Rivers
Stakeholders Seek Review Of Ogoni Power Project …Give HYPREP’s Project Coordinator Confidence Vote
Key Ogoni stakeholders have stressed the need for the review of the ongoing Ogoni power project to make it cost effective and efficient as well as ensure that power supply to Ogoniland is stable and regular.
This is even as they also passed a vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey for the excellent manner he has been running the affairs of the Project.
The stakeholders, who made their position known during HYPREP’s Project Review Meeting at De Edge Hotel in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the Ogoni power project has already gulped a huge chunk of funds, adding that what HYPREP should be preoccupied with is generation of power for the area rather than transmission.
A former member of HYPREP’s Board of Trustees and Rivers State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Peter Medee, who set the tone for the discussion on the power project in his intervention, said there is need for the power project to be reviewed in such a way that a gas plant would rather be installed in Ogoniland in order to achieve stable and regular power supply in the area.
To buttress his point, Medee cited the case of Aba in Abia State, which is today enjoying uninterrupted power supply.
According to him, it would not make any economic sense for huge funds to continue to be spent on connecting Ogoniland to the national electrity grid, then, at the end of the day, the people would enjoy less than five hours of power supply daily.
Medee further noted that Ogoniland boasts of huge deposits of gas, to warrant a successful review of the power project, transiting from the national grid to gas turbine, which he said would be able to provide stable power to the area.
While moving a motion for the stakeholders to pass a vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator, following his good works, the university teacher indicated that stability was necessary in the leadership of HYPREP, stressing that would enable the Project Coordinator to continue to do his work uninterrupted.
“We no longer want a change in the leadership of HYPREP,” he intoned.
His submission was greeted with a thunderous applause by the participants.
Toeing the line of reasoning of Medee, the Paramount Ruler of Barako Community, Mene Kadilo Kabari and former Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon John Bazia corroborated the fact that Ogoniland is rich in gas deposits, which would facilitate the supply of stable and regular power to the area.
Former Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya and the President of Ogoni Mothers, Chief Priscilia Vikue, spoke glowingly about the Project Coordinator, and made a case for Ogoni women who they said have what it takes to be included in the execution of projects.
According to them, HYPREP should give attention and thought to what happens to Ogoni during the post remediation era.
On their part, former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr Lergborsi Pygbara, and Prof Ben Naneh highlighted the importance of sustainability in all that HYPREP is doing in Ogoniland.
Also speaking, former Vice Chairman of Gokana Local Government Council, Hon Maurice Pronen, who represented Senator Magnus Abe at the occasion, harped on the need for HYPREP to sustain its engagement and collaboration with stakeholders and communities in driving the Ogoni clean-up project.
Youth groups in Ogoniland at the event also lent their voices to the call for stability in the leadership of HYPREP, and equally passed a resounding vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator.
The Chairman of the Joint Representative Council of Ogoni Youths Groups(JRC), Mr Amabu Lidogo and the Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Mr Imeabe Saviour Oscar commended HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for the good works going on in Ogoniland.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the status of project implementation by HYPREP in Ogoniland by Mr Ifiok Ndiyo, who represented the Head of the Evaluation and Monitoring Unit of HYPREP, Mr Akeem Ottan.
Ndiyo gave an overview of all the projects and programmes HYPREP has been carrying out in Ogoniland including their current status.
While stressing the need for all stakeholders and Ogoni people to support the Project, Ndiyo listed the challenges the agency has been encountering in the course of executing its mandates, and called for a change of attitude.
The Project Coordinator, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey, had earlier in his opening address said the aim of the meeting was to update the stakeholders on work progress as a way of comprehensively review the projects and activities, saying, “Your feedback is valuable to the overall success of HYPREP.”
He noted that he was grateful for the stakeholders’ continuous support and active participation in the Project, stressing that “Our progress thus far would not have been possible without your input and cooperation.Your interest and understanding are the bedrock upon which we build our efforts to heal and rejuvenate the Ogoni environment, livelihoods, and peace.”
Zabbey said over the past months, HYPREP has made notable strides in various facets of the project implementation process, saying, the land and shoreline remediation process is ongoing; preliminary assessment of the complex sites has commenced; while the pilot mangrove restoration of over 500 hectares is going well.
The Project Coordinator listed some of the communal-related challenges affecting the smooth progression of the Project’s work, and announced that HYPREP would in the next few weeks train traditional rulers and other key stakeholders on Alternative Dispute Resolution and peace building techniques to increase their capacity to deal with emergency issues at the community level in a way that aligns with the Project’s objectives.
Donatus Ebi
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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged graduands of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, to be disciplined and professional wherever they find themselves in the society, as ambassadors of the university and Nigeria.
The Governor, who gave the charge, weekend, during the 44th Convocation ceremony of the university, urged the graduands to use whatever they have studied in the university as a tool for societal advancement.
Fubara, who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Mma Odu, said, “success is not measured only by words or status, but by the positive impact you make in the lives of others.
“Wherever you find yourselves, uphold the values of honesty, humility, professionalism, and service. Let the education you have received here become a tool for peace building, national unity, and societal advancement.”
The Governor further charged the graduands to be good ambassadors as alumni of the IAUE.
“Great universities all over the world get bigger and mightier by the imputes from their graduands. Today, you are great alumni of this university.
“Don’t forget the university, come back. As you increase the quality of the university, your certificates and degrees will also have higher values wherever you present them”, the Governor urged.
He also used the fora to commend staff of the university, both academic and non-academic, for their sacrifices and contributions towards the attainment of the current status of the university.
“Your labours have not been in vain, and they have been well noted. The task of building a world class institution requires commitment, discipline, team work, and visionary leadership.
“I, therefore, urge all of you to continue to work harder with a new dedication to ensure that the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education becomes one of the best universities, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa”, he said.
The state’s Chief Executive, who is the Visitor to the university, continued that as educators and administrators, the staff occupy a strategic position in moulding future generations.
He said their “commitment to quality teaching, impactful research, mentorship, innovation, and character formation remains essential to the success of this great institution.”
He, therefore, encouraged them to “continue to uphold professionalism, promote academic integrity, and foster an environment that supports excellence and creativity”, while assuring the state government’s partnership with the institution.
“The Government of Rivers State remains willing to partner with institutions that are committed to progress, innovation, and human development.
“Together, we will build an educational system that will equip our young people with the skills and knowledge needed to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to national development”, the Governor concluded.
In his address, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, highlighted developments the institution has achieved in about five years of his leadership.
Such developments, which cuts across virtually all facets of the university, include: increase in academic programmes, accreditation and resource verification; increased infrastructural development; human capital development; better staff/students’ welfare; and information and communication technology upgrades.
All of these, he said, were achieved with the support of such interventionist agencies as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
He used the opportunity to urge the State Government to address what he described as the “urgent needs of the university.”
These needs, he said, are: a befitting Senate building; Vice Chancellor’s lodge; a multi-purpose convocation arena; more classrooms and staff offices; accommodation for staff and students; road network at the new development area; power infrastructure, especially at the Ndele Campus of the university; and recruitment of more staff, particularly the non-teaching.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 13th Governing Council of the university, Dr. Chinyere Igwe, noted the Council’s achievements since its inauguration.
They include: introduction of stakeholder engagement and holding the first ever meeting of Governing Council with host communities; conduction of facility visits to all three campuses to get first hand information on challenges in order to profer solutions; holding of first ever meetings with Senate, committees of Deans and Directors, all categories of staff and students; strategisation on ways to debunk the negative narratives on the institution’s academic quality in order to correct same; and making deliberate efforts to activate resource mobilisation to safeguard the institution’s autonomy and standards.
Others are: setting up a committee to tackle malfeasance; adoption of measures to enhance the right image for the university; and intensification of efforts to gain international collaboration.
The 44th Convocation, themed, “The Story of Academic and Administrative Progress: The Case of IAUE”, produced a total of 5,325 graduands.
A breakdown of this number shows that the undergraduate level produced 3,510 graduands comprising 13 First Class, 532 Second Class Upper, 2,639 Seconds Class Lower, and 326 Third Class graduates.
The graduate level, which produced 1,815 graduands, comprised 423 Post Graduate Diplomas (PGDs), 774 Masters, and 618 PhDs.
A kidney transplant recipient, Chief Ugochukwu Lucky Ibekwe, has raised alarm over his continued detention by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, despite being granted bail by courts of competent jurisdiction.
This was part of a petition by the ailing detainee, through his counsel, Damian O. Okoro, SAN, in Port Harcourt.
The petition accused the Head of Investigation of the Task Force, CSP Omar John Sini, of subjecting the detainee to prolonged and unlawful incarceration spanning over 65 days.
Ibekwe, who was first arrested on February 14, 2026, in connection with alleged illegal bunkering activities, stated that the offence remains unproven, stressing that his continued detention violates his constitutional right to presumption of innocence as enshrined under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In the petition, which was addressed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the detainee alleged that the investigation process was fraught with malice and deliberate attempts to frustrate his release.
He further claimed that the initial administrative bail conditions imposed by the Task Force were excessively stringent, describing them as punitive and calculated to ensure his indefinite detention rather than guarantee his presence for investigation or prosecution.
According to him, following the harsh bail conditions, his legal team approached the Federal High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division, which granted him bail on liberal terms in line with constitutional provisions.
However, he alleged that upon meeting the bail conditions and securing his release on April 2, 2026, he was immediately re-arrested at the gate of the detention facility by operatives of the same Task Force on fresh allegations of money laundering.
The suspect in the petition lamented that since his re-arrest, he has neither been formally charged to court on the new allegations, nor given the opportunity to defend himself, describing the development as a calculated attempt to perpetuate his detention.
The petitioner disclosed that his lawyers subsequently approached a High Court sitting in Oyigbo, presided over by Justice F.A. Fiberesima, which on April 21, 2026, again granted him bail on what he described as realistic and attainable terms.
The suspect, however, alleged that the Task Force has refused to comply with the subsisting court order, describing the action as a blatant disregard for judicial authority and a threat to constitutional democracy.
The petition, which was also copied to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senate President, accused the police operatives of systemic abuse of power and contempt of court.
The detainee also expressed grave concern over his deteriorating health, noting that he is a kidney transplant patient suffering from acute hypertension, a condition he said has worsened significantly due to the prolonged detention and lack of adequate medical care.
He warned that the continued disobedience to court orders by law enforcement agents undermines the rule of law and could erode public confidence in the justice system.
The petitioner therefore called for his immediate and unconditional release in compliance with the court orders, as well as a thorough disciplinary investigation into the conduct of CSP Omar John Sini.
The suspect, through the lawyers, demanded that the officer be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act for alleged abuse of power and actions capable of bringing the Nigeria Police Force into disrepute.
“We urge authorities to ensure he receives urgent medical attention and insist that he should be formally charged to court if there is any credible evidence against him, rather than being subjected to indefinite detention”, it said.
When contacted, CSP Omar John Sini confirmed receipt of the court orders directing the suspect’s release but stated that he declined to comply with the second order based on legal advice indicating an intention to appeal.
The police officer also alleged that threats to his life purportedly issued by the suspect informed his decision not to enforce the court directive.
The development has sparked concerns among legal observers and rights advocates, who warn that disregard for court orders by enforcement agencies poses serious implications for the rule of law and democratic governance in the country.
King Onunwor
The Nigeria Police Force has agreed with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to intensify collaboration aimed at enhancing emergency response and humanitarian service delivery in Ikwerre Local Government Area, amid rising security concerns in the area.
The Area Commander of Isiokpo Area Command, Mr. Ojiaku Felix, disclosed this while receiving a delegation from the Ikwerre Division of the Society during an advocacy visit to his office in Isiokpo.
Felix noted that the role of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in community support and emergency response remains critical, particularly during crises when timely intervention can save lives and provide relief to affected persons.
He described the visit as timely, stressing that the Area Command is currently grappling with a range of security challenges, including alleged herdsmen activities, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cultism.
According to him, addressing these threats requires a multi-stakeholder approach, adding that security agencies alone cannot effectively tackle the complexities of modern security challenges without the support of humanitarian organisations.
He commended the Ikwerre Division of the Nigerian Red Cross Society for its consistent contributions to community development and emergency interventions across the area.
The Area Commander further expressed readiness to build a strong partnership with the Society, particularly in areas where security operations intersect with humanitarian assistance.
Earlier, the Divisional Coordinator of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Ikwerre Division, Apostle Blessing Ukpabi, said the visit was aimed at fostering stronger ties with critical stakeholders in humanitarian service delivery.
Ukpabi noted that the Police remain a key partner in ensuring access to vulnerable communities, especially during emergencies and crisis situations.
She appreciated the warm reception accorded her team, describing it as a demonstration of the Police Command’s commitment to collaborative service.
The Coordinator assured that the Red Cross would continue to work closely with the Police in areas such as first aid training, disaster response, and community-based humanitarian programmes.
She expressed confidence that enhanced synergy between both organisations would not only improve response capacity, but also contribute significantly to peace, safety, and resilience in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Esuuk-Awaji Oyet
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