Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their  living conditions.

This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.

Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s

She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.

According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.

The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while  bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.

Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.

Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.

According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.

He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.

Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may  lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.

During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.

The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.

He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.

They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.

At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.

King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.

Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.

Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.

At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.

He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.

Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.

John Bibor

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.

Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.

In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.

However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.

Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.

In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.

Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.

“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.

The Presidency yesterday faulted the United States Government over its claim that Nigeria failed to reciprocate its five-year, multiple-entry visa policy.

It also dismissed reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu cancelled the issuance of five-year multiple-entry visas for United States citizens, describing such claims as “misinformation and fake news.”

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made these remarks yesterday in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu Never Stopped The 5-year Non-immigrant Visa For Us Citizens.’

He said “We want to reiterate that the US government’s claim of reciprocity as the reason for its current visa policy towards Nigeria does not accurately reflect the actual situation.”

The Presidency clarified that Nigeria continues to grant five-year non-immigrant visas to US citizens under existing bilateral agreements and reciprocal arrangements.

It also accused online sources of misrepresenting the current visa regime.

“Contrary to misinformation and fake news circulating online, President Bola Tinubu has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens, in accordance with the principle of subsisting bilateral agreements and reciprocity,” the statement read.

This follows recent adjustments by the United States to its non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.

Recently, the US government revised its visa policy for Nigerian citizens, reducing most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visa categories—such as B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), F (student), and J (exchange)—to single-entry, three-month validity.

This marked a sharp departure from the previous two- to five-year multiple-entry visas that Nigerians were eligible to receive.

The changes took immediate effect, although existing visas issued before July 8 remain valid until their original expiration.

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja explained the decision as part of its global visa reciprocity policy, which aims to ensure that visa treatment of U.S. citizens is mirrored by the host countries.

According to the embassy, Nigeria does not currently offer U.S. citizens visa terms equal to those previously granted to Nigerians, prompting the adjustment.

The U.S. stressed that reciprocity, not retaliation, was the basis for the change.

However, the Presidency said the notion that the Tinubu administration halted the policy is incorrect.

“Immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a service-wide directive that Nigeria implement all bilateral agreements with other nations and adhere to the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations,” the statement stated.

The presidency also addressed recent confusion surrounding Nigeria’s introduction of a 90-day e-visa, clarifying that the shorter visa validity applies only to the newly introduced digital visa-on-arrival system, and not to standard visa categories.

“The 90-day single-entry visa validity period only applies to the newly introduced e-visas, a short-term visa category for tourists and business people who may not wish to undergo the standard visa application process and wait.

“The e-visa replaces the now obsolete visa-on-arrival, which was inefficient and often used as a means of extortion,” the presidency explained.

It argued that the e-visa, which is delivered online within 48 hours, aligns with Tinubu’s broader push to boost trade, tourism, and ease of doing business in Nigeria.

However, it noted that the US has yet to reciprocate Nigeria’s e-visa policy.

“Although Nigeria has an e-visa policy for citizens of the US and several other countries, the US has not reciprocated this gesture for Nigerians,” it said.

The Presidency affirmed that Nigeria remains committed to resolving the issue through diplomacy.

It said, “In the spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, and partnership that have characterised the relationship between Nigeria and the United States over the decades, the Tinubu-led administration will continue to dialogue and engage with US authorities to resolve any issues that have led to the recent developments.”