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Rivers govt supports NDDC with Provision of ICT Centre in partnership pact

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• Caption: The NDDC Managing Director, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, (Right) speaking after inspecting facilities at the Rivers ICT Centre in Port Harcourt. With him in the middle is the Rivers State Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Chisom Gbali.
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The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, wishes to address the recent article published in BusinessDay, under the headline “NDDC bails out grounded Rivers ICT Centre.” We feel compelled to set the narrative right and shed light on the commendable spirit of collaboration that marks our relationship with the Rivers State government.

The NDDC wishes to clarify its position and correct any misconceptions that may have arisen.

First and foremost, the NDDC categorically distances itself from the interpretations and insinuations embedded in the said report. Contrary to the portrayal in the aforementioned publication, it was the Rivers State government that, in an unparalleled gesture of benevolence and vision for the region, alleviated NDDC’s challenges by generously offering the Rivers ICT Centre. This act of goodwill underlines the state’s profound commitment to the Niger Delta’s prosperity, empowering our youths with needed skills in the rapidly advancing technological era.

This shared venture between NDDC and Rivers State government exemplifies what is truly possible when entities unite with a common vision. The Rivers State government’s unwavering faith in the future of the Niger Delta region and its indefatigable support for the empowerment of its youths touches us deeply. Our hearts are filled with profound gratitude; our indebtedness to the state government goes beyond mere words. Their noble gesture is a beacon, showcasing the path of partnership and progress.

To augment this collaboration and uphold our end of the partnership, NDDC is embarking on a mission to revamp and upgrade the ICT Centre. This is wholly in line with our joint commitment to ensuring the facility is not just available but in top shape, ready to accommodate the anticipated vast number of participants in the Commission’s ICT hub and job creation initiative, Project HOPE.

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Project HOPE is not just an initiative; it’s a promise – a promise of a brighter, more technologically advanced, and economically empowered Niger Delta. This collaboration is a testament to the fact that when we work hand in hand with mutual respect and shared purpose, the horizon of possibilities expands exponentially.

Finally, while we understand the media’s role in informing the public, we strongly dissociate the NDDC from the embarrassing impression created by the interpretation in the above-mentioned report. It is important to separate personal interpretations, innuendoes and insinuations from news reports, more so when the writer’s position and views are poles apart from our Press Release on the partnership.
The NDDC remains dedicated to our mission, supported by invaluable partners like the Rivers State government. Together, we believe in and work towards a vibrant and flourishing Niger Delta.

Pius Ughakpoteni
Director, Corporate Affairs
September 21, 2023.

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BREAKING: Veteran actor, Olu Jacobs is dead

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Olu Jacobs
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Popular Nollywood actor, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, known as Olu Jacobs, has passed on.

The veteran Nigerian actor and film executive died at the age of 84.

His demise was confirmed Tuesday morning by his son, Olusoji Jacobs.

In an announcement he made on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Olusoji urged the public to respect their privacy.

He also expressed gratitude to God for the late actor’s life.

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“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo.

“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time,” he said, according to TVC.

In the past, there have been rumours of his death which turned out to the untrue.

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Police raise alarm over planned attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC camps

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IGP Olatunji Disu
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The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.

The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.

Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.

The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.

The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.

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Atiku tackles Tinubu over N1,400 fuel price, demands probe of FAAC allocations

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‘Who is in charge of Nigeria presently?’, Atiku queries Tinubu, Shettima’s absence
Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the current pump price of petrol, noting that Nigerians are now paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre even though crude oil, at $102.52 per barrel, sells for far less than the $147 per barrel it fetched in 2008 when petrol sold for ₦65 per litre under the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over what he described as an organised system of grand larceny against the Nigerian people, built around opaque Federation Account FAAC deductions, questionable management of oil revenues, parallel funding arrangements and allegations of off-book transactions.

“With crude oil around $102.52 per barrel, Nigerians are paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre. In 2008, when crude oil reached about $147 per barrel, petrol sold at ₦65 per litre under the Yar’Adua administration. The difference is that government then understood that economic policy must ultimately protect the welfare of citizens,” he said.

The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC said it is unconscionable for a government that has extracted unprecedented sacrifice from citizens in the name of subsidy removal to keep raising the cost of survival while refusing to provide a clear, verifiable account of the revenues, savings and deductions accumulated under its watch.

He recalled that Nigerians were told subsidy removal would free resources for education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services, yet nearly three and a half years later, fundamental questions remain unanswered about where the money has gone.

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“Petrol at ₦1,470 per litre is not merely a figure at the filling station. It enters the price of transportation, food, school runs, farming, manufacturing and virtually everything Nigerians buy. Every increase at the pump travels directly into the household budget.

“After all the pain imposed on Nigerians, they have a right to ask: where are the subsidy savings and where is the money?”, he queried.

Atiku said official FAAC records themselves justify greater scrutiny, pointing out that in June 2025, gross Federation Account revenue was reported at ₦4.232 trillion while only ₦1.818 trillion was eventually distributed, with substantial sums categorised as cost of collection, transfers, interventions, refunds and savings.

He demanded a comprehensive reconciliation of Federation Account revenues from 2023 to date, showing gross collections, every deduction made before distribution, the statutory authority for each deduction, the receiving accounts and the ultimate beneficiaries.

“Nigerians deserve accounts they can interrogate, not accounting labels designed to discourage questions,” he said.

The former Vice President also called for full disclosure around the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, OML 143, oil-production revenues, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company NNPC’s international Liquefied Natural Gas LNG trading operations, offshore corporate structures and allegations involving unofficial crude lifting, maritime surveillance contracts and other possible off-book revenue flows.

“These allegations are too serious to be answered with press statements and political insults. Every barrel can be measured, every cargo identified and every legitimate payment traced. If everything is in order, publish the records and allow independent forensic auditors to reconcile them. If the allegations are false, the records will clear the government,” he said.

Atiku equally rejected attempts to use the current international crisis as a blanket excuse for rising domestic fuel prices, drawing attention to the widening gap between what Nigerians earn and what they now pay at the pump compared to other climes.

“At about $4.31 per gallon, U.S. petrol is roughly $1.14 per litre. Yet while the U.S. federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, Nigeria’s minimum wage is only ₦70,000 per month.

“Tinubu has brought Nigerians close to American fuel prices while leaving them with Nigerian poverty wages. That is the true cost of his subsidy-removal policy”, he said.

He insisted that the administration can no longer demand endless sacrifice from citizens while treating public accountability as optional.

“After all the oil, all the revenue, all the deductions and all the hardship, petrol is now ₦1,470 per litre. The question Tinubu must answer is simple: where are the savings, where are the revenues, and who is taking Nigeria’s money?”

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