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Residents of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State came together in a show of unity and community spirit as the Asiwaju Odumosu Foundation organised a peaceful solidarity walk, on Saturday, in support of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun. The procession drew youths, women, traders and community members who filled major streets with songs, banners and […]

Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, told jurors on Monday, she did not abuse her position to seek or take bribes, as she stands trial on corruption charges in London. Alison-Madueke, minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, has pleaded not guilty to five- counts of accepting bribes and a […]

Threaten fresh action The Akoko communities of Ondo State have kicked against the failure of the state government to comply with the judgment nullifying the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state. Speaking on behalf of the people, a socio-cultural and developmental organisation in the state, the Akoko Development Group (ADG), threatened to seek […]

The Federal Government’s local content policy in infrastructure delivery is gaining traction on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, as HITECH Construction Company, contractor handling section 3B part of the highway ramps up community engagement and workforce inclusion across the Cross River axis. Field assessments and stakeholder interactions on Section 3B of the project reveal that […]

Cocoa and coffee farmers under the aegis of Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA), have announced a three-year development plan for Africa. According to them, the aim of the initiative was to inform stakeholders in the cocoa and coffee sectors, as well as the general public, of what COCEFAAA plans  up with […]

•Condoles military, state govt over escalating terrorists attacks The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for the immediate development, adoption, and implementation of a comprehensive national policy on the protection of civilians. A statement by the Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages of the NHRC, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, on Monday, said the Executive Secretary […]

By Paul Olayemi

OBITUGBO—For generations, the people of Obitugbo, a quiet Itsekiri community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have farmed, built homes, and raised families on land their ancestors settled centuries ago. 

The community is known for its peaceful coexistence with neighbours and hopes for a brighter future, including a proposed university that could transform local lives. But today, that future feels fragile. 

Leaders of Obitugbo community at a media chat noted that a storm of inflammatory statements and online rhetoric from certain individuals in the neighbouring Oghara community is threatening to tear apart the harmony they have carefully nurtured for decades. 

What began as claims over land has now escalated into fears of unrest between Itsekiri and Urhobo residents – two groups that have long coexisted without serious conflict. 

“We are not looking for a fight,” Mr. Joseph Taye Akuyoma, chairman of the Obitugbo Community Management Committee, said, his voice heavy with concern. “We are peace-loving people. But we cannot stand by while calls are made for outsiders to mobilise against us. Our children are afraid. Our elders are troubled.” 

The community’s plea is simple and urgent, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, they said, must step in now, before words turn into weapons. 

Obitugbo’s leaders pointed out that they are not strangers to dialogue. Over the years, they have resolved differences with neighbouring settlements through official channels, always choosing calm over confrontation, 

Dr. Chris Eburajolo, chairman of the Koko Community Management Authority, backed them up, affirming that Obitugbo’s boundaries are well established. Comrade Akra Utien Daniel of Ajagbodudu also echoed the same plea, respect history, respect borders, and protect coexistence.

But what keeps Obitugbo awake at night is not just the past; it is the promise of tomorrow. The community has been identified as a site for development projects, including the proposed University of Warri. For many residents, that university represents hope: jobs, education for their children, and a future beyond subsistence. 

“Stability is everything,” Mr. Dandy Adagba, secretary of the committee said. “If tension explodes into conflict, investors will flee. The school won’t come. Our young people will suffer. That cannot happen,” he added. 

The committee’s member, Pa Broderick Utienyin, an elder who has seen decades of change along the creeks and farmland of Warri North, puts it most simply: “This land is our identity. We will protect it, but we want to protect it in peace. All we ask is that the government sends security agencies to watch over us and call everyone to a table for dialogue.” 

As of now, no violence has been reported. But in Obitugbo, the air is thick with anxiety. Leaders are urging all parties to put down rhetoric, pick up reason, and remember that neighbours are not enemies.

The post ‘We only want peace’, Delta community pleads for help as land tension rises  appeared first on Vanguard News.

The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) has called on the newly trained agripreneurs to be ambassadors of postharvest loss reduction. The call was made by the Executive Director of NSPRI, Professor Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, at the closing ceremony of a two-day capacity building on postharvest management of agricultural products organised by the Lagos Zonal […]

By Samuel Oyadongha

OPOROMA—For six decades, the people of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area,  Bayelsa State’s largest council and one of Nigeria’s biggest waited in vain. Last Friday, their patience finally paid off.

President Bola Tinubu personally inaugurated the long-awaited Yenagoa-Oporoma road and also virtually, the Sagbama-Ekeremor road. 

The projects link remote communities in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor LGAs to the state capital, Yenagoa. Thousands of residents poured into the streets in frenzy.

The roads, which snake through vast swaths of wetland are part of the three senatorial corridors designed to access the Atlantic coast from three flanks: Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie (Bayelsa Central), Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge (Bayelsa West), and Nembe-Brass (Bayelsa East).

The long wait

Remarkably, these roads, intended to open up oil and gas hinterlands had sat on the Federal Government’s drawing board since the 1960s. This neglect fuelled deep resentment among locals who felt the government cared only about extracting their resources, not about their welfare.

However, the state government moved to shatter the myth of a “difficult terrain,” as Governor Douye Diri committed huge funds and deployed heavy-duty machinery to transform the landscape.

The Yenagoa-Oporoma road includes a 630-metre bridge across the Nun River to Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA. A spur links to Otuan, with Ondewari on the horizon. This project promises to change the fortunes of oil-and-gas-rich but long-neglected communities in the Central Senatorial District,  areas previously accessible only by water.

More than 60 communities and kingdoms in constituencies III and IV of Southern Ijaw, as well as Constituency III in Brass LGA, will enjoy drastically reduced travel times and lower transport costs. For one of Nigeria’s top oil-producing LGAs, the road corrects a historic injustice.

Meanwhile, the Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge road will accelerate development in far-flung communities such as Beautiful Gate, Oweigbene, Ndoro, Peretorugbene, Aghoro and Agge on the Atlantic coast. 

Bayelsa government officials say it completes a transformative corridor that will integrate formerly marginalised settlements into the state economy, raise living standards, and lay the foundation for sustained, inclusive growth.

Residents thrilled

It was no surprise that thousands turned out when Governor Diri led President Tinubu and his entourage into the heart of Southern Ijaw for the inauguration.

Southern Ijaw is historically significant, the area is host to the oil majors and several others. It also had the highest concentration of militant camps during the heyday of Niger-Delta militancy. Aggrieved Ijaw youths, protesting years of environmental despoliation and demanding economic restitution for the region, crippled the nation’s oil production. That struggle birthed the presidential amnesty programme under the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua’s administration. 

“This is a dream come true. Today, we are happy to drive to our ancestral land. Thanks to the one fondly called the ‘Miracle Governor’, Senator Douye Diri, for making us witness this historic moment. 

“The volume of traffic into Oporoma is amazing. For over 60 years we have waited. Our forebears will be thrilled wherever they are. Before now, only swamp buggies were ferried into communities to clear rights of way and lay crude oil and gas pipelines but the story is different now,” said Gabriel Owei, an elated resident. 

Chief Douyi Douglas-Naingba, Bayelsa State chairman of the Pan Niger-Delta Forum (PANDEF) and an indigene of the council area, lauded Diri’s infrastructural revolution, declaring that the “Prosperity Administration” is quietly building a legacy that will redefine the state for decades.

“This road is a major score for this administration,” he said adding: “It ends decades of maritime dependency for entire kingdoms. Governor Diri has done very well. He has amplified previous initiatives and done them better. We cannot pretend otherwise. This development will boost our economy and fundamentally improve the lives of our people.”

Alagoa Morris, Deputy Executive Director of the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and an indigene of the area, hailed the inauguration as a huge step forward that will positively impact the people’s socio-economic fortunes.

He said: “As we speak, we can drive to Oporoma and neighbouring Otuan community, and work is progressing towards Ondewari. 

“We are excited. Communities in the Olodiama clan, Apoi clan, even down to Ukubie and Koluama are happy.”

Another resident, who simply gave his name as ThankGod, appreciated Diri for the achievement despite the difficult terrain. 

“Most people can now drive straight from Yenagoa to their villages, reducing travel costs and man-hours,” he said.

Opuowei Jones, however, noted: “If this project had been executed several decades ago by the Federal Government, perhaps we could have hit Koluama on the Atlantic Ocean in the Central District, Agge on the western flank, and Brass in the eastern axis where work is also progressing simultaneously. 

“We could have avoided the many boat mishaps and pirate attacks that have claimed lives on our waterways. Since these corridors are federal roads, and given the commitment of the present administration, the Federal Government should take over the remaining segments to ease the burden on the state and enable it to face other challenges.”

The post 60 years of waiting ends as Bayelsa communities celebrate road inauguration  appeared first on Vanguard News.

JUSTICE Bello Kawu of the High Court of the  Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has declined the request of the Registered Trustees of Peoples Wellbeing Association to stop the renewal and restructure of the country’s pipeline surveillance contract awarded  to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd and others. Declining the request while ruling in an exparte motion, […]