Rivers
HYPREP Interfaces With Ogoni Youths
Ogoni youths, on Wednesday turned out in their hundreds at the expansive auditorium of Golden Tulip Hotel in Port Harcourt and had fruitful engagements with the management of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) with the Project Coordinator, Prof Denibarini Zabbey effectively in charge of proceedings.
The HYPREP’s interactive session with youths came on the heels of recent protests by some Ogoni youths at its office in Port Harcourt.
HYPREP’s Head of Communications, Dr Enuolare Mba-Nwigor, who functioned as the compere and anchor of the occasion, actually set the tone of what was to come as he described the agency’s projects as human-centric and youth-centric as well as community centred to put smiles on the faces of the Ogoni people, noting that the agency in turn needs all the support from the people.
But before then, effervescent comedian and Ogoni-born Mr Teenager had put the youths in the right mood for the day’s event with rib-cracking jokes.
Underscoring the importance of the interactive session, Prof Zabbey in his opening remarks, hinted that the frequency of such interfaces with the youths would be scaled up and announced that it would now come up quarterly to enable HYPREP to feel the pulse of the people and in the process regularly get feed-backs on its numerous projects and programmes in Ogoniland.
While thanking the youths for their support and for the massive turnout, the Project Coordinator noted that projects being executed in Ogoniland by the agency are human-centric and youth-centric, stressing that it was against this backdrop that he had appointed a Technical Assistant on Youth and Women Development to the Project Coordinator for the first time.
He emphasised the need for the Project Office and the youths to always come together and work collectively to drive all the projects and programmes being carried out.
The keynote speaker and senior lecturer at the Department of Management of the Rivers State University, Dr. Sorberikor Lebura advised Ogoni people to tread with caution and not allow the ugly chapters of the Ogoni struggle to repeat themselves, “ We cannot pull down the house because we are angry,” he said, stressing that, doing so would not serve anybody’s interest.
He listed the strategies for effective management of conflicts, to include competition, avoidance, accommodation and collaboration, and stressed the need for Ogoni people to judiciously manage what HYPREP is currently offering them in their communities because as he put it, “it will take a long time for this thing to come back to us if we destroy it”.
Lebura underscored the importance of effective information management in driving the ongoing projects in Ogoniland, contending that disinformation, misinformation and insufficient information constitute the greatest drawbacks in any organisation and the management and execution of projects.
He, therefore, advised the current HYPREP management team and the Ogoni people to properly distill and investigate every information that comes their way, and decried a situation where some persons appointed to midwife the project in the past ran HYPREP as their private empire.
According to him, “the present Project Coordinator is doing his best. What he is doing may not be sufficient. This is because you cannot satisfy everybody”.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ogoni Television, Mr Ndume Green, who equally anchored the programme advised Ogoni people not to continue to fight themselves but to always support their own to succeed, describing Prof Zabbey as a competent Project Coordinator.
“Let us protect what we have so that history will not repeat itself,” he said.
Also speaking, the head of the Livelihood Unit of HYPREP, Mrs. Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP has this year trained 29 Ogonis in the aviation industry to work as cabin crew members in airlines, adding that Dana Airlines had already offered 10 slots to the agency while it is currently engaging other airlines for more slots, lamenting that before now, nobody from Ogoniland was in the aviation industry.
She said 5, 0000 Ogoni youths are currently being trained to position them in the oil and gas sector, among other sectors of the economy, and urged all those being trained to take the exercise seriously.
The Head of the Centre of Excellence, Mr. Lekue Ebenezer and other heads of the various units also briefed the audience on the activities of their units.
The Director of Technical Services, Prof Philip Shekwolo while describing the Project Coordinator as a core professional, enjoined Ogoi people to be supportive and always wear the solution caps to ensure that the projects and programmes being carried out succeed.
The leadership of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) apparently passed a vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator at the event and declared its unflinching support to HYPREP.
The President of NYCOP, Mr. Barinaazor Emmanuel who read a communiqué containing the positon of the entire Ogoni youths at the event, said the youths are totally in support of the projects and programmes being carried out by HYPREP in Ogoniland.
The NYCOP President had earlier in his presentation called for more women participation and inclusion in the projects and for more youths to be included in the current 5,0000 youth training programme and described the protest against HYPREP by some youths recently as a show of shame. He equally said the transport allowance for trainees was too poor.
The leader of Ogoni Peoples Assembly, Rev Probel Williams urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator time to work and prove his mettle, saying there is no need to fidget and fret, going by his pedigree in the ecosystem.
He, however, urged the Project Coordinator to review the employment and livelihood programme module to make it more realistic.
The Acting President of the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), Mr Emmanuel Bie apologised to the Project Coordinator over the recent protest that paralysed HYPREP’s activities in Port Harcourt, saying the protest was intended to draw the agency’s attention to some anomalies in its project sites and not to serve some selfish and vested interests, and called for more local and community content in projects executed by HYPREP.
He disclosed to The Tide that the President General of OYF, Mr Legbosi Yaamabaana who led the protest had been suspended.
Some of the youths who spoke stressed the need for them to be carried along in the scheme of affairs and not for only those who protest against HYPREP to be considered for contracts.
At the end of the day, Prof Zabbey assured the youths that all grey areas concerning transport allowances being paid to Ogonis working at the Centre of Excellence site as well as the N40,000 transport allowance for trainees were being handled, and appealed for patience.
By: Donatus Ebi
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will inaugurate its newly elected National Exexutive, led by President-elect Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, during its 2026 Annual General Conference scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, between August 21 and 28.
Badejo-Okusanya emerged winner of the association’s Presidential election conducted through electronic voting, polling 12,317 votes to defeat her two male challengers and become the 33rd President of the NBA.
According to the final results released by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) secured 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid votes cast in the election.
Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), garnered 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 per cent, while Olumu Akinboro (SAN) polled 5,855 votes, or 22.43 per cent.
Her election is historic, as she becomes only the second woman to lead the NBA in its 66-year history, following Priscilla Kuye, who served as the association’s first female president between 1991 and 1992.
The inauguration of Badejo-Okusanya and other newly elected national officers will be one of the major highlights of this year’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, which is expected to attract thousands of lawyers, judges, legal scholars and policymakers from across Nigeria and beyond.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002, Badejo-Okusanya studied Law at the University of Lagos after earning a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English from the same institution.
She began her legal career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP and, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to legal practice, was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on September 29, 2025.
Her career has combined legal practice with public service. In 2007, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform to the then Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, working in the office of the then Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore.
She is a respected arbitration and dispute resolution expert and belongs to several prestigious professional bodies, including the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), African Arbitration Association, ArbitralWomen, International Bar Association (IBA), Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA). She also serves on the Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration.
Within the NBA, Badejo-Okusanya has held several strategic leadership positions, including Assistant Secretary of the NBA Lagos Branch, member of the Future of the Legal Profession Committee, Conference Investigation Committee, and the NBA Lagos Branch Building Committee.
She also served as Alternate Chair of the 2023 NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee before chairing the committee for the 2024 conference.
In 2022, she was co-opted into the NBA National Executive Council and, in August 2024, received the NBA Presidential Medal of Service in recognition of her contributions to the association.
A founding partner of Africa Law Practice NG & Company since 2017, Badejo-Okusanya currently co-heads the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. The firm is regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms, with affiliations across Africa.
Her emergence has raised expectations that her administration will prioritise lawyers’ welfare, institutional reforms and a more inclusive Bar, in line with her campaign promise to build “a bolder Bar that works for everyone” where lawyers can earn better, live better and practise better.
The Commander of Nigerian Naval Shipyard Pathfinder, Commodore Mutalib Ibikunle Raji, has described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as a critical pillar of national unity and sustainable development, while reaffirming the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to deepening its long-standing partnership with the scheme in Rivers State.
Raji made the remarks when he received the NYSC Rivers State Coordinator, Moses Oleghe, on a courtesy visit to his office at the Naval Shipyard in Port Harcourt.
The naval chief praised the 56-year-old NYSC scheme for its strategic role in nation-building, saying it has remained a “bedrock of national unity and sustainable development” since its establishment.
He also commended the cordial relationship between the NYSC and the Nigerian Naval Shipyard, describing the synergy between both institutions as “very healthy and mutually beneficial.”
According to him, the partnership has continued to yield positive results, particularly in service delivery by corps members posted to the Shipyard.
Raji assured the NYSC management in the state of his readiness to support the successful implementation of the scheme’s programmes and activities, noting that closer collaboration between the two institutions would further strengthen their bond.
“My administration remains available and committed to supporting the NYSC in the successful implementation of its programmes and activities in the state”, he said.
He appreciated the quality of service rendered by corps members serving at the Shipyard and pledged that their welfare would remain a top priority under his leadership.
“We will continue to prioritise the welfare of corps members in order to encourage and motivate them for optimum performance”, he Commander added.
Earlier, Oleghe said the visit was aimed at formally interfacing with the Commander, familiarising with him and welcoming him to Rivers State following his recent appointment.
He noted that the relationship between the NYSC and the Nigerian Naval Shipyard had remained strong over the years and called for its sustenance.
The State Coordinator thanked the Commander for his assurances of support and stressed the importance of strategic stakeholders such as the Nigerian Navy in ensuring the security and welfare of corps members.
Oleghe added that the support of the Navy would provide corps members with the enabling environment required to serve the nation effectively and without hindrance.
The visit, both officials agreed, underscored the shared commitment of the NYSC and the Nigerian Navy to national integration, youth development and the continued strengthening of institutional collaboration in Rivers State.
The Opobo Council of Alapu (Chiefs) has announced that Opobo Kingdom will officially crown His Majesty, King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI, as the Amanyanabo and Treaty King of Opobo Kingdom on September 26, 2026, marking the beginning of a new era in the historic riverine kingdom.
The coronation, which forms the highlight of a week-long programme of activities scheduled to hold from September 18 to 27, 2026, is expected to attract traditional rulers, government officials, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic community, sons and daughters of Opobo Kingdom, and guests from across Nigeria and beyond.
In a statement issued by the Chief of Protocol and Public Relations of the Opobo Council of Alapu, Alabo Godwin Omoni Nengia Bupo, Abayebupo Duke Norfolk III, the Council described the event as a defining moment in the history of the kingdom.
Founded in 1870 by the legendary merchant prince, King Jaja of Opobo, and his compatriots, Opobo Kingdom has remained one of the Niger Delta’s most celebrated traditional institutions, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, maritime trading history, diplomatic influence and resilience.
According to the Council, the ascension of King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI, as the sixth monarch in the Jeki lineage signals the dawn of a new chapter that will build on the kingdom’s enduring legacy while promoting unity, cultural preservation and sustainable socio-economic development.
The statement noted that the coronation would be “more than the crowning of a king,” describing it as a celebration of the kingdom’s resilience, identity, ancestry and enduring traditions.
“This historic coronation is not merely the crowning of a king, but a celebration of our resilience, our identity, our ancestry and our enduring heritage”, the statement said.
The Council added that a comprehensive programme of cultural, spiritual and ceremonial activities have been lined up across the kingdom to commemorate the historic occasion, culminating in the official coronation on September 26.
It called on friends of Opobo Kingdom, cultural enthusiasts and well-wishers from around the world to join in celebrating what it described as a landmark event in the history of one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected traditional kingdoms.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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