By Jerome-Mario Utomi To help douse the swift and conflicting reactions, utter confusion and frustration raging in the minds of the Niger Deltans and other stakeholders, occasioned by the inexplicable and unexpected provisions of the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), I sought a telephone conversation with Comrade Joseph Angodeme Evah, Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group. That was a

Did Orubebe forget his theatrically cast zoning formula when he took part in the 2014 PDP Governorship Primary? By Ekanpou Enewaridideke The head of Elder Godsday Orubebe is always correct but the heads of some people in this world are not always correct. People no longer speak and do ‘straight things’ as Gabriel Okara would

By Ignatius Chukwu When Tompolo barks, the wind freezes in all of the Niger Delta. His real name is Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo. He is regarded in the oil region as a government of his own. He is the self-styled Grand Commander or leader of the dreaded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

By Dr. Akpesiri Eghwujovbo In a critical appraisal of the activities leading to the 2023 Gubernatorial primaries of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Delta State, the center for Research and Democratic governance came up with its press release to define the context of zoning and ethnicity as they affect the looming political battle in Delta.

By Ekanpou Enewaredideke Over the years it is a certitude no casuistry can dispel or mangle that to everyone different worlds open up, complete in their varied compositions and vibratory frequencies. In every world that springs up through man’s tireless endeavours to secure a space for comfortable living on earth, there dwells a kingship or

Questions begging for Answers  Why is it that uptill now the Niger Delta has not got it right? What is truly the problem of the Niger Delta region and the people of the Niger Delta? The Underdevelopment of Niger Delta Region: Who is to BLAME; Is it the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the

By Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali In William Shakespeare’s classic Julius Caesar, the chief protagonist, a Roman statesman and general boasted deafeningly to his wife Calpurnia and by extension to Cassius and Pompey, the other power brokers with whom he formed a triumvirate that “Of all the wonders that I have heard, it seems to me

By Jerome-Mario Utomi The recent news report that the Okordia-Rumekpe 14-inch crude truck line operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) discharged some 213 barrels of crude oil into Ikarama community in Bayelsa, has again brought to our consciousness that though Nigeria prides itself as the giant of Africa and the most populous black nation

BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE King Robert Ebizimor – a legend legendary for his legendary futurological capability, his legendary embarrassment and disorientation of death, his legendary humanism and undiluted, unstinting, love for his protégés/apprentices, particularly that his indescribably appreciative protégé called Aguiyi-Ironsi, later lovingly ‘ROBERTED’ as Izonebi – is a household name in Ijaw whose 71-year resonance

Is Soyinka not aware of these weird happenings in NDDC and PAP? Why the silence, Soyinka? By Ekanpou Enewaridideke  There is a towering aromatic blunder in the air. As before, ever and always – like ‘Abiku’ the perpetually irrepressible troubler of the Nobel Laureate’s creation – Soyinka, ‘the perpetual dramatist who tends to dramatise on

The First Nigerian President Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe ( 1904- 1996) was indeed an enigma of no less order. His towering personality makes him to be the greatest Nigerian ever in history. But Who was Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe? Who was his true biological father? What if all that the public knows about him was the untold truth? Then

Every year, Valentine’s Day comes as a reminder for us to celebrate our loved ones. The special occasion, celebrated annually and worldwide on February 14, is a commemoration of love, friendship and togetherness. But, while so much about the day is known, the reason why it is called what it is called, is still a

By Femi Salako Great impacts of Dr. Kingsley Valentine Kuku in restoring lasting peace to the Niger Delta region will continue to make the Arogbo Ijaw born environmentalist and humanist a reference point in Nigeria’s history. Several thousands of hitherto hopeless agitators whose lives became transformed will also continue to owe K3 a debt of

“Unemployment in South-South is nearly 65%. It is visibly the poorest area of Nigeria. There is no agriculture, less fishing, greater expectation, more drugs, and greater unhappiness: a powder keg waiting to explode.” By Patrick Dele Cole The plight of the Niger Delta has never been worse than it is now. They are a lot poorer

Rituals for different purposes walk on the surface of this earth like the void upon the earth before the world was born. Rituals vary as are the people that perform them. The ritual of wrong-admission is a good one. I know when somebody is wronged. I know somebody had been wronged for years. I have

Okrika, second-hand, used clothes, bend-down-select, these are some of the names used to refer to imported clothing that is not new. The opposite would be ready-made clothes because they have never been worn by anyone else, it’s new. Okrika derived its name from the Port where it used to be delivered in Nigeria which happened

By Oritsegbemi O. Omatete Ugborodo and the arrival of the Europeans I write from what I know and have experienced, not from mere sentiment, because I was born in Ugborodo eight decades ago. I have watched, helplessly, my village being swept into the sea. I envy my colleagues who speak joyfully about their homes in

BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE A time feelingly crude, odd and unforgettable it was; a time harmattan walked boldly on the surface of the earth. The sun itself had to wait for a long time before shiveringly making its appearance because everyday the morning in its dawn dance often woke up fogbound. When the sun eventually came

By Amb. Godknows Igali For an Armed Forces ranked as 42nd in global military strength and considered the largest standing army in Black Africa, the passing of a “mere” Captain, in the midst of so many decorated Generals in Nigeria would normally be titling. However, the death of Captain Samuel Timinipre Owonaro at the age

By Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in the year 2000 by the Act 2000 No. 6 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, which repealed the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Commission Decree 1998. The Act was amended in the year 2017 with no significant addition or effect. The

By Omafume Amurun Several years ago, during an interactive media session with a former Delta State governor, apparently in frustration he described the Uvwie as a cursed people due to the perennial communal crises, particularly in Ekpan, and his failed attempts to ensure sustainable peace in the area. Unfortunately for the Governor, I was at

By Fredrick Nwabufo Probe. This is another word for political manoeuvring, horse-trading, chicanery and blackmail – in the Nigerian milieu. Probes are launched here not for righteous ends but for some predetermined recidivist motives. In particular, the so-called ‘’corruption probes’’ are themselves felonious panels set up to exact vengeance, broker deals or cause distraction from

By Segun Adebowale “Your long-term happiness and fulfillment depend on your ability to fulfill your soul’s unique purpose and to fill the place in the world that only you can fill, making the contribution that only you can make.” – Rod Stryker Roy Stryker’s quote above strikes the very cord that aptly describes the person

Sola Balogun, Federal University, Oye Ekiti Ahead of his death on October 13, 2020,the renowned Nigerian poet and playwright John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo had given instructions on his burial. He wrote a poem, “My Last Testament”: This is to my family Do not take me to a mortuary, Do not take me to a church, Whether

BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE The story of that poor helpless village boy in Delta state who suffered afflictions of coronavirus, for whom mama Moses Oromola Jemigbeyi (Eluko) the 137-year old woman of Okerenkoko town in Gbaramatu Kingdom prayed tenaciously for recovery alongside the committed coronavirus-survival moves of Tompolo, and in whose behalf Okowa intervened and cured 

BY MONOYO EDON Asamaigọ, you should always be recognized for all of your efforts and the many sacrifices you have made for our dear state, but especially so on your special day. While at the helm of Delta State as two-term democratically-elected Governor of Delta State, not only did you seamlessly adapt to address the

By Eric Omare The provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020 submitted to the National Assembly by President Buhari relating to the development of oil producing communities of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria are at best an attempt at internal colonialism of the host communities. The bill not only failed in addressing the aged-longed

By Cleric Alaowei Deacon (Barr) Kingsley Burutu Otuaro is an accomplished gentleman. He is a devotee in the house of God, a philanthropist, a servant leader who can better be described as a man before God’s heart. These astounding qualities are traceable to his humble background, an attribute inherent in the entire Otuaro family. He

BY EKANPOU ENEWARIDIDEKE…(final) His Excellency Barrister Kingsley Burutu Otuaro the carrier of a nectar-garnished fatal weakness hidden from the world but known only to the eagle-eyed, the formidable professor of humility and loyalty, is the Deputy Governor of Delta State. Implacably, he remains a hunter of young talents in every space, particularly talents buried in

By Uche Ugboajah I first heard of the name Ezenwo Nyesom Wike sometime in 1999. Then, he was the dashing chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. He had contested the local government election as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and had to reclaim his mandate through the court. A