This piece stemmed from my recent conversation/encounter with Honourable Udengs Eradiri, former President, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), former Commissioner for Youth Development, former Commissioner for Environment in Bayelsa state and Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa state. The encounter took place during the recently held Niger Delta Summit 2024, organized by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital. Beginning with the assessment of the present governing board and management of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Honourable Udengs described the present board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission…
Author: JEROME-MARIO UTOMI
In my previous intervention ‘’NDDC and Sustainable Development of Niger Delta Region’’ published in May this year, the piece objectively aligned with two striking observations. First, it admitted that it is not as if past administrations in the country did not, at different times and places make efforts to address the region’s challenges. But noble as those efforts were, considering the level of underdevelopment in the region, such effort appeared too insignificant and short of what is required to carter for the region’s development and more particularly, remains a far cry from what was needed to exorcise the ghosts of…
The much awaited, and much publicized 2-day Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit 2024, themed: Renewed Hope for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta, finally kick-started with technical session on Wednesday July 10th and expected to run through Saturday July 13th, 2024, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital. The event which has critical stakeholders drawn from NDDC’s mandate states in attendance was aimed at Developing strategies for economic growth and development of the Niger Delta Region, Translating the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into an actionable plan and articulating a roadmap for the sustainable development of the Niger…
Each passing day brings to mind the fact that the Governing board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is fast becoming a bunch trademarked for appreciating education as bedrock for sustainable development of the Niger Delta region and reputed for commitment to promoting learning among youths from the region, particularly the girl child. Aside from the well thought-out scholarships awarded few months ago, to 200 deserving candidates from the region to pursue Master’s Degrees overseas, a programme which of course forms an important component of the agency’s human capital development that seeks to use education to change…
Grand Knight Emeritus, Sir Tonna Okei has praised His Royal Majesty (HRM), Dr. Benjamin Keagborekuzi Ikenchukwu, describing him as a first-class traditional monarch who has redefined leadership and made the Traditional stool known for its sanctity and he’s a king of integrity, honesty and respect for the Rule of Law. He exhibits the highest level of professional and traditional ethics. The Ekuku Agbor born Tonna, who currently functions as President, South Carolina Organization of Africa Unity (OAU), and a Worthy Member Board Member Knights of Columbus stated that His Royal Majesty is a traditional monarch that daily demonstrates a mixture…
……Empowers Over 50 Constituents, Campaigns For PDP ……Says With PDP In The State, Better Days Ahead Ahead of Saturday September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo state, the campaign train of Team Dr. Angela Aburime- Asom, a proactive and politically conscious group supporting candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PFP)’ Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie, governorship and Deputy candidates respectively, on Friday June 21, 2024, stormed Uromi, the headquarters of Esan North East, to facilitate with market woman, pensioners, political party faithful and support their businesses financially. During the visit, Team Dr. Angela Aburime- Asom for Asue/Ogie, supported thirty 30 women…
Dennis P. Kimbro Ph.D., in his masterpiece ‘What Makes The Great Great’ wrote, ‘wisdom is acquired by living purposefully and objectively. The individual who knows where he or she is going and is determined to get there, will find a way or create one. There is no grander sight in the world than that of an individual fired up with a great purpose, dominated by one unwavering aim. Those individuals that society labels great reach high levels of performance by developing their talents to a very high degree in the field of their choice”. Crucially also, for those that have…
…Grand Knight Emeritus, Tonna Okei, Deputy National Coordinator, Team Dr. Uyi Igbinadolor for Asue/Ogie …Charges INEC on Free, Fair, Credible Elections …Says with prevailing political indicators in the state, victory is sure for Asue/Ogie, PDP . The Team Dr. Uyi Igbinadolor for Asue/Ogie, a formidable political pressure group, supporting the PDP candidates Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie for Governor and Deputy Governor respectively, has reiterated its resolve to use every legitimate and democratic means to assist the Edo state People’s Democratic Party (PDP) , achieve electoral victory in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. The Group also called on…
It is a pedestrian knowledge that Edo state Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in its well -considered wisdom, recently elected Mr Asue Ighodalo, an accomplished investment banker and Osarodion Ogie, former Commissioner, former Chief of Staff and incumbent Secretary to the State Government(SSG) to fly the party’s flag as Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates respectively, in the forthcoming gubernatorial contest scheduled for November 2024. It is also an open secret that as statutory demand, the party (PDP) constituted a campaign Council to derive the above objective, with North Carolina, United State of America (USA), based Dr. Uyi Igbinadolor, a famous medical practitioner…
History has it that during World War 1, a particular American Psychologist eager to contribute to war efforts, adapted binet’s intelligence test for the US Army as an inexpensive way to differentiate among large numbers of recruits. This was reportedly the first large-scale use of intelligence testing on a group of adults, and it suggested that this school based test could predict performance in nonacademic situations. This account recently came flooding while ruminating on efforts of the present Federal Government to chart a course and pilot the holistic development plan of the nation, and the Niger Delta region in particular.…
For the indigenes of Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Wednesday May 22, 2024, is a day that will be too difficult to forget. Even if they do, as it is essentially easy for humans to forget but hard to remember, the constant electricity they enjoy going forward, after 15years of darkness will always be available to remind them. Likewise, for the natives of Ogbia-Nembe communities in Bayelsa state, Saturday May 2024, shall remain ever green in their memories. Beginning with the people of Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, it was on the aforementioned date that President…
……. Okei Family Of Ekuku Agbor ……..Condoles With the Family ……..Described The Late Prof. As Academic juggernaut and doyen of Physical Education studies ……Asks the family to take solace in the lofty legacies he left behind. The Okei Family of Ekuku Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, has described as shocking and a personal loss, the sudden demise of Professor Emmanuel Ojemeh, Emeritus Professor of Physical Education, an outstanding family man and community leader, who passed away on Monday, May 20, 2024, at age 71. In a condolence message dated Tuesday, May 21, signed by Grand Knight…
Dr. Phillip Igbinadolor, an Edo born Medical Specialist based in North Carolina, United States of America and Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, has congratulated Barrister Osarodion Ogie, incumbent Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG) on his recent selection as the Deputy Governorship candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Edo state gubernatorial election, saying that his choice, signals a sure sign that the PDP will definitely stay in Osadebe House, the Edo State seat of power, beyond 2024. Igbinadolor made the remark via a release dated Friday May 17, 2024, personally signed by him…
The struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria from all forms of socioeconomic shackles that impedes infrastructural development, environmental justice and social mobility has been on for years, but recently gained momentum. Essentially, one leadership lesson from the present disposition in the region which flows from, and largely consist of positive efforts by Mr. Chiedu Ebie led governing board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and significantly manifest in the consolidated peace and unity that envelopes the region and its people, is that: the only difference between good and bad leaders lies in…
….. Sir Tonna Okei (Ikuku Oma), President of South Carolina Organization of African Unity (OAU) …..Foresees Igbinadolor Services In State Going Beyond Electioneering Season …….Congratulates The Globally Respected Health Professional …..Felicitates Edo People For Having Such An Illustrious Son The latest appointment of Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor, a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and Diplomate of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, as a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in the forth coming Edo state gubernatorial poll, has been described as not just a right step taken in the right direction…
As we ‘labour’ under the illusion of nation building, it is painfully obvious that closely allied to poverty is the high rate of unemployment which has markedly distorted development indicators in the country. Worse than the above reality is the new awareness that the defective nature of the nation’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) has equally discouraged and crippled development in the country to the extent that it is presently a major contributor to the mirage of problems confronting the nation. Its weak provisions have more than anything else conspired with other socio-economic challenges to make it possible for us as…
Talking about young people, the human development experts have described the stage as a moment of the storm, a stage in the developmental growth where young adults would want to explore and express themselves, as well as want to know more about the world. This uncensored urge naturally comes with an inherent challenge which adversely affects the youth’s education and promotes social vices such as; premarital sexual escapades, instant gratification, the proliferation of fake news and erosion of societal values. But looking at recent commentaries, it is no more an overstatement that our effort to create a more humane nation has recently…
Each passing day brings to mind evidence that Niger Delta region is on the march to becoming a zone of peace and sustainable development as promised some months ago by Mr. Chiedu Ebie, Chairman, Governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Through their actions and inactions so far, the board/management have demonstrated to be the true response to the social and economic challenges in the Niger Delta region. Reports and organized commentaries from critical stakeholders also indicate that both the governing board and management are laced with capacity to articulate the developmental needs of the people of the…
For many years, there exist a veiled agreement that one of the perverse and unintended consequences of the discovery of oil in Nigeria are that governments have almost completely abandoned agriculture in the mad quest for petrol dollars. The nation is a mono-economy, depending on the volatile fortunes of oil. Added to this governance failure is the further deterioration in agricultural fortunes caused by oil pollution. Thereby, oil pollution becomes an indirect violation of the right to life, even as it is a violation of the right to a safe and habitable environment. In view of the above ecological challenge,…
For the nine (9) mandate states under Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the past four months have refreshing transformational leadership experience, particularly the provision of solar lamps to various communities, among other ongoing infrastructures provisions such as roads and health facilities, by Mr. Chiedu Ebie led governing board and management, has further confirmed the inherent wisdom behind the bible injunction in Proverbs 29; 2, which says that ‘when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, But when the wicked rules, the people mourn’. Essentially, being a federal government agency established by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000…
It is no longer news that Grand Knight Emeritus, Sir Tonna Okei (Ikuku Oma), an Ekuku-Agbor, Agbor, Ika South Local government area of Delta state- born, but South Carolina, United State of America-based Nigerian, recently launched a book on the 16th of March, 2023, in the United States of America, titled ‘I Am Still Standing” where he gave a detailed account from 2021 till date of his hydra-headed health and socioeconomic challenges and how he emerged victorious. What is, however, newsy and uniquely interesting is that the 100 paged book which was the first from Knight Sir Tonna’s stable amply…
This piece was inspired by a recent statement credited to Barr Chiedu Ebie, Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), made to a delegation of Concerned Agbor Citizens (CAC), who were in his Agbor residence to congratulate him on his appointment as well as thank him for the thousands of streetlights that he influenced which currently dots urban and rural communities in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta state. In the referenced declaration, Ebie said in parts; my first task is to ensure that I work harmoniously with the managing director of the commission. We will not be…
Grand Knight Emeritus, Sir Tonna Okei (Ikuku Oma)an Ekuku-agbor, Agbor, Ika South Local government area of Delta state born, but South Carolina, United State of America based Nigerian, is globally recognized as President of South Carolina Organization of African Unity(OAU), a Honourable member of the board of trustees of knight of Columbus and a man that exudes torrents of energy when it comes to promoting Ika and Anioma cultures and tradition. What many of his admirers and cultural enthusiasts did not, however, know is that from 2021 till date, Knight Sir Tonna has, in the mixed of his social, religious,…
Similar to the provisions of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) , an international human rights treaty, adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and opened for signature on 30 March 2007, to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all disabled persons, the Delta State House of Assembly recently made ‘history’ with its passage of the disability protection bill, 2024. The bill which passed through the third reading at a plenary presided over by Emomotimi Guwor, the speaker…
When Mr Chiedu Ebie, the Chairman, Governing Board, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), during a send-forth held for retired staff of the Commission, in December, 2023, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, noted that the commission is poised to fast-track development of the Niger Delta region, only but few paid attention to that remark, but with the current accelerated and coordinated development ongoing in the region, it is obvious that Ebie’s remark has become a word made flesh. In the referenced statement, Ebie said; “The current governing board of NDDC is committed to quickening the…
Going by torrents of positive reactions and optimistic commentaries that trailed your recent appointment as the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme(PAP), it is evident that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, spoke the minds of Niger Deltans by providing answer to protracted demand as head of PAP, a development-minded fellow who understands the yearnings of the people, respected by the people and lives around the creeks. Again, aside from the above defining requirements, if someone unfamiliar with the region and its dynamics is asked to evaluate these commentaries that flows from your appointment, such a fellow…
It is a pedestrian knowledge that Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, inaugurated the 188-megawatt geometric power plant in Aba, Abia state, to accelerate power supply to industrial clusters in the region. The power plant is a private sector driven initiative and described as the first and biggest integrated electricity facility in Nigeria, located in the Osisioma industrial area of the south-eastern state and it is understood that Aba Power Limited Electric, a new electricity distribution company (DisCo), will take electricity from the plant and supply it to nine local government areas — out of 17 —…
It is a common knowledge that in pursuit of meeting the targets of 20 per cent (unconditional) and 47 per cent (conditional) greenhouse gas emission reduction as contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Accord reportedly signed by the President Bola Tinubu administration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited/TotalEnergies joint venture, recently achieved zero routine gas flare in all its assets. While it is obvious that “the significance of this achievement is that the last routine flare volume of about 12MMscf/d (12 million standard cubic feet per day) of gas has now been eliminated giving rise to a…
No man, according to Aristotle, chooses anything but what he can do himself. And thus, choice is limited to the realm of things humanly possible. Aristotle further stated that there is no choice among impossibilities. Choice, by its very nature, is free. A necessitated choice is not a choice at all but a great sacrifice. He concluded. The above lines from great Aristotle amply captures the ‘fate’ or better still the position of Asiayei Enaibo, Bobogbene community, a Warri, Delta state based journalist who made a necessitated choice/sacrifice by opting out of conventional journalism to explore formation that is supremely…
It is pedestrian information that pursuant to the provisions of Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday March 29, 2023, issued Certificate of Return to Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta state Governor-Elect. The ‘ritual’ followed his electoral victory at the Saturday March 18 gubernatorial poll in the state as conducted by INEC. But, similar to every new invention which comes with opportunities and challenges, many of Oborevwori’s opponents particularly candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP), in pursuit of their constitutional rights proceeded to the Delta…
