News
Osinbajo Flags Off N120bn Bonny-Bodo Road …Denies NNPC Contract Approval Report
The Federal Government says it is a firm believer of the potentials of the private sector to deliver the infrastructure Nigeria requires.
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo stated this during the flag-off ceremony of the Bonny-Bodo Road project in Grand Bonny.
According to him, Government alone cannot plug the infrastructural deficit of the country, that is why the Federal Government welcomes the private sector to take the lead.
“We give them the assurance that we will be with them every step of the way as enablers,” he said.
According to him, the Bonny- Bodo Road project is a Public Private Partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) where the Federal Government is to bear 50% of the cost and the NLNG bears the rest.
He said the road will provide direct jobs for engineers, artisans, and labourers and indirect jobs for food vendors, suppliers, transporters, quarry operators and others in the construction value chain.
In his remarks, the state Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike who spoke through his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ipalibo Harry Banigo said over the years, the people of Rivers State, other Nigerians and foreign nationals have continued to yearn for a road to lead to Bonny, a coastal city that hosts the NLNG which he described as a critical national asset.
While expressing the state government’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government, the NLNG and other developmental partners to carry out programmes, policies and projects that positively impact on the lives of the citizenry, Governor Wike said “We would like to use this opportunity to urge the NLNG to set up the necessary machinery in motion to kick off the NLNG Train 7 and also ensure that the dry dock that was taken to Badagry is brought back to Bonny to provide employment for our people and help curb youth restiveness”.
Governor Wike also expressed the need for the Federal Government to urgently complete the East-West Road which connects several states of the federation and also serves the Port Harcourt Refinery, the Petro Chemical Industry as well as the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the road will be beneficial not only to the Bonny people but also the Bodo people in Gokana Local Government Area. According to him, the construction of the road will also reduce the cost of basic commodities in the area.
In his remarks, the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple, Perekule XI said access to Bonny Kingdom has been a challenge over the years because of the terrain, stressing that with the flag-off of the road project, the NLNG has demonstrated its commitment to the development of the Kingdom and thanked the Federal Government and the company for this initiative.
Meanwhile, there is confusion in the Presidency over the alleged approval of $25 billion contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has denied the report that he approved the contract.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, had earlier in his tweets yesterday claimed that Prof. Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts. But the Vice President has denied confirming or approving any such NNPC contacts, rather he clarified that what he approved was loans.
His aide, Akande had in a series of tweets on his twitter handle @akandeoj, yesterday claimed that Prof. Osinbajo confirmed approving the contracts after due diligence when he acted as President recently.
He said Osinbajo approved the recommendations for the contracts as part of necessary actions to deal with backlog of unpaid cash calls and incentivize investments.
The presidential aide had said that the clarification became necessary in view of media enquiries that followed NNPC’s claim that the contracts were indeed approved by Osinbajo.
The tweets stated: “In response to media inquiries on NNPC joint venture financing, VP Osinbajo, as Acting President approved recommendations after due diligence and adherence to established procedure.
Action necessary to deal with huge backlog of unpaid cash calls which the Buhari administration inherited and also to incentivise the much-needed fresh investments in the oil and gas sector.” However, the Vice President has denied approving any contract, rather he said what he approved was two loans for NNPC.
In what appeared to be a u-turn, Akande in a statement said Prof. Osinbajo made the clarification in view of media enquiries that followed NNPC’s claim that the contracts were indeed approved by him (Osinbajo).
The Vice President who was in Bonny Island where he flagged off the Bonny-Bodo Road project in Rivers State yesterday said he only granted loans and not contracts. In a statement with the title, “NNPC: Acting Presidential Approvals Were for Financing Arrangements not Contracts”, Akande said the clarification was to correct his earlier tweet.
He said, “Approached by reporters after the ground-breaking multi-billion Naira historic Bonny-Bodo road project, in Bonny, Rivers State, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, explained specifically that the approvals he granted to the NNPC while he was Acting President were for financing arrangements for the Joint Ventures between the corporation and IOCs, and not approvals for contracts.
“These were financing loans. Of course, you know what the Joint Ventures are, with the lOCs, like Chevron, that had to procure. In some cases, NNPC and their Joint Venture partners have to secure loans and they need authorisation to secure those loans while the President was away.
“The law actually provides for those authorisations. So I did grant two of them and those were presidential approvals, but they are specifically for financing joint ventures and they are loans not contracts.
“Earlier today, I had tweeted on the same matter thus: In response to media inquiries on the NNPC Joint Venture financing arrangements, VP Osinbajo, as Acting President, approved the recommendations after due diligence and adherence to established procedures. This was, of course, necessary to deal with huge backlog of unpaid cash calls which the Buhari administration inherited, and to incentivize much needed fresh investments in the oil and gas sector.”
Recall that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu had recently in a leaked letter he addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, accused the Group Managing Director, GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru of gross insubordination and taking unilateral decisions on award of contracts without recourse to the NNPC board.
The Minister accused the GMD of approving a contract of $25 billion without following due process. But Baru in his response denied allegation of not following due process in awarding contracts and even stated that he had not contravened any known law, describing the minister’s allegations as baseless.
On the allegations by the minister that major contracts were never reviewed or discussed by the NNPC Board, Baru said that the law and the rules do not require a review or discussion with the Minister of State or the NNPC Board on contractual matters.
He said, “What is required is the processing and approval of contracts by the NNPC Tenders Board, the President in his executive capacity or as Minister of Petroleum, or the Federal Executive Council (FEC), as the case may be.
“There are therefore situations where all that is required is the approval of the NNPC Tenders Board while, in other cases, based on the threshold, the award must be submitted for presidential approval. Likewise, in some instances, it is FEC approval that is required.”
The GMD’s reaction to the allegations which was signed by the NNPC’s spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu stated further: “It should be noted that for both the Crude Term Contract and the Direct Sale and Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreements, there are no specific values attached to each transaction to warrant the values of $10 billion and $5 billion respectively placed on them in the claim of Dr. Kachikwu. “It is therefore inappropriate to attach arbitrary values to the shortlists with the aim of classifying the transactions as contracts above NNPC Tenders Board limit.
They are merely the short-listing of prospective off-takers of crude oil and suppliers of petroleum products under agreed terms. “These transactions were not required to be presented as contracts to the Board of NNPC and, of course, the monetary value of any crude oil eventually lifted by any of the companies goes straight into the federation account and not to the company.”
The statement said that Dr. Kachikwu was expressly consulted by the GMD and his recommendations were taken contrary to the assertion that he was never involved in the 2017/2018 contracting process for the crude oil.
Eleven outstanding poetry collections are now in the race for the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature, arguably Africa’s biggest and most prestigious literary prize.
The 11 collections were selected from a total of 223 entries received for this year’s competition.
Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, who announced the longlist, said the emergence of the 11 collections marks a significant milestone in this year’s competition and reflects the exceptional quality, creativity and diversity of contemporary Nigerian poetry.
According to her, the longlisted titles, arranged in alphabetical order, are: Adult Love by Tanure Ojaide; Bakandimiya by Saddiq Dzukogi; Black Passport by Paul Akpomuje; 2000 Blacks by Ajibola Tolase; Ceremony For The Nameless by Theresa Lola; Corpus: Animistic Verses by Ayo Oyeku; and Floral’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu.
Other successful entries are, The Origin of Wounds by Malik Gbolahan; The Years of Blood by Adebayo Agarau; Unbind Me Now by James Ugwu Eze; and Why Does God Need a Gun by Ogaga Ifowodo.
Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo described the announcement as an important stage in the 2026 edition of the prize.
She noted that the collections demonstrate the remarkable capacity of poetry to illuminate human experience through thoughtful reflection, cultural memory and artistic expression.
According to her, the works revisit history while interrogating dominant historical narratives and exposing the forces that shape collective identities and social relations.
She stated that despite their varied emphases, the books share a commitment to exploring the endurance of individuals and communities in the face of violence, oppression and social fragmentation.
On style and language, Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo said the books display an impressive diversity of poetic techniques marked by lyrical intensity, symbolic depth and artistic innovation.
“Many employ densely poetic, allegorical, and elegiac modes that invite multiple layers of interpretation, while others draw extensively on folklore, oral traditions, and contemporary realities to create a compelling fusion of past and present. Their language is generally fluid, evocative, and aesthetically refined, relying on vivid imagery, emotional resonance, and intellectual sophistication to communicate complex ideas. These works demonstrate how poetic language can illuminate social realities; challenge established perspectives and give voice to both individual and collective experiences.
“The next stage will demand a closer reading of each work, with attention to language, form, originality and lasting literary value,” she stated.
The Board chairman commended the judges for their painstaking work and reaffirmed the Advisory Board’s commitment to a credible process, literary excellence and the promotion of a strong reading culture.
With the announcement of the 11-title longlist, the competition now moves to the next phase, with a shortlist of three expected in August and the winner to be announced in October.
Sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), The Nigeria Prize for Literature carries a cash award of $100,000 for the author of the winning book.
Now in its 22nd year, the prize rotates annually across four genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature – with the 2026 edition devoted to poetry.
The Rivers State Government has applauded the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State Branch, for its steadfast dedication to advancing medical excellence and contributing significantly to healthcare development in the state and the country at large.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the NMA held in Port Harcourt last Wednesday, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, described the association as a vital partner in the quest to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Wokoma, according to a statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit in his office, Julian Masi, noted that the NMA’s sustained advocacy for professional standards and quality medical practice has continued to impact positively on the healthcare sector and national development.
He said the conference theme, “Medical Practice in Nigeria: The Past, the Present and Quo Vadis,” offers a valuable platform for stakeholders to evaluate the progress made in the health sector, examine present realities, and develop practical solutions for future challenges.
He paid tribute to Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals for their sacrifices and unwavering commitment to service despite the challenges confronting the sector.
“We deeply appreciate the immense sacrifices made daily by Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals. In the face of numerous challenges, they continue to demonstrate exceptional resilience, professionalism, dedication and commitment to saving lives. Their contributions remain critical to national development,” he said.
In her keynote address, the immediate past Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adaeze C. Oreh, called on participants to critically examine the current state of medical practice in Nigeria and explore innovative approaches that will address emerging healthcare challenges in line with the conference theme.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State Branch, Dr. (Prof.) Annabel Ureh Oparaodu, expressed gratitude to Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his continued support for the medical profession in Rivers State.
She urged delegates to maximize the opportunities provided by the conference through active engagement and knowledge sharing.
Highlights of the event included the commissioning of the Nigerian Medical Association Doctors’ Lodge and the NMA Water Factory, initiatives designed to improve members’ welfare and promote sustainability within the association.
The National Population Commission (NPC) has announced the commencement of a nationwide digital registration of births and deaths in Rivers State under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, E-CRVS, System, using the new VitalReg platform.
Federal Commissioner, NPC, Rivers State, Prof. Itotenaan Henry Ogiri, announced said this recently during a press briefing in his Port Harcourt office.
Ogiri said the full digital registration of births and deaths took effect nationwide on July 1, 2026, and is now being implemented across Rivers’ 23 Local Government Areas as part of the Commission’s rollout in the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards a modern, technology-driven civil registration system,
“It reflects the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every birth and every death occurring in our country is accurately captured through a secure, efficient and digitally enabled platform,” he said.
The Federal Commissioner noted that while Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, coverage remains low.
“Birth registration currently stands at about 57%, while death registration is below 20% nationwide.
“These gaps underscore the urgent need for a more efficient and accessible registration system,” he stated.
To address this, he said the commission has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 LGAs, with plans to expand to about 8,000 centres nationwide.
According to him, in Rivers State, structures have been put in place and personnel are working with health facilities, LGAs and community stakeholders to ensure accessibility.
Ogiri explained that the VitalReg platform offers faster registration, 24-hour access, automated data validation for accuracy, reduced paperwork and waiting time, enhanced record security, and a stronger national database to support other government information systems.
He added that the platform would integrate seamlessly with Nigeria’s national digital identity framework, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to improve coordination and service delivery.
“The initiative builds on the launch of the E-CRVS System and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on CRVS by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 8, 2023.
“It also aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on digital transformation and transparency,” he said.
The NPC Commissioner stressed that success depends on partnerships and public participation and listed key collaborators as ALGON, NIMC, UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.
“In Rivers State, we will continue to work closely with the State Government, Local Government Councils, healthcare providers, traditional institutions, religious organisations, development partners, civil society organisations and the media to ensure that no child or family is left behind,” he said.
The commissioner called on parents, guardians, healthcare workers and community leaders to ensure prompt registration of every birth and death, noting that a complete civil registration system strengthens governance and supports sustainable development.
He reassured the public that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised, though specialised administrative services such as record modification, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification will attract approved charges to support system sustainability.
Ogiri appreciated the Rivers State Government for its support, and commended NPC staff in the State, as well as development partners, LGAs, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders for advancing civil registration in the state.
He also urged the media to continue to amplify the message “that every birth counts, every death matters and every Nigerian deserves a legal identity.”
“As we commence this new chapter, let us all work together to build a civil registration system that is modern, inclusive and trusted by all,” Ogiri concluded.