The GbaramatuVoice was established in 2015 as a monthly tabloid published by the Gbaramatu Publishing Company Limited. It hit the newsstand first on August 2015. The newspaper’s sole objective is to bring to public glare what the management saw at the cradle of its formation as information gap and asymmetrical reportage of the activities and people of the Niger Delta.
By Ebi Perekeme Fresh oil spills suspected to emanate from American oil giant facility – Chevron Nigeria Limited have hit more than 15 communities situated on the Benikrukru river in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta state. Benikrukru Community is host to Chevron Abiteye Flowstation in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the
By Our Correspondent Niger Delta militants under the aegis of Supreme Egbesu Liberation Fighters have threatened to destroy infrastructure in Lagos State and Abuja. In a video posted on Tuesday by AIT, members of the group were seen wearing masks and putting on a military uniform. One of them, who read a statement on behalf
By Our Correspondent The Presidential Amnesty Programme has begun investigation of fraud perpetrated by some vendors and contractors to determine its spread and extent of involvement or connivance with staff. The organisation said while the investigation remained ongoing, it would not stop the payment of those whose contracts and documents had been verified and reconciled
By Ebi Perekeme Repentant militants in Akwa Ibom State have threatened to resume hostilities over the poor funding of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) by the Federal Government. The former agitators, under the aegis of the Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum, said the Federal Government had not provided sufficient funds to the Presidential Amnesty Office to
By Ebi Perekeme Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, this morning, deflated rumor flying around on its National Leader and Chairman, Board of Board of Trustees, Chief Edwin Clark, who recently recovered from Covid-19 attack, saying he is alive, hale and hearty. National Publicity Secretary of the South-South regional body, Hon. Ken Robinson, in a statement,
-Oleke Iyenkedi Stanley, a recipient of the federal government’s 2010 amnesty programme, is crying out over the non-payment of his arrears – The complainant claims that he is being owed over N7m, which is an amount that accumulated about 10-years period beginning from the onset of the programme By Ebi Perekeme A recipient of the
By Ebi Perekeme Warring factions of the host communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM and HOSCON) have agreed to sheath their sword and present a harmonized position of the entire host communities at the new public hearing of the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB). According to the press release signed by the media adviser
Trobule is brewing in the Niger Delta over the decision of the Federal Government to seize N26b belonging to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) under the guise of unspent budgetary provision. Investigation showed that the Amnesty Office was at the verge of concluding a process to withdraw the money and pay humugous debt owed by
Oil producing communities in Gbaramatu and Egbema Kingdoms, Delta State, have rejected the recommended governance model under the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, 2020 for host communities’ development where oil companies would become overlords over oil producing communities, warning it would generate unnecessary anxieties in Niger Delta. It would be recalled that Host Communities of Nigeria
By Our Correspondent It was a free-for-all by oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region on Thursday during a public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill(PIB) at the House of Representatives. The fight broke out at House hearing room 028 among some of the leaders of the host communities. Although it was not clear
By Ebi Perekeme The Delta State Government has presented its position on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the National Assembly where it sought for legislation that will give more participation to host communities in the nation’s oil and gas industry. State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Prince Emman Amgbaduba, made the presentation at the
By Our Correspondent The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), yesterday, condemned the Federal Government for cancelling Oil Prospecting Licences (OPL) 2001, 2002 and 2003 awarded to companies owned by Niger Delta indigenes in spite of a court order restraining it from carrying out such action. Speaking through its National Chairman on Strategy, Planning and Program, Comrade
…Say over 20 years of existence, nothing good has come out of NDDC By Ebi Perekeme Host Communities of oil producing states have called on the federal government to scrap the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The communities recommended a new commission in place of the NDDC to be called Host Communities Development Commission. They
By Our Correspondent As the dry season bites harder amidst migration of herders and their cattle to the southern parts of the country, Ijaw rights group, Ijaw Unity Watchdog, IUW, has warned armed Fulani herdsmen to stay away from the forest areas in the South-South and South-Eastern parts of the country. The group in a
By Our Correspondent Posters promoting Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, for president ahead of the 2023 general election have surfaced in the federal capital territory (FCT). Some of the posters seen by our correspondent on Monday were on buildings located on Herbert Macaulay road in the Central Business District (CBD) of the FCT. The
By Enaibo Asiayei The Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide has warned that a second wave of militancy is looming in the Niger Delta region if the Federal Government fails to fully implement the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The council said the country would not survive a return to militancy by aggrieved youths in the region and wondered
By Jerome-Mario Utomi For decades, no one says a report, around the world talked that much about the importance of a president’s first 100 days—until Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States took office in 1933. He took swift action to calm the nation’s crippling financial panic (cue the Emergency Banking Act and the “fireside
By Enaibo Asiayei Minster of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that about 52 projects executed by the ministry are ready to be handed over to stakeholders in the region. Akpabio, who described 2020 as a turbulent year for the ministry, said a work plan had been developed to drive completion of projects in
By Our Correspondent The Interim administrator, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Effiong Akwa, is currently meeting with elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark. Akwa who arrived the Asokoro, Abuja residence of Chief Clark at 12PM local time alongside his entourage, was welcomed by prominent Niger Delta personalities including Ambassador Godsknow Igali, former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry
The people of the Niger Delta are set to celebrate the 50th birthday celebration of Niger Delta former warlord, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, on Monday April 12, 2021 at the Warri Township Stadium, Delta State. Tompolo, who was the leader of disbanded MEND which were agitating against the insensitivity of
By Our Correspondent The aggrieved people of Gbarain Kingdom in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have threatened a showdown with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company following a prolonged power outage in the area which started in the last quarter of 2020. It was gathered that a technical glitch had caused a
By Our Correspondent With the recent shortlisting of 161 indigenous companies to advance to the next and final stage of the bid round process for 57 marginal oilfields in the country, the Nigerian oil and gas industry is expected to witness tremendous growth in no distant time. The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) made this
By Our Correspondent The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has released the details of how the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses will be distributed across states. This was disclosed during a webinar organised by NHPCDA tagged “Sensitisation Meeting with Media Gatekeepers on COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction”. Faisal Shuaib, executive director of the NPHCDA,
By Our Correspondent The members of staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have embarked on an indefinite strike as thousands of applicants have been locked outside of their offices nationwide. The notice for the strike action was contained in a statement signed by the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of
By Our Correspondent The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has congratulated Effiong Akwa on his appointment as the Sole Administrator, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The council’s Akpakip Oro Special Chapter, Eastern Zone, described Akwa’s appointment as well deserved and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving such responsibility to a member of the council. The zone
By Ebi Perekeme Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) may be inaugurated by April 2021 after the forensic audit of the commission. Akpabio gave the hint yesterday in Abuja while receiving the interim report of the commission from the forensic auditors.
Idongesit Nkanga, the chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and a former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, is dead. Mr Nkanga passed on in an undisclosed hospital in Uyo on Christmas Eve, his political associate and a family member told PREMIUM TIMES, Friday morning. There are speculations that Mr Nkanga died of COVID-19. GbaramatuVoice
By Our Correspondent Warri Kingdom in Delta State has debunked the news that the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, had died. Reports emerged yesterday that the monarch died on Monday. He was said to have died from COVID-19 related illness after his health allegedly deteriorated on Sunday evening. But a statement from the monarch’s palace
By Ebi Perekeme Elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark has described the Niger Delta region as the most oppressed people in the country, despite its role in sustaining the country, has to take permission before benefitting from the resources it produces, is an indication that its peoples are
By Our Correspondent The Senate on Tuesday swore in the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bayelsa West. Also sworn in as Senators were Moses Cleopas, PDP, Bayelsa Central; Adetokunboh Abiru, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos East and Professor Nora Dabu’t, APC, Plateau South. The oath of office
By Our Correspondent President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr Effiong Okon Akwa as the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Mr Akwa, who until his new appointment, was the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, of the NDDC, under the Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC). According to a statement issued
By Our Correspondent Ijaw youths have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and inaugurate a substantive board for the commission. The youths under the auspices of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide said the IMC had outlived its usefulness and should
By Ebi Perekeme Condolences and tributes continued to pour for late Ijaw christian leader, Rev. Ikem Cleaver Tolar, who was laid to rest at a well-attended ceremony on Friday 28 November, 2020, at his hometown in Kokodiagbene, Gbaramatu kingdom, Delta State. His corpse arrived Kokodiagbene town Friday morning from Warri for a funeral service. Rev.
By Ebi Perekeme As part of its constitutional functions, the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration paid an oversight visit to the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko on Thursday 27 November, 2020. The team was led by Rt. Hon. Julius Pondi, Member Representing Burutu Federal Constituency, Delta State. Others on the team
By Our Correspondent Nigeria’s power grid collapsed on Sunday with total blackout experienced in several parts of the nation. Kaduna Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company announced the national grid collapse on Sunday afternoon. Kaduna Electric, in a message to its customers via its Twitter handle, said: “We regret to inform you that the loss
