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Agbami Scholarships Excite Rivers Indigenes

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Stakeholders in Rivers State have applauded the Agbami Medical and Engineering Professionals Scholarship Awards which were presented to 183 beneficiaries from the state early in the week at the auditorium of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The scholarship was established by Agbami partners: Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited (a Chevron Company); Famfa Oil, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Statoil Nigeria Limited and Petroleo Brasileiro Nigeria Limtied (Petrobras).

Dr Elechi Amadi, the Chairman Rivers State Scholarship Board who represented the State government commended Chevron and the Agbami partners for offering the scholarships to the students stating that the Education sector in the State had a back ground of  inadequacy and near desperation especially before the coming of the present administration.

The Chairman, who urged other corporate bodies to emulate Chevron because they draw their workforce from the products of the educational system, noted that the paramount role of education in the life of any nation could not be over-emphasised. “All other government programmes will ultimately collapse if education is not accorded the priority it deserves,” he stated.

In his own remarks, Rt Hon. Tonye Harry, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly commended the efforts of Chevron and its partners to address the issue of educational development for which he said the state has been disadvantaged. The speaker who was represented by Hon Hope Ikiriko, the Deputy House Leader noted that the gesture would greatly contribute to the efforts of the present State government to resuscitate the educational sector on which it has declared a state of emergency.

The Speaker, who called for the increase in the number of awardees in the next round of awards, congratulated the present recipients and the Scholarship Board confirming that the selection process was merit-based. He implored them to see the award as an opportunity to prove their mettle in their chosed professions and to come out to contribute to the development of the society. “beyond the scholarships and your educational attainment, you all should know that the essence of knowledge is not for you to depend on government for jobs, but to help create jobs by yourselves,” he stated.

Also expressing her excitement about the Agbami scholarships, Hon Maureen Tamuno, the Chairman, Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Education described the gesture as a visible commitment to assisting the state in educational development.

Encouraging the awardees not to misuse the opprounity offered by the scholarships, she called on other Companies in the State to emulate Chevron and its Agbami partners.

Earlier in his remarks, Andrew Fawthrop, the Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited noted that the Agbami deepwater partners have demonstrated commitment to conducting their business in Nigeria in a socially responsible way; lending hands to add value to the lives of the people and contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Managing Dierctor, who was represented by Steven Shryock, the Deepwater Asset Manager, Stated that the Agbami partners were committing significant resource to Corporate Social Responsibility programs including the scholarship scheme for which N118 million has been earmarked for 860 beneficiaries during the first session. He therefore challenged the benefiaries to make the best use of the opportunity.

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Police Rescue Kidnapped Victim, Recover Stolen Vehicle

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Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued one Osazee Okugbowa from suspected kidnappers.
Moses Yamu, the command’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement yesterday, stating that the victim was rescued by operatives of Ologbo Division, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, on Friday, 8th February 2025, at about 5 pm.
Yamu said the victim was kidnapped on 7th February, 2025 by five armed men from his residence in the presence of his family in the Power Line area of Owanoba community.
He stated that the victim had since been reunited with his family after receiving medical attention.
He, however, added that the command is on the trail of the suspects in a bid to arrest them.
Meanwhile, Yamu disclosed that the command has recovered a silver-coloured Toyota Yaris with registration number 535 DR, which was snatched from its owner at gunpoint at Upper Mission Road Extension in Benin City.
He said the car was recovered by operatives of the Okuaihe Division in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area, following a distress call received on 6th February 2025.
He added that the operatives intercepted and pursued the car snatchers, who abandoned the vehicle at Iguomon Community along the Benin-Agbor Road.
Yamu said the car has been handed over to its owner while efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects.

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Soludo Rebagged FG Rice Shared To APGA Members-APC

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State has protested the dominance of the Chukwuma Soludo-led All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the affairs of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
The party chairman in the state, Mr Basil Ejidike while speaking at the weekend said the dominance of Soludo in affairs that concern Anambra even at the federal level has become a challenge to the state chapter of the APC.
He said all appointments coming to Anambra from the Federal Government had nominees from APGA, while even rice distributed to all states to cushion the effect of hardship had Anambra’s share rebagged with the picture of the governor and distributed to only APGA members last Christmas.
Appealing to Tinubu, Ejidike said, “Sir, may I seize this opportunity to draw your attention to some challenges confronting the APC in Anambra State, that require your kind intervention.
“The issue of appointments made by the Federal government without recourse to the party is inimical to the growth and success of the party in our state, as these appointees do not reckon with the party at the state level.
“Whereby, most of those who have made and are still making heavy sacrifices for the party have not been adequately rewarded and appreciated, many of those who have gotten juicy Federal Government appointments in the past were mainly non-party members, drawn especially from our rival All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).”
He said the trend has not served as a source of inspiration or motivation to party members, and is threatening its strength and enthusiasm of emerging victorious in the Anambra 2025 project.
“At the ward, local government and state levels, our members are being discriminated against, as APGA does not recognize or reckon with those who are not their members in the distribution and allocation of government appointments and incentives.
“More worrisome is the fact that what we as a state get from the federal government as incentives and palliatives are usually sent through the state government.
“Sequel to the above, non-APGA members are denied access to them. It is on record that bags of rice sent as palliatives by the federal government were repackaged, and Governor Soludo’s pictures and APGA logo embossed on those bags, thereby giving the impression that they were provided by the governor.
“This arrangement has continued to diminish our party’s influence and reach within the state, and we are terrified to say the least.
“APC in Anambra have come with a passionate appeal, asking that you (Ganduje) intervene and save our members in Anambra from neglect.
“Your kind intervention, Sir, will bolster the morale of our committed party men and women towards the task ahead,” he added.

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2025 Budgets: I Hope Snake, Monkey Won’t Swallow This One-Atiku

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against the misappropriation of funds allocated to the health sector in the 2025 budget, referencing past bizarre claims of animals—such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys—being blamed for missing public funds. He stressed that such absurd incidents must not be allowed to happen with resources meant for healthcare.
Amid dwindling resources and reduced external support for healthcare services, Abubakar emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in the government’s $1.07 billion budgetary appropriation for the health sector. He called for mechanisms to ensure public audits and proper utilization of every kobo earmarked for healthcare.
The former vice president specifically questioned the government’s failure to provide a detailed breakdown of how it intends to spend over a billion dollars in the primary health sector. He noted that while investment in primary healthcare is crucial for providing Nigerians with accessible and affordable medical services, it would be unethical for the government to allocate such a significant sum without disclosing its intended use.
“The Federal Government has announced plans to spend a whopping $1.07 billion in the primary health sector, in addition to the N2.48 trillion initially proposed for healthcare in the budget,” Abubakar noted.
“What is even more concerning is that this additional funding is largely sourced from foreign loans, with a small portion coming from an international donor agency. Since these loans must be repaid, Nigerians have the right to know the full details and ensure that the expenditure is transparent and well-justified,” he added.
Abubakar further criticized the government for failing to commit to any physical infrastructure projects within the health sector, suggesting that this raises red flags about potential mismanagement or fraud.
According to the government, the funds will be used to improve governance in healthcare and strengthen primary health services nationwide, including recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers. However, Abubakar argued that the government has a poor track record in managing public funds, particularly in humanitarian services, and that Nigerians should not accept vague explanations without clear accountability mechanisms.
“It is difficult to trust this administration’s claims, especially given its history of misleading Nigerians about investments in social infrastructure,” he said.
He pointed out the government’s misleading statements about improvements in tertiary hospitals, despite the reality that many of these institutions lack basic amenities, such as stable electricity supply.
“The Tinubu administration has failed in the health sector due to poor funding. Major diseases in primary healthcare, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, remain critical challenges. If this government is truly committed to healthcare, it must clarify how it plans to use this intervention fund to tackle these diseases,” Abubakar stated.
He also criticized the government’s response to the recent withdrawal of American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment, noting that its proposed intervention of N5 billion is grossly inadequate.
“If the Tinubu administration does not present a clear framework for managing this significant health sector investment or subject it to proper legislative scrutiny, then it may be safe to conclude that this is yet another case of public funds being mismanaged under the guise of serving Nigerians,” Abubakar concluded.

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