Niger Delta

Flood: Imoke Approves Relocation OF Community

Published

13 years ago

July 8, 2013

The Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke has approved the relocation of a flood prone Eja community in Obubra Local Government Area to safer grounds.
Mr. Vincent Aquah, the Director General, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) announced this during a meeting with leaders of the community in his office.
Aquah also disclosed that building materials such as zinc, wood, cement, sand, gravel, rods and nails would soon be distributed to the beneficiaries.
The Director-General said that the gesture of Governor Imoke was borne out of his magnanimity to the community who suffered devastating flooding in 2012 in which the entire village located along the coastline of the Cross River was completely overwhelmed.
He recalled that over 70 houses were destroyed displacing about 210 families of 1,874 persons.
Aquah further pointed out that based on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) predictions for higher rainfall pattern this year the community remained highly vulnerable to devastating flood which could put the lives of thousands of persons at risk as well as property including houses and farms that could run into millions of Naira.
The Director-General who expressed satisfaction with the location of the new site said that the land would be allocated on family bases and houses built according to government specifications taking into consideration the topography, wind pass and other developmental issues relating to disaster prevention.
The SEMA boss assured that collaboration with other stakeholders especially the leaders of the community including youths and women, would be on a very high note to guarantee the success of the relocation programme.
He used the opportunity to advise all communities along the fringe of rivers, plains and water channels to be wary of possible high flood this year and be guided so as to avoid unnecessary calamities.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Rt. Hon Fabian Okpa described the Governor as a patriotic and committed Chief Servant of the people who at all times was on the pulse of the less privileged.
He advised the leaders of Eja community and the entire Obubra to give Government the needed support to actualise the relocation programme.
According to him the managerial acumen of the lean resources of the state in vital areas of needs attested to his genuineness of purpose and democratic spirit.
Responding, the village Head of Eja, Chief Livinus Ekpe showered encomium on the State Governor, Senator Imoke for his generosity and sensitivity to the plight of his people pointing out that with the governor’s pragmatism the hitherto disillusioned people are renewed with hope.
The traditional ruler promised that the community would continue to collaborate with the government to bring to fruition the lofty programme.
Hon. Cosmos Ezama, an opinion leader of the community described the Governor’s gesture as one of the democratic dividends of the Imoke led administration.
Eja Community was one of the several communities overwhelmed by flood in 2012 that needed urgent relocation.
Another Community needing similar assistance is Agwagune in Biase LGA which for several years have been experiencing devastating flooding and landslide which has reduced the habitable land mass to less than 20%.

Niger Delta

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

Published

9 minutes 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

9 minutes 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

9 minutes 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.