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Niger Delta

Farmers To Benefit From SACA, NAOC Funded Rice Farms

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4 years ago

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About 115 rice farmers in Bayelsa State are set to benefit from a food crops production programme sponsored by a non-governmental organisation, Stakeholders Alliance for Corporate Accountability (SACA) in partnership with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
The Tide, which monitored the programme in Yenagoa, reports that participants at the first batch of the programme expected to kick-off soon were drawn from Yenagoa and parts of the Ogbia Council areas of the State.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the event tagged, “UNGP-P2R protect, Respect and Remedy Project: Meeting with SACA Rice Farmers”, the Executive Director of SACA, Mr Kingsley Ozegbe, stated that the programme was a fallout of the NGO’s recent inauguration of the Environmental Management Committee (EMT), the Agricultural Management Committee (AMC), and the Human Rights Due Diligence Committee (HRD) to educate and help communities achieve good development in the Niger Delta region.
He noted that SACA has been engaging Biseni Clan to secure land for the cash crops (oil palm cultivation), adding that the NGO is partnering with Bayelsa State Ministry of Agriculture and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), to train rice farmers in 15 communities to ensure food security.
The Tide reports that the SACA is funded by Misean Cara of the Republic of Ireland and St. Patrick Missionary Society.
“The Environmental Management Committee will be enlightening and educating people on the hazards associated with oil spillages, the Human Rights Due Diligence Committee will be supporting individuals and project communities to secure respect of their human rights and access remedy where necessary, whereas the Agricutural Management committee will be refocusing people on agriculture to grow into commercial production and reduce attention on oil and gas.” Ozegbe said.
“We’re starting with 115 rice farmers from two Local govyernment Areas of the statte. They’re Yenagoa and parts of the Ogbia Local Government Areas.
“Today, in this programme, we’ve 25 Rice farmers participating as torch bearers, while a cumulative 90 vulnerable farmers will be attached to the torch bearers to strengthen their productive capacity, potential to access Agricultural credit facilities and reduce their vulnerability to abuse and violence”, he said.
In support of SACA’s efforts, the representative of Bayelsa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief David Alagoa, who is the Director of Agricutural services of the Ministry, Dr. Okoya Ebasi, the Deputy Manager of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yenagoa branch, Mr Sheke Sunday, and the Manager of Bank of Agriculture in Bayelsa State, Mr Ikegwu Kenneth, as well as the state’s Manager of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Mr Suowari Tonbara, called on all beneficiaries of the project to take the scheme seriously.
They reiterated that it was high time Bayelsans took Agriculture as a business and not just as a means of eking out a living as peasant farmers, saying that the government can only give agricultural loans to those who practice Agriculture as a business.
Meanwhile, giving an overview of the project, the Programme Manager of SACA, Mr Augustine Anyio, tasked the beneficiaries to position themselves to effectively utilize the opportunities created by the Agricutural sector of economy to earn maximum benefit.
He noted that SACA will not be giving cash to farmers but improved rice seedlings and training on modern agronomy practices, explaining that each torch bearer will be fully supported to cultivate 50 by 100 plots of land in each of their location for the project

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Niger Delta

Otu Orders Sanitation Operations Review In Calabar

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7 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu,  has ordered an immediate review of environmental sanitation operations in Calabar metropolis.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Linus Obogo, on Friday, the Governor said the sanitary situation of the city had become a cause for concern.
He said the review became necessary because Calabar should continue to maintain its status as the cleanest city in the country.
“The city is now littered with wastes, the cleanliness status of Calabar is almost gone, we cannot just fold our arms and watch,” he said.
The Governor continued that every resident of the city had roles to play towards restoring the sanitary status of the city.
“Every resident should live up to their responsibilities. Our reputation in sanitation was not earned overnight, we worked for it.
“It is the product of discipline, policy consistency, and civic responsibility. We cannot allow negligence to take away this reputation,” he said.
He further directed that henceforth, sanitation exercise should be supervised by the office of his Special Adviser on General Duties.
“This intervention is intended to ensure stricter coordination among contractors and government agencies that are responsible for waste management,
“Environmental sanitation is not a peripheral concern of government. It is central to public health, urban dignity, and the overall quality of life of the citizens”, he said.
Otu expressed displeasure at lapses arising from the attitude of some refuse contractors in the state.
He said breakdown of mechanical tools could not be a reasonable excuse for non-evacuation of refuse.
“Operational setbacks should never translate into visible environmental neglect. Preparedness, contingency planning and prompt response are the hallmarks of responsible service providers.” he said.
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Niger Delta

Lawyer X-rays  Consequences Of Court Injuction Suspending INC Polls … As Diri Intervenes

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7 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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A Bayelsa-based lawyer, and candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary in the suspended National Executive Council (NEC) elections of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barr. Abraham Marshall, has said the court order, which restrained the conduct of the March 7th, 2026 polls, was a setback to stakeholders of the INC.
He expressed his worries about the plights of delegates who travelled from various parts of Ijaw land to come for the elections in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, only to be disappointed by the court order.
While thanking other candidates for maintaining orderliness and brotherliness all through the campaign processes, Marshall said the court injunction has devasted candidates vying for various positions.
He described the cost of what has already been spent on campaigns and sundry arrangements for the elections as huge.
Marshall noted that already he was a leading candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary as he was optimistic of victory.
“First of all I’ve great confidence in the ability of the Electoral Committee headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, HRM, Justice F.F Tabai, which was eager to conduct a seamless election.
“Some of us have campaigned through the three zones and clans of the INC. Some of us went to the Western Zone, Eastern and Central Zones to meet delegates.
“That is how it happenes atimes when there are contest, some persons who are aggrieved, rather than take laws into their hands, go to court to seek judicial redress. So, I want to commend all candidates for maintaining decorum throughout the entire process.
“I like to also call on stakeholders to quickly seek for ways through internal mechanisms of the INC to end this problem so that the elections can be conducted because as candidates we’ve incured lots of expenses leading to the process”, he stated.
Meanwhile, in a bid to proffer solutions to the issues bedeviling the smooth conduct of polls, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday met with stakeholders of the INC and its six Presidential candidates, as well as other major stakeholders of the Niger Delta region in Government House, Yenagoa.
In his remarks, the Governor  commended individuals and institutions, including the presidential candidates and the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), for their efforts towards actualising a peaceful and seamless transition of leadership in the Ijaw National Congress (INC).
The Tide gathered that at the meeting, the presidential candidates agreed to withdraw all subsisting litigations concerning the election.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, Diri also expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Bolade Igali, the Chairman and members of the INC National Electoral Committee, and other stakeholders who contributed to the resolution reached at the meeting.
Drawing an analogy from the scriptures, particularly 1 Kings Chapter 3, he likened the unanimous agreement of the candidates to withdraw all pending court cases to the decision of the true mother of the disputed baby who pleaded with King Solomon not to cut the child into two.
According to the Bayelsa helmsman, the resolution reflects the enthusiasm, love and patriotic fervour in all the presidential candidates to move Ijaw nation forward.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, the candidates, including High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe, who secured the injunction from a Port Harcourt High Court stopping the INC Elections billed for last weekend, confirmed the agreement and pledged commitment towards the peaceful emergence of the next President of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Police Rescue 7 Trafficked Victims In A’Ibom

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7 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has rescued seven victims and detained four suspects linked to human trafficking along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Saturday.
John said police operatives dismantled a human trafficking syndicate operating within the state, rescuing seven victims and arresting four suspects involved in the network.
She said acting on credible intelligence, operatives swiftly mobilised a patrol team for a coordinated stop-and-search operation along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road on Friday.
The operation, conducted at about 8 a.m. on Friday, targeted vehicles suspected of transporting victims of human trafficking.
“During the operation, the suspected vehicle was intercepted and four victims were immediately rescued, while the suspect conveying them was arrested and taken into custody.
“Following reports that a vehicle was conveying young persons suspected to be victims of human trafficking, our operatives quickly moved to intercept it,” John said.
She said interrogation of the suspect led to the expansion of the operation to Itam and Ibaka in Oron Local Government Area.
John said three additional victims were rescued and three more suspects apprehended during the follow-up operation.
This brought the total number of rescued victims to seven and suspects arrested to four.
According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the trafficking syndicate specialised in recruiting and transporting young persons across borders for exploitation.
“Intelligence gathered further disclosed that one of the ringleaders earlier escaped through waterways from Ibaka in Oron to Cameroon and Gabon with some victims”, she said.
John said investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the probe.
The police spokesperson reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other organised crimes in the state.
She assured the public that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
John urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to the police to help protect vulnerable persons and strengthen community safety.
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