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Central Naval Headquarters Gets Quit Notice
The Josephus Family of Agudama-Epie has given authorities of the Naval Central Command Headquarters, Yenagoa 14 days to quit Camp Porbeni, situated along Mbama/Yenagoa Road, which they claimed belongs to them or in alternative enter direct negotiation with the family.
Camp Porbeni serves as temporary residential and operational headquarters of the newly created Central Naval Command.
The large expanse of land was developed by Konaliz Investments Nigeria Limited, a firm of land developers owned by Retired Rear Admiral festus Probeni,who at a time had servede as Minister for transport.
The landowners are threatening to seek legal means to enforce their ownership right over the choice parcel of land, since according to them, Konaliz Investments (Nigeria) Limited has failed to meet with them to settle the matter.
But former Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni (rtd.),when contacted in a telephone interview, asserted his ownership of the land, saying he has a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), a deed of conveyance duly signed by the landowners and a survey map of the parcel of land.
Porbeni declared that “if they go to court, it will be best for me asking “why it is only now that the Josephus family is seeking such action when I entered into the land since 1995”.
The retired Rear Admiral disclosed that he had once arrested Hon. Abila Josephus who was selling his land behind Camp Porbeni and each time, he behaved as if he was mad, was promptly released.
According to him, Abila was afraid of losing all the land he had illegally sold to people hence he was threatening such action, stressing that as an elder statesman, he will continue to pursue the path of peace.
Probeni also said in view of the development, he will formally inform the Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Secretary to the State Government and the Central Naval Command over the activities of Abila.
Already, the Josephus family had written to Konaliz Investment (Nigeria) Limited alleging forceful occupation of the site now called Camp Porbeni, arrest and intimidation by both the police and JTF and staff of the company.
The letter dated 31st May, 2010 written by a legal counsel, Chief F. D. Lott & Co and signed by one Barrister Emmanuel E. Ilenreh said men of the JTF ordered one of their client’s, Abila Smith Josephus to sign an undertaking that he was living on a part of the land.
The family also accused Konaliz and Admiralty Fleet, another company owned by Porbeni, of constructing some buildings on the disputed land, “thus manifestly continuing the act of wrongful occupation and/or continuing trespass”.
In the latest development, the Josephus family has written a reminder and issued a 14-day notice to commence legal proceedings to enforce their right of ownership over the land describing Porbeni’s action as wrongful and forceful eviction of their family members from the land.
The letter signed by another counsel, Chief Walter Akeni said unless the company entered into negotiation with them over the land, they would go to court “to assert our legal right of our entitlement to our land wherein Camp Porbeni is situate and the adjoining lands.”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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