Author: Eileen Peters

THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has described as fake, a contract award letter being circulated online, purporting to originate from the desk of the Managing Director of the Commission. The fake letter purportedly notified an Italian company of an award of a contract for 56,250,000 Euros and the fake letter neither states the purpose of the contract nor the consideration for the award. In a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede, the Commission said: “We hereby state unequivocally that the document is fake. The purported contract is also a scam. It does not exist either in the…

THE Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the discovery of the corpses of three medical students involved in the Marina Resort boat mishap in Calabar on Saturday. Speaking to journalists on Monday, the state Commissioner of Police, Gyogon Grimah, said the bodies recovered included those of two males and one female. “As you are all aware, on Saturday, about two days ago, after 3 in the afternoon, there was an incident reported at the Marina Resort here in Calabar where a boat capsized. “Three students were drowned and we have not rested since then, it has been rescue efforts…

IN recognition of her commitment and visionary leadership in promoting the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, the United Nations in Nigeria has honoured the former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), H.E. Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire with ‘SDGs Champion’ award. At the award ceremony held at the UN House Abuja, on 20 June 2023, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commended the United Nations in Nigeria for rewarding performance and dedication. “I thank the UN and the orgnisers of this award for finding it imperative to reward performance and dedication. This will go a…

THE Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu has ordered the immediate ban of all commercial motorcycles within the Calabar Metropolis. This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Emmanuel Ogbeche, stating that the ban followed due consultations with security chiefs in the state. According to the statement, those willing to use their cycles to earn a decent living are restricted only to remote areas away from the city centre. The state government warned that anyone caught going violating the directive will have the motorcycle impounded and the offender prosecuted. “The Governor,…

AN Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has set aside a bench warrant of arrest issued against the former Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi and two others. The others are the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections, Tonye Cole and the Commissioner for Power in the Amaechi administration, Austine Wokocha. The ruling followed an appeal filed by Amaechi and the others seeking the setting side of the order by a lower court. His appeal was considered by a panel of three judges, of which two of them agreed that the…

GUNMEN suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the Operations Manager of the Sterling Bank, Mrs. Nneka Enuka Ugonochie in Bayelsa State. This newspaper gathered that the incident, which occured on Friday around the PDP Junction of the Sanni Abacha Expressway in Yenagoa, caught many residents unaware due to the multiple presence of joint security check point along the road. Security sources told this newspaper that the victim had been warned previously to relocate from her residence which is adjacent to that of the arrested kidnap kingpin, John Ewa aka John Lyon and Emmanuel Agase. It was gathered that the men…

FORMER Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike said despite the political gang-up against him, God has, without doubt, made all those evil plots against him fail. Wike spoke at the family thanksgiving service on Sunday organised in his honour that was held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Rumuepirikom Deanery, of the Diocese of Niger Delta North. The former governor explained that he cannot talk about his triumph in office as governor without attributing the victories to God. He recalled that in 2018, he was poisoned at the campaign secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and experienced liver and kidney…

EZE Anaba of Vanguard Newspaper has been elected the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). News Point Nigeria reports that, Anaba won the election with 250 votes to defeat Bolaji Adebiyi of Thisday Newspaper, who polled 81 votes at the NGE 2023 Biennial Convention on Friday in Owerri. The event drew over 300 editors in Nigeria’s media industry, with the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma also in attendance. The theme for the conference is “Post 2023 Election: Promoting Professionalism for Enhancement of Democracy and good governance”. Prior to Anaba’s election, he was the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian…

THE immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says all members of the G5 supported the emergence of Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas as the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The G5 refers to a group of five former and incumbent governors who rejected Atiku Abubakar as the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election over the party’s zoning arrangement. They include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, as well as former governors Wike, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeaz (Abia). Their seeming alliance between them and President Bola Tinubu…

THE Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has assured the people of Akinima community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State of its speedy intervention on the damaged and unmotorable road linking the community with Joinkarama. The NDDC Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, gave this assurance on Friday when he led some members of the Commission’s management committee on an inspection tour of the Akinima – Joinkarama road, which has been greatly damaged by erosion. Ogbuku sympathized with the commuters and residents of the area and promised to provide a temporary alternative route while the permanent solution to the…

A TRICYCLE rider has allegedly been beaten to death on Thursday by a member of a task force operating in the Ogbogoro area of Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. According to eyewitnesses, the keke rider identified as Nsikak Esieme was transporting a passenger when he was accosted by members of the task force who demanded N200 ticket money from him. However, trouble started when Mr. Esieme refused to oblige their request, arguing that he had just come out and was yet to make a substantial sum of money yet. Trouble started when a member of the task…

RIVERS State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has retained four commissioners that served under the immediate past administration of former governor Nyesom Wike. They are Professor Zacheaus Adangor (SAN), who served as the Attorney General in the last administration; George Kelly-Alabo who was the immediate past Commissioner for Works. Others include Professor Chinedu Mmon, the immediate past Commissioner for Education and Isaac Kamalu, the former Commissioner for Finance. The appointees who were the first appointments to be made by the new governor were screened and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly. Mr. Kamalu was asked to take a bow and…

A TOP-RANKING member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Rotimi Amaechi was conspicuously absent at the inauguration of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s 16th President on Monday at the Eagle Square in Abuja. However, Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation and ex-governor of Rivers, was spotted at the inauguration of Labour Party’s Alex Otti as the Governor of Abia State at the Umuahia Township Stadium. While Tinubu was sworn in in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, 28 governors spread across four different political parties were sworn in simultaneously in their respective states. Tinubu’s inauguration was well-attended…

JUSTICE Fatun Riman of a Federal High Court sitting in Awka has told the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba Alkali, that he is an illegal occupant of the office he is presently holding. The court declared that his appointment and continued stay in office were unlawful and unconstitutional. The court in its judgment in suit number FHC/AKW/CS/58/2023, filed by Okechukwu Nwafor, the Plaintiff, who described himself as a taxpayer said Alkali’s continuous stay in office is against the clear provisions of the Police Act, 2020. Justice Riman further held that only an officer within the listed rank, with four…

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Saturday conferred the highest state honours, the Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS), on eight individuals, including Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State. News Point Nigeria reports that, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the incoming Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara also received the honours at the State Awards and Pre-Inauguration Dinner held at the Banquet hall, Government House, Port Harcourt on Saturday. The recognition was the highest of four categories of awards conferred by the governor. One hundred and…

A FORMER Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has filed a libel suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation. In the suit marked CV/6273/2023, the former petroleum boss is accusing the first and second defendants – the EFCC and the AGF – of writing and publishing “false and defamatory reports about her of being a corrupt, dishonest…degenerate, decadent public officer.” In a writ of summons filed at the Federal High court, Abuja on May 26, 2023, through her team of lawyers led by Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Madueke said her integrity and character which…

THE Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commended the House of Representatives for passing the N876 billion budget of the Commission for the 2023 financial year. Speaking in an interview at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, noted that the approval of House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, followed that of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. He applauded the House of Representatives for the expeditious consideration and adoption of the report of the House Committee on NDDC, chaired by Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, noting that the exercise was very expedient…

THE Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal has struck out the petition filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) following the withdrawal by the party’s counsel. With this withdrawal, the governorship candidate of the APC, Tonye Cole remains the only petitioner against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Fubara Siminalayi. Cole is challenging the victory of Siminalayi in the March governorship poll in the state. Drama ensued at the Tribunal as the APC filed an application for change of counsel in their petition against the PDP and its candidate. When the matter commenced,…

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has notified affected Rivers State residents of a blackout between 9am and 4pm on Saturday as maintenance activity is conducted at its transmission substation in Port Harcourt. The firm made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday. “The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) hereby states that maintenance work is being carried out on its 60MVA 132/33kV transformer at Elelenwo Transmission Substation, Port Harcourt, today, Saturday, 20th May, 2023, from 9 am to 4 pm for seven (7) hours only,” it said. According to TCN, the activity would result in an interruption of bulk power…

RIVERS State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says the demolition of two properties belonging to the Bayelsa State Government in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital is not for political reasons. Following the demolition, the Bayelsa State Government through the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Andrew Esua, had expressed reservations about the action of the Rivers State Government. He said the demolition of the properties should not have occurred as both Rivers and Bayelsa are sister states and have a long history of cordiality, even as he believed that the issue could have been amicably resolved. But speaking at the International wing…