News

FG Mulls 3,000-Capacity Prison In Ogoni …MOSOP Threatens To Resist Move

Published

8 years ago

March 12, 2018

The Federal Government has concluded plans to construct a 3000-capacity maximum prison in Bori, traditional headquarters of Ogoniland in Rivers State, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau has said.
Disclosing this last Friday, during a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike in Government House, Port Harcourt, Dambazau, said that the move was part of efforts of the Federal Government to decongest the prisons.
The minister explained that the Federal Government’s proposed prison project would be carried out on a land that was allocated to the Prisons Service in 1979 in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state.
He pointed out that the Port Harcourt Prison, which was built for 804 prisoners, currently accommodates 4,204 inmates, noting that the strategy was to reduce the pressure on the already congested facility in Port Harcourt.
The minister told the governor that the Stakeholders Panel on Prison Decongestion had recommended Rivers as one of the states from the six geopolitical zones for the construction of a 3,000-capacity prison.
In his remarks, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike promised to provide the necessary support and cooperation towards the commencement and completion of the new prison project.
Wike further called on the Federal Government to complete the ongoing construction of a prison in Omoku so that it could decongest other prisons in the state.
Also speaking, the Controller General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed told the governor that the contractor handling the Omoku Prison had been contacted to hasten the project for early completion, and promised to do everything humanly possible to decongest the Port Harcourt Prisons and make it a more humane centre of correction and rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr Legborsi Pyagbara has kicked against the Federal Government’s plan to build a maximum security prison and modern cemetery in Ogoniland.
MOSOP alleged that the plan involves the seizure of over 41 hectares of land in Bori, where Pyagbara claimed that arable land had been conspicuously difficult to find.
The MOSOP president, therefore, threatened that Ogoni people in the four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme would resist, with the last drop of their blood, the plan to build a maximum security prison and modern cemetery in the area.
Pyagbara told The Tide, last Saturday, in Port Harcourt, that they was urgent need for the Federal Government to jettison the plan at a time clean-up of the polluted Ogoni environment had not been done despite presentation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the environmental assessment of Ogoniland to then President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on August 4, 2011, and the ceremonial flag-off of the exercise by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in June, 2016.
Pyagbara said: “Ogoni people are opposed to this plan being hatched by the Federal Government against the Ogoni people.
“This action is a demonstration of crass insensitivity and a total disdain for the Ogoni people by the Buhari-led administration”.
“We want to stress that this plan to build a maximum security prison facility and modern cemetery in Ogoni will never be acceptable to our people because we see this as a broader attempt to suppress Ogoni people and forcefully begin oil and gas exploration in the area, without any constructive engagement and discussion with the Ogoni people,” Pyagbara argued.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

News

HYPREP Plans 1,500 Jobs, Expanded Skills Training as Ogoni Cleanup Records Progress

Published

2 days ago

December 22, 2025

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced plans to create more than 1,500 direct jobs and provide skills training for over 2,000 Ogoni youths, women and persons with special needs in 2026, as part of the ongoing Ogoni Clean-up Programme.

The Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, made the disclosure on Friday in Port Harcourt during a Project Review Meeting with key Ogoni stakeholders, where the project’s performance between July and December 2025 was reviewed.

According to Prof. Zabbey, the proposed jobs will arise from the next phase of mangrove restoration and shoreline remediation projects, while skills acquisition will cover 10 demand-driven areas and five specialised skills designed for persons with disabilities.

In his presentation, the Project Coordinator outlined key milestones recorded during the period under review. He said Phase 1 shoreline remediation had reached 72.7 per cent completion, mangrove restoration was at 99 per cent, while soil and groundwater remediation of medium-risk complex sites stood at 39.01 per cent.

On potable water supply, Prof. Zabbey disclosed that 16 water facilities with booster stations had been completed, providing water to 42 Ogoni communities, while construction of 29 additional facilities was ongoing.

He also highlighted progress in public health and infrastructure projects, including the ongoing three-year public health studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO). He added that the Ogoni Specialist Hospital had reached 78.2 per cent completion, Buan Cottage Hospital 98.5 per cent, the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) 93.5 per cent, while the Ogoni Power Project stood at 61.13 per cent.

On livelihood restoration, the Project Coordinator said additional skills training programmes would commence in January, covering areas such as cybersecurity, commercial diving, GIS and mechatronics. He added that five specialised programmes had been designed for persons with disabilities. Education support initiatives, he said, include the installation of IT and solar equipment in pilot schools, distribution of learning materials and the planned distribution of 160,000 exercise books to public primary and secondary schools from January 2026.

Prof. Zabbey further announced that the list of 500 beneficiaries of Batch 2 of the HYPREP Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme would be released on January 1, 2026, noting that 300 postgraduate students were awarded scholarships earlier this year.

Addressing recent incidents affecting the Gwara and Ebubu water facilities, the Project Coordinator described them as regrettable and disclosed that a Technical Investigation Committee would submit its report within the week. He said water supply had been restored in Ebubu, while efforts were ongoing to restore supply to Gwara.

He identified challenges facing the project to include community land disputes, threats of re-pollution, vandalism and operational constraints, adding that measures were being taken to address them.

Prof. Zabbey attributed the progress recorded to the support of the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and Ogoni stakeholders, noting that the Ogoni Clean-up Programme remains a priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The project status presentation was delivered by Mr. Ifiok Idiyo of HYPREP’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. Stakeholders who spoke at the meeting commended HYPREP for the milestones achieved and called for sustained support to ensure the success of the Ogoni Clean-up Programme.

News

RHI, RSG Empower 500 Senior Citizens In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

December 22, 2025

The Tide

The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.

The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.

The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.

She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.

“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.

On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.

She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.

News

Expedite Action On MBA Forex Operator’s Prosecution, Rivers NUJ Tells EFCC

Published

2 days ago

December 22, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite the prosecution of the Director of the now distressed MBA Forex Trading, Mr. Maxwell Odum, in the interest of justice.

The Rivers State NUJ made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the EFFC’s Ag. Zonal Director, ACE Hassan Saidu, in Port Harcourt, recently.

The council’s chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia, said the appeal became imperative after it considered the number of Nigerians and others involved in the financial misconduct.

According to him, it has caused hardship among many households in the country and should be given the attention it deserves.

He said that investors cannot come into a country or invest in an economy or nation ridden with fraud.

This, he said, has made it more imperative to arrest, prosecute and convict alleged fraudsters like the MBA Forex Director, who is alleged to have defrauded thousands of unsuspecting Nigerians, to serve as a deterrent to others.

The chairman also requested that while the trial lasts, part of the swindled funds should be given to the victims that suffered loss and trauma as a result of the fraud.

The NUJ reiterated its resolve to change the narrative of reportage from crisis to developmental communication.

According to him, the NUJ’s main focus is blue economy and tourism.

He expressed the readiness of the Council to partner the agency in the area of information dissemination.

“We believe you have a responsibility to fight financial crimes. We also know that you need the Press to publicize your activities and NUJ can provide that,” he said.

Responding, the Zonal EFFC’s boss commended the NUJ’s vision to change the narrative of reporting from crisis to developmental communication.

According to Saidu, the Western world have since imbibed such culture, hence the negative stories about them are carefully sifted to allow only positive ones to be released to the outside world.

As for the trapped funds to be released, the EFCC Zonal Director stated that only the court can authorize such action, stressing that the primary responsibility of the Commission is to arrest and prosecute.

He pledged to partner with the NUJ now that the leadership has visited the Commission.

The Head of the Legal & Prosecution Department, DCE Odiase Stephen, corroborated the Zonal Director’s position and stressed that it was only when the matter has been determined by the court that such funds can be released.

He further stated that once a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, it cannot be discussed outside.

By: King Onunwor