Niger Delta

Commissioner Proposes Mentoring of Students In Alma-Mater

Published

16 years ago

August 9, 2010

The Delta State Commissioner for Lands Survey and Urban Planning, Mr Raymos Guanah, has stressed the need for Old Boys to mentor students of their alma-mater.

Guanah made the proposal while addressing Old Boys of the Western Boys High School, (WBHS) Benin-City, at the first re-union meeting of the boys in Daltex Texas, U.S.A.

In the text of his speech released to newsmen in Asaba last Saturday, the commissioner said that students’ mentoring would help improve their educational ability.

He said that like the Delta government was presently doing, the Old Boys of the school should form themselves into groups and take charge of specific subjects.

Guanah said that the old boys should also pull their resources together and take special interest in particular subjects in either the JSS or SSS level and mentor the students in their areas of interest.

He said that this would give the students a sense of being loved, and would ginger their interest in their chosen fields whether in the Arts or Sciences.

Guanah recounted his days as a student in WBHS, and said that the commitment of students to their lectures had waned over the years.

He attributed the problem to the lack of interest and motivation from those who would have served as role models to the students.

“ That is why I am proposing the ideal of mentoring of these students, as they will see their mentors as their role models”.

“Mentoring of students is working in Delta and l know if it is adopted for WBHS it will work too,’’ the commissioner said.

He said that to also advance the teaching and learning culture in the school, Old Boys in the employee of the Edo Post Primary Education Board should be posted to the school to teach.

The commissioner said that teachers, who are Old Boys of the school, were likely to have a psychological attachment to the school.

He also said that there was the need to have a data of those who have passed out of WBHS from inception, adding that, it would help in knowing the numerical strength of the old students.

He further called on other old students to find ways of tackling what he called the daily and continuous decay of infrastructure in the school.

Guanah told the gathering to look into the area of developing a standard library and computer laboratory, as well as equipping the present science laboratories for the school.

He also said that the issue of setting up a nursery and primary school, as well as constructing an edifice as part of the old students’ contribution to their alma-mater should be looked into.

He said that this had become imperative as the school now was a shadow of its former self, adding that the level of infrastructural decay was beyond imagination.

Niger Delta

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

Published

13 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

13 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

13 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.