Niger Delta

Nwabueze Advocates Restructuring Of Nigeria

Published

13 years ago

September 6, 2013

A constitutional lawyer,
Prof. Ben Nwabueze, last Tuesday called for the restructuring of the Nigerian nation to accommodate interests of the constituent units of the federation.
Nwabueze made the call in Uyo while giving a keynote address at the National Political Summit on the theme, “Roadmap to Political Stability and National Security in Nigeria”.
He expressed optimism that the restructuring would radically address over concentration of powers and financial resources at the centre.
Nwabueze added that it would revise the financial relationship between the Executive and the Legislative and limit the cost of governance by making legislative assemblies part time.
He said that the office of the president should be limited to a single, non-renewable term of five or six years.
Nwabueze suggested that the office of the president be rotated among its 389 ethnic nationalities. He said that the country needed to convene a national conference to address its numerous problems and challenges, to save it from breaking up.
“A national conference is necessary as means for us, under the leadership of Mr President, to chart a course of life for ourselves, create as it were, a new society, which would be a just society.”
He said that a delegation of 10 eminent Nigerians, including two women, would be selected to discuss with the President on the mode of the conference.
In his remark, the Chairman of the session, retired Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, said that the Summit was organised to discuss the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation.
“The discussion will help us to chart the course of this country in the way we all desire.“We need to find out what went wrong with Nigeria. Nigeria is an entity we must all try to uphold as one nation, “ he said.
Suleiman, a former military governor of Plateau, expressed the hope that the gathering would come up with tangible decisions that “will lead us to the promised land.” Akwa Ibom governor, Mr Godswill Akpabio, said that one of the challenges, which the summit must address, was “how to cement the crack and keep the country together”.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Aniekan Umanah, however, noted that the country had survived as a nation for more than five decades and urged that the tempo continued.
“We are in this boat and we must keep the boat afloat, it does not matter how we came together but we must keep it afloat,” Akpabio said.
He advised Nigerians to imbibe the teachings of different religious organisations which preach love and unity.
In her goodwill message, Mrs Josephine Anenih, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, noted that any national conference without the presence of women could not be called national conference.
She said that women, being the burden bearers in the country should be given equal representation in decision-making process of the country adding that there was need to support the president and “not to run down our leaders”.

Niger Delta

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

Published

3 days 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

3 days 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

3 days 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.