News
Ebocha Blasts: RSG Orders Clean – Up Of Egbema Communities …Gives NAOC 3-Month Deadline
The Rivers State Government has directed the management of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), the Italian oil giant, to effect immediate clean-up of Egbema communities impacted by the Ebocha oil centre explosions that occurred last July.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya, who gave the order during a parley between the Ministry’s officials, Egbema communities and representatives of Agip, said that Agip can not claim that the triple explosions spanning across two days did not negatively impact or pollute the environment, adding that all prospecting oil and gas companies operating in the state must be environment friendly and responsive to their host communities.
The commissioner explained that the issue of compensation will not be addressed for now pending the clean-up exercise, and gave the oil firm three-month timeline to clean-up and remediate the environment and communities affected.
Konya appealed to the impacted host communities to co-operate with the firm during the clean-up process.
She promised that the ministry will meet with all the parties and stakeholders in three months’ time to review the progress and agree on nest line of action.
Earlier, the chairman of Egbema Technical Committee, Josan Osai, who described the relationship between Agip and Egbema communities as a metaphor of mother and child, had lamented how Egbema (as a mother) nurtured Agip (the child) to adulthood only for the child to abandon the mother after stabilizing.
Osai recalled that the triple explosions from the Ebocha oil cnetre that rocked the area left the entire environment devastated, affecting flora and fauna while buildings, livestocks, rivers, streams, fish ponds, pools among others were severely impacted.
He blamed the explosions on equipment/facility failure as, according to him, Agip had 24-hour security/surveillance around the area of explosions, which was fenced and tagged a “no-go area” from non-Agip personnel.
Osai disclosed that host communities had severely dialogued with Agip, which involved the state House of Assembly, Rivers State Police Command and National Assembly but regretted that such parleys were deadlocked when Agip sidelined Egbema and signed the Joint Inspection visit report without the consent of the landlords.
Also speaking, the leader of Agip team, Dr Kingsley Opuene Aston, who doubles as the Manager, Environment Department, said that the company’s position was that the explosions were as a result of sabotage, adding that the company cannot be held liable for the incident.
Aston further said that some remedial measures had been effected within the site of the blasts while relief materials had been sent to host communities to cushion the effect of the disaster.
He, however, stated that the resolution of the meeting will be transmitted to Agip’s management for further action and directive.
It would be recalled that series of meetings and dialogue had been held between host communities, Agip, state House of Assembly, National Assembly and police authorities as well as Rivers State Ministry of Environment since the triple explosion that happened last July.
Goodluck Ukwe
L-R: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, wife of the state Governor, Justice, Eberechi Suzette Wike and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Mrs. Ukel Oyagiri, conferring over the SDG’s sticker, during a meeting/workshop on Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development organised by the State Ministry of Women Affairs in Port Harcourt, recently.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.
This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.
The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.
The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.
From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.
Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.
From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.
The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.
The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.
The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.
Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.
He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.
This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.
Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.
He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.
The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.
Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.
Chinedu Wosu
-
Sports3 days ago
CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
-
Sports3 days ago
FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
-
Sports3 days ago
NPFL club name Iorfa new GM
-
Sports3 days ago
NNL abolishes playoffs for NPFL promotion
-
Sports3 days ago
NSF: Early preparations begin for 2026 National Sports Festival
-
Sports3 days ago
Kwara Hopeful To Host Confed Cup in Ilorin
-
Sports3 days ago
RSG Award Renovation Work At Yakubu Gowon Stadium
-
Politics3 days agoRivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension