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Niger Delta’s Stance on Tax Reform: Support with Caution – INC President
By Perez Bibaikefie
The ongoing debate over Nigeria’s new tax reform has sparked diverse opinions, and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has weighed in on the issue. Speaking at Gatwick Airport, London, Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba, INC President, highlighted the benefits and risks of the reform for the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta as a whole.
Prof. Okaba described the reforms as significant, particularly within the context of longstanding calls for resource control and management. He noted that the reform’s implications extend beyond tax policy, addressing “core demands for equity, justice, and prosperity for a people who have endured deplorable conditions despite being the primary source of Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth.”
The Niger Delta, he emphasized, is rich in more than just hydrocarbons. “Our region also boasts of agricultural and eco-tourism resources that have supported industrial development globally,” Okaba said. He praised the reform’s objectives, which include improving tax collection, reducing evasion, offering tax relief to small businesses, simplifying VAT with exemptions for basic food and healthcare, and curbing illicit financial flows. “These measures have the potential to transform the nation,” he stated.
Okaba argued that the reform, if implemented effectively, could reshape revenue allocation from natural resources among federal, state, and local governments. “For fiscal federalism to be truly impactful, states must control their resources while paying appropriate taxes to the central government,” he explained. This arrangement, he asserted, would empower local communities to invest in critical areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and environmental management.
Such reforms, he added, could address longstanding issues of poverty, inequality, and marginalization in the Niger Delta. “This approach ensures that our people directly benefit from the wealth generated by oil and gas extraction,” he noted.
However, Okaba warned against potential challenges, emphasizing the need for fairness in implementation. “Balancing the divergent interests across regions is crucial. Equity, justice, and transparency must guide this reform to ensure its success,” he cautioned.
While Prof. Okaba acknowledged the reform’s transformative potential, he stressed the importance of vigilance. The Niger Delta’s support for the reform, he concluded, hinges on its fair and equitable application, ensuring that the region’s interests are protected in the spirit of national progress.
By Favour Bibaikefie
From a bold idea in ancient Greece to a breathtaking feat of engineering, the Corinth Canal in Greece stands as one of the world’s oldest and most fascinating man-made waterways.
Stretching over six kilometers and flanked by towering cliffs rising more than 80 meters high, the Corinth Canal cuts across the Isthmus of Corinth, linking the Gulf of Corinth in the northwest with the Saronic Gulf to the southeast. This narrow waterway dramatically shortened sea travel, saving ships a 320-kilometer detour around the Peloponnese peninsula.
According to a recent post from the BBC’s Daily Factfinder, “Before the canal was built, ships were forced to make a long journey around the Peloponnese peninsula, adding 320 kilometers to their journey.”
But the concept of bypassing the peninsula is far older than the 19th-century construction of the canal itself. The origins of the idea date back over 2,600 years.
“Around 600 BC, Periander, founder of the Cypselide dynasty of Corinth, had the ingenious idea of transporting ships overland, using a kind of railway, the diolkos (parts of which can still be seen today), along which ships were pulled on wheeled carts across the isthmus,” the Factfinder post states. This remarkable method was used for centuries, up until around the 9th century, when ships simply became too large for the system.
It wasn’t until the modern era that this ancient dream was fully realized. “In 1882, work began on the Corinth Canal, mostly by hand, and was completed 11 years later in 1893,” notes the post.
Today, the canal measures about 6.4 kilometers in length and features an 8-meter-deep channel of water. Though too narrow for most modern commercial vessels, the Corinth Canal is still in use and continues to draw visitors from around the world.
“The canal is a popular tourist attraction; large ships are towed through the canal by small tugboats, a fascinating sight to behold,” adds the post, originally shared by the Facebook group Weird, Wonder and Amazing Things, with photo credit to DronEye.
Beyond its practical use, the Corinth Canal remains a symbol of human innovation across the ages—proof that even the oldest ideas can shape the future when combined with determination and engineering skill.
Credit: Weird, Wonder and Amazing Things (Facebook group)
By Divine Perezide
Renowned Nigerian elder statesman and respected southern and middlebelt leader, Chief, Sen. (Dr.) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, will be laid to rest on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in his hometown of Kiagbodo, located in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
This announcement was made on Saturday by Penaowei Clark, the first son of the late Chief Clark, during a press briefing held at the family’s Kiagbodo residence. He was joined by prominent family members and traditional rulers, including the Pere of Ngbilebiri-Mien Kingdom, HRM Prince Samuel Akpomiemie Fuludu (Ogiogio II), Professor Collins Clark, and Chief Ebikeme Clark, Delta State Commissioner for Riverine Infrastructure and Development.
The burial programme, which will span over a week, will commence on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, with a public lecture at the NAF Conference Centre & Suites in Abuja, starting at 11 a.m. According to the family, the series of events are designed to honour the legacy of the late national icon and will conclude with a thanksgiving service on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
Chief Clark, born on May 25, 1927, in Erhuwaren, Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, passed away on February 17, 2025, at the age of 97. He was widely recognized for his lifelong advocacy for justice, equity, and development, particularly in the Niger Delta region. Remembered as a tenacious leader and a statesman of remarkable stature, his influence extended across political and socio-economic spheres.
The itinerary of the burial events includes a valedictory session at the Senate Chamber on Thursday, May 8, and a day of tributes at the NAF Conference Centre on Friday, May 9, at 3 p.m. On Saturday, May 10, a wrestling contest will take place in Yenagoa, alongside a service of songs at St. James’ Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja, at 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 11, will feature cultural festivities such as a boat regatta and masquerade performances in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa. A candlelight memorial is also scheduled for that evening in both Abuja and Kiagbodo.
On Monday, May 12, a commendation service will be held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja, followed by a valedictory court session at the High Court of Justice in Warri. Later that day, the late elder statesman’s body will be flown to Yenagoa for another commendation at Ijaw House, before heading to Warri for a lying-in-state and onward journey to Kiagbodo for a night vigil.
The final funeral rites will be conducted on Tuesday, May 13, beginning with a lying-in-state and commendation service at Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo. This will be followed by the funeral service, interment, and a reception.
The burial programme will come to a close with a thanksgiving service on Sunday, May 18, in honour of a man whose life was defined by service, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the betterment of his people and country.
By Divine Perezide
As the nation prepares to bid farewell to one of its most esteemed elder statesmen, Pa. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, members of the INC National Burial Committee saddled with the responsibility to coordinate burial burial ceremony have intensified efforts to ensure a dignified send-off. On Friday, April 4, 2025, the committee, led by High Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs and the INC President, Prof. BenjaminOgeleOkaba, paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The visit took place at the governor’s private residence in Port Harcourt, where the committee briefed him on the arrangements being put in place to honour the late Ijaw nationalist. High Chief Lulu-Briggs, serving as Chairman of the committee, emphasized the importance of unity and support from regional leaders to give the late icon a burial befitting his stature.
Accompanying him on the visit were Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), and other prominent figures from the Ijaw community. The engagement forms part of a broader series of consultations and collaborations with stakeholders aimed at mobilizing support for the funeral rites.
Pa Clark, whose life and work have left an indelible mark on the Ijaw Nation and Nigeria as a whole, is being celebrated not just for his political activism, but also for his lifelong commitment to justice, equity, and national unity.
The burial committee is expected to continue its outreach efforts in the coming weeks as the countdown to the final rites begins.
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