Niger Delta

ASUU Demands NDU Workers’ Salary Arrears

Published

10 years ago

April 27, 2016

L-R: Newly appointed Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. James Oluwole, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Port Harcourt, Commander Feyisara Solebo and Command Operations Officer, Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Razaq Babalola, during the FOC’s familiarisation tour of Navy formations and units in Port Harcourt yesterday.

The Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU), has called on the Bayelsa State Government to immediately commence the payment of four months salary arrears owed workers of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island.
This is even as the union called for the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector of the state.
ASUU, which stated this at a press conference in Yenagoa, decried a situation where workers of the institution had not been paid their monthly salaries since January, describing the trend as a grave problem threatening the academia in the Port Harcourt Zone, comprising Rivers and Bayelsa States.
The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Port Harcourt Zone, Prof. Beke Sese, while fielding questions from newsmen said no responsible government should treat the issue of prompt payment of salaries with such levity and nonchalance.
According to Sese, “It is unreasonable to expect high standards of academic activities in a university where lecturers are unable to meet their basic needs of feeding, housing, medical and transportation due to non-payment of salaries for several months.”
To this end, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator urged the Bayelsa State Government to take its contractual obligation to pay salaries much more seriously.
And we demand that all arrears of salaries owed all staff of NDU be paid immediately. Staff of NDU have endured untold hardship and deprivation and we shall not allow this dangerous trend to continue. Enough is enough”, he said.
ASUU also identified poor funding of state-owned universities in the Port Harcourt Zone as another problem which has given the union grave concern.
According to Prof. Sese, the present level of funding of NDU by the Bayelsa State Government was nothing to write home about and insisted that the university was beyond doubt among the least funded in the world.
He buttressed his point by citing poor and dilapidated infrastructure dotting the university landscape, and called on Beyelsa State Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector.
He also castigated Governor Seriake Dickson for failure to release the N6.2 billion he promised NDU for the upgrade of infrastructure.
Conversely, the Chairman of ASUU at the Rivers State University of Science and technology (RSUST), Dr. Puyate Sobere, while also answering a question said the case of Rivers State was different, as the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike was regularly paying the salaries and allowances of workers and equally funding the university as exemplified by the recent release of N1 billion to the university for development of infrastructure.
While commending the governor for this gesture, Dr Sobere called on his Bayelsa State counterpart, Hon. Seriake Dickson to emulate Wike’s good example. The ASUU chairman also disclosed that the university authorities were deliberating with Governor Wike on the plan by the Rivers State Government to withdraw financial responsibility for university staff schools, assuring that the deliberations would produce a positive outcome at the end of the day.

Donatus Ebi

Niger Delta

Nembe Renders Development Scorecard … Defers King Koko’s Annual Festival

Published

2 days ago

February 9, 2026

The Tide

The Nembe-Ogbolomabiri Council of Chiefs in the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have disclosed its developmental scorecard in the outgone year.

Speaking with Journalists who visited the kingdom during the week, Alternate Chairman of the Council, Alabo Moses Ayebaereworio Solomon-Ockiya said the urban town and her satelite communities were experiencing an unprecedented trajectory of development.

He noted that the kingdom was judiciously deploying funds accruing from the Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDTF) for rapid infrastructural and human capital development.

The Tide learnt that the HCDTF is one of the many creations of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which aims at executing developmental projects in host communities of oil and gas firms and facilities.

According to the kingdom, with the funds, delapidated internal roads were being reconstructed, while also overhauling other existing infrastructure and opening up of new roads for pavement to ease traffic in Nembe City, its major urban town.

The Alternate Chairman also bared his mind on the working relationship between an oil firm, Aiteo, which operates in the kingdom and the Nembe people, describing it as cordial.

He noted that the kingdom and the company were partners in progress, stating also that the firm has changed its operational name to Nembe E&P, describing the new nomenclature as more beneficial to the kingdom.

“Our Monarch, His Eminence, King (Dr.) Edmund Maduabebe Daukoru (Mingi XII), told some visitors who came to our kingdom recently that in the next five-six months when they’ll come back that they won’t recognize this town again. Today you can hardly recognize some old parts of this city due to the massive construction and reconstruction which is taking place.

“We’ve constructed between 5-10 kilometers of new roads in this town in the last couple of months. We’ve opened about 10 new roads waiting for construction. We’ve a visionary monarch who believes in the peace and development of his kingdom.

“This kingdom is so organized that we’ve the Council of Chiefs, the elders council, the youths, CDC and women wing. So there is peace, tolerance and harmony in the kingdom”, the Alternate Chairman said.

In another development, the Council of Chiefs has shifted this year’s celebration of the annual King Fredrick Koko’s day to February.

The Tide reports that the annual event usually takes place 29th January.

The Council said the reason for the deferment was because it coincided with the obsequious ceremonies of the late State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

The kingdom noted that the new dates for the celebration this year would now be February 11th, 12th and 15th, 2026.

“The burial of the late Deputy Governor of the State concided with the King Koko’s day. As a responsible kingdom, which honours those in authority, we decided to shift the celebration to 11th, 12th and 15th of February 2026.

“The reason for shifting it to February is because the King Koko-led Nembe-British war lasted up to the new dates it has been slated”, Alabo Solomon-Ockiya added.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Oborevwori Celebrates Wife At 56

Published

2 days ago

February 9, 2026

The Tide

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has extended heartfelt congratulations to his wife, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, as she marks her 56th birth anniversary.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, the Governor expressed deep appreciation for the steadfast support and encouragement of his wife over the years, noting that her unwavering commitment and prayers played a significant role in their journey to becoming Delta State’s First Family.

He described Deaconess Tobore as a devout and compassionate mother whose impact on society has been profound, particularly through her constant prayers and moral support for the state and their family.

The Governor also commended her humanitarian efforts through her pet initiative, the “You Matter Charity Foundation”, which he said has continued to touch lives, with special attention to vulnerable members of the society, widows and elderly, including children living with autism.

Oborevwori said: “On behalf of our family, as well as the government and people of Delta State, I warmly felicitate my dear wife, Her Excellency, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, on the joyful occasion of her 56th birthday.

“She has remained a shining example of dedication, compassion, and godly values, not only to our children, but to the entire state.

“As she celebrates this milestone, it is my earnest prayer, and that of our children, that God will continually endow her with strength, wisdom, and clarity of purpose as she carries out the demanding responsibilities of the Office of the First Lady of Delta State.”

He further expressed his personal admiration for his wife, describing her as a source of daily joy and inspiration.

“You make every day a pleasure with your self-effacing mien, cheerful disposition, love for God, devotion to family, disciplined work ethic, and unwavering service to humanity. I celebrate you today and always. Happy birthday, my love and best friend”, he said.

By: Albert Ograka, Asaba

Niger Delta

NDDC Restates Commitment To Support Security Agencies In N’Delta

Published

2 days ago

February 9, 2026

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has restated its commitment to supporting security agencies in the Niger Delta, describing peace and stability as the foundation for sustainable development in the region.

Managing Director of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the NDDC’s collaboration with security agencies is driven by the understanding that development cannot flourish in an atmosphere of insecurity, just as underdevelopment often fuels conflict and unrest.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku noted that the NDDC had deliberately built strong partnerships with security institutions to protect critical national assets and create an enabling environment for economic growth.

According to him, the Commission’s support for security agencies aligns with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure peace and security across the country, stressing that the relative calm currently enjoyed in the Niger Delta is the result of sustained security interventions.

Ogbuku explained that security is a collective responsibility involving host communities, government and development institutions, adding that the NDDC would continue to provide strategic support to the Nigerian Navy and other agencies to enhance their operational effectiveness.

He assured the Naval Command of the Commission’s readiness to deepen engagement, maintain open channels of communication and undertake field visits to better understand the operational challenges faced by security agencies.

Earlier, Rear Admiral Ibrahim commended the NDDC for its visible development projects across the Niger Delta, noting that the Commission’s interventions had positively impacted communities and security formations in the region.

He said the Navy’s efforts to safeguard oil exploration, production and transportation, including the recently launched Operation Sentinel, would require sustained collaboration, particularly as Nigeria targets increased crude oil production in the coming years.

The Naval Commander urged the NDDC to sustain and expand its support, noting that improved security would translate into higher oil output, increased revenue, and accelerated development for the Niger Delta and the country at large.