Rivers
How We Restored Peace, Security In Andoni -Awortu
The chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Barrister Erastus Awortu, has attributed the peace and tranquility being currently enjoyed in the local government area to proactive measures he put in place.
Awortu disclosed this on Wednesday when he received a delegation of journalists who visited the council on an assessment tour of the local government area.
Recall that prior to Awortu’s administration, the local government area was ravaged by cult wars, with eight communities totally sacked by cult boys.
Giving insights into how peace was restored in the area after protracted cult wars that sacked some communities, the council boss said that apart from engaging warring youths and community elders in dialogue, his administration deployed contingents of police and soldiers to maintain peace in the area.
He also said that the council provided vehicles for both the police and soldiers to assist them in providing security in the various communities.
Awortu recalled that before he came to office, there was high level of insecurity in the area with eight communities sacked by cult wars and many people relocated to a nearby community called Kaa.
According to him, “Before I came into office, this area (LG) was ravaged by insecurity and all kinds of negative impressions, such that the cult boys were parading guns and collecting taxes. Even to allow you or your visitors come into the local government, you had to settle the boys.
“In fact, there was high level of insecurity in eight communities in the area, they were sacked by cult wars such that the whole area was totally deserted; everybody had scampered for safety. We had our people as refugees at Kaa.
“So, the first task before my administration was to provide relief materials for them at Kaa and later brought them back to their various communities. We had to deploy and maintain several contingents of police in the communities for security for close to two years”.
He continued, “You can see there is peace in the area now, but this took a lot of efforts maintaining security presence at various areas. We have three divisional police offices in Andoni; we have provided vehicles for two of them while the third division will be provided vehicle at the end of this month.
“For detachments of soldiers, we also provided vehicles for them; now we have the civil defence (National Security and Civil Defence Corp), we are going to provide Hilux vehicle for them at the end of the month”.
In the area of empowerment, Awortu said that the council has provided many indigenes across the various communities in the area with generators, 50-inches television sets and DSTV with subscription to encourage them to set up small scale businesses and viewing centres to keep them busy and watch premier league.
“We also sent 15 cadets to Charkin Maritime Institute for training in maritime and other engineering courses. They have done a two-year diploma programme and will soon aboard international vessels. No one was less than N10million, but we have an arrangement with the institution, we are paying gradually. Luckily, all of them came out well, no one failed. About 40 or 50 graduated from the school, the best ones are from Andoni. We are very sure they are going to be gainfully employed very soon”, he said.
To further stimulate the economy, the council boss said his administration has empowered several groups of women, widows and people with disabilities with between N100,000 and N200,000 each.
According to him, “We have not done less than 50 for each group each time. The last one we did was for about 50 people living with disabilities. We trained them for one week with PoS and starter pack of N100,000 each”.
Awortu also disclosed that his council revived the abandoned magistrate court and general hospital in the area while paying the NYSC medical doctors and nurses he engaged N100,000 and N50,000 each per month, respectively.
Earlier, the visiting Journalists under the aegis of Like Minds Journalists had told the chairman that they were in Andoni on assessment tour of what Awortu’s administration had been able to record in the last three years.
The spokesperson of the group, Ilaye Jumbo, at the end of the tour, said they were not disappointed by what they saw.
She urged other local government chairmen in the State to emulate Hon. Awortu, and also embark on peer review mechanism for the development of their respective council areas.
By: Boye Salau & Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
A former supervisory councillor for Health in Etche local government of Rivers state, Eld Chimezie Ogbu has been honoured with an excellent service Award by the Adventist men Organisation (AMO), Port Harcourt west mission.
Eld Chimezie Ogbu, received the award for alongside fifteen others for his contributions and support to the association and uplifting humanity.
Elder Chimezie Ogbu left receiving the Rivers west mission AMO Excellent Service Award from the former AMO Director and the former General manager, RSNC, Eld Vincent Ake during the extra ordinary meeting of AMO held at Rumuolumini, Sunday.
Speaking during an extra ordinary and end of year meeting, the Director of Adventist men Organisation, Port Harcourt west mission, Dr Sam Emejuru said the award was in recognition to Hon Ogbu’s contributions and support to the association, noting that Eld Chimezie Ogbu have been one of the sponsors of the Association in the mission.
Dr Emejuru who was a fomer chairman of the state secondary school Board noted invaluable contributions of the recipients to the association and the church at large and urged them to continue to be generous in the development of church and humanity.
In an interview with the tide, Hon Chimezie Ogbu, a serving elder in the seventh-day adventist church, Rumuolumeni District expressed appreciation to the Association, adding that the award will encourage him to do more
He highlighted the importance of investing in God’s vineyard and to help humanity and dedicated the award to God Almighty and members of his family.
Members of landlords of Ceenamore and Iroko Drives in Cedarwood Estate, Rumuaholu, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, have urged the Inspector General of Police and the State Police Commissioner, CP Olungbenga Adepoju, to urgently act on the petition they sent to him regarding the alleged move by the Managing Director of Niger Delta Technology & property development Ltd, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, to demolish their estate.
The group alleged that the MD of Niger Delta Logistics Limited had purportedly, through a court judgment notice, claimed that he had gotten an order to demolish the estate.
Speaking to journalists at the estate, Mr. Manuabuchi Elem Chioma, one of the affected landlords, said the call becomes very imperative following the continued harassment by Mr. Nyegwa and his associates, noting that they woke up and discovered that their houses have been marked for demolition.
Also speaking, Barrister Victor Okezie urged the police to act swiftly to save landlords of the estate from the impending problem, stressing that they are ready to comply if there is a confirmed valid court judgment.
Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have inaugurated an ultra-modern, specialised Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for youth empowerment in innovations.
The fully equipped ICT centre, located at Baptist High School in the city, was inaugurated as part of the close-out ceremony for the Human Capital Development Basic Training Programme.
Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr. Felix Ogbe, stated this in a statement issued on Friday by the Manager of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at NLNG, Mrs. Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku.
He described the ICT centre as a gateway to knowledge and innovation, as well as a window to future opportunities.
Represented by the organisation’s General Manager of Institutional Strengthening, Mr. Olugbenga Sheba, Ogbe explained that the project was designed to equip young Nigerians with digital skills to prepare them for a technology-driven world.
“The remodelled ICT centre is more than a building. It is a statement of belief that students here can learn coding, design, and innovation that connects them with the wider world.
“It represents our confidence that when given the right tools, Nigerian students can become creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs”, he said.
Ogbe commended NLNG for its continued collaboration with the NCDMB and its steadfast commitment to advancing Nigerian Content objectives.
He added that the partnership demonstrated what could be achieved through meaningful collaboration between government and corporate stakeholders, noting that such investments would help build a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria.
NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to compliance with Nigerian Content regulations and its dedication to improving lives sustainably.
She emphasised that NLNG was passionate about enhancing human capital development and promoting technological inclusion, both of which were aimed at improving employability and industry-relevant skills among young Nigerians.
According to Horsfall, the project aligns with NLNG’s vision of empowering communities through education and technology.
“The upgraded ICT centre, which complies with existing NCDMB regulations, is an investment that provides students with a modern learning environment and equips teachers with improved tools to deliver quality education”, she said.
The Tide reports that the ICT centre has been upgraded to a 40-seater facility and equipped with 20KVA solar and inverter system.
The facility also includes renovated classrooms and administrative buildings, as well as digital smart boards and modern learning tools.
Meanwhile, Palmer-Ikuku, in the statement, announced the graduation of 30 trainees under the Human Capital Development Basic Training Programme jointly organised by both organisations.
She stated that the trainees earned international certifications after completing rigorous training in Engineering, Marine Operations, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and Entrepreneurship, among other disciplines.
According to Palmer-Ikuku, the training underscores the shared mission of NLNG and NCDMB to build local capacity, promote technological inclusion, and support Nigeria’s broader vision of sustainable development through education and skill acquisition.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso