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NDDC To Reward Winners Of Talent Hunt With Car, Dubai Trips, Others …As FG Orders NDDC To Resume …Suspended Scholarship Scheme

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said that it has lined up a brand new car, performance trip to Dubai, internship deals and other prizes for prospective winners of its newly inaugurated talent hunt.
The logo and procedures to participate in the Niger Delta Talent Hunt (NIDETH), aimed at discovering creative Niger Delta youths, were unveiled in Port Harcourt, last Monday, by the Interim Administrator, NDDC, Dr. Efiong Akwa; and Lead Consultant, Harry Song.
Speaking at the event, Song, a popular songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, said the hunt was designed to discover talented Niger Delta youths in the areas of music, comedy and dance.
Song said: “The live auditions will take place in Benin, Edo State on August 6; Yenegoa, Bayelsa State on August 13, and in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on August 20, while the grand finale will take place in Port Harcourt on September 1.
“Interested participants should visit NIDETH website and register with their one-minute video to participate in the live auditioning.
“The winner of the Niger Delta Talent Hunt stands a chance to win a brand new car, a performance trip to Dubai with Harry Song, an internship deal and other consolation prizes. Other participants will also stand the chance to win a wide variety of consolation prizes”.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser on Youths to NDDC Interim Administrator, Udengs Eradiri, said the commission was excited about the programme.
Describing it as a rare opportunity, Eradiri urged youths across the nine states of the region to take advantage of it to pitch their tents in the creative industry.
He said the NDDC under Akwa had been repositioned to roll out empowerment programmes, and create opportunities for youths in the region.
“We are not in short supply of talents in the Niger Delta. The youths are just looking for opportunities to showcase to showcase their talents and the NDDC under Dr. Effiong Akwa, is determine to create these opportunities. There is no doubt that this Niger Delta Talent Hunt will produce superstars in the creative industry”.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has ordered the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to resume the commission’s scholarship scheme suspended some years ago.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, gave the directive during a two-day retreat for senior staff of the NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, which ended in Abuja, at the weekend.
An official of the ministry, who spoke in confidence, said Umana vehemently kicked against suggestions to scrap the scheme, and insisted that it would be sustained, expanded and revised to eliminate all forms of corruption in the system.
The source said Umana wanted a scholarship scheme that would be home-driven with a special focus on Nigerian universities.
“The idea is to retain the scheme and make it home-based instead of the usual practice of sending beneficiaries abroad to study courses offered in Nigerian universities.
“Foreign scholarship schemes will not be totally removed. But it will be de-emphasised. Niger Delta students will no longer be sent abroad to study courses offered in Nigerian universities.
“The commission can only sponsor interested scholars overseas to study only special courses that are not found in our universities. Therefore, Umana has ordered the commission to review and re-launch the scholarship scheme.”
The source said other far-reaching decisions were taken at the retreat to reposition the NDDC in harmony with the recommendations of the forensic audit report.
He said it was resolved that NDDC would henceforth streamline its projects against the current practice of awarding many jobs in one fiscal year.
“Henceforth, the NDDC will work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that projects are streamlined. Projects that had been completed would be inaugurated and the commission will also stop issuing emergency contracts”, he said.
He said there was also hope for the contractors, who had finished their jobs but had yet to receive their money as a decision was reached that the commission should focus on clearing its debts.
The source said: “It was also agreed that the NDDC should cancel all projects that had been awarded but the contractors refused to mobilise to their sites. The money for such projects will now be used to complete other abandoned projects.
“The forensic audit report is being implemented in phases. The area that concerned the National Assembly had been sent to the lawmakers. The areas that concern the anti-graft agency have also been directed to them.
“A staff audit has also been ordered to ensure proper placement of workers and retirement of those directors due for retirement. The Niger Delta stakeholders should expect a new NDDC that responds to their yearnings under the current minister”, he said.
By: Akujobi Amadi
News
Police Rescue Kidnapped Victim, Recover Stolen Vehicle

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued one Osazee Okugbowa from suspected kidnappers.
Moses Yamu, the command’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement yesterday, stating that the victim was rescued by operatives of Ologbo Division, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, on Friday, 8th February 2025, at about 5 pm.
Yamu said the victim was kidnapped on 7th February, 2025 by five armed men from his residence in the presence of his family in the Power Line area of Owanoba community.
He stated that the victim had since been reunited with his family after receiving medical attention.
He, however, added that the command is on the trail of the suspects in a bid to arrest them.
Meanwhile, Yamu disclosed that the command has recovered a silver-coloured Toyota Yaris with registration number 535 DR, which was snatched from its owner at gunpoint at Upper Mission Road Extension in Benin City.
He said the car was recovered by operatives of the Okuaihe Division in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area, following a distress call received on 6th February 2025.
He added that the operatives intercepted and pursued the car snatchers, who abandoned the vehicle at Iguomon Community along the Benin-Agbor Road.
Yamu said the car has been handed over to its owner while efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects.
News
Soludo Rebagged FG Rice Shared To APGA Members-APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State has protested the dominance of the Chukwuma Soludo-led All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the affairs of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
The party chairman in the state, Mr Basil Ejidike while speaking at the weekend said the dominance of Soludo in affairs that concern Anambra even at the federal level has become a challenge to the state chapter of the APC.
He said all appointments coming to Anambra from the Federal Government had nominees from APGA, while even rice distributed to all states to cushion the effect of hardship had Anambra’s share rebagged with the picture of the governor and distributed to only APGA members last Christmas.
Appealing to Tinubu, Ejidike said, “Sir, may I seize this opportunity to draw your attention to some challenges confronting the APC in Anambra State, that require your kind intervention.
“The issue of appointments made by the Federal government without recourse to the party is inimical to the growth and success of the party in our state, as these appointees do not reckon with the party at the state level.
“Whereby, most of those who have made and are still making heavy sacrifices for the party have not been adequately rewarded and appreciated, many of those who have gotten juicy Federal Government appointments in the past were mainly non-party members, drawn especially from our rival All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).”
He said the trend has not served as a source of inspiration or motivation to party members, and is threatening its strength and enthusiasm of emerging victorious in the Anambra 2025 project.
“At the ward, local government and state levels, our members are being discriminated against, as APGA does not recognize or reckon with those who are not their members in the distribution and allocation of government appointments and incentives.
“More worrisome is the fact that what we as a state get from the federal government as incentives and palliatives are usually sent through the state government.
“Sequel to the above, non-APGA members are denied access to them. It is on record that bags of rice sent as palliatives by the federal government were repackaged, and Governor Soludo’s pictures and APGA logo embossed on those bags, thereby giving the impression that they were provided by the governor.
“This arrangement has continued to diminish our party’s influence and reach within the state, and we are terrified to say the least.
“APC in Anambra have come with a passionate appeal, asking that you (Ganduje) intervene and save our members in Anambra from neglect.
“Your kind intervention, Sir, will bolster the morale of our committed party men and women towards the task ahead,” he added.
News
2025 Budgets: I Hope Snake, Monkey Won’t Swallow This One-Atiku

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against the misappropriation of funds allocated to the health sector in the 2025 budget, referencing past bizarre claims of animals—such as snakes, termites, gorillas, and monkeys—being blamed for missing public funds. He stressed that such absurd incidents must not be allowed to happen with resources meant for healthcare.
Amid dwindling resources and reduced external support for healthcare services, Abubakar emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in the government’s $1.07 billion budgetary appropriation for the health sector. He called for mechanisms to ensure public audits and proper utilization of every kobo earmarked for healthcare.
The former vice president specifically questioned the government’s failure to provide a detailed breakdown of how it intends to spend over a billion dollars in the primary health sector. He noted that while investment in primary healthcare is crucial for providing Nigerians with accessible and affordable medical services, it would be unethical for the government to allocate such a significant sum without disclosing its intended use.
“The Federal Government has announced plans to spend a whopping $1.07 billion in the primary health sector, in addition to the N2.48 trillion initially proposed for healthcare in the budget,” Abubakar noted.
“What is even more concerning is that this additional funding is largely sourced from foreign loans, with a small portion coming from an international donor agency. Since these loans must be repaid, Nigerians have the right to know the full details and ensure that the expenditure is transparent and well-justified,” he added.
Abubakar further criticized the government for failing to commit to any physical infrastructure projects within the health sector, suggesting that this raises red flags about potential mismanagement or fraud.
According to the government, the funds will be used to improve governance in healthcare and strengthen primary health services nationwide, including recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers. However, Abubakar argued that the government has a poor track record in managing public funds, particularly in humanitarian services, and that Nigerians should not accept vague explanations without clear accountability mechanisms.
“It is difficult to trust this administration’s claims, especially given its history of misleading Nigerians about investments in social infrastructure,” he said.
He pointed out the government’s misleading statements about improvements in tertiary hospitals, despite the reality that many of these institutions lack basic amenities, such as stable electricity supply.
“The Tinubu administration has failed in the health sector due to poor funding. Major diseases in primary healthcare, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, remain critical challenges. If this government is truly committed to healthcare, it must clarify how it plans to use this intervention fund to tackle these diseases,” Abubakar stated.
He also criticized the government’s response to the recent withdrawal of American aid for HIV/AIDS treatment, noting that its proposed intervention of N5 billion is grossly inadequate.
“If the Tinubu administration does not present a clear framework for managing this significant health sector investment or subject it to proper legislative scrutiny, then it may be safe to conclude that this is yet another case of public funds being mismanaged under the guise of serving Nigerians,” Abubakar concluded.
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