Rivers
Group Urges Domestication Of FOI Act In Rivers
A civil society organisation, known as the Connected Development (CODE), has called for the domestication of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in Rivers.
The State Support Officer for the group, Charles Uffort, made the call at a one-day training workshop for the Oil Host Communities in Rivers, organised by CODE in Port Harcourt.
Uffort said that the workshop, tagged “Enhancing the Capacity of Community towards Project and Fund Management to Safeguard Community Rights around the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)”, was sponsored by Oxfam Nigeria.
He said that the workshop was aimed at training members of the host communities on how to engage oil companies and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to access their three per cent derivation fund as provided for by Petroleum Industrry Act (PIA).
According to him, the workshop was to further review the PIA on how communities and Host Community Development Trust( HCDT) would access their funds and implement social projects needed in their communities, such as schools, health centres, boreholes, streetlights, roads, and others.
“This will also help them to constitute the Board of Trustees, Advisory Committee, and Non-Advisory Committee to get their three per cent oil derivation fund.
“The PIA, passed into law August 5, 2021 with not less than 165 communities incorporated, has yet to get funds.
“We urge communities to amplify their voices and call on State Governments to domesticate the FOI Act to enable them to get access to information bothering on dilapidated government structures in their respective communities.
“Our call is that Rivers and other states yet to implement the PIA law, including the Federal Capital Territory, should domesticate the law.
“Some states have domesticated it, while some, including Rivers, have not. So, we urge citizens of the state to join their voices in calling on the government to domesticate the law,” Uffort said.
He also listed some of the challenges faced by host communities in accessing the three per cent derivation fund, including the lack of required information from the oil companies.
He called on NUPRC and other regulatory bodies to champion the advocacy on the domestication of PIA saying “We noticed that many communities do not understand the implications of the PIA.
“So, we are calling on the regulatory bodies to sensitise communities, and not leave it to fall back to the civil society organisations,” Uffort said.
Also speaking, the Lead Research Unit of CODE, Dr Augustine Okere, emphasised the importance of host communities leveraging media platforms to amplify their voices and press home their demands.
One of the stakeholders, Dr Sophia Daniels, underscored the importance of using media platforms diplomatically.
Daniel called for more collaboration among communities, civil society organisations and the media in storytelling for development.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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The Rivers State Multi-Stakeholder Action Committee on the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating gender-based violence in the State, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to seek his support and partnership for a planned sensitization programme for Police GBV Desk Officers.
The delegation was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Lauretta Davies Dimpka, alongside the Committee’s Coordinator, Barr. Evelyn Membere Asimiea.
Speaking during the meeting, the Coordinator explained that the committee comprises various stakeholders, including FIDA, the media, security agencies, and traditional and religious institutions.
She noted that the initiative is funded by ActionAid Nigeria with support from the Ford Foundation, with the goal of strengthening efforts to eliminate gender-based violence in Rivers State.
“We have carried out several engagements, including community advocacy programmes and the training of female cultural influencers, among other activities,” she said.
In his response, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, pledged his full support for the initiative and assured the committee of the Police Command’s readiness to collaborate in strengthening GBV response mechanisms across the state.
Members of the delegation also included heads of sub-committees within the group: Barr. Ere Boma (Advocacy); Dr. Mary Obisike (Response); Martha Igbiks ( Information and Awareness); and Brown Musa Afonyagha (Religious/Traditional).
Observers described the engagement as a significant step toward enhancing coordination and improving the response to gender-based violence in Rivers State.
Youths from Igwuruta Community in Rivers State have condemned the killing of the Secretary of Omuolu-Omunwei Community in Igwuruta, Mr. Nchelem Samuel Festus, describing the incident as tragic and unacceptable.
In a communiqué issued on February 12, 2026, the youth body said Mr. Festus was allegedly murdered on Tuesday February 10, 2026, by commercial motorcycle operators identified as “Aboki bike riders” within the community.
The group expressed sadness and outrage over the development, stating that the killing has heightened tension in the area and disrupted the peace for which Igwuruta has long been known.
According to the communiqué, the incident is part of what the community described as a growing wave of criminal activities, including rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes allegedly perpetrated by the same group.
The youth body said Igwuruta has historically maintained a reputation as a peaceful and hospitable community where residents and visitors carry out their daily activities without fear.
It, however, noted that recent events and what it termed as “escalating violence” have created fear among residents and necessitated urgent intervention.
The communiqué called for the immediate suspension of all motorcycle operations by the group within Igwuruta.
It also demanded the closure of scrap-dump sites in the community allegedly operated by the said individuals.
Furthermore, the youth body urged security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the killing of Mr. Festus and perpetrators of other alleged crimes in the area.
It also called on cattle herders to vacate farmlands in Igwuruta and urged herdsmen to stay away from bushes within the community with immediate effect.
While pledging to uphold the rule of law and refrain from self-help, the youth body gave security agencies a 48-hour ultimatum to act on some of its demands, particularly the suspension of motorcycle operations and closure of scrap sites.
The communiqué appealed to security agencies, local government authorities and other stakeholders to treat the matter with urgency and collaborate with the community to restore peace and ensure justice.
As at the time of filing this report, the Police has not issued any official statement about the incident.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to expand access to reliable and sustainable electricity across the Niger Delta region.
The agreement, signed at the headquarters of the REA in Abuja, is intended to strengthen institutional collaboration in accelerating development in underserved communities in the region.
A statement by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the NDDC, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said the pact underscores renewed efforts by the two federal interventionist agencies to deepen cooperation and fast-track infrastructure delivery.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, described the MoU as a strategic step towards realising the Commission’s vision to “light up the Niger Delta” in line with national priorities on distributed energy expansion.
Ogbuku said “the agreement represents a shared institutional responsibility to deliver reliable energy solutions that will enhance livelihoods, stimulate local economies and create broader opportunities across the nine Niger Delta states.”
According to him, electricity remains a critical enabler of national development, support for job creation, healthcare delivery, education and inclusive economic growth.
He noted that the collaboration would help unlock the economic potential of rural communities while advancing broader national development objectives.
The NDDC boss added that the Commission has consistently adopted partnership-driven approaches in executing projects in the region and is prepared to support the implementation of the MoU by leveraging its community presence and infrastructure development capacity.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with the REA to ensure the timely and effective execution of the agreement.
The NDDC delegation at the event included the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Otunba Ifedayo Abegunde; Director, Legal Services, Mr. Victor Arenyeka; Director, Finance and Supply, Mrs. Kunemofa Asu; and Director, Liaison Office, Abuja, Mrs. Mary Nwaeke.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the MoU as a natural collaboration between two agencies with complementary mandates, reflecting a shared commitment to expanding access to sustainable electricity in rural communities.
“The Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s economic fortunes and must be supported by infrastructure capable of driving productivity, enterprise and improved living standards”, Aliyu said.
He adding that the partnership signals readiness to deliver stable power to communities that have long awaited reliable electricity supply.