring agitations. Speaking in Yenagoa at the celebration of the 56th memorial death of late Ijaw hero, Isaac Adaka Boro, Prof Okaba, threatened that the Ijaw would exit Nigeria out of frustration if they continued to fight for the things they rightfully deserved. He also warned that the governorship of Siminalayi Fubara in Rivers State should not be tampered with. “We fought to have…

Bayelsans have pleaded with the prosperity government of Governor Douye Diri to as a matter of urgency, provide potable water for her citizens. They made the plea recently, when members of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists went round Yenagoa metropolis to feel the pulse of the people. The Douye Diri administration had governed for four years without providing potable water for Yenagoa residents but in his second term inauguration speech, hinted that he will provide potable water for Bayelsans. Diri said: “Pivotal in our second tenure will be to address potable water distribution challenges via…

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and his deputy held differing opinions on the conduct of the last local government election in the state. While the governor commended the entire process, his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewrudjakpo, said election materials and personnel arrived late in his area. Diri commended Bayelsans, especially those in Kolokuma/Opokuma, his local government area, for coming out to vote in the local government election, and conducting themselves peacefully. The governor also commended the State Independent Electoral Commission for having a firm control of the processes across the state. Speaking to journalists at his Kalamaoweiwari Unit 4 Ward…

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Tuesday called on the military to continue with their painstaking investigation to unravel the killers of the 17 soldiers in Okuama Community in Delta State as well as their sponsors. He assured that all those involved in the dastardly act must be brought to book to face the full wrath of the law. Governor Diri who just visited Igbomotoru Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area to see the aftermath of the military invasion of the community, was visiting one month after the military invaded the riverine community on March 17. Addressing the…

The Bayelsa State’s eight local government chairmen and their vice chairmen, Monday April 15, received their certificates of return after their recent elections. The Bayelsa State local government election was conducted on April 6, 2024 with the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, winning all the seats. The PDP also clinched all the councillorship positions in the state’s 105 wards. The names of the incoming local government chairmen are, Bulodisiye Ndiwari, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Febo Lucky, Brass Local Government Area, and Golden Jeremiah, Ogbia Local Government Area. Others are, David Alagoa (the immediate past commissioner for Agriculture and…

The girl in question is very healthy now and she is moving around the community without any problem. Since the Koripamo tradition was performed on her, she has been very healthy, said Dominic Mathias.” Those were the words of Mathias, the Community Development Chairman of Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. News had broken out on the 26th of December 2023, concerning a four year old girl, allegedly married out to a 54-year-old man in a community called Akeddei. An uproar ensued. Many were aghast at the thought and frowned at it. How can a four…