Author: National Point Newspaper

Divestment is another historic junction in the story of Niger Deltans as a people, building on a long stretch of historic injustice which is finally exposing the guilty (represented by the international oil corporations, IOCs), now trying to escape the long arm of justice. This was the view posed by a respected legal practitioner and environmentalist, Hon. Iniro Wills at a roundtable organized by Environmental Rights Action ERA and Friends of the Earth in Port Harcourt for Civil Society Organizations and the media to understand the deceit behind the ongoing pulling out of multinational oil companies from onshore exploration in…

The Federal Government has been faulted for implementing a divesting process for oil multi-nationals without putting in place a policy framework thus, giving room for IOCs to run away from cleaning up the huge mess created in the Niger Delta. Ken Henshaw, executive director of We the People, a non-governmental organization based in Port Harcourt raised this concern at a roundtable organized by ERA April 25, 2022 at Visa Karena Hotel, Port Harcourt for civil society activists and the media on understanding the lies behind onshore divestment. The activist decried the failure of the Nigerian government to plan for a…

More than three weeks after more than 31 people were trampled to death at the Port Harcourt Polo Club gate, the official reports on the incident are yet to be released. The 31 deceased persons were among hundreds of people caught in an early morning stampede at the gate of the Polo Club as they tried to gain entry to the premises to participate in Shop-for-Free, the distribution of free food items provided by Kings Assembly, a Christian organization on May 28, 2022. The Rivers State Police public relations officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, told National Point that the police would release…

As the political parties scout for vice presidential candidates for their flag-bearers, the Peoples’ Democratic Party candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar has been advised to pick a female candidate to win over the Nigerian women voters who constitute a larger segment of voters in the country. A young activist Ijoma Peter Obi in a letter sent to the PDP presidential flag-bearer and copied to some PDP chieftains-Dr. Ayu Iyorchia, national chairman of the PDP, the Atiku Campaign Organization, Senator Dino Melaye, the PDP publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Osita Chidoka-former Aviation minister and Dr. El Mo Victor, national coordinator Atiku Support Organization,…

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF THE SOUTHERN AND MIDDLE BELT LEADERS’ FORUM, HELD IN ABUJA, ON THURSDAY, 19TH MAY, 2022A Meeting of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) was held on Thursday, 19th May 2022, in Abuja under the Chairmanship of the Leader and Elder Statesman, Chief Dr. E. K. Clark, OFR, CON. 2. Delegations of the constituent Organisations of SMBLF were respectively led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of Afenifere (South West); Professor George Obiozor, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide (South East); His Excellency, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (Rtd.), Leader and Dr. Pogu Bitrus,…

In spite of the heavy down pour that characterized the day, the foremost privately owned Maritime Institute in Nigeria, Charkin Maritime Academy, went ahead and concluded its first matriculation and induction ceremony of Cadets Regiment for 2021/2022 Sessions. The event held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at the Academy Main Campus, Kilometer 4 East-West Road, Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, was graced by many personalities, which included; the first military administrator of old Rivers State, and chairman, Governing Board of the Academy, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff; HRM, Eze Orlu Oriebe, Nyenwe-Eli Akpor Kingdom, HRH, Eze Amadi Weli of Choba Clan; Hon. Ken…

Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has urged all tiers of government and other critical stakeholders in the health industry in the country to channel more investments into developing human resources to effectively drive the sector. Receiving a high-powered delegation from the UNICEF Nigeria country office led by its chief of health, Edwardo Celadis in Yenagoa, the deputy governor expressed excitement at the commitment being displayed by UNICEF over its memorandum of understanding (MoU) on primary healthcare with the Bayelsa State government. He said Bayelsa was ready to make available its counterpart funds for the implementation of the MoU. Ewhrudjakpo…

The Bayelsa State chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Dennis Otiotio has revealed that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was not a registered and card carrying member of APC, Bayelsa state chapter. Reacting to the latest development on Jonathan’s marriage with APC, the Bayelsa state APC chairman said” Good luck Jonathan is for now, not a registered member of APC but “as a citizen of this country, he has the right to join any political party of his choice”. He said the former president is welcome to join the party. “For you to be a member of APC, they will issue you…

The Pan Niger Pan Niger Delta forum, has berated the decision of the People’s Democratic Party for throwing open their 2023 presidential position thereby jettisoning zoning. In a statement signed recently by her National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, PANDEF described as unfortunate, the decision of the national executive committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to uphold the Governor Ortom Committee’s recommendation to throw open the contest for the party’s 2023 presidential ticket. The statement read in part, “By this decision, the PDP has simply dug its own grave. Sadly, this is a party whose constitution unequivocally commits to the…

Niger Delta states of Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Edo states are among eight states that will experience high tidal surge as the rains intensify this year, the Federal Government has warned. And this year’s flooding could affect 20 million people and damage property worth $80 million (about N40 billion), according to the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMET) The minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, who gave the warning at the unveiling of the unveiling of the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook, said the outlook also indicated that high flooding will occur in 233 local government areas of 32 states…