Author: admin

By Godwin Chukwumaechi The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has approached the development agencies of France and Germany with discussions to propel job creation and boost farmers’ productivity in the Niger Delta region. Managing Director of the commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, led a delegation on a two-day exploratory visits to the French Development Agency (AFD) and the German Development Agency (GIZ) offices in Abuja. Our correspondent gathered that the move was driven by a commitment of the management of the interventionist agency to advance sustainable development of the Niger Delta region. The French Development Agency, AFD, is a public institution that implements…

By Godwin Chukwumaechi The Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has given the new minister of Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh, a single-point agenda of focusing on and completing the abandoned sections of the East-West Road. In a communique signed by Hon Bright Ngolo (chairman) and Irikefe R.O. (mobilization director), the group, which prides itself as the “intellectual powerhouse for youths in the Niger Delta region,” called on President Bola Tinubu to reconstitute the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to ensure equal representation of all nine (9) member states that make up the region. The calls were part of a nine-point…

By Ehichioya Ezomon Five months after the 2023 General Election, politics and politicking has resumed in four states of Bayelsa, Edo, Kogi and Imo for off-seaon balloting in the states controlled, two apiece, by lead opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The two dominant parties – together with opposition Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – battled themselves to a standstill in the February-March elections. Particularly in the presidential election of February 25, the APC, PDP and LP ran neck-and-neck, with APC and PDP winning in 12 states each, the LP…

… Advocates Participatory Media By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa Vice Chancellor, Academic, of the University of Africa (UAT), Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma, says the media is crucial to credible the November 11 guber election in Bayelsa State, adding that the university will continue to expand and explore windows, especially from its digitization, to further enhance research and academic excellence. He said the utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools has been key in the preference of the University of Africa Toru-Orua, UAT, by training institutions and partners within and outside Bayelsa State. Professor Ayakoroma stated this as a keynote speaker at the…

By Emmanuel Ovundah, Port Harcourt President Bola Tinubu has renewed the tenure of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). President Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale on Tuesday in Abuja also approved the appointment of a new Board members for the Commission. The statement also announced the appointment of Mr. Chiedu Ebie of Delta State as Chairman of the Commission and former Rivers State Commissioner of Sports, Boma Iyaye as the Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA). According…

By Emmanuel Ovundah, Port Harcourt The Rivers State Police Command said that it had launched a manhunt for the killers of an Inspector in Port Harcourt yesterday. The PHMundial reports that some unidentified gunmen had on Friday opened fire on the police officer around Landmark Hotel at D-Line axis of Oroworukwo Community in Port Harcourt City local government area of the state Obasanjo Port Harcourt and made away with his rifle and berret. The incident, we gathered happened few minutes after the gunmen had successfully robbed a shawarma vendor close to the scene of crime. The Police Public Relations Officer…

Following the vote against oil extraction activities at Yasuni, non-governmental organization, Oilwatch International, has commended the people of Ecuador on the “historic victory,” while describing it as “restorative justice for the wounded Amazon and its people.” On August 20, 2023, 5.2 million citizens of Ecuador voted in a national referendum to keep the oil in the soil at Yasuni, while 3.6 million others voted to extract the oil. In a statement made available to our correspondent over the week, Oilwatch International said the referendum, held 10 years after the original petition, showed the triumph of a citizenry with the capacity…

By Godwin Chukwumaechi Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has restated commitment to the Global Memoranda of Understanding (GMoU) it signed with its host communities in 2021, to drive community-initiated sustainable development. The company stated this on Tuesday at the commissioning of projects by the Rumuji Community Cluster. The projects, which include a one-kilometre Rumuji/Rumuewhor Link Road, scholarships to 29 university undergraduate students, and renovation and furnishing the Rumuji Community Development Foundation (RCDF) Secretariat, were funded and completed under the GMoU programme. Under the GMoU framework, clusters were created to drive community-initiated projects through a foundation that has a board of trustees,…

…Says fuel importation in Nigeria to end soon By Emmanuel Ovundah, Port Harcourt The Federal Government has reassured that the December 2023 target for the completion of rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery remains sacrosanct. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri gave the assurance while addressing Journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday. Lokpobiri, who was on a working visit to the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Eleme, Rivers State, to ascertain the level of rehabilitation work at the refinery said Nigeria will end importation of fuel next year, 2024. The Minister who was accompanied on the visit…

… Allege NNPCL, Others’ ‘Conspiracy to Hoodwink FG’ By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa A coalition of former militant leaders and stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have written to President Bola Tinubu over the controversy rocking the move to seek re-approval of the over $1.3 billion USD surveillance contract, with about $50 million USD monthly surveillance contract, to the ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo. According to the coalition of Former Militant leaders and Stakeholders, in a petition dated August 24, 2023 and signed by Ezra Areo (Ondo State), the claims on achievements recorded by High Chief…