Niger Delta

Diri Promises Bayelsans Better Deal

Published

4 years ago

June 14, 2021

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, Saturday re-echoed his administration’s readiness towards bettering the lots of the state through developmental projects and policies.
Governor Diri stated this in Yenagoa, during a live broadcast on radio stations across the state to commemorate this year’s June 12 Democracy Day celebration which was monitored by The Tide.
In a statement made available to newsmen by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, shortly after the broadcast, the governor was quoted saying:
“Democracy was about the people, Nigeria had come a long way with 22 years of uninterrupted civilian rule. We’ve also observed that the nation’s Democratic journey had not been very smooth but it’s worth celebrating. The urban renewal programme and other projects as well as policies of the prosperity administration were part of the efforts to accord the state a facelift, making it better and more attractive to tourists and investors”.
Speaking against the backdrop of the ongoing demolition of illegal structures in the state capital, the governor stated that it was in line with his administration’s urban renewal policy, noting however, that since the demolition commenced, sanity had been restored in some of the major markets in the state, regretting that the shanties in such areas were hide-outs for criminals.
In the same vein, governor Diri has made clarifications on the Federal Government’s infrastructure development refund to the state.
He said the actual amount the state received was N27.5 billion and not N38.4 billion as was earlier speculated, just as he explained that the total refund due the state was N38.4 billion.
Diri however maintained that the Federal Government has said the release would not be possible in the next four years and therefore offered the state a second option of a discounted amount of N27.5 billion through the Debt Management Office, DMO which he said the state has since received last December, 2020.
“The Federal Government infrastructural refund had been committed to constructing critical capital projects; the Yenagoa- Oporoma road in the state’s Central Senatorial district, the Sagbama-Ekeremor road in the Western district,and the AIT-Igbogene ring road project were being constructed, with the refund”, he said.
“We’re also constructing the dualised Glory Drive-Onopa road, the Nembe unity bridge and we’ve done and will continue to do the installation of street lights in the state capital and other projects”, he added.
On open grazing, Diri maintained that he was not counteracting the Federal Government’s stance on resuscitating grazing routes, saying that his administration has, however, put in place a legal framework to ban open grazing.
Diri mentioned that the southern governors had adopted same instrument as part of measures to forestall, farmers/herders fracases.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Fouchee Celebrates Asari’s Recognition

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Amayanabo of Fouchee Community in Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, HRH. A.C.Blakk-Iwerima, says the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri is the icing on the achievements of the Rivers State Governor in 2024.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima, who was speaking recently to newsmen after the annual thanksgiving service of the Fouchee Community, said the recognition of Dokubo Asari was fit and proper and sounds like music in the ears of all people of Ifoko ancestry.

He commended the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara, for the recognition of Dokubo Asari, whose leadership role, he acknowledged, stands out.

He also commended the Governor for the many steps being taken to restore sanity in governance and dousing desperation through people-centered policies in the State.

According to him, “the Kings, Chiefs and people of Fouchee and Ifoko Communities in the Kalabari ethnic nationality are very proud of Alabo, Alhaji Dokubo Asari, whose links with Ifoko has been most rewarding”.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima promised to give all the support needed to enable the team working on the Fouchee Atlantic Project to succeed, and expressed hope that the Rivers State Government would also give the needed backing.

He further called on Asari to use the recognition to strengthen the Kalabari Se Kobiri and bring all aggrieved persons and communities to see the need to work together.

Niger Delta

Kalabari Media Forum Hails Recognition Of Dokubo Asari As Amayanabo

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Kalabari Media Forum has endorsed the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri and the historical relevance of the award.

A communique issued after the 2024 end of year summit of the Forum also commends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara for the recognition which they described as the best end of year gift to the Kalabari people.

The Communique signed by the Coordinator of the Forum, Alabo Dagogo Clinton and the Secretary, Mr. Harry Awolayeofori Macmorrison states that the gesture should make the Kalabari people to get back to the drawing board and consolidate on existing inter and intra communal peace within the region.

According to the statement, Torusarama Piri was the first place where the founding fathers of Kalabari converged from different cultures, tribes and backgrounds. Adding that those saying that the Kalabari people are not united should think again.

” As the different founding fathers were able to form a formidable ethnic nationality, modern day Kalabari should be able to sink the differences between the constituent communities and with other non-Kalabari speaking neighbours to achieve the needed internal cohesion for development”. It states.

The Forum further congratulated Alabo Asari Dokubo on his recognition and urged him to use the opportunity to do even more for the Kalabari people and Rivers State as a whole.

According to the statement, the Forum is happy with the recognition of Dokubo Asari not because he is one of the patrons of the Forum, but because he is about the most Kalabari-centric figure living, who has also committed enormous resources for the protection of the Kalabari people.

They urged the Kalabari Se Kobiri and the entire people of the ethnic nationality to work with Alabo Dokubo Asari and put to rest speculations about Kalabari that some persons have exploited against the interest of the Kalabari people over the years.

Niger Delta

We’re Upgrading Tourism Sites Across C’River – Otu

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has said plans were underway to upgrade tourism sites across the state to meet international standards.

Speaking with newsmen in Calabar, Otu said this was to attract local and international tourists to the state.

He said the state was also working on creating the needed infrastructure to boost tourism in the areas of transportation and accommodation among others.

“We are currently training personnel within the state and outside the country to upgrade our tourism sites. We are partnering with investors to bring some of them to 21st century standard.

“Currently, we are trying to ensure our roads are taken care of. We are not waiting on the Federal Government again because it has become clear that priorities are too many, so, we have to help ourselves.

“We want to ensure people easily access those tourism sites with very little difficulty and we are looking at stabilising our product pricing by making sure transportation is improved. We will explore gas, electricity and train.

“We are going to improve aviation as well”, he said.

Speaking on the just-concluded Calabar Carnival, Otu commended the competing and non-competing bands for their remarkable imput which culminated to the success of the event.

He appreciated everyone who worked behind the scene in the nine months preparation period for the carnival.

According to him, with guidance from renowned professors, researchers, individual artistes and many more professionals, the carnival was improved on.

He said in view of the need to bring back the international carnival, the state would work on ensuring world-class accommodation facilities are put in place ahead of the next edition.

He noted that the state would have a post carnival review to assess the areas to be improved on and other programmes to introduce.

Otu said depending on the outcome of the review, the state would be considering establishing diaspora bands in 2025.

“International carnival is not scrapped, we are looking at the prospect of established diaspora bands in 2025. This time, we are going to have a post carnival review to put things right.

“We are aware that three to four months ahead of the Calabar Carnival, hotels were already fully booked. So, we are trying to make sure we do not only have enough hotels but also ensure they are upscaled to international standards.

“This is because next Calabar Carnival will be a bigger picture with our international carnival in place.

“We already have international hospitality facilities that are moving here, we have hotels that are almost completed which can compete with any hotel across the world”, he said.

Otu, expressed excitement over the exhilarating performance of physically challenged individuals in the carnival.

He said the possibility of having a dedicated carnival band for them in 2025 would be explored.

“We do not see them as being limited by whatever challenges they face. We are looking at some of the things they have put to us but there must be a policy.

“We are looking at setting up a proper structure in their favour. So, to encourage them on the carnival front, the chairman of the Carnival Commission will check if they actually need their own band”, he said.