Rivers

OPM Set To Sponsor 50 Students On Scholarship In Cyprus

Published

4 years ago

March 11, 2022

Buoyed by the compelling need to give the less privileged in the society, especially young people a sense of belonging and a brighter future, the Omega Power Ministries (OPM) has set machinery in motion to sponsor another set of 50 students on scholarship in universities in Cyprus.
The 50 lucky beneficiaries were selected at random, and are currently undertaking documentations, preparatory for the trip.
Among them are two former security guards of Chicken Republic, an eatery in Aba, Abia State, who were recently relieved of their duties for dancing on duty. Another lad, one Caleb, who highlighted the plight of the duo on social media, is also selected to accompany the Cyprus-bound young men and women on the trip to study Computer Science.
The General Overseer of OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, who gave this indication in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the 50 selected students would be heading to Cyprus to study courses of their choice in various universities in the country.
He hinted that the church was targeting to sponsor 500 students on foreign scholarship this year, contending that the church spends millions of naira annually on such ventures.
According to him, over 2,000 students have so far benefitted from OPM’s foreign scholarship programmes and are either currently studying or working in several countries of the world.
Chinyere further disclosed that his recent trip abroad to enroll 15 other beneficiaries was successful, as a German company volunteered to partner with the church on its free school programme in Nigeria, and added that all the beneficiaries of the church’s foreign scholarship he visited during the trip in Dubai, Turkey and other countries were doing fine with their studies.
Commenting on the former security guards of Chicken Republic, who are billed to travel to Cyprus on scholarship, the General Overseer said he decided to include them in the programme because, going by their ages, they were too young to work as security guards instead of rather furthering their education.
He said it was not as if he was supporting workers who dance on duty instead of taking their jobs seriously but that the victims actually needed to go to school to improve themselves educationally.
It would be recalled that the duo, Mathew Precious Kelechi is 18 years old while his colleague, Johnson Ifeanyichukwu is 19 years old.
In an interview with The Tide, they thanked Apostle Chinyere for the gesture, and promised not to disappoint him.
The General Overseer urged the people of the world, particularly in the larger society to imbibe the spirit of always sharing little kindness.
The Tide gathered that Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, on Monday at his residence in Port Harcourt presented a cheque of N1 million to a young man, Charles Samuel for winning a monthly competition organised for those residing with the General Overseer.
Also, parents of beneficiaries of OPM scholarship in Turkey, among other members of the church, last Friday thronged the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa to welcome the General Overseer back home after spending three weeks abroad. They sang and danced while awaiting the arrival of the man of God.

By: Donatus Ebi

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

17 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

Published

20 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.

She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.

According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.

“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.

The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.

She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.

While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.

Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

Published

20 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.

The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.

He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.

Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.

He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.

“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.

“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.

“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.

Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.

He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.

He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.

Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.

Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso