Niger Delta

Edo IDP Camp Records 20 Babies In Seven Years

Published

4 years ago

July 27, 2022

Assistant Coordinator of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Uhogua, Ovia North-East Local Government Area in Edo State, says 20 babies have been born in the camp in seven years.
Making this known in an interview with The Tide’s source, Omijie, said the babies were born by married couples.
“The babies were given birth to by married young couples among the IDPs who were allowed to stay together.
“We did not record any unwanted births among the singles in the camp. We have a standard in the camp and this include the demarcation of the females’ living quarters from the males’ living quarters.
“Also the females are never allowed to go to the males’ living quarters and verse versa.
“We also teach morals and let them understand that they already have enough on their hands, which is being in the camp because they have been displaced and so it is pertinent that they live a meaningful life and and not destroy themselves,” she said.
According her, with such guidance, counselling and trainings, the management of the camp has been able to ensure and maintain sanity in the camp among the IDPs.
“With guidance and counselling, all they want is to be someone in life,” she said.
The assistant coordinator also said that the IDPs were doing excellently well in their education.
She said in the recently concluded 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), one of the IDPs scored 298.
She said that several others out of the 156 of them that sat for the examination also scored above 280.
She also said that more than 100 of the IDPs were presently writing both the Senior and Junior West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations respectively, adding that she was optimistic that they would equally excel.
“We had wanted to enrol some of the IDPs for the NECO examination due to paucity of funds.
“We are appealing to education agencies as well as Non GovernmentalOrganisations, government at all levels, individuals and cooperate organisations to assist the IDPs by way of scholarship awards and sponsorship of their education.
“This is imperative because when they eventually achieve their educational feat, you will be glad you did, because you will be part of their success story,” she said.
Omijie also called for support and assistance from the general public to enable the camp management meet up with regular feeding for the IDPs.
“As I speak to you now, we don’t have food in our warehouse, what we have is what we give to them, which is even below standard and quantity.
“But they say half bread is better than non. We are calling on everyone to come to the aid of these children who are victims of what they never planned,” she said.
She also appealed to pharmaceutical companies to also assist the camp with medicine of all kinds, especially anti malaria and antibiotics.
The source reports that until early 2015, not much was known about the IDP camp of Christian Home for the Needy, a home for orphans, destitute.
The ICCM IDPs camp in Uhogua has grown to become a camp that moulds orphans and homeless children, making them graduates and responsible citizens.
The camp has a population of about 2, 000 including management members and IDPs, made up mostly of Christians from Borno and Adamawa.

Niger Delta

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

Published

1 day 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

1 day 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

1 day 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.