Niger Delta

Soyinka Tasks Nigerians On National Confab

Published

14 years ago

April 30, 2012

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has urged Nigerians to drop lingering clamour for national conference, saying it is no longer necessary in view of emerging democratic liberties.

In place of the conference, he called for regional groupings, which would, rather than summon it, begin to “act the national conference’’ by taking their destinies in their hands.

Soyinka spoke in Asaba on Thursday, while delivering a Keynote Address at the opening of a two-day South-South Economic Summit.

He said that it was time for the region to engage in policies and strategies of development that would progressively reduce the central government’s powers to determine the “fate’’ of the people.

He said that the Federal Government was impeding the pace of development of the constituent parts and noted that only vibrant regional groupings could moderate its over-bearing disposition.

Soyinka commending the South-South states for the initiative of the summit and for establishing the BRACED Commission for the region.

He challenged other regions to tread that part so as to hasten the decentralization of federal governance.

“The constitutional ‘envelope’ that currently holds the parts together should be pushed as far as possible, without it actually bursting, leading to a vibrant competition and collaboration among its constituent parts.

“Each regional grouping should, by its policies, declare an uncompromising developmental autonomy.

“This will leave the centre only with its competence provenance of foreign policy, national security and inter-state affair,” Soyinka said.

The Nobel laureate urged each state in the country to convene its own conference of peoples to articulate in the direction they wished to direct their leaders and relate to the centre and other states.

According to him, Nigeria has proved to be too large and inefficient for a centralised identification and management of its human skills and material resources.

He said: “There should be no further calls for a national conference. Let each regional grouping with compatible ideas of the ultimate mission, begin to call the shots and relegate the centre to its rightful dimensions.

“Let each regional grouping and its member states single-mindedly project and pursue their strategies for the enhancement of the quality of life and the dignity of their people.

“Let them quarry into their resources to extract the material required for their very existence, material that they can exchange among one another based on their spatial developmental advantages.

“In short, they should share among themselves, areas of specialisation, substituting strength for the weakness of their partners, expertise for deficiencies in one member or the other.”

He added that now was the time to put into practice the ancient saying that “small is beautiful’’, adding that that Nigeria must return to the early days of creative regional rivalry.

Soyinka admonished the South-South governors to ensure that BRACED Commission was sustained and made a great legacy for their people.

He said that the foresight of the governors for the regional initiative would not be immediately appreciated.

Niger Delta

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

Published

16 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

16 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

16 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.