Niger Delta

Bayelsa 2023: SA Hails Diri’s 2nd Term Bid

Published

3 years ago

February 13, 2023

Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Inter-party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri, has said the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has shown greater capacity and competence in the leadership of the state.
He made the assertions in his office in Yenagoa recently while speaking with The Tide on the sidelines of the third anniversary celebrations of the Governor Diri-led “Prosperity Government”.
It would be recalled that Diri took oath of office as Governor on 14th February, 2020, and on 14th of February, 2023 would have served three out of his first four year tenure as Governor of the state.
The Governor’s aide, who bared his mind on the programmes and projects of the Diri’s administration, reaffirmed the Governor’s Commitment towards human capacity and infrastructural development.
The Special Adviser noted also that upon assumption of office as Governor of the state, Senator Diri made the state entirely safe for investments to thrive by ensuring the enabling peace and tranquility and provision of adequate security architecture.
He said there was no Local Government Area of the state without executed or ongoing infrastructural projects by the Diri’s administration.
While calling on Bayelsans to continually keep faith in the government, the Kaiama-born legal practitioner lampooned those from the opposition divide whom he alleged were making “unfounded and unnecessary allegations against the government on its policies and programmes”.
Suokiri who also spoke on the Governor’s recent picking up of the governorship intent form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November, 2023 governorship polls in the state, noted that Governor Diri’s achievements were visible in all spheres of the state, saying he deserves re-election for consolidation and even greater achievements for the state.
“This government has touched lives of Bayelsans in all spheres. It’s been paying salaries promptly to civil servants in the state Civil Service, it’s been conducting regular promotion exercises for Civil Servants in the state and implementing their promotion incremental benefits.
“This government, from inception into office has been releasing N200,000,000 monthly for the payment of gratuity owed retirees.
“On infrastructure and urban renewal, this government has redesigned and reconstructed the Edepie/Etegwe roundabout in the Yenagoa LGA.
“This government completed and commissioned the Imiringi bridge, awarded contract and completed the construction of the collapsed Elebele bridge, both in the Ogbia LGA of the state.
“This government also initiated, constructed and inaugurated the 4.5km Igbedi road in the Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of the state; completed construction and inaugurated the Nembe unity bridge in the Nembe LGA of the state; completed the Onopa bridge and constructed the access road to the New Yenagoa city; constructed and inaugurated the Igbogene-Okarki section of the phase one of the Igbogene-AIT/Elebele outer ring road; and don’t forget that the construction of the three Senatorial roads projects with multiples of bridges is on course under this administration.
“Diri has shown capacity and competence, he truly deserves a befitting second tenure and I want to urge all Bayelsans to queue behind the Governor on his second tenure when finally the time comes”, Suokiri added.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

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

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.