News

Mayor Of Housing, K O Baba Launch Scheme To Create Wealth In Diobu

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Some eminent persons who grew up in Diobu, Port Harcourt, including Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, and K.O. Baba Jornsen have joined hands to launch a scheme that will create job opportunities and wealth for the residents of the area.
The take-off point was the TEDx Diobu which has won a license from TED International to organize a talkshow on Diobu to help rebuild the brand and the spirit of that section that drives the overall spirit of the Garden City.
A major sponsor and rated speaker at the TEDx Diobu, the Mayor of Housing, said it was emotional for him to be back in Diobu where he said it all started for him some 18 years ago.
Speaking on what Diobu puts in one’s life and career, China talked about courage and grit, adding that his journey had a lot of courage as well as vulnerabilities.
“There were days I frowned. But guess what, it started with that result here in Diobu that birthed the most important legacy every entrepreneur must aspire to build. That legacy is the legacy of grit”, he said.
“Grit is what happens when you’re able to blend your experience with lots of courage; blend your experience with embracing your vulnerability and not denying them, but growing bigger than them and not wishing that things were easier but wish you grew better.
“Then, you will tap into the biggest and deepest well of treasures in the world inexhaustible: the world and the wealth of human capital and your mental capital.
“When you develop that grit and come out, you will begin to see opportunities where people no longer see opportunities.
“You begin to see challenges as bread. Where people are complaining, there are different challenges and you’re asking where is the akara to add to the bread to make it a balanced diet.”
He agreed with Dan De Humorous who made brief appearance at the event, saying every story has a beginning, middle, and the end.
“Building a business, making an impact are all summed up in one word: the capacity to do more and the power of your story.
“Ask yourself the business you’re building, when the story is told, will it make the hearer weaker or stronger?”
According to him, one of the greatest liabilities that we have produced in our age is that we have failed to make impact even on the direct beneficiaries of our success, our children.
“Because at the end, it is not what you leave for them that is important, but what you leave in them. I am hoping as I leave, that what I’ve left in you will be more important than what I left for you.”
Also speaking, the TEDx Diobu franchise owner and entrepreneur who has linked up with Mayor of Housing said at the first edition of TEDx Diobu that the project is to promote the reality of Diobu, “which is about good, not the bad, not about snatching of phones”.
O.K. Baba who is also a well-known comedian and creator of ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ annual comedy series, said the project is to bring the finest persons that once lived in Diobu to come and talk to Diobu of today.
The man who emerged as a force in Diobu years ago revealed how it came to be, saying he began helping the boys and then, every disagreement in the area was brought to him to resolve.
According to him, he emerged the street chairman without an election.
He reminded well-to-do people that one criminal could kill up to 1,000 persons, saying it was important to pull the youths off crime with social facilities.
He hinted many schemes that may soon come in Diobu, including an economic summit, adding that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would be targeted for support after the TEDx Diobu event.
In his speech, an entrepreneur, Daniel Okwara, revealed his business techniques and the things he did to grow his business.
“Give back all to your business. I did this and grew from buying a mere 25% of container to becoming a global business today.
“I opened a joint account so I will never withdraw at whims. There must be a cogent reason and a process before withdrawing.
“Save cost, maximise. This means save the cost of operations so nothing can touch it. Then maximise the deployment of your resources so it increases your profit.”
In his own contribution, J.J. Folami showed how he used traffic of his blog to promote his music, now recording over 3.5m followers.
Another speaker simply named Dickson said he was born in Diobu and that he had found out that the spirit of competition dominated by ‘I pass my neighbour’ mentality had held Diobu and other such towns down.
“The rich collaborate; the poor compete; at best, they cooperate”.
He warned that collaboration will become the new competition and that the big fishes do not swallow small fishes but swallow slow fishes.
Dan De Humorous said though he did live in Diobu (D-Line area), that TED has a unique way of telling stories around the globe.
“In every story, there is a beginning, middle, and the end or climax. That’s the beauty of TED stories. I urge the audience to pay attention to the middle of stories. That is where the battle is, where the process that decides the end is found.”
In his admonition, a lawyer and activist, Chizi Wigodo, urged people who have ideas to join groups or political parties to push the ideas.
He said: “Civic participation is key. Government knows that the people have the greater power. Join a group to amplify your idea.
“Know it that the next election begins after the current one. So, the next election (2027) begins now. Post-election fights in court are however better than causing chaos. The court works with the story, the evidence, the law.”
A female broadcaster, Oby Ify Fakae, wrapped it up when she pointed out what makes persons not to collaborate, saying it’s a trust issue.
“People only trust you when you know them. Not all money is good money.”
The participants, including Hilda Dokubo agreed on efforts to rebuild the spirit of doggedness and grit which they said Diobu gave the Garden City, and turn the ideas to wealth and job creation.

Featured

Rivers Assembly Approves Fubara’s 2026–2028 MTEF

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.

The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.

Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.

Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.

He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.

The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.

During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.

The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.

Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.

Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.

The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.

According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.

Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.

The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.

King Onunwor

News

Fubara Reaffirms Commitment To Blue Economy, Private Sector Growth …Calls For Protection Of Marine Resources

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards fostering private sector-driven economic growth and harnessing the vast opportunities within the blue economy to drive national development.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this known during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), held in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, Governor Fubara described the conference theme, “The Gulf of Guinea and Blue Economy: Pathways to Trade, Investment and Security Towards a $1 Trillion Economy,” as both timely and strategic.

?The governor welcomed the leadership of NACCIMA, delegates from the 115 Chambers of Commerce across Nigeria, members of the diplomatic corps, captains of industry, investors, and other distinguished guests to Rivers State.

?He commended the National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, for choosing Rivers State as the host of the 2026 conference, noting that the decision had drawn national attention to the immense economic opportunities embedded in the blue economy.

?Fubara stated that the blue economy possesses the capacity to generate revenue that could surpass earnings from the oil and gas sector if properly developed and managed.

?He stressed the need for Nigeria and other countries along the Gulf of Guinea to take deliberate steps toward maximizing the benefits of their maritime resources while guarding against the continued exploitation of coastal assets by foreign operators.

?Expressing concern over the activities of foreign fishing trawlers operating in Nigerian waters, the governor noted that many harvest seafood resources without making meaningful economic contributions to the country.

?He emphasized the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms and enhanced protection of Nigeria’s marine resources.

?”We must wake up and hit the ground running. If we do not capitalize on and utilize our blue economy, other nations will utilize it for us,” he stated.

?The governor thanked NACCIMA for what he described as a timely wake-up call on the importance of the blue economy and maritime security, adding that the successful hosting of the conference in Rivers State demonstrates the state’s safety, hospitality, and readiness for business and investment.

?Earlier in his remarks, the President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government for hosting the 66th Annual General Conference of the Association and for the warm reception accorded delegates.

?He noted that the state’s commitment to hosting the conference reflects its readiness for business and has helped restore investors’ confidence in its economic potential.

?According to him, NACCIMA highly values the cordial relationship between the Rivers State Government and the organized private sector, emphasizing that the association remains the foremost voice of the Nigerian business community.

?In her welcome address, the President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Dr. Chinyere Nwoga, described the conference as a historic milestone, noting that it was the first time in the Chamber’s 66-year history that it was hosting the national body of NACCIMA.

Nwoga commended the national leadership for entrusting PHCCIMA with the hosting rights and pledged the Chamber’s continued commitment to advancing the objectives of the association and promoting sustainable economic growth through private sector engagement.

News

Fubara Seals Off Collapsed Building Site, Orders Investigation

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered a complete seal-off of the site of a five-storey building which collapsed last Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others in Port Harcourt.

Fubara gave the order during his visit to the site of the collapsed building last Thursday to assess the situation.

He said the site will remain “completely sealed off” until the government gets to the “root cause” of the incident.

He described the incident as unfortunate but observed that preliminary investigation had shown that the developer had earlier refused to subject his site to inspection by the state authorities and comply with the necessary building regulations.

The governor, who inspected the site alongside the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sir Amairigha Edward Hart, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dabite Sokari George, explained that he couldn’t visit the site the previous day because he was awaiting formal briefing from the relevant agency of government on the situation.

“We’re here to see for ourselves the very unfortunate incident that took place here. I didn’t come yesterday because I wanted to get the report first, and the Commissioner did brief me that the incident site, first, is not as claimed by the developer, that it’s not under the jurisdiction of the state; that it’s under the jurisdiction of the Federal Housing Authority.

“He also informed me that when the project was ongoing, they came here severally to inspect what was happening and also to see the level of compliance. But unfortunately, that the developer kept claiming that we don’t have any right to interfere,” he said.

Fubara said that the issue was no longer about interference but about the life lost to the building collapse and the collateral damage brought upon the family of the deceased.

He extended condolences to the families of the victims, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the developer had complied with the rules guiding the engineering design and construction of such a structure in the 21st century.

“We feel very sorry and very regretful that such an incident should be happening in this 21st century because technology has advanced, engineering has developed. I wonder what kind of engineer would even allow this kind of project to go on when everything about it from inception has been faulty.

“I think that at this point, nothing is going to happen on this site any more. We are going to make sure that this place is completely sealed off until we get to the root cause of this incident,” the governor said.