Niger Delta
Bayelsa To Unveil Task Force On Illegal Refinery
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, last Wednesday said the government would set up a task force to check the activities of illegal crude oil refineries to protect the environment in Bayelsa state.
Mr Dickson, who stated this in Yenagoa, while speaking at this year’s World Environment Day, noted that his administration had engaged the services of internationally acclaimed forensic experts to compile the effects of prolonged oil pollution on the environment and health of the people in the state.
The governor, in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo described as saddening and frightening reports he has received from the experts, stating that, in due course, the report would be made public.
Mr Dickson, who called for collective efforts to reclaim the environment, observed that decades of oil pollution and gas flaring in the state and the Niger Delta have resulted in rising cases of health hazards, thereby shortening the life span of the people.
The governor, therefore, called on all people of goodwill to listen to the call on the protection of the environment especially in the Niger Delta, which he noted, “had been under severe, sustained and brutal attack by forces that they do not control.”
According to him, “they have not only invaded the land and expropriated their property but are now threatening to exterminate the people.
“A lot of actions would be taken and we will mobilise local and international opinions on this. There are legislative measures that I will also call on the State Assembly to undertake,” he said.
Mr Dickson, who lamented the exclusion of the people in the oil and gas industry, however, decried the establishment of illegal refineries in the state which he noted degrade the environment and destroy lives. He said there was no justification for illegal refinery stressing that doing so would amount to further degrading and polluting the already compromised environment.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment, Ebipatei Apaingolo, said Bayelsa is the most impacted state in oil pollution from the activities of various oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
Hon. Apaingolo said, his Ministry participated in 274 oil spill joint investigation visits on Agip facilities and recorded 580 cases of oil spill.
According to him, other oil companies are not free from such incessant incidents of oil spillage and no adequate compensation or significant environment clean-up has been made so far.
Commissioner for Health, Ebitimitula Etebu, said emission of hydro carbons arising from oil pollution and other activities cause respiratory diseases, which eventually shortens the life span of the people.
In their separate goodwill messages, the House Committee Chairman on Environment, Ebi Ben Ololo, the Ibedaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo and representative of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Cyrus Nkangwunga, former President of Ijaw Youth Council, Comrade Udengs Eradiri and Chairman of the State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Chief Robert Enogha, called for collective efforts in recycling wastes for wealth and job creation.
The Bayelsa State Government has inaugurated six sub-committees, as it begins preparations for the 30th Anniversary celebration of the creation of the state on 1st October.
Inaugurating the sub-committees in Government House, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, explained that Bayelsa has countless reasons to appreciate God for what He has done for its land and people in the 30 years of its existence, especially in development.
He charged the sub-committees to come up with proposals for the various activities and events for the celebration within the next two weeks in line with their respective terms of reference, stressing that strategic things had to be done to make the anniversary significant and historic.
According to him, the three-day programme of activities for the anniversary celebration, which will commence on the 29th of September, will be preceded by two weeks of commissioning of public infrastructural projects completed by the Prosperity Administration.
The Bayelsa Number Two Man further clarified that events penciled down for the celebration include a cultural carnival, boat regatta, anniversary lecture, sporting events, state banquet and awards night.
The sub-committees are: the Awards Sub-Committee, chaired by His Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo; the Sports Sub-Committee, headed by Hon. Daniel Igali; and the Lecture Sub-Committee, with Prof. Stephen Olali as its Chairman.
Others are: the Mega Praise Sub-Committee, jointly chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, and the Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Dr. Emmanuel Emiefenim; the Cultural Sub-Committee, headed by Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou-Obolo; and the Publicity Sub-Committee, with the Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, as Chairman.
by: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Niger Delta
NDDC Backs Federal Drive To Cut Maternal, Newborn Deaths … Trains Traditional Birth Attendants
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has stated its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), with a renewed push to tackle the persistently high rate of preventable maternal and newborn deaths across the Niger Delta.
The Commission made the pledge during workshops for traditional birth attendants held in Delta and Bayelsa states, where it stressed the need for stronger collaboration between traditional birth attendants and the orthodox healthcare system to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Speaking at the training, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, urged women to embrace modern medical care while leveraging the trusted role of traditional birth attendants in their communities.
Represented by the Principal Manager, Education, Health and Social Services (EHSS), Mrs. Dare-Oloko Kuami, Ogbuku described maternal and child mortality as an alarming public health challenge that requires urgent and collective action.
“The rate of death among women and children is alarming and must be eradicated. This training is designed to enlighten our women and should not be taken for granted”, he said.
According to him, the workshop was organised to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of traditional birth attendants in providing safe maternal and newborn care, identifying pregnancy-related complications early, and referring high-risk cases promptly to hospitals and health centres.
Also speaking, the Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. Patience Ezugu, called on women to take issues relating to childbirth seriously, stressing that improved knowledge and adherence to safe delivery practices would help save lives.
Represented by the Principal Manager, EHSS, Dr. Otokolo Fidelis, Ezugu disclosed that more than 300 women from Delta and Bayelsa states participated in the training and were provided with medical equipment and cash support to enhance their services.
One of the resource persons, Mrs. Gift Akitiri, underscored the vital role traditional birth attendants continue to play in many rural communities, noting that regular capacity building would improve the quality of maternal healthcare delivery.
“Traditional birth attendants are trusted members of many communities. By equipping them with updated knowledge, we are helping to ensure that mothers and newborns receive timely and appropriate care, thereby improving health outcomes”, she said.
A participant, Mrs. Franscica Odiakosa, commended the NDDC for organising the workshop, describing it as timely and impactful.
“I have gained valuable knowledge that will improve the quality of healthcare I provide in my community. I have also learnt the importance of referring expectant mothers to health centres and hospitals whenever a case is beyond my capacity”, she said, while urging the Commission to sustain the initiative.
One of Nigeria’s oldest and most prestigious social clubs, Uyo Club, has inaugurated its full Executive Council to oversee the affairs of the association for the next two years, with a charge to provide purposeful leadership and make meaningful contributions to society.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony at the club’s headquarters on Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, the President of the club, Prof. Sahm Etuk, urged the newly elected executive members to bring their wealth of experience and professionalism to bear in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He said members of the club expected the new leadership not only to strengthen the institution, but to also extend its impact beyond the clubhouse through service to the wider community.
“You have voluntarily presented yourselves for service, and we expect that you will make yourselves available at all times to offer the service required of you”, Etuk said.
The inauguration followed the April 2026 bye-election conducted to fill vacant positions in the Executive Council.
Among those inaugurated was renowned broadcast administrator and Executive Managing Consultant of Comfort 95.1 FM, Uyo, Samuel Enoh Akpan, who was elected Public Relations Officer. Akpan is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
Other members of the Executive Council are Barrister Eno Inyang (Treasurer), Anthony Etim (Social Secretary), Christian Daniel (Welfare Secretary), Friday Ekpa (Legal Adviser), Christian Chukwu (Provost), Mmenye Udofa (Assistant Secretary), Otu Otu (Maintenance Secretary) and Macaulay Udom (Ex-Officio).
Prof. Etuk, a Professor of Strategic Marketing, Director of the School of Continuing Education at the University of Uyo, and Chairman of the institution’s Sports Committee, had earlier been inaugurated as President on January 10, 2026, alongside the Vice President, Dr. Nestor Udoh, a retired Permanent Secretary.
Other officials inaugurated at the time include Ndi Aquaisua (General Secretary), TPL Dr. Emmanuel Etuk (Financial Secretary), Dr. Imbur Terfa (Auditor), and Dr. Anietie Ekong (General Games Captain).
The President also inaugurated the Board of Past Presidents, made up of all living former presidents of the club, urging them to continue providing guidance and institutional support to the Executive Council in line with the club’s constitution.
Former presidents present at the event included Dr. Emem Umoh, Dr. Bassey Etuknwa, Engr. Mbosowo Orok, Prof. Ini Jonah, and Akparawa Ikpong Essien-Udom, a member of the Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Etuk called on members to unite in pursuit of the club’s founding ideals of recreation, service and development, expressing confidence that the newly constituted organs of the club would strengthen its operations and reposition it for greater relevance.
Founded in 1935, Uyo Club remains one of Nigeria’s foremost recreational associations, with a membership that cuts across diverse professions and sectors of society.