Niger Delta

FG Trains, Empowers 250 Farmers With Agric Inputs In Bayelsa

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2024

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) says it has begun training and empowerment of 250 beneficiaries of National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) in Bayelsa State.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, said this on Wednesday during the flag-off of the programme in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

Fadeshemi said the training and empowerment programme was being carried out in collaboration with Bayelsa State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

According to him, the programme is taking place across the 36 States of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Tide’s source reports that the items donated to the 250 beneficiaries from all the eight Local Government Areas of the state included: birds, feeds, plants and fetilisers, amongst other farm inputs.

Represented by the State Coordinator of the Ministry, Laurita Obioha, Fadeshemi described the level of poverty in Nigeria as alarming.

“The number of men living on less than 1.90 U.S. dollars a day in Nigeria has reached around 44.7 million, while the count was at 43.7 million for women”, he said.

The Permanent Secretary further stated that 12.9 per cent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as at 2022.

“This is why the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, is in collaboration with FMAFS, making conscious effort at reducing the spate of poverty across the country.

“It is with a great pleasure and pride that I stand before you as the Permanent Secretary of the FMAFS at this auspicious occasion of a crucial initiative under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).

“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to uplifting the lives of our smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices”, he said.

According to him, the programme is not merely an investment in agriculture, but an investment in the future of the nation.

“As we equip these farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector”, he said.

Fadeshemi urged the beneficiaries to embrace the opportunity to build a future where smallholder farmers were not just beneficiaries of progress but active contributors to the nation’s growth.

On his part, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr David Alagoa, commended the Ministry for the training and the items donated to Bayelsa farmers to lift them out of poverty.

Alagoa, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Souya Ebiye, urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously, saying: “in time to come, you will smile home and rejoice”.

He reiterated the State Government’s determination to do all it takes to lift the people out of poverty through agricultural empowerment programme.

In his lecture, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, Prof. Prince Ebiowei, urged the beneficiaries to always keep records of their stocks to know when they were running either at a loss or gain.

According him, any business that starts small will definitely grow to become bigger as time goes on, adding that most people who started big most times experience bankruptcy in business later in life.

Niger Delta

Navy Pledges Improved Patrols, Welfare Boost For Personnel

Published

14 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has pledged to ensure improved welfare for personnel and more patrols on the maritime corridors of the nation.

He disclosed this during an on the spot assessment of things at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Calabar, on Wednesday.

According to him, there is the need for officers to always be ready, by improving on their welfare, in a bid to keep the country secured.

“I am here for an on the spot assessment of our operations and like you have seen, I have also gone round to check the ongoing buildings.

”These are welfare issues and for us to be able to have our men ready and keep us secured, their welfare needs to be catered for.

“So, we are here to kill two birds with one stone, which are basically operations and welfare issues.

”I am happy with what the command is doing; it is doing well in terms of keeping the maritime environment safe.

“We will continue doing what we are doing and improve on that, which is patrol of the waters and increase in the area of surveillance”, he stated.

As part of his visit, Abbas commissioned the 12×1 Junior Rates Accommodation Block A and B, at the Navy Barracks at Atimbo in Calabar.

The naval chief also inspected other ongoing projects in the Akim Barracks, 1006 flats and the Navy hotel, all within Calabar.

Niger Delta

Delta Begins Uromi Junction Flyover Construction

Published

17 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Delta State Government says it has began construction work on the long-awaited Uromi Junction Flyover Bridge in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

Director-General (DG) of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr. Fred Oghenesivbe, confirmed the development to newsme in Asaba.

According to him, heavy-duty construction equipment have arrived the site, a project which is being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, one of the country’s leading construction firms.

Oghenesivbe, described the flyover as a massive infrastructure project with far-reaching socio-economic benefits for the area.

He said the project would significantly transform the Agbor metropolis by easing traffic congestion, improving the city’s aesthetics, and boosting commercial activities within the local government area.

He described the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as a promise-keeper and pragmatic leader whose administration remains committed to infrastructure development and economic growth across the state.

The DG expressed confidence in Julius Berger’s capacity to deliver the project within record time and according to the highest construction standards.

“The Uromi Junction serves as a major link between different parts of the country but has recently been plagued by severe traffic congestion, making vehicular movement increasingly difficult”, he noted.

He urged residents to cooperate with the contractor and safeguard construction materials and equipment to ensure the timely completion of the project.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Rejects Ekid Ownership Claim Of Stubbs Creek

Published

17 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected claims by the Ekid People’s Union that it owns land within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, describing such assertions as “false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

In a recent statement, signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, the state government said it was compelled to respond in the “overriding public interest,” despite a pending court case instituted by the same group.

The government stated that contrary to claims circulating in the media, the historic case of Ntiaro and Ikpak vs. Ibok Etok Akpan and Edoho Ekid, decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1918, did not vest ownership of Stubbs Creek land in any ethnic group or community.

“The final judgement merely dismissed the claims before the court and granted title to no party whatsoever”, the government stated, adding that “any assertion to the contrary is false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

According to the statement, the land was lawfully reserved by the colonial government under Forest Reserve Order No. 45 of 1930, later amended in 1941, 1955 and 1962, with “the principal rights of the land forfeited to the Government upon the change of status.”

It said the area has since been administered under applicable laws by the Akwa Ibom State Government, which “has at all times acted within its lawful authority in the management and allocation of land in the area for legitimate public and economic purposes.”

Citing the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act, the government stated that all land in the state is vested in the governor to be held in trust for the common benefit of Nigerians, noting that claims of absolute ancestral ownership are subject to existing laws.

The government “categorically denies allegations of fraud or misrepresentation” regarding Stubbs Creek or investments there and warned it would take “appropriate legal steps” against any individual or group publishing false or defamatory material capable of undermining public confidence or discouraging investment

The statement also assured the federal government of “full access and Right of Way” for the proposed Coastal Highway through any part of the state.

The government statement followed an earlier report in which the Ekid People’s Union accused Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State of making comments that allegedly linked the community to terrorism, while he was defending the Coastal Highway project passing through the Stubbs Creek.

Ekid People’s Union maintained that the people of Ekid are the original owners of the land known as Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, arguing that their ancestral ownership predates colonial rule.

The group cited historical occupation, customary ownership and a 1918 Privy Council case, which it claimed affirmed Ekid rights over the territory.

The union also accused the Akwa Ibom State Government of misrepresenting history to justify taking over the land for commercial interests and the proposed Coastal Highway, an allegation the state government has denied.

The group rejected any suggestion linking the Ekid people to criminality or terrorism, insisting they were peaceful citizens defending their ancestral land through lawful and civic means.