Niger Delta

Bayelsa Govt Cautions Peremabiri, Other Communities Over ‘Oil Shutdown’

Published

2 years ago

March 8, 2024

The Bayelsa State Government has urged host communities to resist the temptation of disrupting the operations of oil companies in the state without exhausting legitimate means of conflict resolutions.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stated this at a meeting with representatives of Peremabiri Community in Southern Ijaw Council Area and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at the Government House, Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his media aide, Mr Doubara Atasi, condemned the act of occupying oil facilities as a form of protest to disrupt oil production, stressing that such actions were not in the best interest of the state.
He pointed out that frequent occupation of oil facilities do not only portray the state in a bad light but also deprive it of reasonable revenues for infrastructure and other development purposes.
The deputy governor maintained that forcibly taking over and shutting down oil flow stations was one of the reasons genuine investors were being chased away from doing business in Bayelsa and Rivers states to places like Lagos State.
While assuring that the state administration will not support any oil company to deny oil bearing communities of their legal rights, Senator Ewhrudjakpo expressed displeasure over the refusal of the Peremabiri CDC chairman and youth president to attend the meeting.
He described the behaviour as uncalled for and an affront to the state government, warning individuals and communities not to take the peaceful disposition of the Governor Douye Diri-led administration for granted.
Consequently, the deputy governor called on the Peremabiri people to vacate the occupied Diebu Creek Nun River Flow Station in their own interest and for the common good of the state.
His words: “We are surprised that the CDC chairman, the Youth president, and the Woman leader of Peremabiri are not here.
“They are currently occupying the flow station at Peremabiri, and the danger is that, if they are not careful and anything happens, everybody would be consumed. May be they don’t know the danger involved in occupying that flow station and it’s not in their best interest.
“If they have issues with the SPDC, there is always a ground for discussion, hence this meeting was convened to discuss the timeline and other aspects of the project they are agitating for, and they are not here. They should know that after God is governmental power.
“If the office of the deputy governor is inviting them on behalf of the governor for a meeting, why would the CDC chairman and other community leaders refuse to attend?
“They should not overstretch the resolve of government or test our will to be decisive and coercive when and where necessary.
“This resort to violence to press home demands has deprived our region, the Niger Delta region of investments, and had forced the oil companies to move from Port Harcourt to Lagos.”
In attendance at the meeting include the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Marlon Moses; the permanent secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, Mr. Collins Ifidi, and his counterpart from Ministry of Mineral Resources, Dr. Ifiemi Ikoko.
Others are the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, Mr Lucky Okodeh, the Amananaowei of Peremabiri community, HRH Never-Die Progress; the Corporate Relations manager of SPDC, Mr Evans Krukrubo; Project Manager, Engineer Odima Douglas, and Community Relations Coordinator, Chief Raymond Amadi.

Niger Delta

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

Published

8 hours 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

8 hours 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

8 hours 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.