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Protesters Stall Oil Production At SPDC Flow Station

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More than two weeks after, protesters are still in control of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25, thus preventing Shell Petroleum Development Company from producing and exporting commercial oil from the area.
The Tide investigations showed that the protesters, mainly youths from Belema in Rivers State have vowed that they would not leave the vicinity until Shell divests from the facility for an indigenous oil firm to take over.
The protesting women and youth of the host community, vow to occupy the flow station for as long as six months if their demand was not granted.
They accused the oil multinational, Shell of allegedly neglecting them, leaving them in penury since it commenced operation in the area over three decades ago, an allegation the oil giant denied.
However, there appears to be a crack in the community as some were opposed to the actions and demands of the protesters.
Chairman, Belema Council of Chiefs, Ibinabo Kalaoriye, in a radio announcement recently, dissociated the community from the protest, insisting that it was allegedly sponsored by those who did not mean well for the area.
The monarch maintained in the announcement that those behind the protest were not from his community, arguing that there was no way sons and daughters of his community would embark on such a mission without his permission.
“As the Amanyanabo of Belema community, I am not in support of such a protest. This is to inform the general public that the protesters are not indigenes of my community, if not they could have consulted me before embarking on such protest.
“The host communities of OML 25, including Belema and Offionama have continued to benefit from contract awards, employment of unskilled labour and our social investment programmes, including yearly award of regular and special scholarships to eligible candidates from the area.
“With the divestment of its interest in OML 24, SPDC relinquished operatorship of the facilities in that field”, the statement read in part.
“Despite the challenging environment, the SPDC JV set aside more than N600million for a five-year period beginning 2014 for development initiatives at Kula and the satellite communities of Belema, Offoinama and Boro. SPDC JV has also invested over N352million in Improvement of school infrastructure, sanitation and health outreach programmes, construction of walkway for the community and electricity supply in Kula Kingdom in the past 10 years”, he added.
He also spoke of its Global Memorandum of Understanding arrangement with Belema community, explaining that it gave right to the community to nominate project, execute them with funds from the oil giant.
Weli said the structure had brought some appreciable human and infrastructural development to the area.
However, the general manager said painfully the GMoU for Kula that was set up in 2014 had not been able to function because of several court cases with it as co defendant.
“A GMoU was eventually signed in 2014 for the Kula Cluster but has not been implemented because of continuing intra-community disagreements. As at 2015, there were a total of 11 court cases involving different groups with SPDC as a co-defendant in all of them.
“Sadly, these legal suits and disputes have rendered it impossible to implement more planned development projects in the affected communities,” he said.
Weli said though Shell had divested its 30 per cent in the Joint venture agreement in Kula, simply put, it had pulled out of Kula and some communities in the area but the communities had continued to enjoy its social investment programs.
He said N263million was expended on the community through a creation, Kula Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee (PIMC).
“The creation of the Kula Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee (PIMC) in 2012. The PIMC served as an interim platform for the delivery of social investment initiatives and programmes worth N263 million in the Soku-San Berth Project.
“These projects are separate from the GMoU projects initiated by communities using funds provided by the SPDC JV Notwithstanding that SPDC has divested its equity in OML 24, which covers most of the communities in Kula and Belema, the SPDC JV has continued to implement agreed social investment programmes such as scholarship and entrepreneurship schemes for the communities there”, he said.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

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Youth President Launches N10m Grant For Obio/Akpor Women

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The leader of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area Simplified Movement, Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo, has unveiled a N10 million grant aimed at empowering women in Ward 1 of Obio/Akpor LGA.
Making the announcement during the recently concluded Obio/Akpor Ward 1 town hall meeting, Ihunwo revealed that the grant will be distributed in amounts of N100,000 to 20 women per community, including non-indigenes.
He stated that the gesture is a token of appreciation for the women’s unwavering support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Ihunwo emphasised the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that Ward 1, Obio/Akpor LGA, and Rivers State as a whole benefit from good governance.
Special Adviser on Power to the Governor, Hon. Solomon Abel Eke, highlighted the transparency and fairness that define the current leadership of the Obio/Akpor Simplified Movement, assuring that it operates without nepotism or impunity.
During the event, former leader of the Obio/Akpor Legislative Assembly, Hon. Achor Nna, criticised former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, who is also from Ward 1, for actions deemed uncharacteristic of true sons of Obio/Akpor LGA.
Also in attendance at the town hall meeting were Hon. Darlington Orji, Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Governor of Rivers State, along with other prominent figures as well as other sons and daughters of Obio/Akpor.
They congratulated the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, and collectively reaffirmed their support for the Fubara-led administration, underscoring a shared commitment to the progress and development of Rivers State.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso

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RSG Approves N225bn For Trans-Kalabari Road Project

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The Rivers State Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved N225 billion for the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road project.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Joseph Johnson, disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting.
The meeting was presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the state Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said the project would be funded with savings from the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.
“We shall not borrow to fund the project. We are bent on generating money to fund our projects”, he said.
Johnson stated that the contractor had been mobilised with 30 per cent of the contract, worth to commence implementation.
The commissioner further said the project would be completed within a period of 32 months.
“This is the main Trans-Kalabari Road, the one that happened in the past was building of bridges.
“We are now doing a Trans-Kalabari Road that will run from NSS Pathfinder, immediately after Mgbuodohia community and extend to about 2km to the Aker Base Road in Rumuolumeni”, he said.
He also said the road would pass through the swamps behind the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, moving southwards towards the first bridge crossing.
“It will continue through a series of bridges, connecting many communities up to Tombia Town.
“The road will traverse very difficult terrains of swamp across rivers and creeks upon which series of bridges, decking and piling works will be done”, he said.
The Commissioner further said the state recently recorded some giant strides in the sporting sector.
Also briefing, the Acting Director-General, Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Ine Briggs, explained that the bureau diligently managed the proceedings leading to the award of the Trans-Kalabari road contract.
Briggs said the submissions of the state Ministry of Works were reviewed and all the supporting documents examined by the Ministry.
“Having fulfilled all the necessary procurement procedures and guidelines as prescribed by the Rivers State Public Procurement Law 2008 as amended, the Bureau is satisfied that all the elements leading to this award is sufficient to issue a certificate of no objection.
“Therefore, in consideration of all the relevant documents submitted by the Ministry of Works pursuant to the construction of Trans-Kalabari Road and bridges, the Bureau has issued the certificate of no objection, and that the contract be awarded to Lubrick Construction Company Limited”, Briggs said.

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Ongoing Elele-Omoku Road Awarded At N80bn – RSG

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The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Joseph Johnson, has said the ongoing dualisation of the Elele/Umudioga/ Egbeda/Ikiri/Omoku Road was awarded at N80 billion.
Johnson disclosed this in Port Harcourt yesterday while speaking to newsmen on the achievements of the Governor Siminalaye Fubara-led administration after one year in office.
He said the road, which cuts across three Local Government Areas, would facilitate easy movement of people and goods, saying “it will boost cross-community commerce.
“The farming communities along this area will find it easy to move their produce to markets in neighbouring towns.
“This project is a deliberate effort to make movement easy for our people, it’s no politics but service delivery”.
The Commissioner said the State Government had already paid 50 per cent of the contract value amounting to N40 billion.
“We are not paying lip service to governance, we mean business. We want Rivers people to see something new.
“We have devised ways of generating money to fund our projects, we are not indulging in any borrowing festival”, he said.
Analysts say the state capital will be decongested if the government successfully implements the line up of road projects in the state.

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