Nation
Soyinka Harps On Foreign Assistance Over Insecurity
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at the weekend asked the Federal Government to seek foreign assistance in dealing with the security challenge in the country.
Soyinka said on Arise TV that the current situation was so bad that government should not shy away from paying “people to come and help us” in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency and other threats to life and property.
“Let them get away with the issue of sovereignty. If they have to pay people to come and help us, then call them whatever you want. Please go ahead because we’ve reached that stage of desperation,” Soyinka said.
But he said “a general mobilization” of Nigerians to defend themselves could be more like it.
His words: “I will prefer a general mobilisation in which people are trained; farmers especially are trained to work with the hoe in one hand and the gun in the other hand, ready to protect their lives, their harvests and the rest of us.
“We are not unique; history is full of those situations… I will like to see a national mobilisation. Let’s be practical.”
He wondered why some northern governors had to negotiate with bandits terrorising their states.
He said: “You don’t appease evil. We are dealing with evil. There is no other word; we are dealing with the proliferation, the enthronement of evil in the society.
“And unfortunately, we have encouraged its manifestation, its proliferation, its entrenchment.”
Soyinka who also spoke on the South West Security Network, Amotekun, warned that the outfit must not transmute into the scrapped special anti-robbery squad (SARS) in another guise.
Amotekun has been accused of extrajudicial killings and high handedness; the same complaints against the police that sparked last year’s #EndSARS protests across the country.
Soyinka said it was important to inculcate ethics in Amotekun members to make them understand their role and responsibility.
He said: “Community policing like Amotekun is recognition of the fact that the civic part of the entire national polity has got to wake up in not just its own defence but survival.
“I have told them anytime you want us to come and assist, we will come, even if it is just on the ethical session. So that as you are training them to defend us, we are also training their minds so that Amotekun does not become another SARS. It’s very important. We must do everything together.”
He said Nigerians should learn to take responsibility for their own survival and advised other parts of the country that are yet to have their own security outfits to do so.
“The citizens have got to take a very good look at huge gap in governance, the lacuna in governance in this nation, and then take responsibility for their own survival,” he said.
“This is what makes our own responsibilities for ourselves as citizens even more difficult because when drama like that happens we go to the very heart of our existence as human beings to see our children have been swept up not for the first time, and we cannot have a clear sequence of events articulated by the security agencies, by the government so that we can even take on our own against such events happening in the nation.
“But when we reach that stage, you no longer talk of a nation but of a contraption struggling along. The sovereignty of this nation is in the hands of murdering herdsmen; the sovereignty of this nation has already been taken over by Boko Haram, those who do nothing at the slightest respect for what is called national integrity.
“I am very glad that northern elites are now speaking out boldly and practically and at the same time all these states, I’d like them to come out, passing these message to those who have not yet launched their own Amotekun. If they don’t hurry, I will launch my own o.”
He hailed the #EndSARS protests as “righteous, well organised and long-overdue movement by a generation over whom one has been uttering noises of despair.”
He was particularly happy that the Nigerian youth who organised the protests “finally moved.”
“And finally, finally they moved. The youths moved,” he said.
He added: “To me, they made many of us proud. This is a kind of generation that seems to pick up positive signs in their existence and now are taking charge.”
Nation
HYPREP Reaffirms Support For Ogoni Youths …Organises Workshop For Undergraduates

In pursuit of its strategic human capacity development initiatives, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has restated its commitment to supporting Ogoni youths to maximally benefit from its projects and programmes that align with their visions and aspirations.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication during the second edition of the international career enhancement and employability workshop organised by the Project for undergraduates and fresh graduates of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Port Harcourt, assured the participants of its commitment to continually initiate programmes that support their visions and aspirations.
He noted that the workshop reaffirms the Project’s commitment to inclusiveness and continuous skills development, as strategic pillars in its efforts to restore and improve livelihoods in Ogoniland.
He said the workshop was aimed at equipping the Ogoni youths with relevant career skills and empower them with employability tools, to ensure that HYPREP’s gains extend beyond remediation into long-term transformations, stressing that the Project is committed to supporting their dreams.
”HYPREP is committed to supporting your dreams through targeted initiatives, such as this workshop and we will explore ways to empower you with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.
I want to emphasise that this workshop is not just about enhancing your career prospects; it is also about building a community of young people and equipping you to make a positive impact in your communities. As you benefit from HYPREP’s interventions (and the experiences of the facilitator), I challenge you to take the message of peace and constructive engagement to your communities and live accordingly,” he said.
Zabbey further assured that HYPREP would continue to stand with Ogoni youths by supporting their aspirations through targeted workshops and broader livelihood initiatives that prioritise their development, noting that the Project believes in them and remains committed to creating platforms where their potential can be nurtured and realised.
The Project Coordinator enjoined them to continue to contribute to the success of HYPREP.
The second edition of the career enhancement and employability workshop had Dr Akanimo Odon and Dr Chioma Okonkwo as facilitators, while the participants were drawn from the four Ogoni local government areas.
Among other modules, participants at the two-day workshop were provided with tips on ways to explore opportunities in seemingly challenging situations, discover themselves, convert hobbies and interests into passion and profits through three career e-routes and understand the power of networks and partnerships.
Participants were also given useful nuggets, career resources of time and skills, and career resources of funding, especially how to access foreign scholarships and funding.
At the closing, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, urged the participants to earnestly pursue their passions and commit to their dreams.
Meanwhile, the participants expressed gratitude to HYPREP for organising the workshop, which they described as impactful and transformative.
HYPREP has continued to be intentional in its efforts to prioritise human capacity development in Ogoni through such workshops and trainings. This year, the Project will be rolling out trainings in high demand skill areas like mechatronics, underwater welding, commercial diving, full-stack development and GIS, targeting the youths as major beneficiaries and giving them a fair head start and comparative advantage in a highly competitive environment.
Nation
NIPR Practitioners Urge To Go Beyond Traditional Media Relations To Strategic Leadership Functions
The Public Relations practitioners across Nigeria have been charged to go beyond the perceived roles of media relations and protocol services to strategic leadership functions that is crucial to shaping and transforming the nation.
In his message at this year’s (2025) World Public Relations Day, with the Theme: ” Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation” In Port Harcourt, The National President of the Nigeria Institution of Public Relations Dr. Ike Neliaku expressed delight to address members and guests on this special day, pointing out that the day offers a an opportunity to reflect on the journey over six decades since Public Relations formally birthed in Nigeria.
He maintained that this year’s world Public Relations day gives opportunity to members to reflect on the actions and inactions towards the development of the profession and to boldly develop new frontiers for a greater institution.
The NIPR president explained that the values of Public Relations particularly in areas of fostering relationship, strengthening leadership and advancing good governance remain a key -through effective and goal- oriented communication.
Earlier, The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, (RSU) Prof. Isaac zep-Obipi being represented by the Deputy VC admin Prof. Victor Akujuru throw challenge to NIPR members to rebranding and portray the state in good light, standing that RSU remains a state owned institution that have not witness any strike in the passed fifteen years.
Also in his speech, the state chairman NIPR Rivers Chapter Rev. Francis Asuk described world Public Relations day as a day set aside to pay attention to the works of public relations globally indeed that relationship is important that the world is crying about in rebuilding relationship due to the collapsed of the value systems at family, society and world level of human existence.
” At the highest level of human existence relationship has become imperative for all practitioners to come together and build bridges to navigates those Polarisation” he said.
In a related development,the keynote speaker Rev (Fr.) Prof. Walter C.Ihejirika, said the media has a lot to do especially on its role of enlightenment to the public about the role and function as a key element in the development of a better society.
Prof. Ihejirika who is the Dean faculty of Communication and Media Studies , University of Port Harcourt, stressed that when media practitioners navigate on the area of strategic communications with a goal, then the public will be better informed and know that they have a responsibility for the large society, “because if the large society is not good, the organization cannot function effectively.”
Nation
FG Restates Commitment To Seafarers’ Welfare, Safety
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.
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