Niger Delta

Delta Assembly Urges Stronger State-Owned Media

Published

10 years ago

December 21, 2015

Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Barr. Emma Okah (left), with the Zonal Director, NTA, Port Harcourt, Mr. Sunday Ibrahim Sawntong (middle), welcoming the Senior Special Assistant, Administration to the Deputy Governor, Barr. Gilbert Nria to NTA Christmas Carol of Nine Lessons in Port Harcourt, recently.

The Delta State House of As
sembly has called for strengthening of the state government-owned media organisations, to enable them to be at par with private media organisations.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr Tim Owhefere, made the call during the 2016 budget defence meeting with officials of the state Ministry of Information in Asaba.
Owhefere, who is also the Majority Leader of the House, said that information was key to the growth of the state and the country at large.
He said that the State Broadcasting Service in Asaba and Warri, as well as the Pointer Newspapers, were established for effective information dissemination in the state.
The lawmaker said it was disturbing that the signals of the two broadcast stations could not be received in some parts of the state.
He said that the Pointer Newspapers was also unable to compete with other national newspapers.
Owhefere, while acknowledging the numerous challenges faced by the state government-owned media organisations, said that the committee would assist the ministry in its effort to reposition them.
He urged the government-owned media stations to live up to expectations in propagating government policies and programmes to the grassroots.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, said the ministry under his watch was working toward repositioning and rebranding government-owned media organisations to meet modern-day realities.
Ukah said that the two broadcasting stations were not as bad as they were being painted in some areas.
“My ministry is working tirelessly to ensure that DBS Asaba and Warri come on stream with good content and reception,’’ he said.
According to the commissioner, plans are on to link DBS Asaba and Warri on a three-hour daily network, but both stations must be stable before it can be achieved.
Ukah also highlighted efforts toward strengthening operations in the Pointer Newspaper in terms of content, circulation and marketing.
He said that training and retraining of staff in the ministry and the parastatals would be prioritised in the 2016 fiscal year.
The commissioner said with adequate funding, the goals and objectives of the state government in the information sector would be realised.

Niger Delta

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

Published

7 hours 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

7 hours 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

7 hours 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.