Niger Delta

Flooding: Price Of Food Items Goes Up

Published

13 years ago

October 12, 2012

The effect of flood currently rampaging the entire Niger
Delta region of Nigeria has started hurting residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa
State capital and its environs as prices of food items, meat, fish and other
edible fruits have gone up by 600 percent.

The reasons for this is attributed to the washing off of the
East/West Road which has reduced inflow of both food and cash crops into the
state.

At the pupular Swhali market, a rubber of garri now cost
about N1,500 as against N150.00 it cost previously, a bunch of plantain that
cost between N500 to N1000 before is now being sold at 2,000 to 3,000.

The prices of onions, rice, beans, mellon, and yams have also
increased. Part of the market has also meen submerged.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has
inaugurated the State Emergency Response Flood Management Committee for the
immediate evacuation of flood victims and provision of relief materials to all
the local government areas.

Governor Dickson, who inaugurated the committee in
Government House Yenagoa, has the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha
John Jonah (Rtd) as chairman while Secretary to the State Government, Prof.
Edmund Allison Oguru is to serve as secretary of the committee.

Membership of the committee comprising more than 20
government officials has commissioners, special advisers, all government
special representatives of local government areas as well as a representative
of the state Commissioner of Police, special adviser on security, House
committee chairman on environment in the state assembly as well as chief of
staff and deputy chief of staff Government House.

In addition to the Emergency Response Flood Management
Committee, local government chairmen are expected to serve as chairmen of their
respective Local Flood Relief Sub-Committees as well as commandants of their
various camps.

Governor Dickson, who listed 5 point terms of reference for
the committee, said it should establish Emergency Relief Camps in strategic
high land locations in every local government area of the state.

The committee is also saddled with the responsibility of
evacuating victims of all the flood ravaged communities to the relief camps.

Governor Dickson charged the committee to interface with all
relevant agencies of government and other international relief agencies to
provide succour for all victims in the camps and work out a post-flood relief
and possible mitigation measures to forestall adverse effects on the state’s
economy.

The Emergency Response Management Committee is also mandated
to undertake any other function in the course of its assignment which may
become necessary considering the peculiar nature of the flood.

Hon. Dickson said government has designated the Samson
Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa as camp for people displaced by the flood and
also urged the committee to identify high grounds in the local government areas
and set up camps.

According to the emergency situation created by the flood,
Governor Dickson said government has already taken steps to notify the
leadership of the state House of Assembly to reconvene and reminded it to
conclude work on the bill seeking to establish the State Emergency Management
Agency as well as approach the Assembly for an emergency appropriation to
tackle the problem of flooding.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Rear Admiral
Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) stated that they would swing into action
immediately and gave an assurance that the committee would do its best to
deliver on its mandate.

Niger Delta

Okpebholo Assures Corps Members Of Improved Welfare

Published

19 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.

Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.

The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.

Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.

“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.

“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.

“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.

Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.

“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.

“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.

The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.

Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.

Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.

She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.

“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.

Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.

She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.

The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.

She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.

Niger Delta

PDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority

Published

20 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.

The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.

The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.

Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.

“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.

He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.

According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.

He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.

“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.

Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.

He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”

He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.

Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.

“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.

He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.

“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.

He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.

Niger Delta

Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River

Published

20 hours ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.

Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.

Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.

“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.

“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.

Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.

Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.