Business
Etche Traders Abandon Route To Cultists
Traders plying Okehi/Eberi Road in Etche and Omuma local government areas of Rivers state are scared of plying the route because of the heavy cult activities in the area.
Some of the traders who normally take the route to Aba in Abia State for their business activities recounted their terrible experiences to The Tide, yesterday.
Clement Agbara told our reporter that he was recently attacked by the cult boys who operate freely on the route.
“They are not only involved in killing their opponents but they stop vehicles especially commercial cyclists and rob people of their wares and money,” he said.
He said that the cultists have scared off many people from taking the road which is the shortest route to Aba.
Chief Nwaiwu Ibezim said some innocent operators had been shot dead while plying the route especially in the evenings.
“I have not taken that route to Aba in the past one month because I don’t want to die yet,” Ibezim said.
Another respondent, Mr Chidi Ogbonna who is a commercial bus driver said since the cult regime most of the drivers have shunned the route because of the high rate of cult clashes and robbery.
He said commercial drivers now take Ulakwo/Odagwa route to Aba.
The Tide gathered that Okehi and Obibi were among Etche towns where several killings occurred as armed youths unleashed mayhem in their battle for supremacy.
Chris Oluoh
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.