Niger Delta

Ndiomu Restates PAP’s Readiness To Synergise With Ministry To Empower Ex-Agitators

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2023

The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd), has expressed the readiness of his administration to collaborate with governments at all levels, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to provide sustainable empowerment for Niger Delta youths, especially the ex-agitators.

Ndiomu stated the willingness to work in synergy with MDAs when he received a delegation from the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO) of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who paid him a courtesy visit at the PAP headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking, the Interim Administrator, Gen Barry Ndiomu, stated that there is a nexus between the PAP empowerment programmes and those of the ministry, which he insisted, if well-harnessed, would present huge potentials and benefits to youths of the Niger Delta.

He spoke on the efforts of his administration to provide different skill-sets for ex-agitators through the various vocational training centres in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, and expressed the hope that the teeming unemployed young persons could be trained and empowered to drive the economy of the region when the centres become functional.

“The major problem we have in the Niger Delta is pipeline vandalism. It happens because many of the youths don’t have skills for gainful employment and economic contributions and self-sustenance. It is my belief that your ministry should have collaborated with the PAP from the very beginning. Going forward, any collaboration has to be deliberate and planned for effectiveness,” Ndiomu stated.

“We have turned the Presidential Amnesty Programme around and changing the lives of ex-agitators through our legacy projects and what we require is support towards the cooperative scheme which is up and running and helping ex-agitators to become entrepreneurs and for those with functional businesses to expand their investments”, he emphasised.

Ndiomu maintained that the relative calmness in the hitherto restive region owes much to the deliberate policies, programmes, and activities of the PAP, which the people have embraced.

“We have initiated the cooperative scheme. What we have started is on course. But funding is inadequate. We need funding to tackle and reverse the huge poverty in the Niger Delta region. The way to go about it is this cooperative scheme. It is still not as widespread as it should be,” Ndiomu stated.

He insisted that his administration has cleared debts that it inherited just as it reviewed and renegotiated bloated contracts that it also inherited, which savings have been applied to meet specific needs of delegates, especially the scholarship scheme and the ongoing aviation training programmes for pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers within and outside the country.

He urged those persons that have become agents of pessimism and distraction to join forces with positive minded people to address the challenges of the region.

Earlier, Programme Manager of Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO), Mr. Richard Romanus, said the visit was to seek cooperation and collaboration with the PAP in line with the ministry’s YESSO Hubs, which it currently operates to train youths of the South-South region in the maritime, agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

He thanked Ndiomu for receiving the YESSO team and said a report on the visit will be submitted to the minister to plan for the way forward with a view to cement the areas of possible collaboration.

Niger Delta

NPC Unveils Digital Registration System In Delta

Published

6 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The National Population Commission (NPC), on Friday, launched the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (eCRVS) in Delta State, designed to strengthen data generation and vital statistics management.

The Tide’s source reports that the system was launched by the Delta Federal Commissioner, Mrs. Blessyn Brume-Ataguba, at a news briefing in Asaba.

Brume-Ataguba recalled that President Bola Tinubu formally launched the eCRVS in November 2023 as part of the efforts to modernise Nigeria’s civil registration process.

She said the initiative followed resolutions reached at the Sixth Session of the Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Addis Ababa in 2022.

According to her, African ministers urged member states to automate civil registration processes and implement the UN Legal Identity Agenda.

“Nigeria responded by developing an electronic, technology-driven system to enhance data generation and improve civil statistics nationwide,” Brume-Ataguba said.

She said NPC, in collaboration with UNICEF, produced an eCRVS Operational Readiness Assessment Report to guide implementation.

She explained that the partnership aims to establish a fully digital civil registration system that converts records of vital events into reliable statistics for effective planning and decision-making.

Brume-Ataguba described the initiative as a complete shift from paper-based documentation to a modern digital platform aligned with international best practices.

She said the system would transform the way births and deaths were recorded, tracked and analysed across the country.

“This process marks a complete departure from the traditional paper-based recording of vital events to a state-of-the-art digital solution that conforms to international best practices.

“This eCRVS promises to revolutionise how vital events are recorded, tracked and analysed in the country.

“This will ensure commitments, and a sustained national, international financial and political investment for birth registration within the CVRS in Nigeria, ” Brume-Ataguba said.

She also said the launch demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening civil registration data capture and processing.

She further said improved vital statistics would support national development planning and help Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Brume-Ataguba continued that the state-level launch was necessary to sensitise the media and the public on the significance of the digital registration system.

She described the media as a vital partner in informing and educating citizens about the importance of registering vital events electronically.

She further assured residents that competent ICT personnel were available at the state level to address technical challenges and provide support.

The NPC commissioner emphasised that the eCRVS would overhaul the registration of births and deaths in the country and lay a solid foundation for efficient civil statistics management.

She urged stakeholders to collaborate with the commission to realise its goal of providing accurate and timely vital registration data.

She announced that the current phase of the e-CRVS programme would be concluded in March.

In her remark, the NPC State Director, Mrs. Jane Odigwe, appealed to the Delta Government to support the implementation of the system in the state.

“Your partnership is vital in helping us to reach this goal,” Odigwe said.

She also urged parents to register their children, saying that a birth certificate is essential for access to education, healthcare and other opportunities.

She said that registering children today would secure their identity and future participation in Nigeria’s development.

“To every parent in Delta, I urge you to bring your children forward for birth registration.

“A birth certificate is not just a document but your child’s key to education, healthcare and global opportunities.

“By registering your child today, you are giving them a voice in Nigeria of tomorrow,” Odigwe said.

Niger Delta

Police Uncover Suspects’ Armoury … Recover Weapons In Delta

Published

6 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Delta State has recovered assorted weapons from a criminal hideout in the state.

Spokesman for the Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to newsmen, who on Friday in Warri, said the weapons were recovered on Thursday by the operatives of the Command’s Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), led by ASP Julius Robinson.

He said the feat was achieved following a confession by a suspect handed over to the police team by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Orerokpe Division, for further interrogation.

Edafe said the suspect was alleged to be a member of a criminal syndicate terrorising commuters and residents on the Warri/Sapele Road.

“On February 19, acting on information obtained during interrogation, the suspect led the operatives to a concealed armoury located on the Sapele/Warri Road by the Adheje Community axis.

“A thorough search of the hideout resulted in the recovery of a locally made long gun, a locally made cut-to-size gun.

“Also recovered were a fabricated Beretta pistol loaded with five rounds of live ammunition, 10 live cartridges and a dagger,” he said.

Edafe stated that the investigation into the matter was ongoing.

He, however, quoted the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Command, Mr. Aina Adesola, to have reiterated the command’s resolve in dismantling criminal networks, and mopping up illegal firearms, among others, in the state.

Niger Delta

Police Caution On Lawless Protests On Court Matters In A’Ibom

Published

6 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has cautioned on threats of lawless protests by some members of the public over matters that are already before the courts.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, told newsmen in Uyo on Friday that illegal protests could undermine public peace and order.

“When matters are already in court, let’s follow legal and civil means to seek redress. That is how a civilised society works.

“Although we recognise the constitutional rights of citizens to lawful expression and peaceful assembly, illegal protests are not allowed,” he said.

Azare said the Command would not tolerate threats or acts of nude protests, unlawful occupation of public or private facilities, and disruption of government, economic or social activities.

He said anyone found culpable of engaging in acts or threats of illegal protests would be prosecuted in line with the law.

“As a Command, we are committed to the maintenance of law and order, we are also committed to protecting lives and property”, he stated.