Niger Delta
Bayelsa Warns Communities Over Indulgence In Violence …Wants Women To Vacate NAOC Site
Bayelsa State Government has again warned communities embroiled in land and boundary disputes to refrain from resorting to armed violence, saying government would deal decisively with any community found wanting.
The State’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the warning at a recent meeting with leaders of Elepa and Egweama communities in Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas respectively.
He said government would not hesitate to apprehend leaders of communities, who encourage armed conflicts with their neighbours over ownership of ancestral lands.
The Deputy Governor called on the leaders of the communities to maintain the peace in their areas, as the ownership of the land where the Elepa Oil Fields are located is the subject of an ongoing legal suit at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Emphasizing the need to maintain the existing peace in all parts of the state, the Deputy Governor made it clear that as a responsible government, the Governor Douye Diri-led administration would not watch two communities go to war.
To this end, he directed the state Police Command to liaise with other security agencies to protect lives and property in the area, including the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facilities at the five Elepa oil wells.
He added that government might direct the SPDC to open an escrow account into which all royalties accruing from the five oil wells will be paid, pending when the Supreme Court delivers its judgement on the land ownership dispute.
Representations were made by the Chairman, Nembe Divisional Council of Chiefs, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, the CDC Chairman of Egweama, Mr. Tonye Yemoleigha, and the Paramount Ruler of Elepa Community, His Royal Highness Gelegukuma Apiri at the meeting.
In another development, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has appealed to the leaders of Okoroma clan to prevail on their women to vacate Nigerian AGIP Oil Company (NAOC) Oil Flow Station belonging to the NAOC, as machinery had been put in place to address their grouse.
He made the appeal at a meeting with representatives of NAOC and leaders of Okoroma led by the Chairman of the Okoroma Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness Ebinimi Donka Solomon.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who expressed government’s concern about the power outage in Okoroma, urged the people to demobilize from the oil platform, since the company had already started repairing the broken down power plant to restore power in the clan.
The Bayelsa number two man, however, decried the attitude of oil firms for always failing to fulfill promises they make to their host communities, stressing that maintaining their integrity will make things easy for themselves, the government and the communities.
“Government is really, really concerned about the light issue in Okoroma, which has led to the shutdown of the NAOC oil flowstation there.
“We want you to talk to your women and prevail on them to leave the facility. We have already told NAOC to take steps to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
“We expect the oil companies to maintain their integrity by fulfilling their promises. They should make things easy for government”, he said.
In their joint presentation, the Chairman of the Okoroma Chiefs Council, Chief Ebinimi Donka Solomon, and the spokesman, Chief Kienwiro Nanyo, explained that the women occupied the flow station because of the protracted electricity problem in the area.
While appreciating the effort of government to resolve the issue, they also appealed to the State Government to establish a functional hospital in the area as there is none in the entire clan.
Speaking on behalf of the NAOC, the Stakeholders and Community Development Manager, Mrs. Moji Olorode, assured that the company was intensifying efforts to restore power supply to Okoroma.
Olorode, who thanked the State Government for intervening in the matter, noted that there were some safety concerns at the occupied oil flow station that needed to be addressed to forestall unnecessary loss of lives and property.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
The Federal Government has handed over 24,180 bags of 50kg maize and 5,828 bags of 25kg ‘garri’ to the Akwa Ibom State Government for distribution to vulnerable households.
The Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, made the presentation on behalf of the Federal Government in Uyo, the State Capital.
Represented by Mrs. Mmandu Aisueni, the Head, Operations, NEMA, Akwa Ibom State office, Umar said the donation was in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to Nigerians.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government approved the release of 42, 000 metric tonnes of assorted food items from the National Strategic Reserve to vulnerable households.
Umar said that the president’s promise was the government’s way of reducing the impact of the current economic hardship in the country.
“We are here to hand over the food items to the state government for distribution to the intended beneficiaries in the communities”, she said.
The NEMA D-G said that the food items should be shared in the communities through properly constituted committees at the local government levels.
She said membership of the local government committees should include the council chairman, representatives of the State Emergency Management Agency and the traditional institutions.
Umar said 20 per cent of the food items for each council area should be given to religious groups, and that three per cent of it should be given to boarding schools in the area.
Receiving the items, Dr Offiong Offor, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, commended the Federal Government for the intervention.
Offor said that the gesture was a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the wellbeing of the citizenry.
The commissioner promised that the state government would ensure that the items were given to the intended beneficiaries.
The Delta State House of Assembly has commenced public hearing on the State Human Trafficking (Prohibition) Bill, 2024.
The Tide’s source reports that the public hearing was organised by the House Committee on Housing, Women Affairs, Humanitarian Support Services and Girl Child Entrepreneurship in Asaba.
Chairman of the committee, Mrs Bridget Anyafulu, said the hearing was to provide members of the public the opportunity to offer contributions to the proposed law.
“The ultimate goal is to ensure that the state has a law that adequately answers to the challenges it seems to address and satisfy the needs and aspirations of our people and society.
“We have invited you to join us to make a law that will help to effectively address and eradicate the odious practice of human trafficking in our state.
“We know that as stakeholders, the effective participation in making this law will go a long way in enhancing the quality of the law that will finally emerge from the process”, she said.
Anyafulu assured the stakeholders that the committee would look into their suggestions and consider areas that could help to strengthen the bill as well as enhance its quality.
On her part, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl Child Development, Ms. Orode Uduaghan, called for the inclusion of the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in the implementation process.
It also reports that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), State Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), among others, were involved in the public hearing.
They commended the State Executive for initiating the bill and called for its speedy passage.
A group, Concerned Obidient Movement, has declared support for Mr. Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 21 Edo State governorship election.
Leader of the group, Mr. Ikhuenbor Igbinevbo, told newsmen in Benin that the election transcends individual personalities.
“It is a critical moment that will shape the future of Edo. The PDP is creating a climate of renewed political energy that promises sustainable progress.
“Its candidate, Ighodalo, and the deputy, Osarodion Ogie, possess the vision and qualifications that align with the aspirations of Edo people,” he said.
Igbinevbo highlighted the candidates’ deep understanding of the State’s challenges and potential which, he said, positions them to lead the state into a new era of prosperity and responsible governance.
He urged Edo people, both at home and in the Diaspora, to unite in their support for the PDP and its candidates ahead of the election.
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