Rivers
Union Celebrates 10th Anniversary, Confers Awards
About 10 cooperative societies, under the umbrella of Ekpeye United Cooperative Union thronged the premises of Green River Project (GRP) Extension Office, Ukpeliede in Ahoada-West Local Government Area, to mark the 10th anniversary of their conglomerate.
The occasion was also used to honour three stakeholders.
The Tide reports that GRP is a department of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, concerned with the promotion of agriculture in its host communities.
Speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Victor Akwujuru of the Rivers State University, noted that the occasion warranted the jubilation that coloured the atmosphere.
He said that it was heart lifting to see cooperative societies cropping up in a rural area, to tackle food insecurity and joblessness.
Prof. Akwujuru, who doubles as an estate mamgerment expert and renowned farmer, expressed hope that the existing cooperative societies would sustain the tempo of their hard works while new ones emerge to join them.
The chairman charged the respective cooperative societies to look at the long term, rather than the short term benefits of their works.
In his address, the president of Ekpeye United Cooperative Union, Mr Ihuowo. Alabo Monday said. “Operating as a group of this nature has not been very easy in the Ekpeye communities’ environment.
I therefore extend my kudos to members, for refusing to live by stereotyped environmental bondage and forging ahead to build an enviable cooperative organisation. Our vows mean as much today as they did more than a decade ago’’.
The president thanked the GRP for their support and encouragement to the union, through capacity building, timely provision of farm inputs, building and commissioning of agricultural infrastructure, providing access to micro credit and financial assistance through awards as well as provision of extension officers, including, Mr Iyke Moses, Mr Felix Ogbonna and Chief Charlie Samuel.
Ihuowo, post humously recognised the contributions of the founding members of the union, namely, the former secretary and treasurer, Late Chief Amanukpo Robinson and Late Deacon Gibson Echikwa, respectively.
He noted that the union had recorded a number of success stories and in this context, a dividend of N10,000 each was presented to all the cooperative groups in good financial standing.
The president, who is also an accountant, announced the union’s target to establish a revolving loan of N1million annually for farmers or groups at an interest rate of less than 10 per cent.
He appealed to the management of GRP to avail the union the opportunity to participate in and nominate youths for skills acquisition programmes, as well as revival of the micro-credit scheme to individual cooperative societies.
Ihuowo called on secondary school authorities in the LGA to participate in GRP programmes as obtained in other zones and states of Nigeria.
While the beneficiaries of dividends included, Umanunye Cooperative Society (Ukpeliede), Young Farmers Cooperative Society (Akala-Olu), Uzodhu Cooperative Society (Idu-Ekpeye), Obuma cooperative Society (Enito 1), Ogoda-Ahoada Women Cooperative Society (Ogoda), the individual awardees were; Dr Joyce Ordinioha, Dr Okezie Ebiriker and Mr Ihuowo Alabo in appreciation of their invaluable services to the union.
Dr Ordinioha, who spoke on behalf of the awardees said, they would be spurred to render more services to the union and the public at large.
By: Agimo Benson
Rivers
Police Investigate Officer’s Suicide In PH
The Police Command in Rivers State has confirmed the commencement of an investigation into the death of a police officer who allegedly took his own life in Port Harcourt.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
“We received a report about an officer who allegedly killed himself.
“However, we are currently investigating the report to ascertain what transpired”, she stated.
Iringe-Koko reported that the Commissioner of Police in the Sstate, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for a thorough investigation.
According to viral reports Monday, Insp. Maxwell Zabu, formerly a security detail to Victor Ihunwo, a former Chairman of Port Harcourt City Council, allegedly shot himself at Ihunwo’s residence in Eagle Island, Port Harcourt.
A source familiar with the incident said the matter was reported to the Azikiwe Police Division in the area.
“Following the report, detectives from the division visited the scene as part of preliminary investigation procedures”, the source added.
Rivers
Perm Sec Tasks NUJ Leadership On Unity
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Rivers State, Mr. Emmanuel Ndah, has charged the leadership of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that all factions of the union are collapsed, especially now that the election is over.
Ndah gave the charge when the newly elected executives of the council and some of its members led by the Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia, paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The Permanent Secretary said he will do everything within his reach to ensure that the union is put in the front burner as far as their demands are achievable within the directives of the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd).
He also promised to ensure that the demands of the union get to the appropriate quarters.
According to him, the effort of the State Sole Administrator is to carry out programmes that can be achieved in six months and urged the NUJ to make demands that can be achieved within the period.
“The (Sole) Administrator has put so much effort to not only carry out achievable programmes, but also ensure peace and security in the State”, he said.
He, therefore,instructed the new executives to carry every member of the union along in the scheme of things.
“After the election, the union is now one. Carry everybody along so that the union will move forward”, he said.
The Chairman of NUJ, Bazia, had earlier assured the Permanent Secretary that the new executive was ready to work with the government to change the negative narratives and move the State forward.
Bazia further emphasised that the union will ensure factual reportage that will bring about the development of the State.
He also said the essence of the visit was to introduce the new executives to their host and lamented the deplorable condition of the NUJ Secretariat and urged the Permanent Secretary to help push the demands of the union to the state government, while highlighting some of the challenges faced in the Council.
“In terms of mobility, we have no vehicle, the one we have is in a bad shape. Most of the facilities are bad, so we need you to help push our issues to the Administrator pending when our Governor will be restored”, he said.
He thanked the Permanent Secretary for receiving members of the union within a short notice.
King Onunwor
Rivers
Rivers Judiciary Denies Reports On SOLAD’s Sack
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu allegedly sacking the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepiri, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Diepiri is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author”.
The statement, signed by Ihua-Maduenyi, reads in part, “The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported.
“Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025”.
It advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing, and disregard the said report in its entirety, saying “its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story”.
Akujobi Amadi
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