Niger Delta

Refugee Day: Commission Urges States, Wealthy Nigerians To Assist IDPs

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2017

The National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has appealed to state governments, corporate organisations and wealthy Nigerians to show love by donating to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
The South-South Zonal Coordinator of the commission, Mr Andy Ubon, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Uyo last Tuesday to mark the 2017 World Refugees Day.
Ubon said that the World Refugee Day observed on June 20 each year was dedicated to raising awareness on the condition of refugees throughout the world.
He said that refugees across the country required attention and love from all people, especially from the wealthy ones in the society.
Ubon said that internally displaced persons in Akwa Ibom were in pathetic conditions that required urgent attention.
He, however, promised that very soon succour would get to the IDPs in the state as the agency had submitted a report to the commission on the true position of their welfare.
He said that the Federal Government, in spite of the economic situation had been providing relief materials to internally displaced persons across the country to alleviate their suffering.
According to him, taking care of these persons should not be left in the hands of the Federal Government alone.
“The wealthy Nigerians have a duty to always show love to the Internally Displaced Persons.
“Go down to these camps and see the kind of life your fellow human beings, brothers, sisters and children are living, then show them love.
“A visit to the camps will surely convince you that these people need your help, Ubon said.”
He said that after the assessment of the nine IDPs camps occupied by the Bakassi returnees in Akwa Ibom, the Federal Government, through the commission would surely give them succour.
The coordinator said that already, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that relief materials be sent to IDPs in the state to make life better for them.
“Very soon IDPs in Akwa Ibom will start feeling the impact of the present Federal Government,” Ubon said.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of Bakassi returnees in Akwa Ibom, Mr Aston Inyang, said that returnees had been living in deplorable condition since 2008 when they returned from Cross River.
Inyang said that previous governments had not been taking care of the returnees, adding that they had been living at the mercy of the people in the community, who were mere farmers and petty traders.
“Akwa Ibom government only took care of the returnees for 14 days since they arrived in 2008.
“We have a lot of challenges in the camps because since we were brought into state in 2008, we have not been taken care of by previous governments.
“Our state government only took care of us for 14 days after that they withdrew and abandoned us,” he said.
Inyang commended the commission for directing its zonal office to visit and assess the welfare of the returnees and possible ways to alleviate their sufferings.
He said that the situation in the camp was pathetic as there was no potable water, no facilities for health and education with the women and children worse affected.
He said that due to the deplorable conditions in the camp, some of the IDPs had died.

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.