Niger Delta

Troops Deployed To Quell Akwa Ibom Communal Clash

Published

2 years ago

March 1, 2024

Troops have been deployed to quell the ongoing violence in Eket, Esit Eket and Ibeno local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The actors are laying claim to a piece of land – Stubb Creek Forest, already acquired by the state government for the proposed refinery project by BUA Company Ltd.
The Tide source gathered that Eket and Esit Eket, claiming ownership of the land and other disputed areas of Ibeno, instituted a lawsuit, but suddenly embarked on violent protest, barricading the major Eket-Ibeno Road, leading to the ExxonMobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) at Mkpanak community.
Justifying the protest, the President-General (PG) of the apex socio-cultural group, Eket Peoples Union (EPU), Dr Samuel Udonsak, said the action became necessary in order to draw government attention to the issues in dispute as Ibeno continues to lay claim to the land, and other areas allegedly belonging to Eket in the neighbouring Ibeno LGA.
He accused the state government of complicity and alleged that in seizing the disputed Stubb Creek forest for Bua refinery project without consulting the stakeholders, elders and leaders of Eket, with a view to arriving at amicable resolution of the issues in dispute, lasting peace would continue to be a mirage.
But Governor Umo Eno has warned the feuding LGAs to adhere to the peace path as the issue is still pending in court, adding that the government would not join the issue until all parties resolve to sheathe their swords as no negotiation works in a crisis situation.
The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong, enjoined security agencies to work collaboratively with the new Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways led by the Commissioner, Gen Koko Essien (rtd), to restore peace.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Odiko MacDon, said calm has returned to the troubled areas, as troops have been drafted to work with the regular police, mobile police and other security operatives drawn from the Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways.
He said, “The commissioner of police (CP), Waheed Ayilara, has visited the scene and working jointly with troops and other security agencies including the Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways, to restore normalcy and cleared the barricade on the road. The police have assisted in clearing the injured to the hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.”
“He (CP) has engaged leaders and stakeholders in dialogue for peace,” he said and underscored the importance of security as everyone’s business and indulged government, religious, traditional rulers and youths to be in the vanguard of lasting peace in the affected areas.

Niger Delta

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

Published

3 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

3 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

3 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.