News
PTI Effurun Debunks SaharaReporters’ Claims of Flooded Classrooms, Snake-Infested Hostels
By Favour Bibaikefie
Effurun, Delta State – The Management of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, has firmly denied recent claims made by SaharaReporters alleging substandard learning and residential conditions at the institution. The publication in question, released on July 10, 2025, was titled -“Despite N39 Billion Budget,Students at Nigeria’s Petroleum Training Institute Study in Flooded Classrooms, Snake-infested Hostels.”
In an official statement released on Friday, July 11, 2025, PTI described the reports as not only false but also “malicious and deliberately misleading.” suggesting it was part of a campaign to tarnish the image of the highly reputable institution.
“The publication is factually inaccurate and mischievous,” the statement emphasized.
“There are no Flooded lecture halls or snake-infested hostels on our campus. PTI Classrooms, laboratories, workshops, and students accommodations are in good and habitable condition, with no verifiable complaints or photographic evidence to support these baseless claims.”
The Institute maintained that all it’s learning ad residential facilities are well-maintained and functional. It also challenged the authors of the report to provide credible evidence to back the assertions.
PTI officials hinted that the story may have been fueled by external actors with intention to discredit the institution’s achievements and growing developmental strides, especially in light of its N39 billion budget allocation.
The Management urged the public, stakeholders, and prospective students to disregard the report, reiterating the institution’s commitment to providing a safe, conducive, and academically sound environment for both learning and research.
LATE CHIEF BETHLEHEM INGO,
Bebefiyewei of Grand Iduwini Kingdom,
“A Voice Lost Forever”
It’s been 21 years, yet the name Chief Bethlehem Ingo still echoes with respect and warmth.
We join in remembering a man whose legacy lives on through the voices of those who still say, “He was a good man.”
Iduwini people lost a voice in the demise of the Bebefiyewei that personified Spokesmanship.
Chief Ingo’s memory remains alive in the lives he touched, in the battles he worn, in the legacies he bequited.
🕊️ Rest on, the Great Chief Beth Ingo. You are missed by Odimodi, Iduwini, Ijaw nation — today.. always.
_From all of us at IduwiniVoice_
By Daire Pere-ebi
Things happen everyday, and some are terrifying. Tale of hardship, moshaps, joy, goodwill, etcetera. But what if you’re told that in a tale of extraordinary endurance and resilience, British couple Maurice and Maralyn Baily survived nearly four months adrift in the Pacific Ocean after their yacht was fatally struck by a whale in 1973.
The couple had set out on a dream journey across the Pacific, having sold their home in England to embrace a life of seafaring adventure. Their voyage aboard a 31-foot yacht, Auralyn, took a devastating turn in Mar h 1973 as they sailed westward from Panama, near the Galapagos Islands.
In the early morning hours, a sperms whale collided with yacht, tearing open the hull. Within minutes, the Auralyn was beyond saving. The Baileys escaped into a small inflatable raft and dinghy, managing to retrieve a few essential items – some canned food, fishing gear, a compass, and a solar still. With no radio or emergency beacon, they were cast into one of the most remote parts of the Pacific, with little hope of immediate rescue.
What followed was an unimaginable 118-day survival ordeal. The Baileys battled the searing tropical sun, saltwater scores, dehydration, and hunger. They relied on collected rainwater for hydration and fashioned rudimentary tools from safety pins and yacht remnants to catch fish, turtles, and even birds. Their bodies withered from malnutrition, their clothing deteriorated, and their nights were filed with uncertainty as distant ships passed them by, unaware of their desperate situation.
Despite the hardship, the couple remained committed to surviving together. Climbing to each other through frigid nights and burning days, they pushed through the extremes of isolation and physical suffering.
Salvation finally came on June 30, 1973, when a South Korean fishing vessel spotted them and pulled them aboard. The Baileys, frail and emaciated but alive, were taken to Hawaii for recovery.
Their harrowing experience, later detailed in their memoir 117 Days Adrift, drew international attention and became a symbol of unbreakable human spirit.
Remarkably, the trauma of their ordeal did not deter them from the sea—they returned to sailing, their passion unshaken by the vast ocean that once nearly claimed their lives.
The Baileys’ story remains one of the most compelling sagas of survival ever recorded, a testament to courage, love, and sheer willpower against the unforgiving forces of nature.
Credit: Weired, Wonder, and Amazing Things
By Favour Bibaikefie
Abuja, Nigeria – In a commendable display of appreciation, ‘Gen.’ Dennis Kpaidia, leader of the Tantita Odimodi Unit, has lauded the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro (PhD.), for his unwavering commitment to peacebuilding and leadership development in the Niger Delta.
This follows the commencement of a three-day day intensive training programme on Peacebuilding, Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation, organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja.
The training, held in the Federal Capital Territory, brought together selected youth and community leaders from various communities across the Iger Delta. The initiative forms part of the reintegration phase of the Amnesty Programme, aimed at equipping key stakeholders with tools for the effective leadership, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict resolution in order to forestall imminent intercommunity crisis.
Speaking to IduwiniVoice, Kpaidia expressed profound gratitude to Dr. Otuaro over what he described as a “visionary leadership style that prioritizes the growth and peaceful coexistence of the region.”He noted that such training sessions are vital in deepening participants’ understanding of conflict dynamics and in strengthening local structures for sustainable peace.
“This training has opened our eyes to new methods of resolving disputes peacefully and building consensus in our communities. I thank Chief Dr. Otuaro for investing in our future of the Niger Delta youth and for giving us the tolls to lead rightly.” Kaidia State.
The peacebuilding programme is expected to continue over the next two days, with sessions facilitated by security and conflict resolution experts, mediators, and development professionals from both civil and military backgrounds.
As the region continues its journey towards lasting peace and sustainable development, initiatives like this stand out as evidence of the evolving impact of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Otuaro’s stewardship.