Niger Delta

Justice Nyesom-Wike Visits Christmas Babies, Prays For Them

Published

8 years ago

December 27, 2017

Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has stated that God will do wonderful things for the state through the 2017 Christmas babies.
She also called on Rivers people to pray for the leaders of the state as a way of showing them love.
Speaking during her visit to Christmas babies at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital last Monday, Justice Nyesom-Wike urged the privileged class to use the season to assist the less privileged.
She thanked God for the birth of Baby Promise, Baby Tambari Numopre and Baby Divine at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Justice Suzzette Nyesom-Wike who noted that the fact that the Christmas babies were born into the families of Rivers people, signify greater days ahead for the state.
She said that the birth of the babies reminds the people of the birth of Jesus Christ, noting that the visit was to felicitate with the parents of the babies and also support them.
She said: “We are really amazed because in the two hospitals we went to, the first and second children were born after 12.00am this morning. They were born into Ogoni families. So all four Christmas babies are all Rivers children and are Ogonis. So we thank God for that. It is a blessing and it tells us that wonderful things are going to happen in Rivers State.
”Christmas stands for the remembrance of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is characterised by love and affection. So we are here to show love as part of the 2017 Christmas celebration.
”The essence of Christmas is love. So I urge all residents of the state to pray for the leadership and the sustenance of peace in the state”, she said.
The Medical Director of Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Dr. Paul Kua and Acting Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr. Charles Tobin-West thanked the Wife of the Rivers State Governor for always investing in the welfare of the less privileged.
Also speaking, the mothers of the Christmas babies, Mrs. Eebu Promise and Mrs. Elizabeth Promise expressed joy for the visit and gifts showered on them by the First Lady.
Baby Promise who weighed 3.5kilogrammes was born at 1.59am while Baby Divine was born at 4.40am and weighed 2.5kilogrammes.
Highpoint of the visit of the Wife of the Rivers State Governor to the hospitals was the distribution of gifts and cash to all mothers in the maternity ward.
She also led special prayers for the mothers of the babies.
She was accompanied on the visit by her children and wives of commissioners.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.