Niger Delta

Rivers Workers Beg Wike For Christmas Bonus

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2018

Civil servants in Rivers State have appealed to the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to graciously approve the payment of Christmas bonus to them in order to boost their morale and increase productivity.
The workers, who made the appeal under the aegis of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State council during the union’s 46th State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Port Harcourt last Friday appreciated the Governor for the encouragement given to them at this year’s May Day celebration in the State.
The union noted in a communiqué signed by its State Chairman, Comrade Opuoyibo Lilly-West and the Principal State Secretary, Comrade Dan Otakpo, that the workers thanked the Governor for keeping faith with the entire workforce by prompt payment of salaries and allowances.
The civil servants expressed happiness over the sustained payment of pensioners in the state but regretted that retirees from year 2015 and above were yet to benefit from pensions and gratuities and urged the government to put in place the necessary legislation that would guarantee and facilitate the payment of monthly pensions to all retired civil servants in the state.
While cautioning against the excessive use of military personnel during the 2019 general elections, the union called on the Federal Government to ensure the elections were free, fair and credible and urged all workers in the state to ensure that they exercise their franchise by casting their votes on election days.
The union condemned in strong terms the selective prosecution of the war against corruption, noting that the issue of corruption was yet to be seriously addressed, “ as corruption was one of the reasons for the downward slide of the economy which government has approached with levity, wherefore some of the high profile cases are being frustrated inspite of the evidences against the culprits owing to party affiliation.”
It, therefore, called on government to diligently prosecute any suspect and ensure that nobody was above the law.

By: Donatus Ebi.

Niger Delta

COVID-19: Ooni Of Ife Donates Motorised Fumigators To Delta

Published

6 days ago

May 19, 2020

Albert Ograka

… As Okowa Lauds Collective Efforts Against Pandemic

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has presented two locally-fabricated modular fumigators to Delta Government to assist the state in its effort at containing the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is just as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa lauded the collective global efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

The monarch, who was represented by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olapare, in Asaba said that the Coronavirus was a common enemy that required the cooperation of all to defeat it.

According to him, the fight against the pandemic calls for a collective effort as it is no longer practicable for monarchs to sit down and watch government tackle societal problems alone.

“Our leaders, at both federal and state levels, have done very well in the fight against the virus and in this regard, we have decided to complement the efforts of the government and that’s why we came up with this innovation for motorised modular fumigators.

“The fumigators were invented by the House of Oduduwa and fabricated at the Ooni palace in Ile-Ife with 100 per cent locally-sourced materials.

“It is our belief that the era when monarchs sit in the comfort zone of their palaces and expect the government to do it all is over.

“So, we have decided to join hands with government to tackle this pandemic by this donation of two motorised modular fumigators.

“We have watched your proactive approach to the fight against the pandemic in Delta and I must say that we are pleased with every step you have taken so far.

“This is why we are committed to working with government by making this donation, because together we can fight the battle and together we shall win the battle,” he stated.

Receiving the equipment, Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, thanked the Ooni for his thoughtfulness and innovation in the production of the motorised fumigators.

The governor, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Chiedu Ebie, said that the state had put in so much to ensure that COVID-19 was contained in the state and called for further support and cooperation in the fight against the pandemic.

“We thank His Imperial Majesty for his wonderful donation today. In Delta as at today, we have recorded 27 cases while 12 have been successfully managed and discharged; unfortunately we lost five of the cases.

“We have done so much to ensure that we are able to contain the spread of the virus in the state and this we have done by ensuring closure of our 13 boundaries to contain the spread of the virus in the state.

“We are indeed very delighted that His Imperial Majesty came up with these innovative fumigators in his bid to contribute his own quota in the fight against COVID-19 and he is going around the states to donate them.

“We thank you very much for the thoughtfulness and the innovation in coming up with this and it will definitely go a long way in the fight against COVID-19,’’ he said.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Chris Onogba and his Agriculture and Natural Resources counterpart, Mr Julius Egbedi, witnessed the ceremony.

From Albert Ograka, Asaba.

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Government To Begin Urban Renewal Projects Soon – Gov Diri.

Published

6 days ago

May 19, 2020

The Tide

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said his administration would soon roll out a number of urban renewal projects, particularly in Yenagoa, in order to enhance the aesthetics of the state capital.

Diri who disclosed this when members of the past state working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP paid him a solidarity visit in Government House, said the planned construction of a flyover and expansion of the roundabout at the Edepie area of Yenagoa are part of the urban renewal projects of his administration.

A press release by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, noted that the expansion of the Etegwe/Edepie roundabout would precede the construction work on the flyover to ease traffic in the area.

Senator Diri assured that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government was poised to initiating projects that would bring about overall development of the state.

He expressed his administration’s intention to give a facelift to the capital city as evident in the ongoing demolition of illegal structures that had defaced the Yenagoa metropolis.

“Even in the face of COVID-19, we have decided to do some preparatory things, which I hear are going down well with our people. We are not just pulling down illegal structures but also sanitising our city”, Governor Diri said.

“Work will soon start on the expansion of the Etegwe/Edepie roundabout in no distant time. Also, we intend to build a car park at the market at Swali, which is the largest in Yenagoa, and fence it off to ensure a healthy environment”, he added.

“Our government is on track. We are not looking at celebrating 100 days in office because globally, economies are at a standstill as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. But rather we are expecting to celebrate our achievements in another one to three years time”, he stated.

Commenting on the issue of appointments into his government, Diri noted that at the appropriate time, persons that are passionate about the development of the state and the party would be brought on board,restated that his Government would not engage in secret appointments.

He charged the leaders of the peoples Democratic party in the state to extend the olive branch to those who have left,noting that they have the onerous task of strengthening the party towards improving its fortunes.

“We are not going to do secret appointments. Party stakeholders are being consulted to bring into government persons that would have development uppermost on their minds”, Diri said.

In his remarks, leader of the delegation, Chief Felix Omemu, pledged their commitment to work with the administration to achieve its set goals.

Chief Omemu congratulated Diri on his former electoral victory at the Supreme Court which brought him into office, praying that God grant him wisdom to pilot the ship of state to greater heights.

Also contributing, the former Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Chief Fyneman Wilson, said as party men, they would join hands with the governor and his team to build a formidable party.

Highpoint of the visit was the presentation of a copy of the Holy Bible to the governor by the former PDP women leader in the state, Hon. Faith Opene.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

NOSDRA Yet To Discover Cause Of Dead Fishes On N’Delta Coastline

Published

1 month ago

April 24, 2020

The Tide

The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), says it is yet to establish any link between oil leaks and death fishes that float and litter the Atlantic coastline across the Niger Delta region.
The agency said it was coordinating a multi-agency investigation, aimed at unraveling the cause of the reported massive death of fishes within the nation’s territorial waters and was looking beyond the oil industry.
Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr Idris Musa, told newsmen in a telephone chat on Wednesday in Yenagoa, that investigation was already ongoing in spite the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to Musa, officials of NOSDRA deployed from Warri, Yenagoa and Port Harcourt have conducted site visits to the Atlantic coastline in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers to collect water and fish samples for tests.
”NOSDRA carried out a reconnaissance of the area in Delta where we first got the report through a member of a non- governmental organisation.
“There is no incident of oil spill within the area of reported dead fishes, notwithstanding that a few dead fishes were seen along the shoreline.
“The event of recent days where the death of fishes in large numbers make it expedient to look beyond oil spillage as the likely cause of death of fishes in such large numbers,” he said.
Musa said that the agency collected samples of water, sediments and some of the dead fishes for laboratory testing, and in doing so, brought on board other relevant government agencies that have mandate on the territorial waters, in particularly the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and the Federal Institute of Fisheries Research.
“Also, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for all hands on deck assessment of the possible cause or causes of death of the fishes in such large numbers,” Musa said.
The NOSDRA chief executive said that the results of ongoing laboratory analysis would be compared with results from the participating agencies to profer an effective solution and ensures a more stringent regulation in future.