Niger Delta

Amnesty: Reps Fault Budget Performance

Published

13 years ago

November 19, 2012

The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta in Abuja last Wednesday queried the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr Kingsley Kuku, for poor implementation of the 2012 budget for the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Warman Ogoriman (PDP- Bayelsa), said from the explanation of the Amnesty Office, the committee was not convinced about the implementation of the budget.

“In view of the observations made by members, it is clear that the Amnesty Office cannot convince this committee on how the appropriated funds were uutilised. “I will therefore close this session and ask the special adviser to go and come back next Tuesday with concrete facts,” the chairman said.

Earlier, Kuku said that N63 billion appropriated in the budget had not been released to the office by the Budget Office.

He said 26,328 ex-militants had been fully disarmed and demobilised, while 2,875 were undergoing entrepreneurial training.

He also said that 5,209 of the militants had been gainfully employed, while 8,084 ex-agitators had been successfully placed in rehabilitation centres.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N98.588 billion for 28 infrastructural development projects in nine oil producing states in the country.

The states include Rivers, Cross-River, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo and Abia. Minister of Information, Labara Maku disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents. On the outcome of the Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. Maku said the approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to council by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“Today the Commission brought to Council a memorandum seeking to carry out 28 projects in the oil producing States. “These projects caught across road construction, bridges, land reclamation and erosion problem as well as in some instances power supply and education.

“Mainly what the Commission has done is to bring these projects which they will implement between now and 2014,” .

The information minister said the contracts were approved in line with the Federal Government’s determination to create a conducive environment for sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.

Maku said the Council also approved a N317 .922 billion contract for the completion of the Shagari irrigation project in Sokoto State. He said the project was awarded in 2007 but could not be completed due to lack of funds.

Also speaking, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, said when completed in the next six months, the project would cover 220 hectares of land for irrigation.

She said that the project would have the capacity to produce 1,540 tonnes of rice and 3,300 tonnes of vegetables, with at least 2,640 persons engaged.

The council also approved contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of five roads across the North-West, South-South, South-East and North-Central geo-political zones of the country.

The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, who disclosed this at the briefing, said that with the onset of the dry season, government was prepared to deploy resources and energy toward the provision of roads.

Niger Delta

NPC Unveils Digital Registration System In Delta

Published

5 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The National Population Commission (NPC), on Friday, launched the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (eCRVS) in Delta State, designed to strengthen data generation and vital statistics management.

The Tide’s source reports that the system was launched by the Delta Federal Commissioner, Mrs. Blessyn Brume-Ataguba, at a news briefing in Asaba.

Brume-Ataguba recalled that President Bola Tinubu formally launched the eCRVS in November 2023 as part of the efforts to modernise Nigeria’s civil registration process.

She said the initiative followed resolutions reached at the Sixth Session of the Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Addis Ababa in 2022.

According to her, African ministers urged member states to automate civil registration processes and implement the UN Legal Identity Agenda.

“Nigeria responded by developing an electronic, technology-driven system to enhance data generation and improve civil statistics nationwide,” Brume-Ataguba said.

She said NPC, in collaboration with UNICEF, produced an eCRVS Operational Readiness Assessment Report to guide implementation.

She explained that the partnership aims to establish a fully digital civil registration system that converts records of vital events into reliable statistics for effective planning and decision-making.

Brume-Ataguba described the initiative as a complete shift from paper-based documentation to a modern digital platform aligned with international best practices.

She said the system would transform the way births and deaths were recorded, tracked and analysed across the country.

“This process marks a complete departure from the traditional paper-based recording of vital events to a state-of-the-art digital solution that conforms to international best practices.

“This eCRVS promises to revolutionise how vital events are recorded, tracked and analysed in the country.

“This will ensure commitments, and a sustained national, international financial and political investment for birth registration within the CVRS in Nigeria, ” Brume-Ataguba said.

She also said the launch demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening civil registration data capture and processing.

She further said improved vital statistics would support national development planning and help Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Brume-Ataguba continued that the state-level launch was necessary to sensitise the media and the public on the significance of the digital registration system.

She described the media as a vital partner in informing and educating citizens about the importance of registering vital events electronically.

She further assured residents that competent ICT personnel were available at the state level to address technical challenges and provide support.

The NPC commissioner emphasised that the eCRVS would overhaul the registration of births and deaths in the country and lay a solid foundation for efficient civil statistics management.

She urged stakeholders to collaborate with the commission to realise its goal of providing accurate and timely vital registration data.

She announced that the current phase of the e-CRVS programme would be concluded in March.

In her remark, the NPC State Director, Mrs. Jane Odigwe, appealed to the Delta Government to support the implementation of the system in the state.

“Your partnership is vital in helping us to reach this goal,” Odigwe said.

She also urged parents to register their children, saying that a birth certificate is essential for access to education, healthcare and other opportunities.

She said that registering children today would secure their identity and future participation in Nigeria’s development.

“To every parent in Delta, I urge you to bring your children forward for birth registration.

“A birth certificate is not just a document but your child’s key to education, healthcare and global opportunities.

“By registering your child today, you are giving them a voice in Nigeria of tomorrow,” Odigwe said.

Niger Delta

Police Uncover Suspects’ Armoury … Recover Weapons In Delta

Published

5 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Delta State has recovered assorted weapons from a criminal hideout in the state.

Spokesman for the Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to newsmen, who on Friday in Warri, said the weapons were recovered on Thursday by the operatives of the Command’s Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), led by ASP Julius Robinson.

He said the feat was achieved following a confession by a suspect handed over to the police team by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Orerokpe Division, for further interrogation.

Edafe said the suspect was alleged to be a member of a criminal syndicate terrorising commuters and residents on the Warri/Sapele Road.

“On February 19, acting on information obtained during interrogation, the suspect led the operatives to a concealed armoury located on the Sapele/Warri Road by the Adheje Community axis.

“A thorough search of the hideout resulted in the recovery of a locally made long gun, a locally made cut-to-size gun.

“Also recovered were a fabricated Beretta pistol loaded with five rounds of live ammunition, 10 live cartridges and a dagger,” he said.

Edafe stated that the investigation into the matter was ongoing.

He, however, quoted the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Command, Mr. Aina Adesola, to have reiterated the command’s resolve in dismantling criminal networks, and mopping up illegal firearms, among others, in the state.

Niger Delta

Police Caution On Lawless Protests On Court Matters In A’Ibom

Published

5 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has cautioned on threats of lawless protests by some members of the public over matters that are already before the courts.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, told newsmen in Uyo on Friday that illegal protests could undermine public peace and order.

“When matters are already in court, let’s follow legal and civil means to seek redress. That is how a civilised society works.

“Although we recognise the constitutional rights of citizens to lawful expression and peaceful assembly, illegal protests are not allowed,” he said.

Azare said the Command would not tolerate threats or acts of nude protests, unlawful occupation of public or private facilities, and disruption of government, economic or social activities.

He said anyone found culpable of engaging in acts or threats of illegal protests would be prosecuted in line with the law.

“As a Command, we are committed to the maintenance of law and order, we are also committed to protecting lives and property”, he stated.