Niger Delta
THE COAST OF AMASEIKUMOR FESTIVAL
THE COAST OF AMASEIKUMOR FESTIVAL – By Tobouke Jemine
“CULTURAL EVENTS HAVE ENORMOUS SIGNIFICANCE IN FORGING SOCIAL COHESION, PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY, AND PEACE BUILDING.” — Rt. Hon. GUWOR EMOMOTIMI DENNIS
The above statement is part of the speech the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Guwor Emomotimi Dennis delivered on the 17th of April, 2024, at Amaseikumor Festival in Oporoza Town, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State. And the Honourable Speaker has done applaudable justice to the importance of cultural festivals with those words.
Cultural festivals like Amaseikumo should be dear to our hearts; for they are essential to the progress and beauty of any community. They bring huge growth and tremendous development to society.When cultural events like Amaseikumo are periodically held, the cultural wealth of that society will never go bankrupt.
Cultural festivals define and explain the thoughts, philosophies, culture, customes, beliefs, skills and talents of a people. And this fact was obvious with the just concluded Amaseikumo Festival, where the cultural riches of Gbaramatu Kingdom were showcased; where the culinary skills, wrestling prowess, thrilling dance steps of Gbaramatu Kingdom were displayed before the attendees and the wider world.
Annual cultural celebrations like the Amaseikumo Festival point us to the profound importance of cultural events providing opportunity for people from different cultures and backgrounds to meet, interact, socialize, build relationships, learn and appreciate the cultural diversities around them. And in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria, much of this reality is needed to encourage unity in diversity and unity of purpose.
Celebrating our rich cultural heritage provides solid grounds for the present and the generations next to learn their cultural heritage, which is essential for any human community that must preserve its cultural relevance through the ages. That’s why having kids perform in cultural events is mandatory.
Cultural celebrations like Amaseikumo also boost the local economy. They are opportunities for smart entrepreneurs to increase their income and boost their businesses. I’m sure the daily profits of businesses tripled especially in Oporoza Town, and those in the business of marine transportation also made it big with the Amaseikumo Festival, due to the large influx of people to Oporoza.
Truly, the advantages and benefits that come with a well-packaged cultural festival are enormous; we should aim to see them realized across Coastal Niger Delta.
Let’s continue to extend our cultural gratitude to the Agadagba of Gbaramatu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oboro Gbaraun II ,Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, High Chief Kestin Pondi and all the other cultural hands that made this year’s edition of Amaseikumo Festival a success. God bless their cultural patriotism.
And let’s continue to expand our thinking about Amaseikumo Festival; let’s aim at the infrastructural development Gbaramatu Kingdom can experience through the Amaseikumo Festival; let’s continue to explore the tourism potentials of Amaseikumo Festival; let’s not stop seeing the job and business opportunities that are hidden in Amaseikumo Festival, and let’s keep striving for that day when Amaseikumo Festival will be one of the greatest platforms for talents discovery and promotion across Coastal Niger Delta.
In full confidence, I wish to state that with the calibre of dignitaries and the huge presence of cultural enthusiasts at the just concluded edition, one can say that the Coast of Amaseikumo Festival is getting larger, better and greater. Surely, more positive possibilities will be experience come the 2025 edition.
Burutu LGA
KOU DELTA COMMUNITIES CALL ON BRITANNIA-U NIGERIA LIMITED TO DO THE NEEDFUL OVER THE DRILLING PLATFORM FIRE ACCIDENT
PRESS RELEASE
July 23, 2024
KOU DELTA COMMUNITIES CALL ON BRITANNIA-U NIGERIA LIMITED TO DO THE NEEDFUL OVER THE DRILLING PLATFORM FIRE ACCIDENT
We, the Leadership of Kou Delta communities express our deep grief over the explosion touching a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel operated by the indigenous oil and gas company, Britinna-U Nigeria Limited, at the Ajapa Marginal Oil Field on July 18, 2024.
We believe that whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other. Hence we sincerely extend our sympathy with the management and staff of Britannia-U Nigeria Limited for the huge financial losses incurred by the destroyed vessel and spilled crude oil.
Meanwhile, as Leaders of the Kou Delta communities, We are saddled with the uncompromising responsibility of seeing to the well-being and welfare of our communities and our common environment. It is on this ground that We are calling the attention of the Management of Britannia-U Nigeria Limited to the devastating impacts of the oil spillage on our local economies.
It is very unfortunate that the environmentally hazardous content of the exploded vessel is increasingly flowing through our sources of livelihoods, our rivers creeks, streams, ponds, and forests, wrecking havoc on our local means of survival and sustainance. Our fishing nets, hooks, lines, cages, etc. have all been rendered useless by this sad accident.
Our communities in Kou Delta, Burutu Local Government of Delta State, affected by this devastating explosion include:
1. Agge Okibou Community
2. Youtu Community
3. Okibou-Zion Community
4. Okofa-Aka Community
5. Okia Community
6. Kare-Epere Community
7. Belle Community
Other Kou Delta communities adversely affected include:
8. Iyanmenegbene
9. Selegbene
10. Atalegbene
11. Amos-Daugbene
12. Iselemoseigbene
13. Owologbene
14. Ogodo-Igbagbene
15. Igbepou
We therefore call upon the Management of Britannia-U Nigeria Limited, the Burutu Local Government Council, the Delta State Government, the DESOPADEC, the NDDC and the Federal Government to start by making provision of relief items and materials to assist our People until our economic water bodies, shores, banks, meadows and forests are resurrected and become healthy for fishing and farming activities to recommence.
And of ultimate importance is the unavoidable commitment of Britannia-U to be swift and humane enough to:
i. Deploy Safety Team to contain the unabating spread of the crude liquid gold into our ocean, rivers, creeks, streams, etc.
ii. Clean up our waterways of the liquid mess so that natural aquatic lives and aquatic vehicles could be revived, restored and resume work.
iii. Provide just and fair compensation to the communities and families that are adversely affected by this explosion.
We equally want to, again, use this opportunity to call on the oil companies operating in our seas, rivers, creeks, forests and lands to employ standard environmental health practices in their economic interactions with the resources of our environment, so that ugly, sad and preventable occurrences such as this could be prevented.
Signed:
Chief Patrick Irou,
National Chairman, Kou Delta
Comr. Obed Tomone,
Secretary General, Kou Delta
IduwiniVoice
THE MEETING OF GREAT MINDS: DR OTUARO VISITS COMR. EVAH
By Tobouke JEMINE
Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro, Ph.D., the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), recently met with the renowned Niger Delta activist Comr Joseph Evah in Lagos. The meeting was aimed at addressing the region’s socio-economic challenges and advance peace initiatives.
The discussion centered on the progress of the PAP, which focuses on rehabilitating and reintegrating ex-agitators from the Niger Delta into society. Chief Otuaro reaffirmed his dedication to the program’s objectives and emphasized the importance of collaboration with stakeholders like Mr. Evah for sustainable development and peace.
Joseph Evah expressed support for the PAP and discussed areas needing improvement, stressing grassroots involvement, transparency, and accountability. Both leaders recognized the challenges in the Niger Delta, such as environmental degradation, unemployment, and underdevelopment. They agreed on the necessity of a collaborative approach involving government agencies, community leaders, and activists.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to continue working towards transforming the Niger Delta into a region of peace, prosperity, and progress.
IduwiniVoice
NDDC CHAIRMAN, EBIE CALLS FOR UNITY, STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT AT N’DELTA SUMMIT
By Tobouke JEMINE
Yesterday, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission Governing Board has called for unity and stakeholder support during the Niger Delta Stakeholders Pre-Summit Technical Session.
He emphasized that the summit is a crucial opportunity for transformative change in the region, urging participants to approach it with seriousness, creativity, and a collective spirit.
The session served as a precursor to the main summit, aiming to tackle the region’s challenges and explore its opportunities. Ebie’s rallying cry has set high expectations for a productive and impactful summit.