Niger Delta
Dickson Rates Diri High
Immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of his successor, Senator Douye Diri.
Dickson, who represents Bayelsa West in the Senate, stated this, Monday, when Governor Diri paid him a Yuletide visit at his Toru-Orua country home in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Diri was accompanied on his visit to the ex-Governor by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the lawmaker representing Ekeremor State Constituency 1, Tari Porri, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Solomon Agwanana, the party’s caucus Chairman in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Chief Isaac Kumokou, and other party chieftains.
Others who were part of the governor’s yuletide visit to his predecessor were traditional rulers from Kolokuma/Opokuma and top government functionaries.
Dickson said he was very pleased with the governor’s commitment towards completing projects inherited from his administration, especially the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road and the ongoing work on the two other senatorial roads in Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa East.
He thanked the governor for the visit, which, according to him, was now a tradition as he made a similar visit last year, noting that Governor Diri has pioneered a culture in the state’s political history by recognising and according him much respect.
He stressed that such positive gestures would be etched in the minds of their political followers.
Senator Dickson cautioned those fabricating rumours of discord between him and his successor, saying this was counter-productive to the political stability of the state.
“Let me say that I am pleased with the work you are doing. With the road projects you have continued, our communities are now being connected.
“Specifically on this very important project (Sagbama-Ekeremor road) that we toiled for and is a major infrastructure agenda on which we were elected.
“Let me also thank you for your thoughtfulness in pioneering this visit, which for me is a tradition. I recall how the governor made last Christmas memorable for me and we were very pleased to receive you.
“This tradition we have started, I believe it is one of the benefits of the experiments that led to the emergence of this government.
“An experiment in the sense that after eight years, the Governor and the system deciding on succession, pushing it hard, even when they stole it, God gave it back to us.
“In Bayelsa, rumours fly rapidly. I am sleeping in my house and doing my work in Abuja but people are fabricating different stories. I am used to it”, the former Governor said.
The Senator further described the Governor as a man of experience, having served in other capacities before assuming office, assuring that he was still available for advisory roles.
Speaking earlier, Governor Diri said the visit was primarily to consolidate on the bond between him and his predecessor, stressing that nothing can separate them as leaders.
He disclosed that as a mark of sustaining the legacies of Senator Dickson, his government has continued the construction of projects inherited in a bid to promote continuity in governance.
“This visit, for me, is more like strengthening the bond that I and our leader (Dickson) share. There is nothing that can separate us.
“To buttress that fact, one of the the major projects you took over from the Federal Government under the NDDC, which is the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road, has been going on smoothly under my watch and it remains one of my priority projects to be completed by the Government you handed over to.
“Our state will continue to get stronger, more united and we will develop faster and further than when we met it”, Governor Diri said.
The Bayelsa Chief Executive called for a minute’s silence in honour of the late Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff, who passed on, on Christmas eve.
Until his death, the deceased was Chairman of the State PDP Reconciliation Committee and caucus Chairman in Brass Local Government Area.
He was also a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government and one-time Commissioner for Education in Bayelsa State.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has inaugurated six sub-committees, as it begins preparations for the 30th Anniversary celebration of the creation of the state on 1st October.
Inaugurating the sub-committees in Government House, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, explained that Bayelsa has countless reasons to appreciate God for what He has done for its land and people in the 30 years of its existence, especially in development.
He charged the sub-committees to come up with proposals for the various activities and events for the celebration within the next two weeks in line with their respective terms of reference, stressing that strategic things had to be done to make the anniversary significant and historic.
According to him, the three-day programme of activities for the anniversary celebration, which will commence on the 29th of September, will be preceded by two weeks of commissioning of public infrastructural projects completed by the Prosperity Administration.
The Bayelsa Number Two Man further clarified that events penciled down for the celebration include a cultural carnival, boat regatta, anniversary lecture, sporting events, state banquet and awards night.
The sub-committees are: the Awards Sub-Committee, chaired by His Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo; the Sports Sub-Committee, headed by Hon. Daniel Igali; and the Lecture Sub-Committee, with Prof. Stephen Olali as its Chairman.
Others are: the Mega Praise Sub-Committee, jointly chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, and the Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Dr. Emmanuel Emiefenim; the Cultural Sub-Committee, headed by Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou-Obolo; and the Publicity Sub-Committee, with the Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, as Chairman.
by: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Niger Delta
NDDC Backs Federal Drive To Cut Maternal, Newborn Deaths … Trains Traditional Birth Attendants
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has stated its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), with a renewed push to tackle the persistently high rate of preventable maternal and newborn deaths across the Niger Delta.
The Commission made the pledge during workshops for traditional birth attendants held in Delta and Bayelsa states, where it stressed the need for stronger collaboration between traditional birth attendants and the orthodox healthcare system to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Speaking at the training, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, urged women to embrace modern medical care while leveraging the trusted role of traditional birth attendants in their communities.
Represented by the Principal Manager, Education, Health and Social Services (EHSS), Mrs. Dare-Oloko Kuami, Ogbuku described maternal and child mortality as an alarming public health challenge that requires urgent and collective action.
“The rate of death among women and children is alarming and must be eradicated. This training is designed to enlighten our women and should not be taken for granted”, he said.
According to him, the workshop was organised to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of traditional birth attendants in providing safe maternal and newborn care, identifying pregnancy-related complications early, and referring high-risk cases promptly to hospitals and health centres.
Also speaking, the Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. Patience Ezugu, called on women to take issues relating to childbirth seriously, stressing that improved knowledge and adherence to safe delivery practices would help save lives.
Represented by the Principal Manager, EHSS, Dr. Otokolo Fidelis, Ezugu disclosed that more than 300 women from Delta and Bayelsa states participated in the training and were provided with medical equipment and cash support to enhance their services.
One of the resource persons, Mrs. Gift Akitiri, underscored the vital role traditional birth attendants continue to play in many rural communities, noting that regular capacity building would improve the quality of maternal healthcare delivery.
“Traditional birth attendants are trusted members of many communities. By equipping them with updated knowledge, we are helping to ensure that mothers and newborns receive timely and appropriate care, thereby improving health outcomes”, she said.
A participant, Mrs. Franscica Odiakosa, commended the NDDC for organising the workshop, describing it as timely and impactful.
“I have gained valuable knowledge that will improve the quality of healthcare I provide in my community. I have also learnt the importance of referring expectant mothers to health centres and hospitals whenever a case is beyond my capacity”, she said, while urging the Commission to sustain the initiative.
One of Nigeria’s oldest and most prestigious social clubs, Uyo Club, has inaugurated its full Executive Council to oversee the affairs of the association for the next two years, with a charge to provide purposeful leadership and make meaningful contributions to society.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony at the club’s headquarters on Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, the President of the club, Prof. Sahm Etuk, urged the newly elected executive members to bring their wealth of experience and professionalism to bear in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He said members of the club expected the new leadership not only to strengthen the institution, but to also extend its impact beyond the clubhouse through service to the wider community.
“You have voluntarily presented yourselves for service, and we expect that you will make yourselves available at all times to offer the service required of you”, Etuk said.
The inauguration followed the April 2026 bye-election conducted to fill vacant positions in the Executive Council.
Among those inaugurated was renowned broadcast administrator and Executive Managing Consultant of Comfort 95.1 FM, Uyo, Samuel Enoh Akpan, who was elected Public Relations Officer. Akpan is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
Other members of the Executive Council are Barrister Eno Inyang (Treasurer), Anthony Etim (Social Secretary), Christian Daniel (Welfare Secretary), Friday Ekpa (Legal Adviser), Christian Chukwu (Provost), Mmenye Udofa (Assistant Secretary), Otu Otu (Maintenance Secretary) and Macaulay Udom (Ex-Officio).
Prof. Etuk, a Professor of Strategic Marketing, Director of the School of Continuing Education at the University of Uyo, and Chairman of the institution’s Sports Committee, had earlier been inaugurated as President on January 10, 2026, alongside the Vice President, Dr. Nestor Udoh, a retired Permanent Secretary.
Other officials inaugurated at the time include Ndi Aquaisua (General Secretary), TPL Dr. Emmanuel Etuk (Financial Secretary), Dr. Imbur Terfa (Auditor), and Dr. Anietie Ekong (General Games Captain).
The President also inaugurated the Board of Past Presidents, made up of all living former presidents of the club, urging them to continue providing guidance and institutional support to the Executive Council in line with the club’s constitution.
Former presidents present at the event included Dr. Emem Umoh, Dr. Bassey Etuknwa, Engr. Mbosowo Orok, Prof. Ini Jonah, and Akparawa Ikpong Essien-Udom, a member of the Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Etuk called on members to unite in pursuit of the club’s founding ideals of recreation, service and development, expressing confidence that the newly constituted organs of the club would strengthen its operations and reposition it for greater relevance.
Founded in 1935, Uyo Club remains one of Nigeria’s foremost recreational associations, with a membership that cuts across diverse professions and sectors of society.