Author: Preye Okah

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has said that his reforms at the PAP were aimed at developing the people of the Niger Delta for a better future. He explained that this formed part of his resolve to add value to the programme beyond the N65,000 monthly stipends paid to the ex-agitators. A statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, said that Otuaro spoke at a closed-door meeting in Yenagoa on Saturday with the leaders of ex-agitators from Bayelsa State led by His Royal Highness, Selky Kile Torughedi alias General Young Shall Grow,…

Operatives of the Operation Puff Adder Unit of Bayelsa Police Command led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo have rescued two staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) kidnapped on last Friday on a river as they travelled to Ayakoro community, in Ogbia Local Government Area. Ayakoro is the hometown of the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku. The rescued staff are Akari Loveday, the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to the NDDC MD, and his brother, Emmanuel Nathan Ogbuku. Police sources said the rescue was done with pressure mounted by the tactical team of the Operation Puff Adder, the Drone…

Search for Common Ground (SFCG), an international peacebuilding organization, has launched a series of training programs in the Niger Delta aimed at reducing conflict and violence. Funded by the European Union, these initiatives focus on empowering youth leaders and security agents with the skills and knowledge necessary to promote peaceful coexistence and human rights. A capacity-strengthening training program for youth leaders recently commenced in Port Harcourt. This programme, part of SFCG’s “A Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta” project, equips young people from Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States with conflict transformation and non-adversarial engagement skills.…

Bayelsa State is preparing to celebrate Governor Douye Diri’s five years in office with a series of project commissioning and groundbreaking ceremonies. Information Commissioner Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai announced a comprehensive program including 17 projects and three groundbreaking events. “Other projects are Okaka road opposite Prosco, Dialysis Centre, General Out Patients Hospital, Zipline drone services, Onuebum/Otuoke road, Stadium ground breaking. “Empowerment of 3000 youths, new Yenagoa City, commissioning of Legislative Quarters, NLC and TUC House, Opolo road, Phase 1, ground breaking of nine story building state Secretariat. “Others are Sagbama Ekeromor road, Agge Sea Port and road, ICT village, Commissioners quarters, amongst…

A researcher at the University of Africa Toru-Orua has developed a prototype BioGas plant that converts waste into methane gas for cooking. The project, funded by the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (BYEDTF), offers a potential solution to waste management and the rising cost of cooking gas. Dr. Faith Ogbole demonstrated the plant’s functionality, explaining that it utilizes various waste materials, including plantain peels, animal dung, and grasses. The gas produced is purified and can be used for cooking. Ogbole highlighted the project’s potential for job creation and environmental improvement. BYEDTF officials, including Acting Chairman Prof. Francis Sikoki, visited…

Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, initiated the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a proposed 60 MW power plant in Elebele. Governor Douye Diri has stated that the project will end the state’s reliance on the national grid and provide uninterrupted power supply. The Director of Operations of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd, Steve Bubagha Jnr., led the Minister of Environment’s team to the project site. He explained that the “Plug and Play” gas turbine will utilize gas feed from the Oando gas manifold and is expected to be operational within two years. The…

Leaders of the Ogbia Kingdom have expressed their support for Dr. Sam Ogbuku as Managing Director of the NDDC and appealed to aggrieved groups to embrace dialogue instead of protests. The Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, HRM King Dumaro Charles-Owaba, and the Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr. Azibalaguo Seibofa, commended the appointment and thanked the people of the nine NDDC states for their support. The Ogbia leaders highlighted the historical neglect of the kingdom despite its significant contributions to the nation’s oil and gas wealth. They appealed for understanding and support for Ogbuku, emphasizing the kingdom’s history of supporting…

…pledges FG commitment to revitalizing all critical infrastructure in N/Delta The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri has expressed dissatisfaction over the abandonment of the Brass Modern Refinery project in Bayelsa State.The Minister, who visited the site of the refinery on Wednesday, said, “It is unacceptable that such a strategic project has been left in this state for so long.“The Federal Government remains committed to ensuring that critical oil and gas infrastructure, like the Brass Refinery, is completed to create jobs and drive economic growth in the region.“I sincerely commend the people of Brass for their patience…

As Search for Common Ground, an International Non Governmental Organizations (SEARCH) sets to wind up in the Niger Delta, it has revealed that through its peaceful intervention in the region, illegal oil bunkering has reduced giving way for improved crude oil returns for Nigeria. Making the revelation in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Sunny Dada, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator of SEARCH, said the group was able to achieve that because it located communities that were into illegal oil bunkering. He also applauded the effort of security agencies who he said contributed to the success story. Dada spoke at…

As Search for Common Ground, an International Non Governmental Organizations (SEARCH) sets to wind up in the Niger Delta, it has revealed that through its peaceful intervention in the region, illegal oil bunkering has reduced giving way for improved crude oil returns for Nigeria. Making the revelation in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Sunny Dada, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator of SEARCH, said the group was able to achieve that because it located communities that into illegal oil bunkering. He also applauded the effort of security agencies who he said contributed to the success story. Dada spoke at the…