Niger Delta

Shell Spends N10.5bn On Cluster GMoU

Published

13 years ago

December 28, 2012

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) says that in conjunction with its joint venture partners, it has spent a total of N10.5 billion between 2006 till date in project executions in the 12 clusters covered under Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) agreements in Bayelsa State.

The General Manager,Sustainable Development and Company Relations of the company, Mr Philip Mshebila disclosed this in his goodwill message at the official commissioning of some projects by the Okordia/Zarama Community Development Board recently.

Consequently, he said the sum of N1.418 billion is spent annual to deliver community development projects through the GMoUs.

Meshebila who was represented by Manager, Government and Community Relations, Mr Evans Krukubo, said the GMOUs had been proved to be very effective in the company’s commitment to sustainable development of the Niger Delta region

“I have always believed in value driven partnerships. You see, partnerships that engage the strenghts of the private sector, government and civil societies can, under, the right conditions, yield better and more sustainable results for communities’’, he said.

He said the propjects pioneered by the Okordia/Zarama Cluster Development Board in partnership with SPDC were part of the GMoU platform with support from the Bayelsa State government, and commended members of the board for their selfless and patriotic service to their people.

According to him, “the 22 projects being commissioned which cut across “economic empowerment and infrastructure, viz roads, town halls , classroom blocks, portable water with a total value of N160m will not only improve the economic well-being in those communities but also create job opportunities”.

Also in his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Mr Kingsly Eze of Living Earth Foundation, commended members of the board for justifying the confidence reposed in them by the people.

He, however urged SPDC to encourage the board in providing more incentives that would enable them to put in their best, saying that he expected other cluster GMOUs in the state to emulate Okordia/Zarama which had performed exceedingly well within a year of coming into existence.

Earlier.the chairman of the cluster development board, Pastor Timi Obonah said that the body which inaugurated in 2011 drew its members from the nine communiies that make up the Okordia/Zarama Cluster Development Board (OZCDB) which source of fund depends on the GMOU sponsored by SPDC

.Pastor Obonomah said the projects executed and ready for commissioning includes 5 community town halls, 12 concrete walk-ways, 5 guest houses, 4 borehole, 3 haic hummer buses, with other projects mentioned as removal of water hycienth along the Talor Creek, health scheme and agricultural materials distributed to farmers

.While stating that the major challenges facing the board was that of security and maintence of peace, Mf Obonomah appealed to SPDC to consider provision of stipents to members as necessary incentives to spur them put the best of their energy.

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.