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Niger Delta

Traders Groan As CRSG Moves To Sanitise Markets, Parks

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6 years ago

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Petty traders and hawkers in major markets and parks in the Calabar metropolis are having a tough time as the state government embarked on the clearance of major markets and motor parks in the metropolis.
Officials of the state government had embarked on operation to decongest markets and motor parks in the process seizing goods and wares of petty traders and hawkers.
The action was part of the renewed drive by the state government to restore the famed clean and green environment the city is famous for Calabar was famous for its clean and green nature particularly during the last decade in the hey days of the Donald Duke administration when trees and flowers were planted across the city and petty trading was largely restricted.
However, over the years, the clean and green nature of the city gave way to emergence of heaps of refuse across the city made worse by the activities of street traders.
The situation further deteriorated by indiscriminate parking along major ways causing traffic gridlock. Watts, popularly called Urua Watt by the locals, as well as the oldest Etim Edem park, where travelers board buses to different parts of the country were particularly targeted by the sanitation officials.
The Ministry of Environment had earlier issued an ultimatum for all traders to vacate and relocate elsewhere.
Upon the expiration of the ultimatum, the ministry moved in caterpillars and brought down all the kiosks and temporary stalls erected by the traders so as to make way for the restoration of the park.
The traders in an interview however blamed the government for the situation pointing out to the shortage of stalls and spaces in the various markets in the metropolis.
They said this had forced them to engage in hawking their wares on the streets.
One of the traders, Williamson Akpan, said there was an acute shortage of market stalls across the city. He said the existing markets in Calabar particularly the two major markets, have no stores for them.
Ifiok Bassey, a middle aged woman who sells fruits, bitter kola, groundnuts and kolanut, said that displacing them without providing a viable alternative was not the best move by government.
“There are no open stalls for us to sell our ware, that was why I decided to come here and sell my goods. It is not every trader that needs a store to sell his goods like mine so it is wrong to say every trader has to get a store.
“Every city you go, there are always open spaces for traders to do their businesses and so I don’t see any logical reason why government should come and chase us from this park. “If at all they don’t want us to stay here, where are they sending us to? They should have provided a space for us to go before coming to chase us from this place.
They have to reconsider this decision because it is not fair,” she said.
Elizabeth Hanson another trader at the park said the decision of the government to suddenly expel them from the park was not in the traders’ interest.
“I have been selling clothes here for the past 15 years and my decision to come here and erect a metal shop was because there are no stores to let at the Watt Market. More people are coming into the city to carry out businesses particularly trading and when government does not provide new market stores or build more markets, where do you expect them to go?

 

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

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Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

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5 days ago

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April 10, 2026

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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
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Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom 

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5 days ago

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April 10, 2026

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The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.
John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.
“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.
“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.
According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.
The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.
She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.
“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.
John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police,  CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.
John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.
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Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

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5 days ago

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April 10, 2026

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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.
Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.
The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.
He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.
He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.
Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.
“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.
“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.
Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’
He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’
The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.
On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.
Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.
“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.
The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.
According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.
He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.
The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.
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