Niger Delta

Diri Tasks Kinsmen On Unity, Entrepreneurship

Published

5 years ago

January 24, 2021

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area to eschew politics of bitterness and be united in love.
Governor Diri said rather than divide themselves, they should take advantage of his administration’s economic policy of being self-reliant in agriculture.
The governor gave the admonition in his community, Sampou, which hosted the 8th edition of the annual KOLGA Day/ Thanksgiving Service convened by General Overseer of the Royal House of Grace Church, Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted Diri as saying that the KOLGA people should recognise God’s hand in his emergence and seize the opportunity to better their lot.
He noted that he was not the most qualified politician from the local government to govern the state but God destined him to lead the people of Bayelsa.
“This is an event for the Kolokuma/Opokuma people to exude love, unity and peace. Let us not sacrifice our love on the altar of politics. Politics should not be an instrument to divide us”, he said.
“You are aware that I was one of the apostles of the move to produce a Kolokuma/Opokuma son as governor and for over 10 years I was in that movement. I never knew that one day God would say you are the person to lead”, he added.
The Governor enjoined other local government areas in the state to have a meeting place to talk about the development of their area, saying it should not always be what one can get as a person from government.
“This is the time for us to build the roads, build the bridges and go into agriculture, trading and business. What will bring food to the table is agriculture, doing business and having small scale industries. This government is determined to help us move away from relying on politicians and political appointees for assistance.
“The Ijaw man has never been beggarly. The true Ijaw man respects himself and works hard. Likewise our women, who also work to improve their standard of living”, Governor Diri noted.
While acknowledging the role of Apostle Zilly-Aggrey in planting the seed of God in the people of the LGA through the annual thanksgiving, the governor noted that the event was a fruitful ground.
He also recognised the role played by Senator Seriake Dickson, who against all odds stood his ground in line with the purpose of God to see the manifestation of the present administration.
He equally called on Bayelsans to recognise the supremacy of God in the affairs of men and turn to Him to be free from all forms of bondage.
In his sermon titled: “Yes, God Can,” Apostle Zilly-Aggrey said God had always proved Himself to turn around situations that seemed impossible to man.
Citing the emergence of Governor Diri as an example, Zilly-Aggrey said it was a case of God turning things around when man had lost hope.
The cleric admonished the people of the area not to cease praising God for what He had already done but to make thanksgiving a daily lifestyle.

By: AriweraIbibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

37 minutes 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

37 minutes 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

37 minutes 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.