Rivers

Wike Appeals To PH Residents Over Massive Construction Work

Published

6 years ago

November 18, 2019

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has appealed to the people and residents of Port Harcourt City and its environs to bear with the State Government on the inconveniences they currently face as a result of the massive construction work in the city.
The Governor made the plea in a state-wide broadcast he made Friday night in Government House, Port Harcourt.
He urged the people to see the inconveniences as part of the sacrifices they have to make in the development of the state promising that the projects would be completed within the contract period .
Rivers State Government led by Governor Nyesom Wike has commenced construction of the three flyover bridges he promised people of the state at the inaugural ceremony of his second term administration.
Apart from the three flyover bridges, construction work is going on in parts of the Old and New Government Reserved Areas of Port Harcourt. The city is at present experiencing traffic congestion due to the fact that these massive construction work is going on simultaneously.
However, the Governor assured that his administration and other relevant stakeholders were working out measures to mitigate the impact of the traffic congestion.
Another major event that took place in Government House, Port Harcourt, last week, was the courtesy visit of the Governing Council of the National Youth Service Corps.
At the event held in the Executive Council Chambers, last Friday, the Governor disclosed that the State Government had released the sum of One hundred and thirty-two million naira (N132m) for the payment of monthly allowance to corps members serving in the state.
The State Chief Executive also announced the release of fund for the construction of a 5000 capacity auditorium, drainages, 3000 mattresses and 1500 double-bunk beds at the NYSC permanent orientation camp at Nowa in Tai Local Government Area.
He gave assurances that his administration would sustain its support to NYSC in the state to enable corps members serve better .
Leader of the delegation and Acting Chairman of the Council, Mr Binta Muazu, praised the Rivers State Governor for the huge investment his administration has made to the development of NYSC in the state.
She expressed delight at the construction of 5000 capacity amphitheatre ongoing at the permanent orientation camp, donation of SUV to the state director, the regular payment of monthly allowance to corps members serving in the state among others.
She noted that across the nation , Rivers State remained outstanding in terms of support to the NYSC and commended the Governor for his generosity.
Also last week, Governor Wike played host to some high profile visitors in Government House. Among them were the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, who were in Brick House last Thursday .
Others were the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who came also last Thursday and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye who came Friday.
Meetings with the high profile visitors were private as their deliberations were not made known to the Government House Correspondents.
Governor Wike mourned the death of the River’s born Professor of Virology and former Petroleum Minister, Prof. Tam David- West, last week.
Wike noted that the late David-West was an accomplished academician who served the state and the nation well in various capacities and prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Within the week under review, the Governing Council of the Eastern Bar Forum paid a courtesy visit to Governor Wike in Brick House.
The Forum led by its chairman, Long William had lauded the Governor for his huge support to the judiciary and invited him to the forum’s Quarterly meeting holding in Port Harcourt.

By: Chris Oluoh

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

6 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

Published

9 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.

She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.

According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.

“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.

The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.

She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.

While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.

Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

Published

9 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.

The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.

He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.

Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.

He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.

“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.

“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.

“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.

Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.

He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.

He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.

Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.

Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso