Niger Delta

NGO Wants Laws To Protect IDPs In S’South

Published

9 years ago

March 23, 2018

A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on governors of the South South zone to make laws that will protect persons in their states who are Internally Displaced.
Executive Director for CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa made the call at the end of a media round table discussion which ended in Calabar yesterday morning.
Musa who spoke on the topic “ internal displacement in Nigeria” said that development of phenomenon of returnee migrant in the region with particular focus in Cross River State has no doubt become a source of concern to humanitarian actors operating in the region.
CISLAC, an organization that receives support from embassy of the Netherland in Nigeria is noted for fighting for the rights and privileges of persons who are internally displace either by war or natural calamity.
CISLAC’s Executive Director said that thought the organisation is not aware of any existing law in the region that makes it possible for persons concern to be adequately catered for adding that a situation where the governors wait until crises erupt in the region before they begin to run helter-skelter looking for where to lay their hands to salvage the situation was not a welcome development.
He called for the leadership of the various state houses of assemblies in the region to come up with a law if there was none in their state to ensure that people internally displaced are taken care of before they constitute a problem to the society.
“Agreed that bags of rice, cartons of indomies, kilos of sugar, packets of toilet tissues were at regular intervals distributed to the IDPs, what happens after the receipt of these items, when the persons concerned are allowed to be on their own. Are those items sustainable? No! The items cannot sustain them and their families.
He urged the South South governors not to wait until there is outbreak of IDPs before they begin to look for “where to scratch” to solve the problem suggesting for workability of a solution before problem crops up.
“While the state still plays host to internally displaced persons(IDPs) that emanated from the ruling of the International Court of Justice(ICJ) which ceded the Bakassi region to Cameroun, other conflict and environmentally induced displacement cases have further exacerbated the need for a multi-pronged approach for protection and assistance to persons of concern in the region,” CISLAC executive director stressed.
The NGO called for the collaboration of stakeholders to generate a policy frame work that can help humanitarian actors in the region provide assistance to the IDPs.
The executive director asked, “As state governors, what have you done in terms of legislation to address all the humanitarian crises concerns to tackle humanitarian crises”?
According to him, states still lack policies that take care of humanitarian crises which arises as a result of IDPs stressing that unless that is done states will still continue to fail in its responsibilities of tackling humanitarian crises in states.
He said, “Something has to be put in black and white to tackle the IDPs’ problems before they become a security risk.” Whether they are IDPs or refugees they may make you join them when they burn down your house”
The non-governmental organisation decried state governments’ inability to do something tangibly to better the lots of the internally displaced.
In a brief interview shortly after the media chat came to an end, one of the participants, Mrs. Linda Tambe recounted her ordeal in the hands of the IDPs in one of the camps in Bakassi, saying that the IDPs almost got her beaten up if not for the security agents close to the camp who rescued her.
According to her, her friend and her had gome to one of the IDPs’s camps in Cross River State to do a little empowerment, and equip the IDPS with some skills, unknown to them that the IDP,s have now become enraged because of neglect from the society. On getting to the camps the IDPs held them hostage saying that they were tire with the ill treatment meted on them by the government and the society.
“if not for the quick inter

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Increases Students Bursary From N50,000 To N200,000

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has promised to increase the annual bursary for students in public tertiary institutions from N50,000 to N200,000 beginning from 2027.
The Governor announced this recently during a fireside chat on the second day of the Ibom Ignite 2026 Conference at Ibom Hall, Uyo.
He said the new rates would take effect from February 2027 after governorship election and as he will be sworn-in for another term to continue the government.
Eno said the increase was intended to help students from less privileged backgrounds meet their educational expenses.

“We started by paying a bursary, we moved it, it’s now 50,000 for every student. But again, to show you that we’re engaging, and that we’re thinking about young people, from February 2027 we want to make sure that our young people who come from the kind of background I came from can at least pay their tuition, bursary will move to 200,000″, he said.
He also pledged to sustain free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary school levels.
The Governor urged beneficiaries of the N50 million Ibom Ignite business grant to invest the money in their businesses rather than spend it on personal pleasure or unproductive ventures.
Describing the grant as seed capital for business development, he said beneficiaries needed to use the funds judiciously to improve their livelihoods.
“A seed not properly planted and tended was as good as dead”, Eno said.
Speaking of support for vulnerable residents, the Governor said his administration had built more than 500 Compassionate Homes for less privileged people across the state’s 31 Local Government Areas.
He added that each beneficiary received a N500,000 business grant to support their livelihood.
Eno promised to build an additional 1,000 Compassionate Homes and provide the accompanying business grants across the state’s wards if re-elected.

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Upgrades 62 Hospitals In Two Years

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Government says it has upgraded 62 primary and secondary health facilities across the state in the last two years as part of efforts to expand access to healthcare delivery.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, disclosed this during the 201st session of the state’s executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
Prof. Brisibe stated that government also equipped and rehabilitated 49 primary and 13 secondary health facilities within Yenagoa metropolis and in far-flung communities of the state.
He praised the State Governor, Douye Diri-led administration for its investment in human capacity development initiatives, noting that it had improved welfare of health workers by directing that every health facility had residential accommodation with at least two sources of power supply.
Acording to him, another success achieved in the sector was the provision of ambulance services and the approval of various welfare packages for health workers aimed at enhancing productivity and effective service delivery.
“I stand here today, Your Excellency, to extol and celebrate your phenomenal development effort in creating access to quality and robust healthcare for all Bayelsans.
“Between 2024 and today, we’ve upgraded, renovated and equipped 49 primary healthcare facilities across the state.
“Also within this period, you’ve about creating access to those very difficult-to-reach areas. upgraded, renovated and equipped 13 secondary care facilities across the state. One of the most intriguing part of this investment is that it is not just about facilities in Yenagoa, but also about creating access to those very difficult-to-reach areas.
“You’ve also invested in all of the health sector value chain to improve access by providing ambulance services and also invested in human capital development.
“You directed that any health facility we renovate or upgrade or build must have residential quarters for the workers. You also directed that the health facility must have a minimum of two sources of power supply. That is, either it is solarised with a generator, or with the national grid”, the Commissioner said.

While presenting a delegation from the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) led by the President, Dr. AnnasIdris, Prof. Brisibe explained that the association had about 20,000 membership across the country under the employ of various state governments in secondary healthcare facilities in rural areas.
The NAGGMDP President, who presented an Award of Exemplary Leadership to Diri in recognition of his administration’s investment in the health sector, commended the state’s use of drone technology to deliver essential medical supplies such as blood and vaccines to hard-to-reach communities, as well as the renovation of primary and secondary health facilities.
DrIdris equally lauded the approval of improved welfare packages for medical and dental practitioners, including accomplishment allowances, specialist allowances and the reviewed professional allowances table, saying it will boost productivity and curb brain drain.
He recalled the association’s 2025 outreach through the Nigerian Doctors Foundation in Southern Ijaw, Sagbama, Ogbia and Yenagoa, during which medical services and assistive devices were provided at the state’s School for Children with Special Needs.
The Association boss canvassed support for the 2026 International Day of Persons with Disability scheduled for December 3, 2026 to cover the remaining four local government areas.
Responding, Diri expressed delight for the honour and dedicated the award to the Health Commissioner and the State Exexutive Council for their excellent work.
The Bayelsa Governor expressed his administration’s determination to prioritise investment in the health sector, stressing that Bayelsa was among the few states in the country with a specialised medical university.
“You can imagine the level of investment in certain institutions, and I am sure that your colleagues from Bayelsa would have taken you round the Bayelsa Medical University here in Yenagoa, and the other campus in Sampou.
“I believe you have seen what we have done, as you rightly mentioned, with Zipline in delivering health services to far-flung communities, which hitherto would have taken us a longer time to reach. But through the Zipline drone system, it takes only minutes for the requirements and consignment to be delivered to those communities. As a government, we will continue to prioritise healthcare”, the Governor said.
He restated his call on politicians and their supporters to engage in issue-based campaigns during this political season rather than resorting to abusive language, and advised them to guard against utterances that could cause disaffection and destabilise the state, noting that “beyond politics Bayelsans remain brothers and sisters.”

By: AriweraIbibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

AKSG Earmarks N33bn Empowerment Portfolio For Farmers, SMEs

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State Government says it has earmarked a total of N33billion to farmers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the State.
Expressing the State Government’s commitment to boosting small scale businesses, the State Government disclosed that so far, N2 billion had been disbursed to 3,496 traders across 31 local government areas to encourage commercial activities in rural communities.
The State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Capt. Iniobong Ekong, disclosed that N31 billion was earmarked in 2026 as empowerment for traders, youths, women, farmers, transport operators as well as owners of the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) under the Arise Agenda blueprint of the Pastor Umo Eno-led administration.
Speaking during the recent Ministerial Briefing at Akpan Isemin Hall, Government House, Uyo, the state capital, Ekong listed some of the achievements of the ministry to include business support, market infrastructure, investment promotion and industrial development.
The Commissioner explained that the ministry aims at positioning the state as a leading destination for investment, trade, industrialisation and development of micro businesses.
“The Ministry of Trade and Investment has the mandate to reposition the state as a leading investment destination and centre for trade, industrialisation, and growth of small businesses in line with the developmental framework of the ARISE Agenda”, he stated.
He stated that the business grants disbursed were meant to support beneficiaries’ working capital, help them expand their businesses, restock their shops and meet customer demand.
He announced market infrastructure progress at Ikot Ekpene modern International market project designed to accommodate 1,200 shops across 30 market blocks.
Ekong added that facilities at the International market include wholesale and distribution warehouses, administrative building, dedicated power station, borehole water supply, cooling facility, modern slaughterhouse, two restaurants and internal roads.
He said the project’s perimeter fence was 95 per cent complete, with installation of gates to be completed.
“The ministry is also planning industrial complexes for agricultural processing as part of efforts to attract investors and create more opportunities for local businesses”, he said.
According to him, the ministry was working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to promote non-oil exports and develop a framework to help local producers reach wider markets.
“The ministry is also monitoring locally produced commodities, including cocoa, palm oil, palm kernel, rubber and ginger, to check their quality and classification and track their movement.
“The exercise is expected to help check smuggling and reduce revenue losses”, he explained.
He added that the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, supported by the World Bank, was reviewing regulations, permits, fees and administrative procedures that affect businesses, with the aim of making it easier for them to operate and improve transparency.
“The ministry is providing technical, administrative and financial training, as well as consultancy services, to micro, small and medium-size enterprises.
“It is also researching locally available raw materials and working with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and Corporate Affairs Commission to help businesses meet required standards”, Ekong added.

By: Enoch Epelle