News
Motorists Lament State Of East-west Road
The flood ravaging the entire Niger Delta region has cut-off
the East/West Road, at Umeh junction, near Patani in Delta State.
Vehicles coming from Lagos and other parts of the country
into the region have been diverted to Asaba through Onitsha.
This situation has increased transport fares by over hundred
percent.
The Tide gathered that since Friday, some travelers have
been stranded and their vehicles submerged. Rising to the challenge, the
Bayelsa State Government has established three centres to resettle those who
were affected by the flood.
All the residents of Biseni, Okordia Zarama communities
which were submerged a week ago, have been evacuated to the Sports Complex in
Yenagoa, while those from Odi and Sagbama are moved to Kaiama.
Governor Seriake Dickson, who announced this during his
transparency briefing on Friday, said that in addition to this, a committee
headed by the deputy governor has been set up to work out modalities to cushion
the effects of the disaster.
The committee has commissioners for health, agriculture,
environment, education and the chairmen of the eight local government councils
of the state as members.
Dickson however, appealed to Federal Government to come to
the aid of the state, so that the sufferings of the people could be minimised.
Meanwhile, more communities in Ahoada West and Ogba/Egbema
Local Government Areas have fallen victims to the surging flood which so far
has no solution.
The oil towns of Obagi, Ogbogu, Oboburu, Akabuka have all
been submerged, while communities such as Itu-Ogba, Obiosimini, Akabta which
are situated along Sombeirero river are becoming apprehensive as the volume of
water in the river has also increased.
Consequently, transport business, especially from Port
Harcourt to Lagos is slowly grinding to a halt following the flooding which has
cut off parts of the Eas/West Road.
The Tide also learnt that, this situation has made going to
Lagos from Port Harcourt as well as coming to Port Harcourt difficult as
motorists now divert to the longer Owerri-Onitsha-Asaba-Benin Road.
A driver with Agofure Motors, Mr Solomon Uchabriye told The
Tide in Port Harcourt that a journey from Lagos to Port Harcourt now takes two
days.
Mr Uchabriye said that the situation is affecting their
business as most passengers now preffer air travels.
“It is very difficult coming and going to Lagos now. We left
Lagos 5.30am yesterday, but got to Port Harcourt this afternoon,” he said.
John Bibor
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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