There was Benike Tamaraumiemene Joseph  By Ekanpou Enewaridideke At a known time in the history of man rather than once upon a time in the history of man, there once lived an adorable creature on earth – an adorable creature that often radiated the aura of a magnetic pull upon any person met either through

ELECTION 2023 AND THE ‘SAINT’ JONATHAN ANECDOTE  BY DR. GODKNOWS IGALI The phone rang twice, and the unusually soft voice of ‘Pere Keni’ beckoned: “Ambassador, come quickly.” It was a moment of tension and anxiety, exactly 8 years ago. The distance of about 5 kilometres was like a day’s journey. Alas, I entered the New

Nigeria Election 2023: Gains and pains of democracy  By Asiayei Enaibo With different manifestos, with different promises to even the ancestors, the living are always anxious of what gain they could get, shared among their two jaws, ‘bring it; let’s share it and chop it, who democracy help?’ Both the illiterate and literate candidates speak

Those who killed him will never know peace.

PRE-BURIAL NOTE OF GRATITUDE TO HIGH CHIEF TOMPOLO AND TO HIS EXCELLENCY OTUARO BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Because Tompolo believed in the final journey of Mrs Timiebi Maika Ekanpou on 21 January 2023, from him a giant KURU canoe and giant KURU paddles came as journey-enhancers long ago, even before the moon alighted on the village

The life journey of Timiebi Maika Ekanpou: The storied storyteller philosopher  BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Timiebi the storied story teller philosopher is the first daughter of late Mr. Ferebo Ezetu of Oyangbene, Ayakoromo and Akugbene and the daughter of late Mrs. Brafinine Ferebo (nee Ofiriki) of the Ofiriki Family of Ekyandumu quarter and the Saiya Family

The epistle to Tompolo and Otuaro By Ekanpou Enewaredideke Telepathically these encryptions,20-1-21-2-1-TPQKBO-23, which bear resemblance to Jacques Sauniere’s ‘final communication’ in Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCI CODE came recently from Timiebi the revered philosopher.These are encryptions that demand cryptological exposure for interpretative enlargement, elasticity and exactitude, and these encryptions voyage around Tompolo and Otuaro. It

Climate Change: Between Harriman and Kayanja Ideologies By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi The debate on climate change is among the most presently discussed topics on the surface of the earth. All these years, I have, going by the commentaries from the Western world believed that Africa’s non commitment to the call for global action on climate

Resource curse and Niger Delta unending discourse By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi Gong by information at the public domain, a Warri , Delta state based Newspaper, GbaramatuVoice, in furtherance of its Niger Delta Economic Discourse Series, will on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 by 10am, at the BON Hotel, Warri, Delta state, hold a focused group discussion

Niger Delta Region: Still a body without Soul By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent signing into law, of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on Monday August 16, 2021, after years of back and forth movement,- an Act which provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry and development

WOLE SOYINKA AND MY DISGRUNTLEMENT BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Dear Soyinka, I am disgruntled. Because I am disgruntled, I have decided to communicate with you. I have decided to communicate with you because I am disgruntled. And this is even the first I have chosen this epistolary path to reach you and the propellant of this

Tompolo’s fight against oil theft, a snuff on the nose of Nigerians By Enaibo Asiayei  For the bleeding economy to resurrect, there must be a battle for a man who has proven moral and sacred emblem of integrity, selflessness, true to self, focus and determination without fear of the unknown bullets of tomorrow. Yes, someone

DESOPADEC and the Fifty Grass Cutting Machines By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi The recent news report that Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESPADEC) donated fifty (50) grass cutting machines, to the good people of Okerenkoko community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South Local Government of Delta state, has again shows an agency that is yet

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s objectification of Timiebi BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE The proverbially universal truth remains that it takes one brave act for alligator to cut itself open one day for a targeted daring task.Allergic to the pains of a fruitless journey I must reveal quite early like the persona in Wole Soyinka”s ‘Telephone Conversation’ that I

Nigeria At 62: Regime chain of corruption By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi The word corruption came from the Latin word corruptus, which “means to break or to destroy.” Corruption according to AL-Gore, a former Vice President of the United States (USA), destroys and breaks that trust which is absolutely essential for the delicate alchemy at the

Nigeria is really 62 years old, but where is the Niger Delta? BY JESSICA EKON-AMIEYEGBA FEKE In Nigeria, crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in the year 1956, at Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa state. Nigeria on her part gained independence from the British Colonial masters on the 1st of October, 1960.

LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS AND THE RETIREMENT OF IJAW LANGUAGE “Izontu mi egberi mi mo ami na weri emi? Bele boseria kuro emi!” BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Ijaw is dead! The death occurred yesterday. For decades Ijaw had been depressed caused by afflictions of the disease named ‘IZONFIYEBOWAISM’. She committed suicide out of the depression of being recklessly

Nigeria at 62: A Reflection By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi Going by historical events and developments starting from 1914, it is evident that Nigeria is not a natural country, state or nation but an artificial creation via a marriage of two unwilling brides who had no say in their forced and ill-fated union- amalgamation of the

Education Sector and Nigeria’s Revolving Underdevelopment Doors By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi One recent occurrence that typifies the nations’ education sector as an area in urgent need of help is the current shoddy state of Ologbo Primary and secondary schools, Ologbo, Obarentin community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo state, formerly called Rubber Research Institute

THE ILL THOUGHTS OF ASUPA AND PONDI FOR EACH OTHER  BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Expectations have a life-span tied to humans. Expectations only die when humans die and migrate to another space for existential life-continuation though existentially banned on planet earth. Expectations always stage multiple dances as are humans who vary in their numbers and kinds

Pipeline Surveillance Contract: Addressing Chief Ogbebor’s Case of Double Standard By Jacob Abai Chief Rita-Lori Ogbebor recent opposition to the award of a N48 billion surveillance contract to former leader of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo has again confirmed as true the time honoured belief that

Niger Delta region and report on Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi I remember now with nostalgia how about a year ago, precisely on Tuesday August 10, 2021, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the GbaramatuVoice Newspaper’s 6th Anniversary Lecture/Niger Delta Awards, held at Victoria Island, Lagos, among other remarks, told

X-Raying Dikio’s Two Years Administration As Presidential Amnesty Programme Boss By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi About two years ago, when President Muhammadu Buhari removed Professor Charles Dokubo (now late), as the interim Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and his place, appointed Mbiama, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State born Colonel Milland Dixon Dikio

GESI’S HANDSHAKE WITH TOMPOLO BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE The world is the designated place of peaceful cohabitation where people do travel from one place to another from time to time in goal-pursuit and goal-actualisation but not without some financial constraints, preparation and capability. Yet there are people who are at liberty to travel without a single

Addressing Warri poor sanitation and deplorable state of Effurun roundabout By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi Going by recent commentaries about the oil rich city of Warri, the economic life wire of Delta state, it is evident that a once organized town has finally lost its battle to poor sanitation, environmental pollution and deplorable road network. Out

The Choice of Chief Timipre Sylva, as Niger Delta Man of the Year 2022 By Jacob Abai The GbaramatuVoice 7th Annual Lectures/Awards event recently organized by the Gbaramatu Publishing Company Limited, owners and operators of the GbaramatuVoice Newspaper, held in Abuja, the capital city of the nation, may have come and gone, but the experience

THAT TIMIEBI DECORATED WITH LIES AND TRUTHS BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE History is a vagabond generally regarded by everybody as a habitué of every household because every household has a history. In the history of man on earth many greats have been grated and minimised and many more greats shall be so grated and minimised because

TOMPOLO AND PENAWOU’S DIVERGENCE AND CONVERGENCE BY EKANPOU EENEWARIDIDEKE  Three times the cock has just crowed signalling a stainless dawn. In this stainless dawn that is not befogged or fogbound, two great personalities can be seen without being silhouetted. They are High Chief Ekpemupolo Oweizide Government (Tompolo) recently awarded the pipeline surveillance contract based on

Adventure, thrill on the water to Gbaramatu By Fejiro Jimitota It was yet another busy morning and day in the oil rich city of Warri, Delta state. Precisely on Monday, August 23, 2022, people scrambled to open their shops and resume the day’s business. The streets were not left out; they were as a matter

The Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme Life Circle By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi On 25 June 2009, President Umoru Yar’Adua (now late) granted presidential amnesty to Niger Delta militants who had directly or indirectly participated in the commission of offences associated with militant activities in the Niger Delta, and who were willing to surrender their weapons

Pipelines Surveillance Contract: Why Tompolo Is Suitable By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi It is common knowledge that the Nigerian economy has recently been badly hit by the inability of the government to generate dollar revenue from its main source, which is the export of crude oil- a challenge traceable to Sabotage and crude oil siphoning rackets

Oyoko Primary School Saga: Matters Arising By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi The barrage of reactions and commentaries that trailed the recently published disturbing pictures that drew the attention of the Delta state government to the visibly distressed structures, dilapidated classrooms with fallen ceilings, windows and doors at Oyoko Primary School, Abavo, Ika South Local Government Area

Oyoko Primary School: An Avoidable Saga By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi As a background to this piece, it is important to underline that this author would be the very last person to insinuate that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta state, has not done good things as Governor of the state-that would be a

TIMIEBI’S FIRST THOUGHTS OF LAMENTATION FROM PRISON BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE Catapulted by numerous items on my mind – very much unlike Wole Soyinka in his own seminal work, THE MAN DIED, when he was ‘prompted by two items on’ his table – I sat in my library engrossed in creative meditations, exercises, and mental search

International Youth Day 2022 and Nigerian Youth Ordeals By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi Friday August 12, 2022, is a very important date in the global calendar. It is a day that the global community sets aside to celebrate this year’s International Youth Day. The important purpose of this annual celebration going by information from the United