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Group demands appointment of Ekpeye people into NDDC …Berates oil multinational on security

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A group known as Ekpeye Oil and Gas (EOG) Pipelines Host Families Association has held it’s Annual Celebration and Sensitization Programme for the year, 2023 with a call for federal government to include ekpeye sons and daughters in to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)

The event which was held on Tuesday at the National Secretariat of the Association along Omoku Road in Ahaoda East local government area of Rivers State attracted the cream of personality from the Ekpeye kingdom

Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the Organization- Comrade Dogini Chidi, noted that Ekpeye is one of the biggest contributors to the wealth of the Nation ,stressing that it host about Six Oil Multinationals with about Eight to Nine Licensed Oil Mining Fields.

He name some of the oil field being hosted in the area as OML 21, OML 22, OML 27, OML 28, OML 54, OML 58, OML 60, and OML 61. adding that Ekpeye Ethnic Nation also a host other major Crude Export Lines that holds the wealth of the Nation.

He wonder why the Ekpeyes are never considered for appointments or benefits noting that other groups are benefiting from juicy appointments than the Ekpeyes” the divide and rule tactics adopted by oil Multinationals was responsible for the unending crisis in the land, and has put the people down, and on a disadvantaged position.”

“As a way forward to having a better industrial relationship between Ekpeye people and the Oil Multinationals operating in the area, the Multinationals should give Ekpeye people the opportunity of being employed into various positions and be awarded contracts to, as rightly provided by the Local Content Act, to ameliorate their sufferings.”

The EOG National Chairman berated oil Multinationals on the for the underdevelopment of their Host Communities and lack of social infrastructures and other entitlements, especially, as contained in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that has since been signed into law.

“The Multinationals being referred to here, includes the following: Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Total Energies, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Aradei Holdings Plc (Former Niger Delta Petroleum Resources), Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), Power gas Nigeria Limited and Chevron. ”

” Federal Government to consider an Ekpeye Son or Daughter for appointment into the NDDC Board, in view of the quantum of contribution Ekpeye Ethnic Nation has made to the National Earnings.
what is good for the Goose is also good for the Gander, and that it will be a disservice to the people if the Federal Government would continue to treat the Ekpeye people like a subservient group and second class citizens.”

Speaking further when asked about the issue of security concerns often raised by the Oil Multinationals, Comrade Dogini said, that was the purpose and essence of the sensitization; to continue to concientize the youths on the need to stay away from artesinal refining, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalization, and other related vices.

The EOG Boss condemn the unwilling attitude of Oil Multinationals to supporting the Association in carrying out it’s Quarterly Sensitization Programmes. Expressing his chagrin dismay, the EOG Boss said, “I doubt the sincerity of the Companies to curb or end insecurity and Pipeline sabotage in our area. There are several evidences of our communication towards reducing insecurity, pipeline sabotage and oil theft in the land without meaningful response.
I strongly believe there are benefits that accrue to the IOCs by hoisting insecurity in their Host Communities in a bid to extract their Oil without meaningful development and benefit to the people; that must stop”.

He called on the Federal Government and other Regulatory Authorities to impress it upon the Multinational Oil Companies to support programmes aimed at ending insecurity, pipeline sabotage and oil theft in their Host Communities.

The EOG Boss used the opportunity to call on Oil surveillance Contractors to be Community friendly, noting that the “carrot and stick” approach remains a major challenges in the Host Communities.

used as cash cow and settlements for friends and cronies.

Other speakers who spoke at the event include Hon. Ibezhim Green Ogbuleka, Alhaji Abdulrazaak Philip Echeya, Dr. Captain Ogbuewe and Rt. Hon. (Engr) Mc Sunday Ugwu were of the opinion that non violent approach was the way to go in seeking for a better deal for the Ekpeye People.

 

By: Akujobi Amadi

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Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides

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Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.

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Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50  Schools

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A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of  illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.

John Bibor

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NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat

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The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.

 

He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.

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