Niger Delta

DPR Seals 60 Petrol Stations In A’Ibom

Published

10 years ago

January 21, 2015

The Department of
Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Eket, Akwa Ibom State said it sealed 60 petrol stations in the state between January and December last year.
DPR Controller of Operations in Eket, Asuquo Antai, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Eket, recently.
Antai said that the stations were sealed for selling petroleum products above the government-approved pump price of N87 per litre, under dispensing and operating without license.
He said that the sealed stations were among the 215 visited by the department’s monitoring team during the period, and that it also sealed 18 stations in Cross River State.
Antai said that the department would continue to monitor the quality and quantity of products lifted from the depots and received at the stations, to ensure that they met specifications.
“The depot owners were selling petroleum products above the approved price and the department intervened.
“We reminded them that government had subsidized the products and forced them to bring down the prices,’’ he said.
He, however, regretted that dealers in some areas still sold the products above the approved pump prices, but assured the consumers that the prices would soon normalize.
“They have started selling at depot prices. I expect that at the end of this week, the prices at the retail outlets will normalize,’’ he said.
The operations controller advised petroleum marketers in the state to shun unwholesome practices in their dealings to avoid the wrath of the department.
Antai restated the DPR’s commitment to monitoring petrol stations to ensure compliance with Federal Government’s directives on sale of the products.
“It is a continuous thing; we will keep going round and ensure that the prices of the products are stable. We will also ensure that the products are dispensed appropriately,’’ Antai said.

Niger Delta

Edo Governorship Election: Tribunal Relocates To Abuja

Published

40 mins ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has announced its relocation from Benin City to Abuja, effective Monday.

The tribunal, according to a notice by its Secretary, Mua’azu Bagudu, last Friday in Benin, will now sit at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja.

“I am directed to notify all parties that the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Benin City has been relocated to Abuja”, Bagudu said.

The Secretary advised the parties involved in the case to contact him on 08037200013 for further inquiries.

Meanwhile, The Tide’s source in the court explained that the relocation was at the instance of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, attributing the development to tension and feelings of insecurity at the premises of the tribunal in Benin.

The source had reported how a gunman suspected to be a political thug was seen shooting sporadically in the court area on January 15, saying “give us our mandate”.

The notice, however, came shortly after a data forensic expert called by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2024 election, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, had testified before the three-man panel.

The PDP and Ighodalo, who are petitioners in the case, are challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Niger Delta

Ag. Paramount Ruler Restates Stance On Recognition … As Factional Tussle Intensifies In Bayelsa Community

Published

41 mins ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

Acting factional Paramount Ruler of Otuaba Community in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, HRH Godgift Awo, has said the Ogbia Kingdom Council of Chiefs and Tradition Rulers recognizes him as the authentic Acting Royal Father of the community.

He made this disclosure recently during an interview with newsmen on a facts finding mission to his community.

According to the paramount ruler, upon the demise and successful interment of the former substantive paramount ruler of the ancient community, consultations on who becomes Acting monarch of the community were held.

He said before majority stakeholders and opinion leaders of the community he was unanimously installed as traditional ruler in acting capacity pending when the community would conduct elections to usher in a new substantive monarch.

He called on any other faction or individual from the community to stop parading as acting paramount ruler, noting that in all the dealings with traditional rulers of communities within the Oloibiri Clan, which the community falls into, he has been the only recognized and known ruler of the community invited to such meetings and occasions as tradition demands.

HRH Awo, who berated an alleged factional leader of the community (names withheld) for not wanting to sheath his sword for peace and progress to reign in the community, said all his attempts at calling for settlement of any lingering tussle in the community has proved abortive, alleging that there were unknown people secretly instigating factionalism in the community for their selfish ends.

“I’m the only recognize Ag. Traditional Ruler of Otuaba Community. I’ve my Council of Chiefs and elders, CDC, Youth cabinet and every other trappings of a functional community leadership intact.

“The Oloibiri Clan Council of Chiefs and traditional rulers too accord me respect as the authentic Ag. Paramount Ruler of this community, and I’ve been representing this community and participating in all affairs concerning paramount rulers and chiefs, be it from the Government or other concerns.

“I want to call for peace because without peace there can’t be any meaningful development and progress.

“Within the few years that I’ve been acting as monarch in this community, we’ve attracted some projects from the NDDC and other agencies of Government. I want everyone parading as factional Ag. Paramount Ruler of this ancient community to please give peace a chance”, he said.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Jonathan, Ogbuku, Diri Preach Unity, Peace … As Bayelsa Clan Installs Monarch

Published

42 mins ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said without unity and peace no community in the society can achieve any meaningful development.

He stated this at the coronation of a substantive king for the Emeyal Clan in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Wapaebiama David Amakiri, weekend.

Represented by a former Commissioner for Education in the State, Mr. Tobias James, Jonathan lauded the clan for their high sense of unity and love, noting that without love and peace the clan would not have been able to install a new monarch because progress would have been elusive.

The Tide learnt that Emeyal Clan is one of the four sister clans of the Ogbia Kingdom.

Jonathan advised the larger Ogbia Kingdom to learn to forgive one another and eschew rancour and acrimony, saying that the clan has once again demonstrated that with unity there is hardly any insurmountable obstacle and height in life.

“I want to thank the Emeyal Clan for their high sense of love, unity and commitment to progress and development. Without unity and love I believe this clan wouldn’t have been able to conduct an election which was regarded as very free, fair and peaceful which produced the monarch being installed here today.

“I also want to advise other clans and kingdoms in Nigeria to emulate the example of the Emeyal clan. I’ll also like to wish the new king well and success in his kingdom and reign. Emeyal clan has demonstrated to the world, especially the Niger Delta region, that indeed they’re a united, peace loving clan”, he said.

Presenting the staff of office, the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, cautioned against unlawful dethronement and acrimony, saying the Chieftaincy laws of the state were anti-illegal dethronement and unnecessary balkanization of kingdoms and communities.

Represented by the State’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, the State Chief Executive congratulated the new monarch, saying Government was willing to continue partnering and protecting the royal institutions, saying they are an integral fabric of peace and development in the society as well as institutions for cultural preservation.

“This coronation and presentation of Staff of office to the Obanobhan (King) of Emeyal Clan demonstrates our height of respect and synergy expected from both Government and the traditional institution.

“As you may know, our chieftaincy laws and other extant instruments in our state concerning installation of traditional rulers were against unlawful dethronement.

“I, therefore, urge the entire clan to cooperate for the unity, peace and progress of this kingdom. I want to congratulate the dynamic and peace loving people of this clan for their continued show of affection and love for each other and their resolve to forge ahead in togetherness and unity”, the Governor said.

Similarly, the Managing Director of the Niger Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, charged communities of the region to be more united in order to attract maximum benefits from the commission’s interventions, noting that without unity and peace there was nothing the agency could do in any disunited community or kingdom of the region.

He commended the Emeyal Clan and the people of Ogbia for disproving the alleged disunity in the kingdom.

“If anybody still believes that the Ogbia people weren’t united, I believe the crowd here, and the number of paramount rulers from various communities of the four different clans in this coronation ceremony has disproved them.

“As an agency, the NDDC can only operate in an atmosphere of unity, and peace. I therefore call on the Niger Delta communities to be more than ever be united and continue to eshew acrimony and disunity.

“Our mandate as a Commission is to develop within our capacity every community of the Niger Delta region. I want to equally thank the Emeyal Clan for the display of love, peace and cooperation among themselves and the communities of the clan”, he said.

The Tide learnt that the new Monarch’s coronation ceremony is coming after five years of interregnum upon the demise of the former substantive monarch of the kingdom, the late king George Adumein Lawson, which necessitated the appointment of an Acting monarch.

King Lawson, The Tide further gathered, died in 2021 and was interred months after.

Until his installation, the new substantive monarch was paramount ruler of Oruma (Yiba-Ama) Community, one of the twelve communities in the clan.

King Amakiri, who now goes by the appellation, Obanobhan 2nd of Emeyal Clan won a keenly contested election for the coveted stool in 2024, paving a way for his formal coronation and presentation of Staff of office by the Bayelsa State Government, last Saturday, at Emeyal Two Community, headquarters of the clan.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa