Niger Delta

Govs’ Wives Want Women To Be Self-Reliant

Published

7 years ago

November 10, 2017

The Southern Governors’ Wives Forum has held an interactive and empowerment session with the women of Cross River State to boost their moral, social and economic status to enable them fend for themselves.
Speaking during the interactive session and empowerment held recently in Calabar at Adiabo Town Hall, Tinapa, on the ‘Rudiments of Running a Successful Business’, the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu enumerated some business guidelines to include: choice, market, customers, target, accounting, avoiding borrowing money to start up a business, learning from experiences of others, awareness creation, amongst others.
According to her, choices should be made on what type of business to embark on and be familiar with the business before going into it to avoid failure as well as understanding the nature of the business/the market, adding that, there is need to set target and if one must take a loan, the terms of agreement must be favourable.
She enjoined women to desist from the act of cheating their customers in business and keep proper record of transactions.
Speaking on the topic: “raising capital for small scale business”, the wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki said that the problem in Nigeria was mostly poverty which bred crimes as well as all kinds of vices. According to her, empowerment is not all about money but also building capacity, adding that women empowerment is very important and that they were in Cross River State to support their sister, Dr Linda Ayade to teach Cross River State women on how to depend on themselves and not on their husbands always for every need.
She maintained that “business is not for everybody and that to succeed in business, one must have passion and interest, especially when one has no other alternative than to go into business.”
On her part, the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose stated that women were good social, moral and spiritual managers of their homes, adding that, “the role of a wife to her husband goes beyond domestic chores.”
On Sickle cell disorders, the Delta State Governor’s wife, Dr Edith Okowa maintained that sickle cell was not a disease but a disorder inherited by a child from his/her parents.
She advised young person’s going into marriage to ensure that they know their genotype, adding that, a person with AS genotype should avoid getting married to a partner of the same genotype, for there is every possibility that one out of their children may have sickle cell anaemia, which is not an easy thing to cope with.
She also enjoined would-be couples to know how much love and knowledge of God they have before going into marriage.
Speaking on “the mother’s role in raising upright children in a decaying world”, the wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs Martha Udom Emmanuel, stated that a home was a place where a child was raised to be successful in life and that a virtuous woman was one who took care of her home, husband and children.
She maintained that mothers were the first teachers of their children, they understood the language of the child from infancy and should therefore correct them when they go wrong, adding that, as a mother there was need to focus on the child’s intellectual, emotional and psychological well-being, working on their potentials while playing down on their weaknesses as well as keeping a close watch on them, especially the girl child for many of them were being sexually abused by the opposite sex.
Speaking on “how to live and maintain a successful home,” the Oyo State Governor’s wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, said that the greatest success was to be happy with oneself at all times, especially at home, for this will enable one succeed in whatever he/she does, as positive thoughts will flow from the mind and enjoined women to keep their homes, making the place a happy one to stay in as well as learn to communicate effectively especially when offences come.

Niger Delta

Okpanam-Ibusa Isheagu-Ewulu Roads Ready For Inauguration-Aniagwu

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

As part of the preparations to mark the one-year anniversary of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration in Delta State, the Commissioner for Works, Rural and Riverine Roads, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, embarked on inspection of the Okpanam/Ibusa and Isheagu/Ewulu Roads scheduled for inauguration.
The roads, which spanned 5.3 kilometers and 9.1 kilometers respectively, and approximately 90% completed, connects major towns and would boost the socio-economic lives of the people in the area.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the roads on Tuesday, Aniagwu reiterated the governor’s commitment to delivering quality projects to Deltans in line with his MORE Agenda.
He said “Governor Oborevwori has outlined numerous projects and programmes to mark his one year in office.
“Apart from roads, there are other projects and programmes, including empowerment initiatives anchored by several ministries.
“The Governor has instructed us to ensure that all roads are top-notch before he proceeds to commission them. Even if contractors claim that roads have been completed, he wants us to verify if they have been built to specifications.
“We hope that in the next few days, they will complete the project and exit the site to enable us carry out the final inspection”.

According to him, “That’s the same approach the Governor wants us to take with every project. He doesn’t just want to commission projects; he wants to ensure that any road being commissioned has been done according to specifications and provides value to the people of Delta by ensuring that the money paid equals the work done”.

Albert Ograka, Asaba

Niger Delta

Police Arrest Foreigner, Two Others Over Alleged Kidnapping In Delta

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

The Police Command in Delta State has arrested three kidnap suspects including a foreigner over kidnapping incidents in the State.
The command‘s spokesman, SP Bright Edafe told newsmen yesterday in Warri that the suspects were arrested on Saturday and Sunday at their hideouts in Warri.
Edafe said that the suspects were arrested by the combined team of police operatives attached to the Orerokpe division, and operatives from the Force Intelligence Unit, Abuja.
He said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Orerokpe division, CSP Paul Oboware, upon receipt of the information, immediately mobilised and led his patrol team to the criminals’ hideouts in Warri.
“Intelligence gathered on some kidnapping incidents in the Warri axis revealed that it is being carried out by Yakubu Ya’u at Oha and Ughwagba Communities in Okpe Local Government Area.
“The suspect and his gang kidnap unsuspecting residents for ransom.
“On May 11, following combined effort from police operatives of the command and operatives from the Force Intelligence Unit, Abuja on the hideout of the suspect.
“The DPO, Orerokpe division immediately mobilised and led his patrol teams to the suspect’s hideout in Warri, and after a painstaking search, he was arrested,” he said.
Edafe said that preliminary investigation and interrogation of the suspect led to the arrest of two other key members of the gang which included a Cameroon national on Sunday.
He alleged that the suspects were responsible for the several kidnap incidents in Orerokpe, Sapele, Warri, and environs, adding that the victims had equally identified them.
Edafe said that the suspects led the police detectives to Ughwagba Community in Okpe Local Government Area, where two Automatic pump action guns, a live Cartridge, one knife were recovered.
He said that preliminary investigations were ongoing, adding that the command has intensified efforts to arrest the other fleeing members of the gang.

Niger Delta

Forum Unveils Vision, Commends Diri On Project Execution

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

A group, the Bayelsa State Founding Fathers Forum (BSFFF) has vowed to continually pursue the vision behind the struggle for the creation of the State.
Chairman of the forum, Sir Itelemo Frank Omiebi, stated this yesterday during an interview with The Tide in Yenagoa, the State Capital.
He said though the BSFFF has reservations about recent calls on its leadership to speak up against perceived marginalisation of the State by the Federal Government and associated MDAs, he noted that there is the general notion that the forum was made up of responsible, patriotic and capable statesmen in their own right.
The Tide learnt that the BSFFF is a group of statesmen of the Ijaw extraction, mostly of Bayelsa origin, who played prominent roles in the struggle for the creation of the State out of the Old Rivers State in 1996 under the late Genenera Sani Abacha military junta.
Omiebi disclosed that though as statesmen, the forum for sometime decided to keep mum on certain issues to avoid unnecessary heating of the polity, the rationale behind the convocation of the forum, he said, stemmed from the need to create a homogeneous Ijaw state out of the Old Rivers State which the forum has achieved far back in 1996.
He, however, stated that while issues bordering on marginalisation of the State were worrisome, the forum had continued to play an advisory role to successive administrations of the State.
“The vision of the BSFFF is tripartite: we’re to work towards the creation of an egalitarian State capable of raising committed, responsible and patriotic leaders.
“The forum is also to effect overall infrastructural and sectoral development of the State, and to promote human capital development with particular reference to education, so as to reverse our disadvantaged State in the comity of States in Nigeria”, the forum said.
The chairman also noted that there were consummate professionals from all walks of life willing to render needed support and services to the State in the group whenever they are consulted on matters affecting the development and well being of the State.
The forum’s leadership, which also bared its mind on the present administration of the State, described the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as a bonafide member of the forum, saying the workings of his administration were in tandem with the vision of the forum.
“But we like to commend Governor Diri who himself is a member of the forum. The Governor has been working according to the vision of the BSFFF in the provision of infrastructure and, in other areas of governance.
“We want to especially thank him for the peace we’ve in the State. And we also want to commend him for the security of lives and properties of citizens across the State”.

“On infrastructure, we want to thank Governor Diri for continuing the Senatorial roads projects in the state. These and many more were part of the vision of the forum”, the BSFFF leadership added.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa