News Rivers

2020 Budget: NDDC Pushes for N10b Agric Programme

By Erere Dara The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it has re-introduced the N10 billion rice farming programme supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, into its 2020 budget to boost agriculture and create jobs for the youths in the Niger Delta region. Speaking after inspecting the multi-million-naira NDDC rice mill at Elele-Alimini,

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Bayelsa News Politics

No vacancy in Bayelsa Govt House; Diri remains Gov until Supreme Court decides – Seriake

By Ebi Perekeme The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Seriake Dickson, has declared that there is no vacancy in the Government House despite the judgment of the election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, which nullified the November 16, 2019 state governorship election. Dickson said in a statement on Monday by his media advisor,

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Delta News

EGCDF commissions projects in three Delta communities

By Joshua Williams & Joel Fesinghan The Egbema-Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), has commissioned three developmental projects for three communities in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government area of Delta State. The three Communities include Igoba, Makaraba and Kenyagbene. GbaramatuVoice gathered that the commissioning which was held in the state weekend, involves the Electrification project

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Bayelsa News Politics

Bayelsa Election: Diri vows to appeal tribunal judgement

By Ebi Perekeme The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has revealed that he will appeal the ruling by the tribunal nullifying his election as governor of the state. He also said that he has instructed his lawyers to file the necessary papers. In a statement signed by the Acting Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabarah and

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Delta News

Okowa to IYC: Work with S’South govs, stakeholders to fast-track regional devt

By Ebi Perekeme Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, on Friday, charged the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to partner with governors and stakeholders in the South-South to fast-track transformation of the region, especially in peace and development. Okowa made the call when he received the newly-elected executive committee members of IYC at

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News Ondo Politics

Ondo Election: Ajayi picks Adegbenro as running mate

Ondo State Deputy Governor, and the gubernatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Agboola Ajayi, has picked a former Commissioner for Works, Mr. Gboye Adegbenro, as his running mate ahead of the state’s October 10 election. Adegbenro, an engineer, was a commissioner during the administration of Olusegun Mimiko. GbaramatuVoice gathered that the deputy governor

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Delta News Politics

Give FG more time to resolve agitations, Delta Govt beg communities

By Ebi Perekeme  Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, the Deputy Governor of Delta State, has asked the oil-producing communities to remain patient as the Federal Government is working on modalities to dialogue with them. The communities include Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko, Ndokwa and Ika, in Delta State. Recall that the Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo economic groups and militants,

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News Rivers

Blackout: Irate youths shutdown power station in Rivers State

Irate youths has shutdown Afam Power plant in Oyibo Local Government Area of Rivers state, forcing residents in the state into total darkness. The Acting Manager, Corporate Communications, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, Mrs Chioma Aninwe, disclosed this in a statement made available to GbaramatuVoice. She stated that the light out in parts of

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Delta News

‘FG’s negligence’: We’re shutting down waterways in Niger Delta, Gbaramatu youths roar

By Ebi Perekeme In what the oil-producing host communities in the Niger Delta region described to as ignorant by the Presidency along with Delta State government, the leadership of Gbaramatu Youth Council, GYC, has moved to shut down waterways in the region. The GYC also said that they are tired of the continuous fruitless meetings

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Delta News

Pandemonium as explosion rocks house of Delta community chairman

There is apprehension in the agrarian community of Agadama in Uwheru kingdom, Ughelli North local government area of Delta State following the explosion of an unidentified object in the house of the community chairman, Sunday Iniovogoma. GbaramatuVoice gathered that the object is suspected to be a dynamite. The incident which happened on Friday morning, caused

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INTERVIEWS Rivers

Our people called me to this humble service – Speaks the youngest candidate in Ondo 2020 guber election

James Oweikimi Useghan, 36-years-old governorship candidate of the Sustainable National Party (SNP) in Ondo State and former Senatorial candidate of Ondo South Senatorial district. In this interview with GbaramatuVoice, he speaks on the failures of governance, along with the challenges of the high cost of politics in Nigeria, his campaign and his expectation for the

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National News Rivers

Two Lebanese arrested at PH airport with $890,000 cash

Dina Jihad Khali and Chamseddine Waell Mohammed, two Lebanese men, have been arrested by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). According to the NCS, they were found to be in possession of $890,000 cash while at the Port Harcourt International Airport. The Lebanese nationals were apprehended while trying to board a flight to Lebanon.

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News Rivers

Rivers govt refutes claim of receiving N78b from FG

By Ebi Perekeme Rivers State on Wednesday debunked insinuations it received the N78 billion refund from the Federal Government. Commissioner for Information and Communications Paulinus Nsirim said there was a difference between approval and release of funds. Nsirim, in a statement by his media aide, Soibi Max-Alalibo said: “As at today, the government is yet

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News Rivers

Rivers govt withdraws from FG’s 774,000 special project jobs

By Ebi Perekeme Rivers State government has withdrawn from the selection of candidates for Federal Government’s 774,000 special project jobs. The Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on NDDC Matters, Erastus Awortu, announced this on Wednesday in a letter to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN). He accused the Chairman

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Delta News

Gov Diri tasks oil companies to relocate headquarters to Bayelsa

By Ebi Perekeme The Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri has called on oil companies benefiting from its resources to relocate their headquarters to the state. The governor, who allayed fears of insecurity, which had been the narrative of the oil companies, promised that his administration would ensure round the clock security of assets

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Delta News

Ndokwa youths, women protesting alleged govt neglect

By Joel Fesingha Youths and women of Ndokwa ethnic nationality protesting alleged neglect by the Federal Government, this morning, at Kwale, Delta State, shut down the Federal Government-owned Kwale/Asaba expressway in the area. Reports said the peaceful protesters, who sang solidarity songs were marching towards oil facilities. They complained among other things that the federal

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Delta News

Delta govt shifts curfew hours, opens market in 25LGAs

By Ebi Perekeme The Delta state government has rescinded its earlier curfew policy in the state from 7:00pm to 6:00am to a new period of 10:00pm to 5:30am. This was coming after the GbaramatuVoice, the leading and most trusted newspapers in the Niger Delta, published that residents in the state were not finding it easy

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News Rivers

Gov Wike gives a nod to dissolution of Rivers taskforce

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has approved the dissolution of the State Taskforce on Illegal Street Trading and Motor Parks with immediate effect. Consequently, the Special Assistant to the Governor in charge of the Task Force, Mr. Bright Amaewhule has been relieved of his appointment. This was contained in a statement signed by

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Delta National News Politics

INEC fixes date for Bayelsa Bye-elections to fill Gov. Diri, Deputy Senate’s seats

By Our Correspondent The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated the Bayelsa Central and West Senatorial Districts and Imo North Senatorial District bye-elections for 31 October. Other bye-elections scheduled to hold in the same date include Nganzai State Constituency Borno; Bayo State Constituency Borno; Cross River North Senatorial District; Obudu State Constituency; Cross River

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Bayelsa News

Letugbene community shutdown Shell’s drilling operations in Bayelsa

By Ebi Perekeme A drilling rig belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, has been shutdown by the people of Letugbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State The community alleged that the company’s failure to accord them recognition as the rightful owners of the land where Tunu flow station is located was responsible for their

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Delta News

Ijaw students honour EGCDF chairman, Ukori

By Loveth Ojogun In recognition of his contribution toward academic excellence in the Niger Delta region, the National Association of Delta Ijaw Students (NADIS), have hounored the Executive Chairman, Egbema-Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), Jude Ebitimi Ukori. The association commended his relentless efforts towards ensuring that students in the community are given opportunities to further

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Delta News

25% Equity Holdings In Marginal Field: Otuaro harps on constant communities dialogue

…Meets with Egbema leaders in Asaba By Ebi Perekeme In a bid to quell the incessant agitation in the Niger Delta region, the state government has reinstated that it would continue robust engagement with various communities in the state to build a ‘Stronger Delta’. Delta State Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, disclosed this while fielding

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Delta News

DELTA STATE CURFEW: Plight, bane of Deltans as curfew bites hard

Joshua Williams, Warri The Covid 19 pandemic wave has been the most felt since the Influenza pandemic in 2010.  Due to the emergence of this deadly virus in the early months of this year, many changes have been made in economic and social structures in virtually all nations of the world. In a bid to

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Delta News

Why Governor Okowa must lift curfew in Delta state now – Ijaw People

…Okowa’s 7pm-6am curfew a defiant of Buhari’s directives …Police now exploit Deltans massively — Report By Ebi Perekeme The Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, has called on the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa to lift the 7pm to 6am curfew in the state, stressing that the Police force now uses it as an avenue to

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Akwa Ibom News Politics

A’Ibom APC Chairman passes on

By Joshua Williams The Akwa Ibom state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ini Okopido is dead. A top member of the party in the state, who confirmed the sad incident, disclosed that Okopido died in the early hours of Wednesday at the Ibom Multispecialty Hospital (IBH), Uyo. According to the source, Okopido died

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News Oil & Gas Rivers

Ogoni mandates oil companies to liaise with natives before resuming operation

By Ebi Perekeme  Ogoni oil producing communities in Rivers state on Wednesday declared that any oil firm desirous of resuming exploration in the area must come to terms with the people before enjoying freedom to operate whatever license secured from federal government. Barituka Loanyie, President, Ogoni Oil Producing Community Youth Forum (OOPCYF) said in Port

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Bayelsa News

OML host communities in Southern Ijaw ‘divide’ over interest

Host communities of the Operating Mining License (OML) 79 in Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw local government areas, Bayelsa State, have distanced themselves from persons threatening the operations of the license. They called on the Federal Government, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other stakeholders to ignore a protest and 21-day ultimatum issued by a section

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News Politics Rivers

LGA chairmen: Wike directs removal of Joint Account Allocation Committee from banks

By Our Correspondent  Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State has directed the removal of Joint Account Allocation Committee, JAAC, from banks that gave unauthorized loans to some local government chairmen in the state. The governor gave the directive while swearing in the substantive Chairman of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area at Government House, Port

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Edo News Politics

Obaseki redeploys his protocol chief for failure to bring kola to palace

By Our Correspondent Osayande Aisagbon, Director of Protocol (DoP) at the Edo government house, has been redeployed to the ministry of culture and diaspora affairs following alleged “embarrassment suffered” by Godwin Obaseki, the governor, during a visit to the palace of oba of Benin. In a memo, Obaseki directed that Aisagbon be redeployed over the

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Delta News

Vigilante in Delta arrests alleged notorious criminal

By Joshua Williams Indigenes and residents of Udu community in Udu local government area of Delta State have had cause to rejoice greatly as a notorious and highly wanted criminal was arrested by the community’s vigilante. The Udu central Vigilante team known as “Team A” arrested the alleged criminal who was identified as Oke Olodi

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Delta News

Otuaro douses threats by oil communities against oil companies

…Visits Ogulagha, Ughievwen kingdoms By Ebi Perekeme As a move geared towards addressing the threats by oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region, Delta State Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, embarked on a courtesy visit to the Traditional Rulers of Ughievwen and Ogulagha Kingdoms in Ughelli South and Burutu Local Government Areas, respectively. The

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News Rivers

IYC describes delay in payment of students’ scholarship school fees as call for anarchy

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has identified the ongoing delay in the payment of students under the scholarship scheme of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a fresh threat to the fragile peace in the Niger Delta region. The new President of IYC, Peter Igbifa, who spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on

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News Rivers

Niger Delta Agitations: Allow us control our resources, environments, Mayor tells Buhari

’50 years counting, we’ve been denied opportunity to control our resources, environments’ A former presidential aspirant of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, Mayor Ala Hart, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the ongoing agitations by the Niger Delta people to control their resource and protect their environment, stressing that, for over five decades

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Delta News

Ogulagha: Plans to shutdown Forcados under way

Indications emerged, yesterday, that the angry people of Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, have concluded plans to shutdown oil and gas facilities, Forcados Export Terminal operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, in the kingdom, which will cut the country’s crude oil production by one million barrels daily. The leadership

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News Rivers

NDDC invites President Buhari to Commission Signature Project

By Ebi Perekem The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has invited President Muhammadu Buhari to commission the 29-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa state. The road, built in conjunction with the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, creates a land link to the ancient city of Nembe for the first time. The Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs,

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