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Niger Delta

Furore Over Impeachment Of Edo Dep Speaker

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12 years ago

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The All Progressives Con
gress (APC) in Edo State, last Thursday, said the impeachment of the suspended Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Festus Ebea, was an internal affair of the House which it said followed  due process.
The party was reacting to the press conference by the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, who said that the APC lawmakers do not have the required two-third to impeach the Ebea just as he alleged that the impeachment was done in Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s bed room.
The state chairman of the APC, Mr Anslem Ojezua, asserted that, “what Orbih is seeing now is the result of the mischief that he masterminded together with his associates. They succeeded in misleading their members to plan a botched coup and the consequences of that mischievous action is the removal of the Deputy Speaker.
The opposition ignorantly made noise about the number of Assembly members that can remove the Deputy Speaker from office by claiming that the House did not meet the two-third  requirement to so remove Hon. Festus Ebea as Deputy Speaker.
According to him,  the notice of impeachment of Hon. Festus Ebea was signed by 16 members of the House.  This clearly was more than the 13 signatures required to impeach him. It must be borne in mind that with the suspension of 4 members, only 20 members are, for now, legitimately entitled to attend and participate in any legislative business of the House of Assembly.
He said, “Two-thirds of 20 members cannot by any stretch of imagination be anything above 13. We state for the records that impeachment of an officer is an internal affair of the State House of Assembly following its rules.  In the instant case, the House has complied with its extant rules.  ”We also find it laughable that the impeached Deputy Speaker, Hon Festus Ebea, said the sitting of the lawmakers was held in the Governor’s Office.  We are embarrassed that the Deputy Speaker has no sense of history and is so ignorant as to know that the sittings of the House of Assembly used to hold in the Government House before the new complex at the Airport Road was erected.
“For the information of the impeached Deputy Speaker and that of the unsuspecting members of the public, the old chambers of the Edo State House of Assembly is within the precinct of the Government House and the Old Assembly building is still a property of the Assembly which is there for them to use whenever they feel the need to do so”, he added.
Ojezua further stated that “the reason for the House going to sit in an alternative location was duly articulated in the motion read by the Majority leader, Philip Shaibu that the new Assembly chambers was undergoing renovation works. For Orbih to threaten that they are going to break into the chambers on Monday, even with the four suspended members tells you they want to perpetuate cause the House was held hostage by eight members against 16. The hostage situation has been deflated and Edo people are happy that the House is now sitting and they are doing their legislative works. So we are appealing to our friends in PDP to have respect for the judiciary by allowing the judicial process to play out” he stated.

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Niger Delta

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

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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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.
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Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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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.
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Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

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6 days ago

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March 2, 2026

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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.
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