News
NSE Tasks NDDC On Capacity Building
Omoku branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has
been inaugurated with a charge on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
to take capacity building as its priority and ensure sustainable development of
the Niger Delta region.
At the ceremony which took place at Omoku, headquarters of
Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State last weekend, the
Executive General Manager, Corporate Services of Total Exploration and
Production, Engr. Vincent Nnadi underscored the need for NDDC to concentrate on
sustainable development of the Niger Delta region as the main trust of its
establishment.
Delivering a paper titled “Repositioning Niger Delta Youths
Towards Engineering Education”, Engineer Nnadi said it was more important for
NDDC and other stakeholders to build the people’s capacity to enable them key
into the main task of developing the region which is the trust of the
commission.
“I am calling on NDDC to concentrate on the vision for
sustainable development and to do this, I think it is more important to build
the capacity of the people. NDDC has the means to cause a change in the
direction of the youths. They should partner with professional bodies like the
NSE to build corps of engineers for the Niger Delta, Nnadi said.
Nnadi, who was speaking at the inauguration of the
branch/investiture of Engr. George Okoroma as the pioneer chairman of the Omoku
branch stressed the need to create an enabling environment that would empower
Niger Delta youths to take control of their wealth through positive
participation in the affairs of the region.
In his speech, the Managing Director of Total Upstream
companies in Nigeria, Mr. Guy Maurice, represented by Engr. Anthony Abolarin
described the Omoku branch as a ‘petroleum branch’ with 99 per cent engineering
activities.
According to him, Omoku is at the centre of gravity of oil
industry and the highest producer of oil and gas in Nigeria with a group of
engineers capable of turning around the activities of the society.
Also speaking, the President of NSE, Engr. Mustafa Shehu
charged the new branch to always organise research programmes, workshops,
seminars as a way of keeping its members abreast of new development in their
profession, reiterating his administration’s determination to take the society
to a higher level.
In his remarks, the Port Harcourt branch chairman of NSE, Engr Denis Dania commended the Omoku
branch chairman, Engr. George Okoroma and his team for their landmark
achievement as a branch and promised to support them to grow.
In his acceptance speech, the Omoku branch chairman Engr.
George Okoroma pledges the determination of the branch to keep the society’s
flag flying in the area and thanked the national body for approving the
establishment of the branch.
Highlights of the occasion were the administration of oaths
of office on the pioneer executive council of the branch and the commissioning
of its secretariat situated at Royal Fortress Hotel, Omoku.
Shedie Okpara
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
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
News
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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