National News

Ijaw Nation Virtual Conference: Avoid politics of bitterness, violence – Jonathan tells politicians

The former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has warned politicians against politics of bitterness and violence and charged them to forge a common agenda that would promote peace and sustainable development in the nation. The former president further urged them to put the interest of the nation first, adding that politics was not about dividing the people

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News Politics

Full list of newly elected Delta PDP exco members

Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Saturday returned Chief Kingsley Esiso for another four years term as its State Chairman. Esiso who emerged through consensus arrangement was returned with majority of his 39 members exco unopposed, following the consensus arrangement. The list is as follows: STATE CHAIRMAN – OLOROGUN BARR. KINGSLEY ESISO

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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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National News

Francis Waive clamours for unity among Niger Deltans

By Joshua Williams  Francis Waive, lawmaker representing Ughelli north/Ughelli south and Udu federal constituency in the house of representatives, has called for unity among different ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region. Addressing reporters at his constituency office, Waive said coming together will help the people of the region to forge a common front at

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News Oil & Gas

Niger Delta: PIND fingers unemployment to cause of youth restiveness

Dara Akala, executive director of Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND), has attributed the restiveness and conflict in the Niger Delta to youth unemployment. The Niger Delta has a history of unrest and militancy; attacking oil infrastructure and kidnapping employees of oil companies for ransom. To restore calm in the region, the

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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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National News

N’Delta: Buhari petitioned to investigate N6.2b palliatives

By Ebi Perekeme A fresh petition has been issued to the National Assembly to raise another panel to investigate alleged misappropriation of N6.2 billion palliatives for residents of the Niger Delta during the coronavirus pandemic. GbaramatuVoice gathered that the palliative was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to cushioned the effect of the pandemic on residents

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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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News Rivers

Gov Wike signs revised Appropriation Bill into law

By Ebi Perekeme Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has signed into law the revised 2020 Appropriation Bill. This followed the presentation of the budget by the Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, to him at the government House, Port Harcourt. Total figure of the revised budget for 2020 fiscal

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News Rivers

Wike donates SUVs to Judges in Rivers

By Ebi Perekeme Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has gifted judges in the state High Court 41 new sports utility vehicles (SUV). Presenting the vehicles in a brief ceremony at the High court premises Monday, Governor Wike said the gesture was meant to improve service delivery in the judiciary. He equally announced to them that

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Delta Education News

Schools resume in 25 LGAs in Delta

By Joshua Williams About 29,525 students have resumed for academic activities across various public secondary schools in the 25 local government areas of Delta State. The returning students will participate in this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) organised by the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Addressing newsmen in Asaba, yesterday, on the preparedness of

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National News

Breaking: ShopRite to leave Nigeria

South Africa’s grocery retailer ShopRite is leaving Africa’s biggest market, Nigeria, 15 years after it opened shop in the West African country. The announcement by ShopRite came months after another South African brand, Mr Price, exited the market. International supermarkets (excluding Nigeria) contributed 11.6% to group sales and reported 1.4% decline in sales from 2018.

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National News

Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station in Agbor, Ridiculous, demeaning – PANDEF

By Ebi Perekeme  The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, has described the naming of what is in effect, a railway sub-station, after the Country’s immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as ridiculous, and demeaning to the personality and status of the former president. PANDEF reaction was contained in a statement signed by Hon. Ken Robinson,

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Maritime National News

Alleged Fraud: Amaechi terminates Okunbo’s OMSL maritime security contract

By Joshua Williams  The Federal Government has cancelled the maritime security contract handled by Capt. Hosa Okunbo’s Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd (OMSL), alleging that the deal was laced in fraud. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this during an interview on African Independent Television (AIT). The Minister also accused the company of incompetence. According

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News Oil & Gas

Pathetic! Senate reveals NDDC’s IMC collect 30% of contracts before contractors

The Senate has revealed that the new head of the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei and other members of the Committee now collect 20 per cent to 30 per cent of contract sums before Contractors are paid. This is contained in the report of the Senator

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Akwa Ibom News

Oil-rich communities in A’Ibom fume over alleged maltreatment

By Joshua Williams  Angry Ijaw youths in the oil communities of Akwa Ibom state, on Thursday, protested over what they called ‘high underdevelopment and infrastructural decay’ in their areas. They stressing that the situation may degenerate into crisis if relevant government authorities failed to intervene. They decried the abandoned projects in their communities by the

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Akwa Ibom News Politics

A’Ibom: New appointments on Monday, Aug. 3

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State will on Monday, August 3, 2020, swear-in eight new members of the State Executive Council recently cleared by the State assembly for Commissioner and Special Adviser posts. The Secretary to State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in

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Bayelsa News Oil & Gas

Bayelsa: Shell Nigeria in talks with host communities on development fund review

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has begun discussions with 12 host communities in Bayelsa which demanded upward review of development obligations. SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, gave the assurance in an interview with the newsmen on Saturday in Yenagoa. SPDC has since 2006 been administering community development initiatives driven by

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News Rivers

Gunmen demand N16m ransom to release 60-yr-old woman in Rivers

Unknown gunmen who abducted Nyieda Kpeenu in Nweol community, Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State, have demanded N16m ransom for her ransom. Kpeenu, a 60-year-old woman, was on Wednesday, abducted from her residence in the Ogoni community at about 8pm. The gunmen shot sporadically into the air to scare residents in the area and took

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Delta News

Oil-rich Ogulagha cries out of alleged marginalization, petitions FG

The leaders of Ogulagha Kingdom, in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, have protested against the alleged marginalisation of the oil-rich kingdom by the Federal Government and threatened to cripple oil production in the area. In an open protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated 24th July, 2020, and signed by Chief Igere Williams and

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News Rivers

Wike rebuts allegation he wants to control NDDC

By Ebi Perekeme  Erastus Awortu, Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Niger Delta Development Commission Matters, has dismissed insinuations that his principal has plans to control the NDDC. Awortu was reacting to claims in the social media that Wike asked a court of law to order the commission to seek the

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News Rivers

Covid-19: Wike distributes kits to 257 public schools ahead of resumption

Ahead of resumption of schools for exit classes, the Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyeson Wike, has distributed COVID-19 protective kits to 257 public schools in the state. Wike, who distributed the items acquired by his government, said the move was in line with the guidelines for resumption of schools. The governor, who was represented by

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Delta News

Makaraba: Host to Chevron Nig LTD inaugurates new excos

By Loveth Ojogun Makaraba Community, host to Chevron Nigeria Limited in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has on Saturday, sworn in new executive members to pilot the community affairs. A total of nine persons were sworn in to move the community affairs to another height. GbaramatuVoice gathered that the members

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