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Niger Delta

NDDC Set To Complete 15-Floor Headquarters Complex

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12 years ago

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The Niger Delta Develop
ment Commission, NDDC, has stepped up efforts to complete the new 15-floor tower which would serve as its permanent headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Inspecting the project last Friday, the Managing Director of the commission, Sir (Barr.) Bassey Dan-Abia, said that the office complex would be ready by the end of the year. He said that from what he saw at the project site and the assurances given to the NDDC by the major contractors, the end of year target was realistic.
The Managing Director, who was accompanied on the inspection by the Executive Director Projects, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli and other directors, stated that the days of indefinite contract duration was over and that no contractor working for the commission should expect to  get approval for variations after delaying the completion of projects.
He called attention to the new policy thrust of the NDDC, which he said was geared towards ensuring that deadlines were adhered to strictly.
“The message we are sending out is that to do business with us, contractors must change their attitude. There must be re-positioning and re-focusing on the part of everyone to key into the domesticated transformation agenda of the new NDDC, which is that jobs must be completed on schedule,” the MD said.
Barr. Dan-Abia said that the era of allowing indolent contractors to get away with all kinds of delay tactics were gone and gone for good. According to him, “everyone must sit up and key into the new ways of the new NDDC. So, you can see that the boat is moving fast and incompetent contractors will definitely be left behind.”
“It will not be in line with our new policy to sit in the office, which is only a few kilometres away from the project site and not come to monitor the progress of work here. If it were possible, I want to be here, at least once every month, until the project is delivered,” Dan-Abia said.
The project coordinator, Architect Felix Darko, assured the NDDC directors that they were working according to schedule and set standards. He said that the contractors involved in the project were determined to complete the multi-storey building on time as long as funds were available.
The NDDC team also inspected the construction of a permanent
complex for the Rivers State office along Olu Obasanjo Road
in  Port Harcourt. Since inception in 2,000, the interventionist agency has been operating from buildings rented from the Rivers State government.

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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

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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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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