Niger Delta

I Wish Wike Is Nigeria’s President – Ex-APC Chieftain

Published

8 years ago

July 9, 2018

A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and now stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Chief Uchenna Okokoba has applauded Governor Nyesom Wike’s style of politics, saying, he wished the governor were the President of Nigeria.
Okokoba, who made the remarks in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said if Governor Wike were the President of the country, going by his style of politics, Nigerians would have been rejoicing and equally happy.
According to him, Governor Wike has shown that he is a friend of both Muslims and Christians, both locally and internationally.
The PDP stalwart applauded the governor for bringing the who is who in Nigeria including foreigners to the state to commission projects executed by his administration and to celebrate good governance with him.
Okokoba, who hails from Anambra State, described Wike as a good manager and a promise keeper, who would be able to manage the affairs of the country much better than what Nigerians are experiencing today.
“Wike knows how to manage crisis. He has proved that he is a promise keeper and a man of his word. He is indeed a straight forward leader, who knows what leadership is all about. That is why many Governors, both those of PDP and APC are coming to Rivers State to learn from him”, he said.
Going by the Governor’s excellent performance in office, he said Wike’s second term bid was a settled case, as the whole world could attest to his good works.
According to him, with the governor’s good works, Wike has apparently finished his preparation for the 2019 governorship election in the state.
“The election is over. His popularity will give him 90 per cent votes. I therefore, advise those agents who are preparing to rig the 2019 elections in Rivers State to have a re-think, because rigging cannot work,” he declared, adding that the massive projects executed by the present administration and those already commissioned by influential Nigerians in the state would speak for the governor.
Okokoba described as laughable the claim by Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi that Governor Wike was commissioning his projects, stressing that the projects being commissioned today in the state have direct hearing on Rivers people.
“Amaechi said that Wike is commissioning his projects. This shows that Amaechi and his co-travellers are confused because they do not have any other propaganda with which to discredit Wike. The truth is that they have exhausted their bag of lies,” he intoned.
He said the emergence of a factional group within the APC, the Reformed APC, was a strong indication that the party was in serious crisis, which, according to him, is a child’s play compared to the one the party members had wished the PDP.
“It is an indication that APC is collapsing and this was what I saw before taking my people to the PDP and dumped the sinking boat. My advice to the few remaining members of APC is that they should hurry and come over to PDP before the boat finally sinks”, Okokoba pleaded, stressing that the current crisis rocking APC was a reward for its misrule of the country.

Donatus Ebi

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

5 hours 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

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

5 hours 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.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

5 hours 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.