Author: Eileen Peters

THE Federal Government has restated that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd would be back on stream by December. This is part of the government’s commitment to ending petroleum product importation as soon as efforts are being redoubled to restore the nation’s local refining capacity. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said this, according to a Friday statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Garba Deen Muhammad. He quoted the Minister as giving the assurance during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation work progress at the…

NIGER Delta Stakeholders have charged the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC to entrench collaboration and partnership in the development of the Niger Delta Region by holding quarterly Partners for Sustainable Development, PSD, forum for the various stages of its budgeting. This was part of the resolutions contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day PSD Forum, 2024 Budget of Reconstruction Conference Held at Ibom Icon Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The stakeholders also stressed the importance of the PSD forum in the Budgetary Process, noting: “The PSD Forum is aimed at eliminating duplications and institutional suspicions in…

PERMANENT Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for developing a budgetary process that involves stakeholders in its efforts to develop the Niger Delta region. Presenting a keynote address at the NDDC Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum – NDDC 2024 Budget of Reconstruction Conference in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Belgore noted that the Commission is evolving and adopting a budgetary process that is in tandem with the provisions of extant laws. He said that NDDC budgets over the years had been faced with challenges, which included belated submission, delayed approvals…

THE Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has said the government would soon introduce buses for free public transportation as part of its palliatives to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on fuel. Eno said the government was in talks with some companies on the matter and as soon as the arrangement was concluded, the free public transport buses would be introduced. Speaking at the weekend in Uyo on his decision to fly the state-owned commercial airline, Ibom Air, instead of his official jet, the governor said his action was a marketing strategy for the airline. He debunked…

ERSTWHILE Director of New Media at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Pius Oghenevwairhe Ughakpoteni, has been appointed the new Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, following the retirement of the outgoing Director, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede. A management expert and skillful writer with insightful and analytical skills, which he apparently acquired during his many years in journalism practice, Ughakpoteni has been serving as the Director of New Media since October 2022, after a seven-month stint as the Director of Abuja Liaison Office of the NDDC, leading a team of talented and passionate professionals who have been using digital platforms…

JUSTICE Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili has refuted allegation that she is, ‘currently negotiating a pathway for Bola Tinubu” and that “she meets regularly with Appeal and Supreme courts” in that regard. An online newspaper (Not News Point Nigeria) had published that Justice Odili is in negotiation with the Presidential Tribunal, Appeal and Supreme Courts on behalf of President Bola Tinubu. But Justice Odili refuted the allegation in a press statement issued by the Media Assistant to the Justice, Chief Felix Enebeli and made available to News Point Nigeria, Wednesday. According to the statement, while the defamation arising from the false allegation…

JUSTICE Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja has issued a temporary order stopping the move by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to impeach his Deputy, Phillip Shaibu, over their irreconcilable differences. Justice Mohammed issued the temporary order while ruling in a motion on notice filed by Shaibu praying the court to stop the move to ease him out of office by his principal. In the ruling, Justice Mohammed directed the parties in the suit to maintain status quo. The order for the status quo is to be in force till the time the defendants shall show cause…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, in a landmark judgment, has “ordered the disclosure of the spending details of over N200bn public funds collected by the government of former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa from the Universal Basic Education Commission [UBEC] fund and allocations from the Federation Accounts.” The court ordered the Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to “disclose details of budgetary allocations and actual spending by the Okowa government between 2015 and 2019, including specific projects carried out to improve primary education in Delta State, and the locations of such projects.” The judgment was delivered by Honourable Justice…

A CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief Charles Obule, has slumped and died in Sapele Local Government Area of the state. Until his death, the late PDP chieftain was a party leader in Delta State and a former governorship and senatorial aspirant of the party. Obule, who held the traditional title of “Erhi of Okpe Kingdom” reportedly died on Tuesday after a protracted illness at the age of 65. Meanwhile, the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has expressed sadness on the passing of the “renowned party chieftain, businessman, politician and philanthropist.” Governor Oborevwhori, in a…

THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced that it has attracted several partnership requests from the European Union, foreign and domestic entities, State Governments, and the private sector due to its transparency and accountability in delivering its mandate. The NDDC Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during his visit to Ondo State Government House, where he was received by the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Dr. Ogbuku said that the NDDC has gained the confidence and trust of investors and stakeholders willing to collaborate with the commission to develop the Niger Delta region and empower…

UNKNOWN gunmen have reportedly kidnapped nine travellers in Oben, a border town between Edo and Delta states. This newspaper learnt that the incident happened along Jesse-Oben Road on Friday night and had caused panic in the community. A hunter, Mr Obehe Adika, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said he heard gunshots and tyre-screeching sounds from the bush where he was hunting around 9pm. He also claimed to have seen a Hilux van filled with gunmen, who attacked and kidnapped the passengers, who were in a Toyota Hiace bus heading to Delta State. “I saw them (gunmen) dragging the…

OPERATIVES of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have located and destroyed an illegal crude oil refining site in Rivers State. The operation which took place on Friday 21st July 2023 as part of the air component of the joint security effort codenamed Operation Delta Safe was largely intelligence-driven. It was achieved after hours of careful surveillance by the NAF. The strike took place at Dariama village which is about 20km from Abonnema in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Air Force Air spokesman Commodore Edward Gabkwet confirmed the development to News Point Nigeria. “Yes, I can confirm…

DOCTORS in Cross River on Sunday embarked on a total and indefinite strike in solidarity with one of their members abducted on Thursday from her residence in Calabar. This is contained in a communique signed by Dr. Felix Archibong, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA), Cross River branch, after an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) on Sunday in Calabar. It would be recalled that on Thursday July 13, Dr. Ekanem Ephraim, a medical practitioner with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was kidnapped from her residence by armed men who pretended to be patients at about 7.30 p.m. The…

THE family of two-year-old Ivan Omorhiakogbe is seeking justice over the death of their son allegedly hit by a stray bullet from the guns of the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during a raid in the Okapanam Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. Ivan’s brother, who was also injured during the incident on Thursday, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. Narrating the incident, the grieving father of Ivan said his son was looking forward to his graduation ceremony in school scheduled for next Tuesday but all that has been cut short following the…

THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced the launch of a new initiative to empower the youth of the Niger Delta region. The initiative, called HOPE, stands for Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement, and it aims to create 1,000 jobs per state through strategic partnerships and skill development. Speaking at the flag off of project HOPE today, July 12, 2023, the MD/CEO of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said: “Today marks a new dawn in the NDDC because we are kicking off project HOPE to touch the lives of youths in the Niger Delta. It is holistic because it will…

A THREE-STOREY building under construction has collapsed in Okotomi area, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government of Delta State. The building which was meant for hotel caved in around 6pm Friday. No casualty has been recorded as of the time of filing this report. This is the latest in the recent building collapses across the country. Just on Monday, a five-storey building also under construction collapsed in the Lifecamp area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Emergency responders including officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) rescued no fewer than mine persons who were trapped in the Abuja collapsed…

In line with its set out goal of Make Edo Great Again (MEGA) agenda and capacity-building, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Adaze Aguele-Kalu visited the Benin Mall and urged the contractors to intensify their efforts to ensure timely completion and opening. The commissioner, who was in the company of the Honourable Commissioner of Trade and Investment added that to avoid any delays in the project’s completion, Mrs. Aguele-Kalu encouraged the on-site manager to promptly reach out to her in case any challenges arise. She further advised the supervisor to engage in Zoom meetings with the 39 tenants,…

THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called on development partners and donor agencies to join hands with the Commission to transform the Niger Delta region into a model of development. The NDDC made this appeal at a one-day policy dialogue with development partners and donor agencies in Abuja, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. The policy dialogue, themed “Deepening Governance through Transparency and Value-added Partnership”, aimed to brainstorm on the shared mandates of the Ministry and the NDDC, and how best to collaborate and promote greater synergy for enhanced results in the overall development of…

THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) said it was deeply saddened and shocked by the news of the passing on of one of its committed members and Publisher of NewsDirect Newspapers Group, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi on Tuesday. Aged 56, Dr Ibiyemi succumbed to death at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan, Ogun State, where he was undergoing treatment. In statement on Wednesday by the NGE President, Eze Anaba and its General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the professional body of all the editors in Nigeria described the late publisher as a committed member of the NGE, who made his mark in…

A STOREY building that is under construction has collapsed in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, injuring four persons. The structure is said to be erected for the hospitality business, more like a sit-out bar around the Okilton junction on Ada-George Road. Apart from the four persons said to have sustained varying degrees of injury, no life was lost in the incident. The injured persons are currently being treated at a hospital near the accident scene. Reacting to the incident, Rivers State Government said it will bring to book all those whose actions contributed to the collapse of the…