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CJN: We’ll Shut Down Nigeria -N’Delta Militants
Niger Delta agitators have vowed to shut down the country if the Federal Government goes ahead with the “ harassment” of the Chief of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onneghn.
In a statement issued yesterday, the coalition of the agitators also warned all non indigenes who owned oil wells in the coastal area to prepare to vacate their zone, while asking all persons from the area working in the President Muhammadu Buhari government to “watch” their back.
The statement signed by General John Dukku of the Niger Delta Watchdogs and Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators and a host of others said that President Buhari has never been disposed to the appointment of the CJN, saying it was why he delayed his appointment as the country’s chief law office after many months in acting capacity. The statement added that the CJN was suffering because he hails from the South- South minority zone.
“The General Assembly of the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators is shocked to learn about the arraignment of the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Justice Walter Omnoghen over allegations of his false declaration of assets based on a petition written by one Mr. Dennis Aghanya of the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative.
The CJN is suffering just because he is from the minority area of the South South the Niger Delta region. This is definitely a petition plotted by the Presidency to forcefully remove the incumbent CJN from office and replace him with a Northerner.
“In the first instance, President Muhammadu Buhari was not disposed to Justice Omnoghens appointment to this position which is why he refused to confirm the appointment after so many months of serving in Acting capacity. It was during the period of his sickness while in Britain that the Acting President Prof. Osinbajo confirmed the appointment.
We wish to also recall that in August last year, Mr. Matthew Seiyefa of Bayelsa State who was the most senior and most qualified officer at the time was appointed to the position of Acting Director-General of the Department of State Security by Prof. Osinbajo, only to be replaced with a retired and junior officer to Mr. Seiyefa, Mr. Yusuf Magji Bichi by President Buhari as soon as he resumed duties.
We hereby vehemently resist any attempt to remove CJN Walter Omnoghen from office. “These go to confirm that there is a high level of hatred, injustice, discrimination and marginalization of the Niger Delta region by the APC-led government over the past three years.
“Before the 2015 elections, we can recall several events that took place in the political arena which can now be confirmed were done to discredit the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. Nationwide protests in 2012 led by top labour leaders and Civil Rights activists including the current APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Professor Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, and Festus Keyamo greeted the government of the day against the removal of oil subsidy and resultant increases in the pump prices of the nations petroleum products. After much persistence, government had to bow to the will of the people.
“During the campaign for re-election in 2015, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan a South South indigene was attacked in Bauchi state, we also witnessed how Northerners and Yorubas embarrassed him, even those he trusted betrayed him and did everything possible to remove him because he is from a minority tribe in Niger Delta.
Therefore, we want to inform Nigerians and the International Community that any attempt for President Buhari to continue in office beyond May 2019 will be resisted by all means necessary. If they succeed in rigging election and bring back Buhari, then Nigeria should prepare to exist without the Niger Delta oil, Niger Delta will not be part of Nigeria anymore.
The Northerners should also prepare to leave the Niger Delta if President Buhari contiue beyond May 2019; we are prepared to strike once and for all and declare our Sovereign Niger Delta Republic.
“What, however, surprises us is the fact that the same people and groups that protested against the petroleum subsidy removal and increases in prices of the petroleum products are the ones who gave President Buhari the nod to commence the subsidy removal without any record of protests.
This goes to confirm without any iota of doubt, that the protests against the Jonathan administration were embarked upon basically because he is from the Niger Delta region. Similarly, protests against the Chibok Girls abduction, and complaints about widespread corruption, high prices of commodity items, etc were the order of the day.
They declared that they needed change; thus, they ganged up, humiliated and betrayed Jonathan out of office and brought President Buhari to power.
“Today, the prices of items have increased geometrically and basic household items are no longer affordable to teeming Nigerians.
Price of petrol is now N145 per litre as against N87 during Jonathans regime. A Bag of Rice now costs between N17,000 and N18,000 as against N7,000 – N8,000 during the immediate past regime. “Even though Boko Haram insurgency was prominent during Jonathans regime, it is now beyond control.
We understand that Governor Shettima of Borno who was against the use of military action against the insurgents by the then Government on the pretext that innocent and harmless citizens shall be killed in the military operations, is now crying that the insurgency is beyond him.
As soon as APC government came into power in 2015, Fulani Herdsmen started killings; today Fulani Herdsmen have killed uncountable number of Nigerians, burn villages, maim and rape women with impunity without any arrest or prosecution.
Today the insecurity in the country has degenerated to a point where people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed, the situation is same in Borno, Yobe, Zamfara including Katsina state, the home of President Buhari. If President Buhari cannot secure his own people in Katsina State, how can he secure the whole Nigeria?
The NNPC has become a conduit pipe for siphoning the nations financial resources. But to President Buhari and the Cabal, nothing bad is happening in the governments led by the APC.the thieves are in the PDP-ruled States. Benue, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States must be constantly harassed and their accounts frozen because they are not APC. “Nigeria is in a confused state as recently declared by the United States of America. APC is prepared to win the forthcoming elections by force. They have refused to campaign because they have nothing to tell the people about the past three years of their governance.
Thus, they are preparing to win by any means through Vote Buying and falsification of election results through INEC and Security Agencies. We have now come to the conclusion that if Buhari returns to power the country will no longer be safe.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.