Niger Delta

Bayelsa 2023: Ewhrudjakpo Still My Running Mate – Diri

Published

3 years ago

January 6, 2023

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has described as untrue insinuations in quarters that he intends to drop his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in his re-election bid.
Speaking at his country home in Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (LGA) of the state when he played host to the immediate past Governor of the state, Senator Seriake Dickson, Diri said such rumours were baseless.
He said his Deputy has contributed significantly to the success of the administration and it will be unthinkable to drop him.
“Let me also state this to clear the air. My Deputy has worked very well and nobody told me to refer to him as workaholic and resourceful. Our pairing is a divine arrangement”, he said.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that the Diri/Ewhrudjakpo ticket was a divine project, which God used his predecessor, Senator Dickson, to make a reality.
Diri, who received Dickson in company of his wife, Dr. Gloria Diri, traditional rulers, and leaders of thought from Kolokuma/Opokuma, restated his appreciation to his predecessor for his role in his emergence as Governor of the state, saying himself and the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma will forever be grateful to him.
He also stated that Dickson laid a solid foundation upon which his administration is building and promised not to derail.
The state’s helmsman noted that as a human, he is not perfect and appealed to leaders and the people of the state to support him to enable him deliver the much needed development.
“We went to Toru-Orua for a Christmas and thank-you visit last week. There are certain things you do for a man and he will thank you until his death and that is what Senator Dickson has done.
“We never expected that our brother and friend, who has done this great thing, will also visit again today. You did not owe us this.
“On behalf of the kings and people of Kolokuma/Opokuma, we again express our gratitude to you. We are very grateful. God will always use a human and He used you to ensure that a Kolokuma son was picked as Governor.
“The ticket was divine otherwise we will not be here. Even if I speak until night, it cannot express the gratitude in our hearts.
“Whatever success we are recording today is because you laid a solid foundation. Most of the projects we execute today, you started them and I think that is the beauty of continuity in government.”
“If the other party came in and abandoned them, it is the state that will suffer. We are happy that we have carried on most of the projects you left for us.
Earlier, Senator Dickson said he was in Sampou on a new year visit and to deepen the relationship between him and the Governor, assuring that the success of the current prosperity administration remained his priority.
He said Governor Diri deserves all the honour and support he can get to move the state forward.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.