Niger Delta

Green Money Initiative: CRSG Seeks Partnership With Nigerian Legion

Published

6 years ago

January 17, 2020

The Cross River State Government yesterday charged the Nigerian Legion operating in Cross River State to partner with the state government in the area of Green Money initiative initiated by the administration of Prof. Ben Ayade to boost revenue drive to boost agricultural produce in Cross River State.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation,Comrade Asu Okang, gave the charge while speaking at the 2020 Armed Forces Remembrance Day which took place at the Millennium Park (Cenotaph) Calabar.
The commissioner stressed that the G-Money initiative is not just for indigenes of the state alone but for all residents of the state and the government has recently incorporated an agricultural company, the Cross River State Agricultural Development Company to drive the project in the state.
Okang urged the Legion and widows of lost heroes to avail themselves of opportunity of taking advantage of the ongoing recruitment into the company so as to maximise the vast agricultural potentials which Cross River State is endowed with.
In his words Okang said, “Today we are we are talking about G-Money and Ayade’s G money is not just for indigent Cross Riverians but it’s for everybody.
“His Excellency the governor has approved the immediate employment of staff of the Cross River State Agricultural Development Company, that does not preclude non-indigenes but it includes everybody, for men and women of the Nigerian Legion, for widows of the lost heroes, we expect that they will take advantage of the agricultural programs of the state government and maximize the opportunities available in the agricultural sector .
“We are going to have the largest feed mill in the whole of Africa, the technology is second to none and you can’t find it elsewhere in Africa. We have a wide expanse of land over 33, 000 square meters which means its not just available for indigenes alone but also to none-indigenes.
“So we are calling on members of the Nigerian Legion to partner with the Cross River State Agricultural Development Company which has just been incorporated to take advantage of the Green money that the governor is bringing to bear in the area of agriculture”.
The information commissioner calls for sober reflection from Nigerians across board and solicited for more attention which according to him is necessary to the families of the lost heroes who paid the supreme prize for the peace of the nation.
He said ,”Colourful and beautiful as the event looks, it calls for sober reflection. Today you find Nigerians from all over gathered together to remember our brothers and sisters who paid the supreme price and died for the peace of this nation.
“So if you look at the background, you will find the colour and the beautiful parade but for us, this should tell us something that for us as a nation we must be very sensitive to the plight and the yearnings, aspirations and sufferings of those these gallant soldiers left behind.
“We call on all Nigerians to give maximum support to the families of these soldiers and also having at the back of our minds the sacrifices they made for the country”.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

Niger Delta

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

Published

5 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

5 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

5 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.