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Why We Called For Lokpobiri’s Redeployment -IYC
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has clarified that the reason it called for the redeployment of the Minister for State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, was not borne out of parochial sentiment, but out of genuine desire to address issues bedeviling the petroleum sector.
The IYC in a statement signed by Maobuye Nangi Obu, the IYC Secretary-General; Comrade Miracle Iyaye, National Women Leader; Tamunotonye David Altraide, National Legal Adviser and Comrade Abiye Bob-Manuel, National Deputy Director of Mobilisation, said since the emergence of Dr. Lokpobiri as the portfolio’s minister, there had been unresolved issues from his office, threatening the country’s economy.
The council insisted that Lokpobiri’s continuous stay in the office, where he lacked the expertise, was making life difficult for Niger Delta people and the country.
The council frowned at the negative insinuations its earlier statement generated and insisted that there was no time it called for the removal of Lokpobiri as a minister.
The IYC executive members observed with dismay that instead of addressing their concerns, some persons were already reaching out to the minister to milk him financially with a promise that they would tame us.
The IYC officials said contrary to the position of the IYC Spokesman that the council passed a vote of confidence in Lokpobiri, there was no time a meeting was called for such purpose, insisting that no confidence vote on the minister was passed by the council.
They clarified that only the Secretary-General of IYC reserved the right to convene the meeting of council to deliberate on issues such as confidence votes.
They further added that instead of addressing issues they raised in their statement, the Minister had resorted to using his younger brother, Jonathan Lokpobiri, who is the President of IYC to attack and try to intimidate them.
The officials said: “We are not attacking the personality of the Minister and we are not saying that he is not an illustrious son of the Ijaw nation.
“All we are saying is that the Minister is occupying an office he knows nothing about and that he lacked the knowledge to confront the issues bedeviling the oil subsector of the petroleum industry. His lack of capacity and technical know-how is eroding the gains of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our observations have been confirmed by the President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOST COM) High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi, when he led members of his organisation to visit the Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, at the weekend.
“Instead of embarking on a witch-hunt against us, we advise the Minister to sit up and address issues causing hardship for Nigerians and giving President Tinubu’s administration a bad name”.
The council said it only wanted the minister to be posted to a ministry where he could utilise his experience and recalled that Lokpobiri performed better when he was the Minister of State for Agriculture.
The executive officials, however, said Lokpobiri could begin to exert himself as the minister of Petroleum, oil, by explaining the current crisis in the petroleum sector and circumstances surrounding the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
The council insisted that in developed countries, ministers, who discovered that there were forces stopping them from discharging their duties either sought redeployments or resign their offices.
The officials said being a Minister in a critical subsector like oil, which is the nucleus of the Nigerian economy, without having the powers to call the shots, would continue to give the occupant of such office a bad name.
The IYC officials said: “Our statement was not borne out of any parochial sentiment. We have highest regard for the Minister having served in different capacities. But what we are saying is that his continuous stay in the Ministry is making things more difficult for people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians.
“What we expected was for the issues we raised to be addressed. But sadly, political jobbers, disgruntled elements and some expired politicians have jumped in to catch on the issue and milk the Minister dry. They want to milk him with the assurance of taming us. He should be weary of them.
“We also want to restate that we didn’t call for his sack as some people have been saying. We only ask for his redeployment which is not out of place. He did far better as Minister of State for Agriculture so if this current position is overwhelming then he should be moved to another ministry.
“We have said that we will not support a non-Bayelsan or ijaw to occupy that office. So, even if he is redeployed we are advocating for his replacement to come from the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
“Those attributing out position to be a declaration of war between the Eastern and Central zone are missing the point. We will not condescend to their absurd level of reasoning and thinking.
“We want to be personal, there are too many things before us that we will unleash but we don’t want to go there. We call on the Honorable Minister to explain to Nigerians what is going on with the Port Harcourt and Warri Refinery and also tell those around him not to aggravate issues”.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor