Niger Delta

Cleric Tasks Adventist Church’s New Leaders On Service

Published

1 year ago

November 29, 2023

The President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Eastern Nigeria Union Conference (ENUC), Pastor Bassey Udoh has charged the newly elected leadership of the church in the Port Harcourt Conference to serve as witnesses for God, serve the people and to transform their territories. The Pastor made the charge during the session’s worship on Saturday in his homily christened “Chosen for Mission”. He also encouraged members to live their daily lives knowing that they are a chosen generation.
Pastor Udoh during the consecration service, charged the newly elected officers to serve as witnesses for God while carrying out their administrative duties. He said their election is a call for service to self, God and humanity.
“You have been called by God to serve the people, be visionary and ready to transform your territory. Don’t be disgusted, press on and strive for new heights every day, he said’.
He further advised them to carry out the task given to them with the fear of God, while advancing the mission of winning souls for Christ.
The leaders emerged at the conclusion of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Port Harcourt Conference’s third quadrennial constituency session, held from Thursday to Saturday last week at the Church headquarters, Rumoukwuta, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Session voted to dissolve the nomenclature of Port Harcourt Conference following the presentation of the approval letter from the West Central Africa Division (WAD) for the reorganization of the Port Harcourt Conference into Port Harcourt East (Conference) and West (Mission) at the year-end meeting held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria.
During the year-end meeting of the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference (ENUC) held in Aba, Abia
– State, Tuesday last week, the Executive Committee of ENUC had elected officers of the Port Harcourt West Mission in accordance with WAD policy directive.
Consequently, the delegates from the two mission fields (Port Harcourt East and West) selected separate nominating committees that elected the new executive officers, department directors, and executive committee members. The following persons emerged as officers of the Port Harcourt East Conference.
Pastor Samuel Iroulor emerged as the Pioneer President, Pastor Victor Kalabe as Secretary and Pastor Kinikanwo Ikechi as Treasurer. Others include Prince Ajoku- Associate Secretary, Samuel Nwogu, Ministerial Secretary, Kingdom Nnanta- Evangelism, Pr. Charles Goodhead- Chaplaincy,Temple Ekpor- Communication, Legal Naboth Nyeso-Legal Adviser, Mrs. Uloma Erekosima- Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) Eld U. J. Nwogu- Education, Amaechi Hart – Adventist Youth Ministeries (AYM), Vitalis Ebuzie- Stewardship, Goodluck Iroanya- SOP/VOP/Publishing, Dr. Sokiprim Akoko- Health, Gift Chukwu- Personal Ministry/Global Mission, Stephen Azikiwe- Family, Victor Oamen- Children Ministries, Onwuka Okechukwu- Sabbath School, Ifeoma Amadi- Women Ministry and Elijah Okegbe-Adventist Men Organisation.
While for Port Harcourt West Mission, Pastor Solomon Okonu emerged as the pioneer president, Alvin Ikeocha (Assistant Secretary) and Eld. Tombari Kpenu (Treasurer), Richard Woke- Ministration Secretary, Chigozi Eti- Evangelism, Nation Amadi- Stewardship, Victor Oamen & Hamilton Oyin- Sabbath School/Personal Ministries, Israel Onu-, AYM, Ifeoma Amadi & Mrs. Joy Igwe- Women Ministry, Samuel Emejuru- AMO, Ekpor Temple- Public Campus Ministry (PCM), Pr. Chidi Agburuka- Chaplaincy, Patience Emudianughe- Children , Gift Chukwu- Family,. Prof. Gordian Obute- Education, Okey Onwugbonu- Communication, Dr. Nnamdi Welekwe-
While expressing his profound joy, the newly elected president of Port Harcourt East Conference, Pastor Samuel Iroulor vowed to work with his team to move mission activities of the church forward in the conference in line with the extant rules and principles of the church.
“Today my heart if filed with joy, it seems to me like a dream but we give God the glory in all. The sole reason of our calling is evangelism and we shall strive to enlarge our mission fields to the unentered areas in our fields’.
Similarly, Pastor Solomon Okonu, President of Port Harcourt West Mission in a press briefing after the programme enumerated mission projection his team will embark on stating that they would hit the ground running with their dreams and visions. “Church planting, mission expansion and touching the lives of our members for Chirst, will form the thrust of our policies”.
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According to the newly approved structure of the New Mission fields, the districts/groups from defunct Port Harcourt Conference are;
Akpor, Choba, Degema, Port Harcourt Central, Port Harcourt, Rumuepirikom, Rumuolumeni, Aluu, Rumuekini, Elele, Elele – Alimini, Obelle, Isiokpo, Ubima, Eneka, Nkpolu – Rumuigbo and Mgbouba in Port Harcourt West Mission, while Oro – Evo, Rukpoku, Rumuodomaya, Rumuokwurusi, Rumuokwuta, Trans Amadi, Elelenwo, Port Harcourt City Center, Akpoku, Akwukabi, Eberi, Igbo, Mba, Okehi, Ulakwo, Umuomara, Umunwaka, Egwi and Igbodo are in Port Harcourt East Conference.

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Charges Environment Ministry To End Bush Burning

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Government has ordered its Ministry of Environment to take necessary measures to identify and arrest individuals or groups indulging in indiscriminate bush burning in the state.

It also directed its Taskforce on Livestock Management to take proactive steps to checkmate the activities of cattle rearers to prevent the destruction of crops and farms across communities in all the local government areas of the state.

Acting Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directives while presiding over the 146th Session of the State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, quoted him as emphasizing on the dangers of bush burning to the environment, ecosystem and human health.

The statement added that the state’s number two man also warned those perpetrating the act to stop forthwith or face the wrath of the law.

To this end, Atasi added that the Acting State Chief Executive directed the Ministry of Environment to activate the taskforce, with a view to apprehending those found culpable and to ensure they are brought to justice.

On cattle rearers encroaching on farmlands and destroying crops, Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that the law on anti-grazing was still in force and should be implemented in all ramifications.

He, therefore, directed the taskforce on livestock management in the state to operationalize all machineries to ensure that herders carry out their trade within the limits of the law to avoid unnecessary destruction of lives and property, including crops.

“We want to use this opportunity to alert the public about the danger of bush burning. The hazards are quite known by everybody.

“Nobody should, for the sake of their farms which they want to keep clean and cultivate, jeopardize the health of other citizens. And so, the Ministry of Environment is hereby directed to activate the taskforce on anti-burning.

“The ministry must make sure that all those who are involved in bush burning are discouraged, and where they fail to comply, they should either be brought to justice or justice taken to them.

“In a similar vein, we are aware of the influx of herders into our state. The state taskforce on livestock management is hereby also directed to activate all machineries to ensure that herders don’t come into our state to destroy our farmlands.

“The law on anti-grazing remains in force and should be enforced in all ramifications. So, livestock management committee, both at the state and local government areas, should be activated and make sure that they curtail and contain every unnecessary grazing that is not permitted in our state”, he said.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders Caution Delta Over Propose Mangrove Forest Sale

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has cautioned the Delta State Government over its proposed sale of 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, for billions of naira.

According to the Tide’s source, HOMEF stated that carbon trade pollutes the environment, and it is dangerous to human nature.

The Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, who was a Guest Speaker at the Environment outreach magazine public lecture/annual award at Spring Hills Hotel in Asaba, explained that carbon trade is a killer disease which is bound to affect human beings including rivers.

Basse said through Blue Carbon or carbon trade, which is the sale of mangrove forest, people will calculate the carbon in the mangrove, then sell it as carbon credit.

“Delta State is proposing to sell 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, one of the biggest in the country to some companies whose intentions we believe is to sell the carbon to oil companies, and when they buy the credit, then they have the right to pollute.

“Carbon credit is set to upset the pollution that is why it is a false solution.

“So, it doesn’t work. We have to do what is right to nature, and not necessarily because of money. Don’t allow carbon trading, don’t allow waters pollution”, Basset stated.

Earlier, Bayelsa-born Noble Akenge, the publisher of Environment Outreach magazine, lamented the negative effects of environmental pollution in the State.

Akenge said the state, being the heart of petroleum activities, had suffered a lot of ecological damages due to oil spills.

The Environmentalist noted that the people’s major preoccupation of fishing and farming have been impacted seriously as most of their farmlands and even rivers and streams have been polluted by oil spills.

“The destruction of the rivers in Delta State represent the phenomena in most Niger Delta States where oil and related activities take place”, he added.

The source reports that Awards were presented to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among others.

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Accountability, Effective Service Delivery

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will remain committed to ensuring effective leadership, service delivery and be accountable to the people.

He made the remarks at the maiden edition of his administration’s ministerial briefing and end of year review in Uyo on Monday.

He said his administration would remain purely committed to delivering democracy dividends to Akwa Ibom people in line with its campaign promises.

The Governor stated that the ministerial briefing was to enable the administration to present its scorecard in the past 18 months.

According to him, the briefing is an enlarged executive council meeting aimed at presenting government’s scorecard and gaining new ideas.

“The exercise will enable Akwa Ibom people to evaluate and assess our government’s performance so far.

“In the past 18 months, this administration has been accountable, transparent and prudent in managing public funds.

“Release of funds must be tied to ideas and projects that will benefit the generality of Akwa Ibom people”, he said.

Eno stated that his administration is open to constructive criticisms, saying, ”I mean criticisms that will put government on its toes, and not smear campaign and condemnation.

“I must say that we have done well. It is left for critical stakeholders to analyse what we have done. We have tried to keep to the ideals of the ARISE Agenda”.

He said his administration is currently working on three major projects such as the Aviation Village, Ibom Deep Sea Port and Ibom Medical City.

Eno continued that the three major projects were capital intensive, and that his administration had to give priority attention to the airport project following its quick return on investment.

He commended his predecessor for embarking on projects that had strategic investment value.

According to the Commissioner, in 2025, his administration would be holding town hall meeting twice in a month to ensure public inputs to governance.

In his presentation, the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Capt. Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), said the State Government had religiously settled compensations for lands acquired from citizens.

Ekong stated that the government had successfully reclaimed all government lands that were acquired illegally.