Niger Delta

Suspended Lawmakers’ Presence Stalls Edo Assembly Sitting

Published

12 years ago

June 18, 2014

Efforts made by members of
the Edo State House of Assembly to sit yesterday morning was aborted following the presence of the Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Festus Ebea, and three others, who were suspended last week.
The suspended lawmakers, Ebea, Patrick Osayinmen, Jude Ise-Idehen and Friday Ogierhakhi, shunned the ruling of the High Court in Benin-City, which restrained them from entering the premises of the assembly.
Following security reports that the lawmakers were mobilising thugs and arms to storm the assembly, the police searched the offices of the lawmakers as early as 6a.m. while their cars were all parked outside the premises before they were allowed to enter the premises.
The lawmakers, including the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, entered the hallowed chambers at exactly 10:15a.m. but could not commence sitting when the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers insisted that the four suspended members should leave the premises. Tension heightened when a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, Rasaq Momoh, took over the seat of the Sergeant-At-Arms and refused to vacate the seat. The APC lawmakers insisted he should vacate the seat, but Igbe calmed the situation while the lawmaker remained on the seat.
Speaking to journalists, Chairman of the Committee on Information, Kabiri Adjoto, explained that: “We could not sit because the suspended four lawmakers were in the hallowed chambers. We told them that we have visitors in the assembly as a result the Sergeant-At-Arms could not come out with the mace.
“They went to the Federal High Court initially and court said we should not declare the seat of those who decamped to the PDP vacant. We obeyed the court and we did not declare their seats vacant. Now, they committed misconduct, they were suspended, then a high court restricted them from entering the assembly, yet they defied the order of the court by showing up today. Because we believe in the sanctity of the assembly, we said we could not sit having strangers in our midst.” Also reacting, one of the suspended lawmakers, Friday Ogierhakhi, said that their suspension remains illegal and would not be respected.
According to him, If they refuse to revert to status quo, the situation will remain the same. That is why we are in a stalemate. Asked if their action does not amount to contempt of court, he declared that: “There is nothing like contempt because the federal high court has sat over this matter before they went to the high court.”
Meanwhile, in an effort to clarify the issues that led to the breaking into the state assembly by the suspended lawmakers, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and some persons of having a hand in the crisis.
In a statement signed by its state chairman, Anselm Ojezua, the party called on President Goodluck Jonathan and other concerned well-meaning citizens, “to prevail on the suspended lawmakers, their political leaders and their uniformed collaborators to stop these acts of needless defiance and impunity and show due respect to the judiciary, the rule of law and our respected royal fathers.”

Niger Delta

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

Published

1 day 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

1 day 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

1 day 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.