Rivers
Stakeholders Seek Review Of Ogoni Power Project …Give HYPREP’s Project Coordinator Confidence Vote
Key Ogoni stakeholders have stressed the need for the review of the ongoing Ogoni power project to make it cost effective and efficient as well as ensure that power supply to Ogoniland is stable and regular.
This is even as they also passed a vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey for the excellent manner he has been running the affairs of the Project.
The stakeholders, who made their position known during HYPREP’s Project Review Meeting at De Edge Hotel in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the Ogoni power project has already gulped a huge chunk of funds, adding that what HYPREP should be preoccupied with is generation of power for the area rather than transmission.
A former member of HYPREP’s Board of Trustees and Rivers State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Peter Medee, who set the tone for the discussion on the power project in his intervention, said there is need for the power project to be reviewed in such a way that a gas plant would rather be installed in Ogoniland in order to achieve stable and regular power supply in the area.
To buttress his point, Medee cited the case of Aba in Abia State, which is today enjoying uninterrupted power supply.
According to him, it would not make any economic sense for huge funds to continue to be spent on connecting Ogoniland to the national electrity grid, then, at the end of the day, the people would enjoy less than five hours of power supply daily.
Medee further noted that Ogoniland boasts of huge deposits of gas, to warrant a successful review of the power project, transiting from the national grid to gas turbine, which he said would be able to provide stable power to the area.
While moving a motion for the stakeholders to pass a vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator, following his good works, the university teacher indicated that stability was necessary in the leadership of HYPREP, stressing that would enable the Project Coordinator to continue to do his work uninterrupted.
“We no longer want a change in the leadership of HYPREP,” he intoned.
His submission was greeted with a thunderous applause by the participants.
Toeing the line of reasoning of Medee, the Paramount Ruler of Barako Community, Mene Kadilo Kabari and former Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon John Bazia corroborated the fact that Ogoniland is rich in gas deposits, which would facilitate the supply of stable and regular power to the area.
Former Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya and the President of Ogoni Mothers, Chief Priscilia Vikue, spoke glowingly about the Project Coordinator, and made a case for Ogoni women who they said have what it takes to be included in the execution of projects.
According to them, HYPREP should give attention and thought to what happens to Ogoni during the post remediation era.
On their part, former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr Lergborsi Pygbara, and Prof Ben Naneh highlighted the importance of sustainability in all that HYPREP is doing in Ogoniland.
Also speaking, former Vice Chairman of Gokana Local Government Council, Hon Maurice Pronen, who represented Senator Magnus Abe at the occasion, harped on the need for HYPREP to sustain its engagement and collaboration with stakeholders and communities in driving the Ogoni clean-up project.
Youth groups in Ogoniland at the event also lent their voices to the call for stability in the leadership of HYPREP, and equally passed a resounding vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator.
The Chairman of the Joint Representative Council of Ogoni Youths Groups(JRC), Mr Amabu Lidogo and the Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Mr Imeabe Saviour Oscar commended HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for the good works going on in Ogoniland.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the status of project implementation by HYPREP in Ogoniland by Mr Ifiok Ndiyo, who represented the Head of the Evaluation and Monitoring Unit of HYPREP, Mr Akeem Ottan.
Ndiyo gave an overview of all the projects and programmes HYPREP has been carrying out in Ogoniland including their current status.
While stressing the need for all stakeholders and Ogoni people to support the Project, Ndiyo listed the challenges the agency has been encountering in the course of executing its mandates, and called for a change of attitude.
The Project Coordinator, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey, had earlier in his opening address said the aim of the meeting was to update the stakeholders on work progress as a way of comprehensively review the projects and activities, saying, “Your feedback is valuable to the overall success of HYPREP.”
He noted that he was grateful for the stakeholders’ continuous support and active participation in the Project, stressing that “Our progress thus far would not have been possible without your input and cooperation.Your interest and understanding are the bedrock upon which we build our efforts to heal and rejuvenate the Ogoni environment, livelihoods, and peace.”
Zabbey said over the past months, HYPREP has made notable strides in various facets of the project implementation process, saying, the land and shoreline remediation process is ongoing; preliminary assessment of the complex sites has commenced; while the pilot mangrove restoration of over 500 hectares is going well.
The Project Coordinator listed some of the communal-related challenges affecting the smooth progression of the Project’s work, and announced that HYPREP would in the next few weeks train traditional rulers and other key stakeholders on Alternative Dispute Resolution and peace building techniques to increase their capacity to deal with emergency issues at the community level in a way that aligns with the Project’s objectives.
Donatus Ebi
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The Administrator of Emohua Local Government Area, Mr. Franklin Ajinwo, has said efforts are now underway to boost food production and create employment opportunities for youths in the Local Government and the State at large.
Ajinwo made this knwon recently at a stakeholders’ sensitisation programme by the Rivers State Rural Access And Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) organised in partnership with the Federal Government and World Bank in Rumuakunde, Emohua, the Council’s Headquarters.
The council boss noted that Emohua, as an agrarian Local Government Area is blessed with vast arable hectares of land and waterfronts suitable for both agriculture and fish farming.
According to him, the speedy implementation of the programme will develop the area, create better employment opportunities for the teeming youths and provide good roads to ease transportation challenges plaguing farmers in the area.
“We are very favoured because we have large expanse of land used for rice cultivation in Rumuewhor and we also have fishes in our rivers. This initiative, which is geared towards improving food production, will enable us feed our locals and Rivers State by extension as it aims to broaden commercial activities that will attract others from far and near”, he said.
He also advocated for speedy commencement of the programme, pledging support, cooperation and synergy that will address unforseen challenges to ensure success.
Earlier in his keynote address, the Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Mr. Joshua Kpakol, highlighted the essence of the sensitisation visit and its benefits to those in the rural areas.
Kpakol disclosed that RAAMP has been in existence for about ten years and operational in about 19 States across the Federation with focus on food security, rural development, provision of hospitals and construction of roads that give farmers easy transportation access to their market sites.
Describing the project as a collective responsibility that is all embracing and can change the economic fortunes of the Area for good, he said synergy will help yield better results if sustained.
“The rural dwellers are the direct beneficiaries of this project. Every strata of the society will be involved as it won’t discriminate, its aims and objectives are geared towards providing modern amenities and services to our people free of charge that will make them happy”, he said.
In his overview of the Project, Engr Ibibia Owubokiri defined the project as a Third-Generation Rural Access Project aimed at strengthening the institutional and
financing base for sustainable management of State and Rural Networks.
He also revealed the focal points of the Project, which include, Improvement of rural access and trading infrastructure, Sector Reforms asset management and Agro-logistics Performance, enhancement and Institutional Development, as well as Project Management and Risk Mitigation.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Emmanuel Ndah, was among dignitaries in attendance.
The Sole Administrator of Okrika Local Government Area, Engr. Tamunobipiboye Thompson Isodiki, has called on the leadership and membership of the Wakirike National Students Union to play a major role in re-orienting youth against drug involvement and other criminal activities.
Isodiki, who gave the advice recently when the Wakirike National Students Union and leaders of various tertiary institutions paid him a courtesy visit in his office, expressed concern about the alarming increase in the number of drug addicts and other criminal activities involving the young people.
He noted that if this trend is not checked, it would create serious problems in the Local Government Area.
“As students, I expect you to discourage young people who are seriously involved in these acts in order to create a crime-free society”, he said.
The Sole Administrator continued that, “my stay in office is not tenured, but I will pursue people-oriented programmes and projects for the overall benefit of our people.
“My decision to embark on the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) Computer Based Testing (CBT) is aimed at reducing the pain experienced by the teeming population of candidates of our Local Government Area, to enable them write the test.”
He noted that the recent take-over of the Ogoloma Youth Centre by the Council was “a deliberate attempt to train youths to acquire skills, to provide middle level manpower, and create employment opportunities among our youth.”
He also addressed Bursary payment issue raised by the students, saying, “as essential as it is, the Government will study the situation among other pressing issues and within available resources we will pay Bursary in due time.
“Other groups have also visited the Council for one request or the other, and these are all based on funds.”
Isodiki, however, emphasized that a careful study would be undertaken to give the needed support based on the resources of the Council.
He also assured the students that the Council will partner with them in executing their planned laudable programmes.
While thanking the students for the visit, he urged them to be focused on their studies and avoid issues that would bring shame to their parents and the generality of the Local Government Area.
Also, speaking the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator, Dr. Paul Wakama, cautioned the students not to embark on journeys to campuses across the country for welfare, bearing in mind the prevailing security risks such journeys may entail.
He added that they should make do with the global communication advantage to reach out to other students.
Earlier, the National President of the Wakirike Students Union, Mr. Owubokiri Bright Jamabo, had congratulated the Sole Administrator on his appointment and announced him as the Patron of the union by reason of his appointment.
Jamabo disclosed that the Union would carry out summer classes during the long vacation to teach secondary school pupils in all subjects, including Okrika Language.
He appealed to the Sole Administrator to pay bursary to students and sponsor the various activities and programmes, especially the Cultural Day Programme, of the Rivers State College of Health and Science, and promised that the students would always support the Sole Administrator to succeed in office.
Soibi Max-Alalibo
The Andoni Local Government Administrator, Surv. Atajit Francis, has urged students from the area to prioritize their studies to achieve their future goals and contribute to their community’s development.
Francis made this call during a courtesy visit by the National Union of Andoni Students (NUAS) led by Comrade Isaac Tugwell Owo at the council’s headquarters in Ngo Town.
WThe Andoni Local Government Administrator emphasized the need for students to manage their time and resources effectively, rather than relying on others, stressing that “prudent management would enable them to achieve their goals”.
He assured the students of the council’s commit to addressing their needs, including bursary payments, to cushion the effect of the current economic challenges and sponsorship of their proposed 4th Financial and Leadership Summit, despite limited resources.
The Andoni Local Government boss also stressed the importance of prayer and peaceful coexistence in driving development in the area.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, who doubles as the National President of the Andoni Students Union, (NUAS), Comrade Isaac Tugwell Owo, said, the visit was to congratulate the ANOLGA Administrator on his appointment, which he described as divine, given his track record of positively impacting lives.
Comrade Owo also sought support for their chapters’ cultural day, aimed at showcasing Obolo culture and providing training for secondary students in computer-based WAEC exams.
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