On Thursday, February 28, 2023, it was a carnival-like atmosphere in Bane Community, the late Ken Saro-Wiwa’s hometown, as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) kicked off the installation of approximately 300 Hybrid Solar-powered streetlights in the community through the Commission’s Rivers State Office.

Chief Tony Okocha, the most performing Rivers state representative on the NDDC Governing Board, stated during a courtesy call to the Palace of the Gbenemene of Ken-Khana kingdom, HRM King Barile Yornah Deebom (JP), that the 7th NDDC Governing Board, led by the Chairman, Ebie Chiedu, and the MD/CEO, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, found it worthy to light up Bane Community through to Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Park in honour of the late icon, Ken Saro-Wiwa

According to him, “The NDDC Chairman, Barr Ebie Chiedu, our Managing Director, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, and other board members are very interested in bringing development to the nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta Region, which is why we have come here today to light up Bane with hybrid lights. I can assure you that we will promptly address Bane community roads in order to facilitate movement.”

During the project’s official launch, Chief Okocha emphasised that it “is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in ensuring that the welfare of the people is prioritised.”

He thanked President Tinubu for appointing the best of the best to the 7th Governing Board of the NDDC, saying, “Let me reassure Niger Deltans that the 7th NDDC Governing Board is poised to rewrite the history of the NDDC by ensuring that the people of Niger Delta feel the impact of the Commission.”

HRM King Barile Yornah Deebom JP, the Gbenemene of Ken-Khana kingdom, praised the NDDC for this gesture in his “Thank You” speech. He specifically thanked the state representative on the NDDC Board for this extraordinary display of love for the Bane Community by bringing these massive projects to the community.

Other speakers at the event expressed gratitude and appreciation to the NDDC for the project, including the President of KAGOTE, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah; the Chairman of Khana LGA, Dr. Thomas Bariere; environmental rights activist and APC chieftain, Hon. Celestine AkpoBari; Hon. Mrs Caroline Nagbor; and the elder brother of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, Chief Harry Wiwa, among others. The event’s highlight was a minute of silence in honour of the late icon, led by Chief Tony C Okocha KSC JP DSSRS.

Earlier in the day, Chief Okocha paid a visit to Rumuekini’s community secondary school, which was built by a local women’s organisation.

He was almost moved to tears because of the dilapidated facility where little children were learning. While speaking to the school authority, the Rivers NDDC Representative said, “I am quite saddened with what I have just seen. To say that the structures built by a women group of Rumuekini and handed over to the Rivers state government in 1995, has witnessed total dilapidations, is an understatement.

“I assure you that we will look into how to help the school and improve learning conditions. If a contagious disease outbreak occurs, we will lose a large number of students, which cannot and should not happen; how can a class of 100 students learn on a bare floor? Fortunately, help will and has arrived.

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has continuously given incredible support to the Nigerian military and in many instances risked his life visiting frontlines to motivate troops, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has stated.

The minister made the remarks on Tuesday at the council chamber of the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri.

He said: “My brother (Governor Babagana Zulum), the troops here in Borno and indeed the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) asked me to send their appreciation to you for all the support that you have been rendering to the military. You have been supporting us in all our operations, thank you most sincerely. Sometimes you even risk your life supporting and encouraging our personnel, we appreciate you.”

The minister noted that their visit was at the instance of President Bola Tinubu to assess the security situation in the theatre of operations in Borno State to see the end of over a decade of insurgency.

The minister spoke in the presence of his colleague, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mutawalle, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogala and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, all of whom were on the trip to Borno State.

In his response, Governor Babagana Zulum reiterated his commitment to continue to support the Nigerian military in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency across the northeast.

He said: “As Governor of Borno State, In Sha Allah, I will continue to support the Nigerian military to achieve our objective of bringing lasting peace and stability to Borno and by extension, Nigeria. I will continue to provide the political will needed to achieve this objective.”

The Governor noted that the security situation in Borno has tremendously improved, but charged the military to root out the remnants of the insurgents from Sambisa forest, Mandara Mountains, and the enclaves in the Lake Chad Basin to completely end the insecurity.

The Governor added that stability in the Lake Chad Basin will allow Governments from all levels to harness the agricultural potential of the Lake towards achieving President Tinubu’s food security initiative.

Zulum expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the leadership he has been providing to address the problem of insurgency in Borno and other security challenges across the country.

Akwa Ibom State Government has declaredt he threat by the APC Presidential Candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu to send reptiles to invade the Governor’s lodge in Lagos and eventually seize the property, an insult to its government and people.

The state government in a release titled “Tinubu’s insult on Akwa Ibom people unwarranted, uncharitable and anachronistic” signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday says the threat is taken very seriously, considering Tinubu’s antecedents.

The Akwa Ibom Government declared such unwarranted outburst as immature and totally unexpected of a person of Tinubu’s advanced age, reminding him that Akwa Ibom has been home to all Nigerians (including Yoruba people), who have, over many years, done businesses and even resided in the state, without any threat to them or their business.

“On the scheduled date, the Presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, a state-owned and managed airport, without any hitch or hinderance and proceeded to the venue of his campaign, without any negative reaction from the citizens (as witnessed in other states where presidential candidates are stoned by youths in states not controlled by their party).

“At the venue, he, Tinubu, without any provocation, went on to hurl insults and threats at the government and people of our state. Questioning the legitimacy of our Governor and threatening to send reptiles to invade the Governor’s lodge and eventually seizing the property.

“The Government and people of the state did not at any time say or act in any way provocative to the person or campaign of Bola Tinubu. Instead, all the facilities used by his campaign were generously approved for their use, by the government, without any hitch or delay.

“The residence which Bola Ahmed Tinubu has threatened to take over, totally belongs to the Government of our state and his threat is taken very seriously, considering his antecedents. Conversely, Akwa Ibom has been home to all Nigerians (including Yoruba people), who have, over many years, done business and even resided here, without any threat to them or their business.

“”The comments by Sen. Tinubu, to say the least, is immature and totally unexpected of a person of his advanced age. That is an insult to the Government and people of the state, and we demand an apology.

“Mr. Udom Emmanuel was duly elected as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and therefore, it is clearly unpresidential and undemocratic, for Sen. Tinubu to say that he “calls himself Governor”.

“Sen. Tinubu should during his campaigns, concern himself with answering questions about his nebulous history and his amorphous manifestos. The Presidency of our country is a very serious business that must be treated with seriousness and intellectual depth.

“The Government advises all her citizens to ignore the vituperations of Sen. Tinubu and continue to co-exist peacefully with all Nigerians who are living and doing legitimate businesses in our state”. The release stated.

In a related development, Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, a foremost socio- cultural organization in the state says it consider Tinubu’s distasteful comment as smacking of intolerance, prejudice and ethnic jingoism.

In a release signed by its International President, Akparawa James Edet and made available to our Correspondent in Uyo, the body says such utterance is capable of inciting strife between Ibibios and the Yoruba brethren who have cohabited for decades without any crisis.

“We condemn in very strong terms the veiled threats directed at our son and Governor of our State by Tinubu and charge him to be measured, circumspect and responsible in his utterances as a leader while campaigning”. It charged

Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio however commends Governor Udom Emmanuel for his principled stand to stay on issue based campaign and not join issues with Tinubu despite the provocation.

The Socio-cultural Organization therefore calls on all political parties and politicians to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly throughout the electioneering processes and avoid actions that will heat up the polity.