Niger Delta

Bayelsa Intensifies Preparation Against 2024 Floods

Published

1 year ago

October 1, 2024

The Bayelsa State Government has directed its ministry of environment and sanitation authority to intensify preparations against the imminent 2024 floods in the State, based on the predictions of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMeT), which named the State as one of the main flood prone areas in the country.

Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive while presiding over the 138th State Executive Council at the Exco Chambers of Government House in Yenagoa.

Describing Bayelsa as the exit point where waters from River Niger and Benue River empty into the Atlantic Ocean, the Deputy Governor stressed the need for the people and the State Government to fully prepare for any flood emergency.

He specifically charged the Environment Ministry and the Sanitation Authority to leave no stone unturned in the clearing and opening up of natural water canals to facilitate unrestricted flow of water to check avoidable flooding.

Ewhrudjakpo also reiterated his call on the people of the state to avoid indiscriminate disposal of refuse on drainages and other water channels to prevent flooding and environmental pollution.

“As you are aware, Bayelsa State is the receptacle from which all the water from River Niger and River Benue exit into the Atlantic Ocean. And so, it will be necessary for us to be on hyper-alert.

“Even though this year’s flood may not be as huge and high as 2012 or 2022, we really have to prepare ourselves because we believe prevention is cheaper than cure.

“While it is inevitable and natural, we must also take steps as citizens to ensure that our drainages are cleared. We must also desist from the habit of dumping refuse on our drainages.

“On this note, His Excellency, the Governor is hereby directing the Ministry of Environment to liaise with the state Environmental Sanitation Authority to ensure that there is regular clearing of drainages”, he said.

While expressing satisfaction with the level of preparedness so far by the State Emergency Management Agency, he urged the local government councils to complement the state government’s efforts by putting measures in place to alleviate the suffering of the people in the event of any devastating flooding experience.

The Bayelsa Number Two Man also thanked security agencies for the sacrifices they are making to keep the state safe for investments and socio-economic activities to thrive in Bayelsa.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo seized the opportunity to appreciate Bayelsans for their abiding support and love for the Governor Douye Diri-led Prosperity Government and enjoined them to prepare for the state annual thanksgiving service on the 2nd of November, 2024.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.