News
‘Fubara Doesn’t Have Ikwerre Blood’
Head Chief of the Fubara House in Opobo King, Alabo Dagogo Fubara has dismissed claims being peddled that the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara was related to Governor Nyesom Wike, and also has Ikwerre blood in his veins.
The Professor Emeritus made the clarification at the weekend in Port Harcourt, insisting that Siminialayi has no ounce of Ikwerre blood in him.
He was reacting to insinuations in some quarters that Siminalayi, whose name means a poor man could give birth to a rich person, shares blood ties with Governor Nyesom Wike.
The Professor of Geodesy and head of Dappa Ye Amakiri Polo in Opobo Kingdom expressed surprise that people could go to any length to fabricate falsehood.
“It doesn’t matter where your mother would have come from”, the head of the Black Fubara Family remarked, “everyone is controlled or owned by a man”, saying the Opobo people are patrilineal.
Tracing the genealogy of the governorship candidate’s parents, the professor said, “His father, grandfather were bonafide Fubaras. Siminalayi Fubara is a bonafide Fubara”, he stressed.
“I am 84 years old. I grew up knowing his father (Joseph). I know much about the place where I am chief of by the grace of God.
“Those who are trying to link him with Governor Nyesom Wike” in terms of birth, “are not doing us any favour.”
He said for him, it was a non-issue, saying “if a man from Rivers State is capable, he should be given what he is capable of delivering.”
Fubara revealed that Opobo does not give titles to non-indigenes.
He said that Siminialayi was a titled man whose father and mother have nothing to do with Ikwerre.
Fubara added, “We, the Ibani Ijaws, are patrilineal in making ancestral claims for who we are and belong to.
“My paternal grandmother is from Azuogu, Ndoki while maternal grandmother is from Azumini Ndoki.
“Yet, I am an Ibani Ijaw because by my paternity, I am a direct blood descendant of King Asimini, said to be the first crowned King of Grand Bonny of the Ibani Kingdom.
“By this, Dr Sim Fubara is my paternal cousin by far more related to me than your assertion of his relationship with Governor Nyesom Wike.
“Let us pray for Sim Fubara to become our governor, directed and enabled by the Holy Spirit to win and perform righteously as good, if not better than Commander Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff. When the righteous rules, the people rejoice.”
However, further information from the Jaja family indicates that even on the maternal side of Sim’s lineage, they do not share any relationship whatsoever with the ethnic Ikwerre as propagandists are claiming.
The Jaja family, our investigation has revealed, do not have less than 14 sub-family groups.
It is said in Opobo mythology that King Jaja migrated from Bonny with 14 of his sons.
Investigations show that Sim Fubara’s mother was born a Jaja.
She did not come from Ikwerre land.
When it was time to settle down, she married Joseph Fubara, a soldier, father of Sim Fubara, who trained overseas.
A retired banker, Alabo Emmanuel Patesi Jaja, told a team of editors from Port Harcourt, that his wife was the elder sister of Sim’s mother.
He said there was no truth in the claim that any of Sim’s parents had blood tie with the Wike family or the Ikwerre ethnic nationality as a whole.
He ascribed the claims that are making the rounds as actions of mischief makers who think peddling falsehood would give them an advantage over Sim Fubara.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
NAFDAC Alerts Nigerians To EU Ban On Dex Soap
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has alerted Nigerians on the ban on Dex Luxury Bar Soap (No 6 Mystic Flower), by the European Union (EU).
The notification is contained in a public alert with No. 012/2024, signed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
“The product does not comply with the cosmetic products regulation; it also contains Butyphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), which is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its risk of harming the reproductive system.
“It also causes harm to the health of unborn children and may cause skin sensitisation.
“It is as a result of the defective nature of the product that the EU banned it.
“The products is not in NAFDAC database; importers, distributors, retailers and consumers are to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain,” she said.
NAFDAC boss urged marketers and consumers to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of the product, stressing that product’s authenticity and physical condition must be carefully checked.
She enjoined members of the public in possession of the product to discontinue sale or use, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
News
Communities, Volunteers Ready To Face Upcoming Floods – Red Cross
The Country Manager of the British Red Cross in Nigeria, Karsten Voigt, says communities and volunteers are ready to face the challenges expected with the upcoming floods.
Voigt said this at the sidelines of the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos Branch.
The Tide’s source recalls that the British Red Cross donated resilience items to some communities in December 2023, to help mitigate the effects of flooding.
The items included cash, rain boots, rain coats, mosquito nets, handheld flashlights, solar powered lights with radio, USB chargers and a bridge to link the communities.
The communities that benefited included Agboyi 1, Agboyi 2, Agboyi 3 and Odo Ogun in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state.
Voigt said the Red Cross had measured the impact of the project in the communities and noticed that a lot of progress had been made.
According to him, apart from the cash and items given to the communities, simulation exercises have also been carried out to prepare the volunteers ahead of the floods.
“We have seen that people used the cash to address immediate needs they have after floods.
“Many households have used part of the cash to build up businesses.
“The solutions we have given to them are not only addressing their immediate needs after the disaster but actually building family income for their future,” he said.
News
Nimet Forecasts Three-Day Sunshine, Thunderstorms
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and thunderstorm from Monday to Wednesday across the country.
NiMet’s weather outlook released yesterday in Abuja, forecasts sunny skies on Monday with a few patches of cloud over the northern cities and prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Taraba later in the day.
According to the forecast, sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with prospects of morning thunderstorm over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kwara States.
“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi and Benue States.
“The southern region is expected to be cloudy with spells of sunshine with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States.
“ In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are expected over parts of Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Ekiti, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Lagos and Bayelsa States,” it said.
NiMet also anticipated sunny skies on Tuesday with few patches of cloud over the northern states with prospects of isolated thunderstorms envisaged over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna States during the afternoon and evening hours.
It envisaged the North Central region to be sunny with patches of cloud during the morning hours.
The agency also envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Niger States, later in the day.
“Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South, with chances of morning thunderstorm over parts of Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
“In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers and Bayelsa States ,” it said.
It predicted a sunny atmosphere on Wednesday, with patches of cloud over the northern region, during the forecast period.
“Sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue States, during the afternoon/evening periods.
“ Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia.”
Other states to experience cloudy atmosphere, are “Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa States, later in the day.”
NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.
The agency also urged airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from its office for effective planning in their operations.
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