News
Dikio, Delivering PAP’s Mandate With Little Resources -Sylva
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has commended the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) for delivering the mandate of the scheme with lean resources.
He said Dikio’s remarkable achievements were a clear demonstration of his zeal to find himself on the right side of history.
The minister frowned at the inability of the various interventionist agencies set up by the Federal Government to address the concerns of people of the Niger Delta, saying it was time to make them work.
Sylva spoke at the weekend when he received Dikio at his country home in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
He said: “We have to, as a people, stand together. We have had the Presidential Amnesty Programme for a long time but we have not been fortunate. If you look at what the programme was meant to achieve, we have currently not achieved it.
“This is because for some reasons, we have not been very fortunate. We can say that too for the NDDC. If you look at the two organisations, there are some reoccurring decimals.
“The people who started these organisations are similar or same persons. So, why are these organisations not delivering on the benefit that we expect from them? That is a great food for thought.
“Something is wrong. In the design, some people deliberately twisted it so that it will suit their own personal aggrandisement instead of helping the growth of the Niger Delta.
“But you’ve come at this juncture of history, and we are very proud of you because you’re doing very well. We must say that you’re even late in the day because today, the amnesty programme is not even getting as much as it used to get.
“If at this moment you’re doing so much with the little you’re getting, we can only imagine what you would have done during the hey days of the amnesty programme when there was a huge cash flow.
“Every time I see the National Security Adviser, I thank him for you, and I have always pledged my support that anything required from me concerning the amnesty programme, I will willingly do it”.
Sylva called on the leaders of the region to close ranks to attract more development, and lauded Dikio’s Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) scheme, saying it had made the training of ex-agitators more rewarding.
He said: “Educationally, we are very disadvantaged.So, a programme like this should be able to help us reposition our young men for the future; and I’m happy you’re doing that. I especially like the idea of tying the two ends together, of training and employment.
“Because if you train young men, and you do not have any plans for employment, it can become a problem which is what we have seen. Young men are trained with no arrangement for their employment. They come back from their training, and they are roaming the streets. They become even more dangerous.
“As a region, we are not a very large population, and that is why we are called minority. As minority, we need to stand together, but unfortunately, that is one thing we lack. We are always standing against each other, fighting each other. If we can use our good offices to try to engender unity among our people, then it will be better for us”, he said.
Sylva called for collective efforts to fight against all forms of attack on the Niger Delta, particularly the destruction of the region’s environment.
He said the region was at risk of extinction because of the harmful practices of a few misguided elements, who engaged in the mindless attack on oil facilities.
The minister said: “We must also let our people know that we gain nothing from cutting our noses to spite our faces. As far as I am concerned, degrading our environment exactly means that we are cutting our noses to spite our faces. At the end of the day, who is suffering?
“You blew up a pipeline; there is spillage whose environment is suffering? And this is the same environment that has sustained our ancestors that we expect to sustain us and also sustain future generations. But our young men that have totally gone astray and have decided to wage a war against this environment that should sustain us so we are at the risk of extinction.
“Mr President has given us the mandate to stamp out this menace and we cannot do it without collaborating with you. So, please let us work together, not only as brothers from the region but as co-workers of the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A Coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards addressing the persistent gas eruptions in Bille, Rivers.
The coalition, made up of the People’s Assembly and Bille Working Group, made the call in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, and read to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Reading the letter, the coalition’s convener, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said that the persistent gas eruption in Bille had led to serious environmental and public health challenges.
Osuoka, also the Executive Director, Social Action, urged Tinubu to establish a presidential task force to investigate and contain the gas leak in Bille.
He also called for the immediate relocation of residents to safe shelters, provision of clean water, food and healthcare services.
Dr Emem Okon, the Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, stated that gas had been bubbling from the ground, creeks, boreholes and hand-dug wells in the community since October 2025.
Okon said that the gas had triggered several fires and explosions, and that residents of the community had reported respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses associated with exposure to the emissions.
According to her, preliminary investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have yet to identify the source of the gas.
Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, the Coordinator, Oilwatch International, called for the publication of results from preliminary soil and water tests conducted in Bille for the residents to know the nature and extent of the contamination.
Ebiaridor urged the Federal Government to deploy medical teams to screen and treat affected residents, and immediately commence an independent study on the health impacts of the leak.
He further called for the suspension of oil and gas operations around OML 18 and 24 until the source of the gas leak was identified and the affected areas declared safe.
Ebiaridor urged the government to hold current and former operators of the oil leases accountable for environmental damage on the community.
Another speaker, Dr Bieye Briggs, urged the National Assembly to fast-track the NOSDRA Amendment Bill, 2025 to provide the agency with statutory funding and stronger enforcement powers.
Briggs urged the Federal Government to activate the regional Spill Command Centre, and make the Upstream Remediation Fund accessible for the Bille crisis and other affected communities in the Niger Delta.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has banned drone operations and fireworks in Uyo and announced temporary traffic restrictions ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the State today.
The state Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, announced the measures yesterday while briefing journalists at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
He said the restrictions were part of security arrangements to maintain public order, protect strategic locations and ensure the smooth movement of the President’s convoy during his engagements.
“There will be total restriction on the operation and flying of drones within Uyo metropolis throughout the period of the visit. Members of the public, drone operators and service providers are advised to strictly comply with the directive,” he said.
The police commissioner also announced a ban on fireworks, knockouts and other explosive sound-producing devices within the state capital during the visit.
He said the measure would prevent panic and allow security personnel to respond effectively to genuine security threats.
The command also announced temporary restrictions on public access to designated routes and locations in Uyo to facilitate the movement of the presidential convoy.
The affected areas are Airport Road, Shelter Afrique Junction, Oron Road, Nung Oku Junction, Mbierebe Junction and Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
“Motorists are urged to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the corridors.
“Members of the public are advised to avoid the routes during the restriction and use alternative routes,” Azare said.
He also urged residents to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the affected corridors.
The commissioner said the command, working with other security agencies, had put in place security arrangements to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free visit.
He appealed to residents to understand that the temporary restrictions were necessary security measures and not intended to cause hardship.
Azare urged members of the public to remain law-abiding, avoid restricted areas and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station or through police emergency channels.
Tinubu’s visit to Akwa Ibom is a working visit during which he is expected to inaugurate major infrastructure projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration under its ARISE Agenda. The projects cut across aviation, road infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, land administration and security.
Among the projects scheduled for inauguration are the international terminal building and airport hospital at Victor Attah International Airport, Aviation Village, ARISE Palm Resort, the 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road, Ring Road 3, the Command and Control Centre and the AkwaGIS building.
The state government had earlier announced plans for the President to inaugurate projects as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary in September.
The airport projects are particularly significant to the state’s ambition to expand aviation, tourism and investment.
The international terminal is expected to strengthen the airport’s capacity to handle international operations, while the Aviation Village is intended to provide accommodation for aviation workers. The airport hospital is also among the facilities lined up for inauguration.
The road projects are also expected to improve connectivity. The 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road links communities in the two local government areas, while Ring Road 3 is designed to improve movement within Uyo and ease pressure on existing roads. The Command and Control Centre, meanwhile, is intended to strengthen security surveillance and coordination in the State.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
-
Rivers1 day ago
NUJ Set To Attend UNIPORT’s 217th Inaugural Lecture
-
News1 day agoNJC Suspends Three Judges, Sanctions Eight Others
-
Politics1 day ago
Atiku Kicks-Off 2027 Campaign, Promises To Tackle Nigeria’s Challenges
-
Featured1 day agoAPC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow
-
News1 day ago
FG Explains Supply Disruption As Power Generation Drops To 3,659MW
-
Metro1 day ago
Port Harcourt Prepares For 10,000 Runners As International Marathon Returns
-
News1 day agoBille Gas Leak: Coalition Tasks FG On Proactive Measures
-
News1 day agoIGP Orders Arrest, Prosecution Of Campaign Billboard Vandals