Group Begins Massive Support Drive For Fubara

Published

2 years ago

March 25, 2024

The Tide

A social political group under the aegis of “Etche/Omuma for SIM” has commenced aggressive grassroots membership drive for support of Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led administration in the two local Government Areas of the state .
The membership drive was the outcome of a consultative special congress meeting held by the group in Port Harcourt, recently.
The meeting which attracted political gladiators , serving and retired civil servants as well as Business men and women from all the nineteen wards in Etche local Government Area commended governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Head of Service of the state ,Dr George Nwaeke for their selfless service and positive impact their administration has made the state.
Speaking at the meeting ,the leader of the group, Eld Ikechi Nwogu said the group was formed to support the administration of the state governor and the Head of Service of the state ,Dr George Nwaeke, adding that the various achievements of Sir Fubara administration within the short period of time in office bspeaks volumes of his administration desire to better the lives of every citizens in the state.
Mr Nwogu who is also the Acting Chairman of the State Senior Secondary Schools Board opined that the administration of Governor Fubara has brought hopes to civil servants and engendered a sense belonging in the State.
According to him, today civil servants in the state including teachers , local Government Area workers can stand among their contemporaries in the state, adding that the people are happy with his administration and all the projects been executed.
“We are happy with what his administration is doing, teachers today are permanent secretaries , promotions are regular, pension and gratituity are paid regularly as at when due. The support for him is massive. We in Etche and Omuma, we formed this group to support and for appointing our principal Dr George Nwaeke as the Head of Service of the State. We are greateful to you sir, Your Excellency,” he stated.
Also speaking, the coordinator of the group, Mr Elistus Ali commended members for their massive turnout to the meeting despite the heavy down pour , stressing that it was a strong indication of a collective resolve to support the present administration in the state and described Governor Siminalayi Fubara as a peaceful man and divine mandate for the liberate of the state.
Elistus appealed to members to ensure that they take the message to all the various communities and villages in their wards to preach and sensitize the people on the need to support the present administration in the state and also build structures across the polling units in there areas.
He opined that the commitment and good works of governor Siminalayi Fubara-led administration in the State has made their work very easy as virtually, every household in the local government area is predominantly civil servants.
“Our principal is Dr George Nwaeke, the Head of Service of the State, we are building support across the two LGAs of Etche and Omuma and his principal ,the state chief executive, Governor Fubara and we are appreciative for appointing our son as number one civil servant in the state,” he stated.
He used the opportunity to assure the state governor of the total support of members of the group and the teeming population in the area, adding that the group will work with other Sim support groups in the area for the success of his administration.

Akujobi Amadi

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.

She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.

According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.

“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.

The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.

She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.

While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.

Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.

The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.

He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.

Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.

He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.

“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.

“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.

“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.

Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.

He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.

He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.

Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.

Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso