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Olu of Warri raises the alarm over ocean surge
The Office of the Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has raised an alarm of ocean surge threatening the continued existence of some Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Olu’s Liaison office called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the Delta State government as well as non-governmental organizations “to, as a matter of urgency, come to the aid of these vulnerable communities.”
This was contained in a statement from the Olu’s Liaison Office, signed by the monarch’s representative to NNPCL, Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday.
The statement said, “The ocean surge is already washing away several Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area.”
It listed “Ogheye Eghoroke, Orere, Ogheye Zion and Ogheye Ajadogo as the Itsekiri communities in Warri North local council that ocean surge has swept through in the past two weeks.”
The statement said that “the Itsekiri communities are facing dire situation due to relentless ocean surge that has wreaked havoc on their livelihoods, homes, schools and vital infrastructure.”
The statement partly reads, “Ugbeni Primary School, the only school in the community, had been completely washed into the ocean. Several homes, including the residence of the community leader (Olare-Aja), built in 2020 by Hon. Daniel Ireyenieju, have been lost to the advancing waters.
“Some residents, whose homes have been washed away, revealed that they are now forced to squeeze ten people into a single room for shelter.
“Most alarming is the fact that the community’s only borehole, which serves as the sole source of drinking water, has also been claimed by the ocean, leaving residents with no choice but to rely on ocean water for bathing, without access to clean drinking water.
“The situation in the neighbouring communities is worse. Ogheye Zion and Ogheye Ajadogo have been entirely submerged, with no trace of the communities’ existence.
“Efforts to reach Orere, the adjacent community to Ogheye Eghoroke, were unsuccessful due to the lack of access to a jetty, as much of the community has been swallowed by the ocean.
“Ogheye is host to Chevron’s offshore oil block, Okan Field, where oil was first discovered in 1963. For over 60 years, oil exploration activities have taken their toll on the shoreline communities. The combined effects of oil extraction and natural forces from the Atlantic Ocean have eroded the coastlines, leaving these communities more vulnerable to the encroaching ocean.
As a result, homes, schools and the livelihoods of thousands of residents, whose primary occupation is fishing, have been destroyed due to pollution, oil spills, and other harmful consequences of oil exploration activities.
“We are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Delta State government, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, and all well-meaning individuals and organizations to come to the aid of these vulnerable communities.
The destruction of critical infrastructure such as schools, homes, and clean water sources, combined with the loss of entire communities to the ocean, has created a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate action. We also call on Chevron, given its long-standing presence in the area, to lead efforts in addressing this crisis.
“The damage caused by decades of oil exploration must be countered by meaningful action to support the communities that have borne the brunt of environmental degradation.
“This ongoing genocide must be addressed with urgency, as the future of these communities hangs in the balance. The goose that lays the golden egg should not be abandoned.”
The newly appointed administrator of Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Atajit Francis has warned staff of the council against negligence to duty.
Francis handed down the warning at Ngo, the council headquarters, shortly after resumption of duty.
The administrator who also met with the Head of the Local Government Administration said that the third tier of government requires diligence to deliver people-oriented services.
Francis further said that under his watch, underperformance and dereliction of duty would not be condoned.
He stated, “While we are on the saddle, we shall reward diligence and hard work. We urge staff to work towards achieving set goals.
“My mandate is specified, they include sanitation, environmental development, job creation, primary education and primary health care.
“The essence is to positively impact the lives of our people, knowing that the local government is the closest tier of government to the people.”
Insisting that transparency and integrity were critical to effective grassroots development and service delivery, he said, “So I expect all staff to uphold the highest ethical standards and accountability in the discharge of their duties.”
Recall that the Rivers State’s sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) recently appointed administrators to oversee the affairs of the 23 local government councils in the state after he suspended the Heads of Local Government Administration appointment by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Newcastle soared up to third in the Premier League with a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on Wednesday to close in on a return to the Champions League next season.
Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar and Alexander Isak were on target for the Magpies, with Marc Guehi also scoring an own goal, as Newcastle made light of the absence of manager Eddie Howe due to pneumonia.
A sixth consecutive victory in all competitions opens up a five-point lead for Newcastle over sixth-placed Chelsea, with a place in the top five good enough for Champions League qualification.
Palace remain down in 12th with their season now fully focused on an FA Cup semi-final date with Aston Villa later this month.
Newcastle travel to Villa on Saturday in a huge clash in the battle for European places.
But the League Cup winners are pulling away from the chasing pack for a top-five finish, buoyed by ending their 70-year wait for domestic silverware last month.
“That gave us huge confidence,” said Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall, who is was deputising for Howe, of lifting the League Cup.
“We were able to enjoy that for a period of time but we knew what our objectives were for the remainder of the season – to finish as high up the league table as possible.
“The manager always leads and sets that example of never switching off. They’ve gone out there, been really consistent and delivering performances.”
Isak wasted two big early chances to open the scoring when he was firstly denied by a fine Dean Henderson save and then headed over from Murphy’s enticing cross.
Newcastle only had to wait until the 14th minute to open the scoring when Murphy blasted in a remarkable finish from a narrow angle.
– Eze fluffs penalty –
Palace were gifted the chance to get back into the game when goalkeeper Nick Pope rushed off his line and wiped out Chris Richards in his attempt to punch the ball clear.
After a lengthy VAR check, a penalty was finally awarded.
However, Eberechi Eze’s lackadaisical spot-kick was easily collected by the relieved Pope.
Within a minute, Newcastle had doubled their lead when Guehi turned into his own net as he attempted to block Barnes’ cross towards Isak.
The England defender has been regularly linked with a move to Tyneside and has now scored an own goal in each of Palace’s two meetings with Newcastle this season.
“There are some days where nothing works, and at the same time everything worked for Newcastle,” said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
“We couldn’t deal with their intensity and directness and pace.”
It went from bad to worse for the visitors as Barnes continued his fine form with a composed finish for his fourth goal in three games.
Murphy’s free-kick was then flicked in by Schar to make it 4-0 before the break.
The normally lethal Isak continued to be frustrated in front of goal as Henderson spread himself to deny another effort from point-blank range early in the second half.
However, the Swedish striker finally got his 25th goal of the season with a fine finish from outside the area just before the hour mark.
Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra separatist, has appointed a new legal representative ahead of his upcoming trial in Finland scheduled for June 2025.
In November 2024, Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, was arrested by law enforcement in Finland.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in the South East of Nigeria through his social media pages.
Nigerian authorities have been demanding the extradition of Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution.
However, the effort has been yielded the right result.
Last year, Mikko Laaksonen, the senior detective superintendent at the National Bureau of Investigation, NBI, in Finland, disclosed that a Finnish district court fixed May 2025 for the prosecution to file charges against Ekpa.
Subsequently, Laaksonen said Ekpa will remain in custody until his trial since the alleged offence is not bailable.
In March, Nigeria sanctions committee (NSC) designated Ekpa and 16 entities as alleged terrorism financiers in the country.
The committee also ordered the freezing of the bank accounts connected to the alleged terrorism financiers.
According to BBC Pidgin, Ekpa has changed his lawyer because the previous one had “retired from service.”
Kaarle Gummerus, Ekpa’s new lawyer, said he had received the pre-trial file of his client and he is “currently checking through.”
Gummerus added that Ekpa will appear in court in June 2025 to face trial.
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