Niger Delta

Group Condemns Ceding Of Bakassi

Published

13 years ago

September 28, 2012

The Akwa-Cross Progressive Union (ACPU), a socio-cultural
and political group in Port Harcourt has condemned the ceding of Bakassi
Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In a statement in Port Harcourt, the union charged with the
responsibility of promoting the interest of the Akwa-Cross Ethnic Nationalities
said it is aware that the documents tendered to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) at the Hague did not truly represent the interest of Akwa Ibom
and Cross River States as the judgement fell short of the wishes of the people.

According to the statement signed by the president, Comrade
Emmanuel Iyang and the publicity secretary, Asuquo Coco Bassey, facts at the
disposal of the community in Rivers State show that the ICJ judgement was based
on the 1913 anglo-cameroon matter on their common land and maritime borders
which dated far back to 1811.

It noted that the documents confirming the rightful position
of Bakassi were not presented to the ICJ to support Nigeria’s ownership of the
Peninsula.

“We are at loss as to why a territory that is claimed to be
a part of Western Cameroon which never
took part in the 1961 plebicite should be ceded to Cameroon. It may interest
you to note that in the official Gazzet of Southern Cameroon, Vol. I No. 14,
Bakassi was never included in the list of communities that would vote for their
future country of reference because the Cameroonian government knew that
Bakassi was never a part of Cameroon.”

“We see the ceding of Bakassi which has not participated in
any elected process in Cameroon since 1811 as a calculated ploy to deny our
people the right of citizenship in Nigeria. The claim to the 1931 Anglo-German
treaty which Cameroon rested its case and which the ICJ relied on to give the
judgement was porous, illegal and contestable as Bakassi is determined to take
their fate in their own hand”, the union said.

For the avoidance of doubt, the statement noted that the
1931 Anglo-German treaty was never signed by both countries and that Germany
even renounced all its territorial claims at the end of the First World War

Akwa-Cross people in Rivers State view the ICJ judgment on a
treaty that was never signed and on a territory that was renounced by the
German as a judgment in futility”, the statement stressed and called on Nigeria
to appeal to the ICJ judgment in view of the emerging facts available to right
the wrongs meted out to the people.

The group commended the efforts of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa
in the struggle for Bakassi people and encouraged her steadfastness, pointing
out that the choice of the Bakassi people to belong to Nigeria should be
respected.

At the end of the meeting where this resolution was reached,
two committees, mobilisation and strategy committees were set up.

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.