- The Port Harcourt Refinery Company is a five minutes drive to Ogoloma Community in Okrika Local Government areas in Rivers State. But it refused to respond to distress call made to it to release its fire fight equipment to assist in putting out an early Sunday morning fire that would have raze an entire community but for the bravery of a group of community youths. These youths volunteered, putting their lives in the line to put out the fire that started in a room at the ground floor of a two-storey building located along the green polo road in Ogoloma Town in Okrika. A sudden explosion within the building already aflame set fire splinters at the youths and burnt about twenty-six of the…

- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova had officially declared Port Harcourt as its World Book City for the 2014 because of the sustained literary activity propelled by the Garden City Literary Festival in the last five years. At the official unveiling ceremony of UNESCO logo at the ongoing literary festival in Port Harcourt, Nigeria Representative, Joseph Ngu, on behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO expressed confidence in the capacity of Port Harcourt to promote book development to combat illiteracy and ignorance in the country. Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi represented by the commissioner fo…

- There is a looming food crisis across the world. This portends frightening danger, of starvation and increased poverty. Regional governments have to wake up, take a step or two ahead of all policies drawn on agriculture and enter into a committed stage of implementation of those policies. What that means is that in Nigeria, for example is that the focus place on oil and gas production, while it subsists, attention should focus on agriculture. No doubt, so much money comes from the oil industry that enables us purchase everything we have creating huge imbalance. MORE TO COME.......

- With six geo-political regions into which Nigeria is delineated, the contribution to the national economy should have been on the basis of comparative advantage. But this is not the case; more worrisome is the near absence of attention given to harness the potentials agriculture presents in each region, and dare say in each state. Time and again, the call had remained strong and well meaning that individuals, corporate bodies and government take a decisive step to return attention to agricultural activities, grow the sector and make it a major revenue earner to the national government. At present, agriculture contributes merely 20% of the Nigeria total GDP, second to oil. This makes a min…

- Chief Bamanga Tukur had pulled 3185 votes at the 2012 National Convention of the People Democratic Party [PDP] to emerge as the chair to steer the affairs of the Party for the next four years. He was the only man standing to contest for the position after the other contenders stepped down amidst hazy conditions of touted compromise, and announced to the all the delegates present at the Eagle Square in Abuja that they were stepping down to please the party. Their decision was also to please the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, giving the reason that it was in the best interest of the party that they step down. Dr. Sam-Sam Jaja was returned unopposed as the National Deputy…

- Until today, the Port Harcourt Zoological Garden is the only place tourists in Rivers and Bayelsa States could visit to see a collection of animals, not necessarily endangered species. Of interest are the crocodiles that lay in the water, a particular type was seen with its head put out of the water to enjoy the heat of the sun when I visited, and this one had lived forty-five years. She is interestingly the first set of animals keeper of the zoo would quickly show to a visitor. But it is difficult for a visitor to confidently transverse the entire eight hectares of land on which the zoo is built. It is not too big to trek, or boring, it is rather not safe and of no attraction to take the…

- Though not a new concept, the fostering of a mutual relationship between universities and host communities will not only improve the living standard of the people but also tele-guide the process of development of critical sector of the economy as every potential would be tapped to make Nigeria occupy its leadership role in Africa. This leadership will be a break away from the denigrated positions Nigeria University had filled over the years. This was the thrust of the robust discussion at the second Biennial conference of pro- chancellors of state owned universities in Nigeria. The conference was a convergence of stakeholders in the academia and they attempted to divulge the theme of t…

- The Nigeria senate had endorsed one of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU for which it went on strike, to increase the retirement age of university professors in Nigeria at 70 years. Senate President, David Mark also appealed to ASUU to end its current strike that had ground academic activities in the country’s government own institutions. Senate also harmonised the retirement age of academic staff on universities, polytechnics and colleges of education under the bill sponsored by Senator Uche Chukumerije under an amended caption of “A Bill for an Act to further Amend the universities {Miscellanous Provision} Act 1993 to increase the retirement age…

After efforts made to conceal the attempt by some hoodlums to bomb the two brigade military headquarters in the oil rich city of Port Harcourt on the eve of last Christmas, the commander of the two brigades, Brigadier General Tukur Buratai had confirmed that the suspected hoodlums have been arrested. - Investigation has also revealed that the suspects have a link to the Boko Haram group, a notorious Islamic sect that had claimed responsibility to the series of bombings and killings in the northern part of Nigeria. The suspects also targeted to bomb the Residential Area of the Shell petroleum development company, a major oil exploration company, located at the Port Harcourt Aba Expressway …

- Knowledge of diabetes is low among residents of Umuasukpu village in Igboh Etche in Etche Local government area, which is about less than 100 kilometre drive from Port Harcourt via the Eleme Junction off Port Harcourt Aba Expressway. The people attributed the disease to the rich who live in the cities and hardly eat native food. They also construe that it is a measure that checks on the excesses of the rich who continued to exploit the poor to ride in affluence. This posture is not in itself the most the worrisome aspect, it is the fact that they also do not know of a world day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness on the dangers of the disease. In Umuasukpu village, there…

World President of Rotary International, Kalyan Banerjee says it is possible to stamp out polio of the world by 2012 if governments of the various countries across the world beef up their efforts at eradicating the polio scourge as demonstrated by Nigeria and the India governments. - Banerjee expressed the optimism when he spoke with reporters in the oil rich city of Port Harcourt in Nigeria. The world president was in that country on a working tour of Rotary Districts to commend Rotarians and the Nigeria government for their sustained efforts at eradicating polio. He also ascertained the strategies employed by them to achieve the near zero case status of polio infection in the country. …

Federal lawmakers in the Nigeria senate, Senator Magnus Abe and Senator Chris Ngige have called for a change in the political and economic structure prevalent in the country that frustrates meaningful creation of wealth for the benefit of the growing number of over one hundred and fifty million Nigerians. The current practice perpetrates poverty in the country. - They decried the situation that promotes wholesale exportation of the barrels of crude oil produced in the country with the refine products eventually imported for local consumption. The result visible over the years is the stifling of operations of the four refineries in the country built to refine the crude oil produced from the d…

- In Nigeria, the general elections have eventually taken off. This is after the two times postponement it suffered, first being on the 2nd April and the second being on the 4th April. And though the enthusiasm of electorates as shown last week was absent on this Saturday 9th April 2011, the about 73.5 million registered Nigerians are indeed willing to vote candidates of their choice for the national assembly. But the day had been heralded with a bump blast at the INEC office in Suleja, 20 km (12 miles) from the nation’s capital Abuja. And the police had confirmed about 12 persons killed and 27 injured. And despite the time INEC had, the process was also delayed. In all the elec…

The Christian church has popularized the paying of tithe. This is so because we are in the era of commercial Gospel. And financial giving is a principal focus than genuinely leading the people to live consistent Christian life. Paying of tithe; one tenth of an income, is a regular plea from the pulpit. And often the teaching on it is obviously calculated, rightly or wrongly to make most people feel more coaxed to pay tithe. How does God see such hearts of fear? - But the strong line is what it guarantees. It puts one on a fast ride on the lane of financial prosperity. If this was true, the teacher clergy who teaches tithing and to whom it is brought would definitely be the fastest rider. He…

- More patients have continued to complain of contacting diseases from medications administered on them at health centres. They suspected the syringes used to inject the medication on them. This has created apathy among patients who now decline submitting themselves gladly to any medication that involves the use of syringes. This practice is perpetrated by medical officers who knew the implication of what they are doing but are determined to cut corners at the detriment of the health of the people. It is also common practice in government owned health centres and privately run centres alike. Thus leaving the people, especially the sick, who are the most vulnerable people to an ugly dile…

- More patients have continued to complain of contacting diseases from medications administered on them at health centres. They suspected the syringes used to inject the medication on them. This has created apathy among patients who now decline submitting themselves gladly to any medication that involves the use of syringes. This practice is perpetrated by medical officers who knew the implication of what they are doing but are determined to cut corners at the detriment of the health of the people. It is also common practice in government owned health centres and privately run centres alike. Thus leaving the people, especially the sick, who are the most vulnerable people to an ugly dile…

Kerosene explosion in personal homes has become an ugly phenomenon. Many people have become victims innocently and the number is increasing with a frighteningly high disquiet in the polity. The unlucky users are burnt to death or they suffer first degree burnt on their bodies. Sadly, it could engulf an entire family because the explosion fire consumes wildly. - It happens when they try to refill the tanks of lanterns or stoves while the flame still glows. And as the kerosene pours into the tanks, it increases the pressure and the flame glows uncontrollably until it explodes. All these happen within a split second and then the harm becomes grave. The reason is this: Adulterated kerosene ha…

Since the 1999 outset of democratic rule in Nigeria, public taps have not had water running in them consistently. These are at variance with the prime days of the Garden City, for example when the entire Rivers State had regular water supply. The water flowed freely in all water taps. The rivers of water; saline and fresh, which surrounded the state, were not the trusted drinking water sources. - Government was dutiful to provide the water needed for drinking. And every social service worked then. Drinking water ran through and out of public and yard taps. It was trusted and safe. Only a few streams were trusted and relied upon by the people to fetch drinking water. That was mostly in the ru…

It was always said that a public protest involving youths, if not properly guarded could escalates. The result would be a greater destruction than was intended. So it seemed with the well planned out public protest. The youth members were from the Elelenwon community in Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers state showing remonstrant. - The resolve was firm, a product from several meetings. That was the motivation that propelled the select Youths of Elelenwo community. The protest match held on a Tuesday’s morning, had up to a hundreds expressing anger, howbeit, wildly and overzealously. It showed a high level exhibition of exuberance. Such that was always considered to be part of …

- Two tankers carrying petroleum products had fallen over each other at the Fougeroulle Company axis, close to the old toll gate along the Port Harcourt Aba Expressway where a perennial water log situation had become a deep pond to frustrate movement for close to six months. The heat from the exhaust pipe of one of the tankers had ignited fire creating astir situation. One of the tankers had fallen over earlier in the morning of Thursday 17th June 2010 spilling its content into the water as it pulled through the logged water. The taunts who were always there to do quick business were assisting the driver to keep the right path but the tanker slipped off the track and capsized. The second…

- One percentage of the total contract sum awarded to every contractor to execute any business in the oil sector in the country will be deducted and set aside to fund the smooth implementation of the local content policy. The local content law was recently signed by the president. Its focus is to open up the oil industry so that indigenous entrepreneurs can participate actively in the sector and stem the huge importation regime that is prevalent in the sector. The Executive Secretary, the local content Board set up in 2010, Mr. Ernest Nwapa who made the revelation at the Ogu-Onne free zone when he addressed some stakeholders at the commissioning of a facility built by a local fabricat…

The Director of World Editor's Forum, Bertrand Pecquerie, has urged Nigerian Journalists to establish more local newspapers in that country to bridge the information gap and make news accessible to more rural dwellers. - Pecquerie was speaking at the 6th Nigerian Editors Conference that held in Port Harcourt where he observed that the number of local Newspapers currently at the newspaper stand were not enough to serve the population of the Nigeria society. He said journalists have the duty to report every event and activities that happen in the society and concentrating attention in the urban city alone defeats the moral integrity of the profession. He frowned at the ‘short…

- Journalists practising in the Nigeria have been challenged to be mindful of the chord that binds different sections of the country, through research, cross-checking of issues and project creative ideas that can propel development. Minister of information and communication Professor Dora Akunyili gave the charge at the sixth all Nigerians Editors Conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital. The three-day conference has as its theme “oil and gas, post-amnesty and the Nigerian editor” Professor Akunyili who noted the challenges that confront the country said the plethoras of personal innovation among several positive things were hardly reflected by the local media…

- Biglo was in room seven of hostel B at the Delta Park campus of University of Port Harcourt. Fastgirl was going to call out Biglo for Mr. Paul. She swung her waist to allure him as he sat in his SUV car parked under the Mango tree. He had given her a handshake of two thousand naira for the trouble. Mr. Paul looked around while Delta Park winked at the dusk. . At University of Port Harcourt, men always hung around for new catches. They could win or lose. But Mr. Paul was not there for that game. He was a serious mind who had met Biglo at a birthday party two months ago. He looked down from the door. The grasses were caressing the car tires. Some cellophane floated around here. So…

- In Nigeria, the acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has dissolved the Federal Executive cabinet. the announcement was made shortly after the weekly executive meeting in Abuja. The dissolution is coming on the heel of the signing of the Oil and Gas bill into law three days ago and weeks after some cabinet members had been dropped. This dissolution is the biggest move undertaken by the Jonathan led administration. The list of the new members of the cabinet is yet to be made public. Dr. Jonathan became the head of Government on 9th February after the National Assembly ratified and empowered him to become the commander in chief. That position gave him power to sign bills, reshuffle t…

- Many are doubting it but Nigeria Power Minster Mr. Lanre Babolola has stated that the Federal government can not meet the electricity need of the over 150 million population in the country without reforming the power sector and creating the environment for private sector investors to participate. The minister who was addressing a meeting of stakeholders and media executives at Abuja said the government had had sundry lingering debts and the sum required to restructure the Power Holding Company of Nigeria would cost about N400 billion to offload liability, and another N17 billion is needed for pension. “Almost all the companies that have enjoyed various grants from the governm…

- At about 11.30 Monday morning in Nigeria, Warri, the capital city of Delta State experienced a rude shock resulting from blast of bombs near the government house annex, conference hall and set at stir the attendees to the post-Amnesty conference organized by the Vanguard Newspaper and sponsored by the Delta State Government. The conference was already under way and as the chairman of the session General Andrew Azazi concluded his opening statement what followed was a reverberation from the bomb blast; two times, and shattered the window glasses of the hall. The quests and host all scampered to safety and the conference ended. Many are said to be injured in the process. Rumbles of th…

- At about 11.30 Monday morning in Nigeria, Warri, the capital city of Delta State experienced a rude shock resulting from blast of bombs near the government house annex, conference hall and set at stir the attendees to the post-Amnesty conference organized by the Vanguard Newspaper and sponsored by the Delta State Government. The conference was already under way and as the chairman of the session General Andrew Azazi concluded his opening statement what followed was a reverberation from the bomb blast; two times, and shattered the window glasses of the hall. The quests and host all scampered to safety and the conference ended. Many are said to be injured in the process. Rumbles of th…

- In Ogoni land in Rivers State of Nigeria, 813 youths involved in illegal crude oil bunkery has promised to stay away from oil installations and have surrendered implements they used in their illegal refineries business of distilling crude oil. The surrendered is sequel to the first arrest of 250 youths by the task force on eradicating illegal bunkery in the Ogoni areas, set up by Governor Chibuike Amaechi. The task force made up of Ogoni people is to rid the area of such activities to make real and effective the task of the Federal Government committee saddled with the responsibility of remediation of the highly impacted Ogoni area. But the high bunkery activities of Ogoni youths had f…

- An exercise undertaken in an Air force Plane, intended to be a demonstration designed to test the emergency preparedness among Nigeria Air force, naval and other air emergency personnel had suffered a landing accident at the Port Harcourt International airport this afternoon. About 52 passengers comprising 24 mock casualties, naval officials and journalists lost control after landing and swerved off the tarmac into the bush. There was an initial confusion following the incident among the passengers who made frantic moves to escape. But most of them sustained injuries in the process. No life was lost in the crash. The wounded had been rushed to the Rivers state government owned Braithw…

- Sequel to the midnight attack on Christians by Fulani Cattle herdsmen on residencts in Doko Nahawa, Jos In Northern Nigeria, the National House of Representatives has passed a resolution on Thursday asking the Directorate of the National Youth Service Scheme to re-deploy the 2010 Batch ”A” corps members corps,1,211 in number be posted to Plateau State. The House demanded that the corps members should be reposted to neighbouring states owing to the security situation in parts of the Plateau state. The motion by the member from Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ikperikpo Ekpo, said the lives of the youths are endangered. He argued that they could become victims of a crisis they knew n…

- A midnight attack on residents in Dogo Nahawa village in Jos south Local government in Plateau state in Northern Nigeria by suspected Hausa cattle rearing Fulani had left about 200 persons feared dead. The attackers came upon the community at 2.30am in the night breaking into Sunday, set the house ablaze and used machetes and shot several rounds of gun at the residents who were running out from the burning houses for rescue. Most of those killed were children including sucklings and women. The chief Medical director of Jos teaching hospital, Dr. Pam Dantong said victims; wounded and dead were brought to the hospital as early as 5.30 am Sunday morning. And attention is been given…

Former Ghanaian president JJ Rawlings had warned Nigerians against the use of violent reform of the nations political and socio- economic landscape. He said such times were gone and the best way to effect change lies in dialogue and peaceful means. - The former coupist was speaking with journalists shortly after he had paid a courtesy call on the acting president of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan at his official residence in Abuja. Rawlings, who ruled Ghana for nearly 20 years was in Nigeria for the Commonwealth Local government forum in Nigeria. He said Nigeria has the persons and institutions and required proper application of the laws to stem corruption. He applauded the peaceful wa…

Greediness and amassing of wealth at the expense of the indigenous poor are the causes of the continent's problems, noted former president of Ghana, J.J Rawlings. He said African leaders' desire to stash money into foreign accounts has adversely affected progress especially in the Niger Delta. - Rawlings was making a presentation on “Leadership for Sustainable Development in Africa” in Rivers State capital at a sustainable development summit on Monday. The former military dictator said in the face of the exploitation as experienced in the region, the people have reasons to be bitter. He noted that it has left them with a disrupted basic means of livelihood. He called…