Niger Delta
Navy Inaugurates 8 Housing Units In Calabar
The Nigerian Navy has inaugurated eight units of two-bedroom flats at the Ikot Ansa Senior Staff Quarters as part of efforts to boost personnel welfare and operational efficiency.
Speaking at the event in Calabar on Monday, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, said similar housing projects would be inaugurated in Port Harcourt and Uyo.
Represented by Rear Adm. Chidozie Okehie, the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Abbas said the navy would always give priority attention to personnel welfare.
He stated that the housing units would not only translate to decent homes for officers, but boost their morale for greater efficiency.
“I have repeatedly tied welfare projects to better operational readiness against maritime crimes.
“We are very deliberate about closing the accommodation gaps for officers and ratings”, he said.
The CNS charged recipients of the housing units to ensure good maintenance culture while in occupation.
Abbass reiterated the commitment of the navy to initiate new housing projects while taking steps to complete all pending ones.
“The newly inaugurated units of flats are part of the projects that we inherited from our predecessors”, he said.
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The Amanyanabo of Koniju town, in Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State, His Royal Majesty, King Winston Odiye Alamina Oputibeya XII, has expressed satisfaction over the activities of Port Harcourt Arsenal Community.
He further said that bringing Arsenal fans together for a common purpose, which is love, unity, and peace, is commendable and pledges to support the community in his own little way.
HRM Oputibeya said this when some members of the community, led by Ugochukwu Oputa, paid him a courtesy visit in his house in Port Harcourt yesterday.
According to him, he started supporting and following Arsenal Football Club some decades back, saying that anybody who loves good football must love Arsenal because players in Arsenal play good football.
“I was longing to meet leaders of the community to also be part of it because I like their organizational structure and I love Arsenal.
“The activities of the Port Harcourt Arsenal Community for me are satisfactory; that is why I am associating with it.
“I would like members to conduct themselves in a civil manner because football fans all over are the progress of their club and love,” he said.
Earlier, the coordinator of the Port Harcourt community, Ugochukwu Oputa, thanked the royal father for accepting the community, assuring that the group will do her best to get recognition and connection with Arsenal FC in London.
Oputa narrated the activities lined up by the community on Saturday, saying that everything had been put in place for the street procession.
In his vote of thanks, a member of the Arsenal Community, Com. Tonye Orabere also thanked the Amanyanbo for his magnanimity and pledged to assist the community. He prays God to continue to bless him.
Tonye Orabere
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for initiating reforms aimed at digitising its procurement processes to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability.
Speaking at the NDDC Procurement Policy Reform and Digitisation Stakeholders’ Sensitisation and Training Summit in Port Harcourt, the Director-General of the BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, described the initiative as a significant step towards modernising public sector operations.
Adedokun said the transition to paperless governance had become imperative as government institutions seek to reduce delays, eliminate waste and improve service delivery.
According to him, public procurement remains central to the execution of government policies and must embrace modern technology to boost productivity and strengthen public confidence.
“Procurement lies at the heart of public service delivery. It determines how resources are allocated, how projects are executed, and ultimately, how development reaches our people”, he said.
The BPP boss stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration in ensuring a seamless transition to digital operations, noting that the reforms align with the broader agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a more responsive and citizen-focused public sector.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, said the sensitisation workshop formed part of the Commission’s efforts to strengthen institutional capacity and adopt innovative solutions in line with global best practices in governance and service delivery.
He stated that the Commission was implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration in the Niger Delta region, while commending the BPP for supporting the Commission and facilitating the speedy completion of projects.
Ogbuku noted that the workshop came at a critical period when public institutions across the country were embracing reforms aimed at improving governance systems, eliminating inefficiencies and rebuilding public trust.
He said empowering stakeholders, contractors and service providers with the required knowledge would accelerate development and create sustainable value across the Niger Delta.
“We are not only reforming, but we are also transforming the Niger Delta region”, he stated.
Ogbuku explained that the Commission’s reforms would move procurement processes from manual, paper-based operations to a fully digital platform designed to improve accessibility, reduce delays and minimise opportunities for corruption.
According to him, digitisation of procurement processes goes beyond technological advancement and represents a critical governance reform aimed at promoting transparency, improving service delivery and ensuring responsible management of public resources.
Earlier, the NDDC Director of Procurement, Chuks Osuji, said the policy reform and digitisation initiative would improve workflow, eliminate inefficiencies and strengthen accountability in the Commission’s procurement system.
He added that all contractors engaging with the Commission would henceforth operate through the online procurement platform, which would also provide an effective feedback mechanism for stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of contractors and consultants, Maraizu Uche lauded the initiative and pledged their cooperation towards ensuring a seamless transition to the digital platform.
He, however, appealed to the Commission to review its payment system to address delays in settling executed contracts.
The workshop, themed “Promoting Best Procurement Practices and Digital System for the NDDC”, was held across the nine states of the Niger Delta region.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has appealed to well-meaning stakeholders in the Ijaw ethnic nationality to collectively ensure that the Ijaw National Congress (INC) was not factionalised.
He said history would not forgive them if they allowed personal interests to overshadow the cause of the Ijaw people.
The Governor stated this on Tuesday in Government House, Yenagoa, while inaugurating an eight-member INC Reconciliation Committee to resolve the protracted discord within the body.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, informed that the panel has two members from each of the zones of the INC, while two others are to man the secretariat.
The Bayelsa Chief Executive, who goes by the appellation, “Governor-General of the Ijaw nation”, noted that the singular, but weighty mandate of the committee was to reconcile the disputing individuals and interests within the INC, and restore the organisation to its founding ethos of unity and purpose.
He also charged the committee to come up with recommendations and guidelines that would strengthen and propel the ethnic group’s cause.
The Governor described the recent inauguration of the INC National Executive Council (NEC) outside its headquarters, after a disputed election, as an aberration, saying that such ceremonies had always been held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
He also appealed to stakeholders and INC members to cooperate with the committee, noting that it was not a moment for winners or losers but a moment for reconciliation, restoration, and renewal.
The Governor-General of the Ijaw nation said the committee had one month to carry out its assignment.
“The baton of responsibility is in our hands. We must run our race with discipline, with focus, and with a firm commitment to the greater good.
“I acknowledge that disagreement is a feature of all human endeavour. It is not the disagreement that diminishes us, but our failure to manage it honourably.
“We must, therefore, seek out and hold fast to the greater reasons that bind us together. The ties of kinship, of shared history, and of common destiny are far stronger than the issues that divide us”, he said.
He recalled that “a few decades ago, l was privileged to be among our great leaders entrusted with the mandate to birth the Ijaw National Congress. Our purpose was clear: to forge a platform that would unite our people, give voice to our collective aspirations, and advance the cause of a just and egalitarian society.
“That vision was never parochial. It was borne out of a conviction that the Ijaw nation must stand strong, speak with one voice, and take its rightful place in shaping the future of Nigeria.
“At this critical juncture, we find ourselves distracted by private and sectional ambitions that threaten to dull our edge and weaken our collective force.
“Let us be clear: we cannot afford this. History will not forgive us if, at the hour of need, we allowed personal interest to eclipse the cause of our people.
“It is for this reason that we are inaugurating this reconciliation committee. It is entrusted to individuals of impeccable standing and demonstrable achievement”, Diri added.
Responding, Chairman of the committee, a former Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Dr. Matthew Seiyefa, who is from the Central Zone, said it was unfortunate that the INC was at an inflection point, but that it however presented an opportunity for introspection.
“After we have successfully traversed this sorry path, the new INC will be more consultative with a view to harvesting the rich reservoir of resources in terms of experiences, knowledge and perspectives available within the Ijaw nation”, the committee’s boss said.
Dr. Seiyefa assured that the outcome and utility of the committee would have significant implications for the future of the INC and, by extension, the Ijaw nation.
Other members of the committee include one-time Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Brodrick Bozimo (Western Zone); former INC President, Chief Joshua Fumudoh (Western Zone); National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr. Boladei Igali (Central Zone); Amayanabo of Kala-Ogoloma, Rivers State, King Goddy Idaminabo (Eastern Zone); and former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Alabo Gabriel Toby (Eastern Zone).
Dr. Kingsley Kuku, a former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, will serve as secretary, while a former Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs in Bayelsa State and currently Special Adviser on Ijaw Affairs, Chief Patrick Erasmus, will also be in the secretariat.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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