Niger Delta

Bayelsa’s OPL Seizure: MOSIEND Gives FG Ultimatum

Published

5 years ago

October 28, 2020

An Ijaw group,the Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality of the Niger Delta,MOSIEND has called on the Federal Government to release the seized marginal oil field which gave Bayelsa State the state the right of an oil prospecting licence,OPL between 2003 and 2007, leading to the establishment of the Bayelsa Oil Company Limited, (BOCL).
MOSIEND made the call yesterday, in Yenagoa, during the inauguration of some additional members of its national executive office as well as its clan leadership.
Speaking at the event, MOSIEND President, Mr Kenneth Tonjo West berated the federal government for revoking the license formerly given to the oil rich homogeneous Ijaw state for no verifiable reasons.
The group warned that should the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC and its subsidiaries incharge of awarding oil prospecting licences, OPL fail to return the said field to the state in 30 days beginning from today that the Federal Government should expect graver consequences of its action.
MOSIEND argued that their call for the return of the oil field back to the state became necessary as the Ijaws who produce the nation’s economic mainstay had borne the brunt of oppression and marginalisation for more than half a century since the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Ijaw land, with no commensurate development in their communities across the states of the Niger Delta region.
The group described the recent directives by the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN to some northern states to mine and sell gold found in their respective states as another reason for the Ijaws in particular and by extension the Niger Delta region to start controlling their natural resources,noting that the injustice meted out to the Ijaws has for years became unbearable.
On the planned investigation of the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by the Federal government, the group accused the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA of mismanaging no fewer than N400 billion appropriated to the programme between 2015- date, just as they demanded that he gave account of how the alleged funds were deployed.
While frowning at the looting and hijack of the well intended EndSARS protest by hoodlums in parts of the country, the group also condemned the military and other security agencies for opening fire on Nigerians protesting against the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad,SARS and Police brutally,calling for thorough investigation to unravel those behind the killings and dastardly acts which characterised the protests in some states.
“As Ijaw people,we’ve been at the receiving end of oppression and marginalization in this nation. For years,we’ve been the ones producing the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy and yet we don’t have nothing to show for”, the group said.
“We call on the Federal Government to return the marginal oil field owned by Bayelsa State, the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation back to the state or face the consequences in 30 days time. If Zamfara and other Northern states could mine and sell their gold to the Central Bank of Nigeria,then the time has also come when the Ijaw people and by extension the Niger Delta people should also be allowed to manage their natural resources”, MOSIEND added.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

17 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

17 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

17 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.