Niger Delta

C’River Debunks NBS’ Child Rating

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

The Cross River State Government has described the state’s rating on child labour by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as “spurious” and not a true reflection of what is happening in the state.
The government demanded to know the parameters used by the NBS to carry out the research that rated Cross River number one in the country involved in child labour with 67.4 percent.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Erasmus Ekpang, who made the demand in an interview with The Tide’s source, said Cross River remained the most “child friendly” state in Nigeria.
Ekpang explained that Cross River showed the value it placed on the rights of every child by being among the first state in the country to domesticate the Child Rights Law.
“The United Nations is aware of what we are doing in this regard. So, it is preposterous for us to degenerate into such a high lows even when there are a number of violations of the law.
“To say the least, we are concerned about such statistics and would want to verify this claim which I still consider as spurious.
“We have continued with sustained advocacy on the existence of the Child Rights Law in the state. The Law provides for criminalisation of violators and offenders of the law.
“As a state, we created a special Ministry to be in charge of this, which is the Ministry of Women Affairs with Desk Offices established in the 18 council areas to cascade this advocacy to the wards and villages.
“Government has gone ahead to involve traditional rulers, opinion leaders and women groups to strengthen this campaign against child labour and child abuse respectively.
“Of course, note that some violators have been and are being prosecuted in the courts. Even in my ministry of information, my orientation department has been doing a lot to sensitise and orientate the citizenry on the existence of the Law and implementation in the state.
“All these are helping and would continue to change the narrative in this regard”, he stated.
The NBS report indicates that over 24 million Nigerian children are involved in child labour, with 14.3 millions of these children engaged in hazardous work as of 2022 when the last report was conducted.
The northwest geopolitical zone bears the brunt of these figures, with the highest number of child labourers (6,407,102) and children in hazardous work (3,266,728).
The South East region emerged the highest in terms of percentage prevalence of child labour with nearly half of the children involved in child labour at 49.9 per cent.
Nationally, 39.2 per cent of children (24,673,485) are in child labour, and 22.9 per cent (14,390,353) are involved in hazardous work, painting a grim picture of the conditions under which nearly two out of every five Nigerian children live.
The report also shows that children in the 5–17 age group in child labour commit an average of 14.6 hours of work per week.
The data further revealed the top 10 states grappling with high percentage of child labour in Nigeria.
According to the data, Cross River, Yobe, Abia, Plateau and Taraba are are top five with 58.6, 58.9, 60.1, 62.6, and 67.4 percent respectively.
Taraba State is followed by Ebonyi with 56.2 per cent, Imo with 56.2 percent, Kogi with 54.4 per cent while Bauchi and Akwa Ibom came 9th and 10th with 53.3 and 52.2 percent respectively.

Niger Delta

Navy Pledges Improved Patrols, Welfare Boost For Personnel

Published

5 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

8 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

8 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.