News

Amnesty Partners NPA, Restates Commitment To Tackling Unemployment, Restiveness

Published

3 years ago

May 5, 2023

The Presidential Amnesty Programme has been repositioned to tackle unrest and unemployment in the Niger Delta by empowering youths in the area with requisite skills.

Interim Administrator of the Programme, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), disclosed this during a courtesy call to the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos.

While soliciting the partnership of the authority for some of its programmes, especially the Deep Sea Diving School in Rivers State, Ndiomu who was received by NPA’s Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko and other management team, said he has had to redirect the programme to its primary objective of boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta.

“When I took over in September 2022, I discovered that the programme had been drifting away from the core objectives of why it was established. I have to redirect the vision towards the initial concept, which is essentially to build the capacity of the teeming restive youths in the region. Like they say, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. When these boys are jobless, what do you expect from them? They engage in criminal activities, including pipeline vandalization, piracy and other activities which affect the economy,” he said.

He said the Amnesty Programme has five vocational centres, which were established with different specialisations such as in Agadagba in Ondo state aimed at training youths in oil & gas related activities; another in Bomadi, Delta state with the objectives of building capacity in energy related activities while the one in Rivers state is for deep sea diving training.

While lamenting that the centre in Boro town, Bayelsa state was vandalised after its completion, Ndiomu solicited technical support as well as long-term strategic collaboration in utilising one of the jetties of the NPA for the deep sea diving school in Rivers state.

“I want to solicit your support and assistance with a view to use of one of your jetties in Rivers state which we can develop further together for the purpose of the deep sea diving school and other related marine training. This is one area we can get the youths to create sustainable livelihood.

“These boys are willing to learn. Many of them have been trained but sadly, they are unemployed. I don’t think this is in the best interest of the country. We have been managing them by paying them the recommended stipend monthly but it is not the right way to go because we are indirectly encouraging the culture of indolence and dependency. It is not something we should encourage in our youths, rather we should give them the opportunity to be self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” he added.

The MD of NPA, Bello-Koko, who commended Ndiomu for boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta, said the programme has helped in addressing unrest in the region.

He assured the PAP team of the willingness of NPA to provide technical support and other assistance needed for the success of the deep sea diving school. He said the authority has improved activities in the ports in the region as a way of gainfully engaging the youths through provision of jobs.

“For us in NPA, we have tried to improve activities of our ports in the region as a way of tackling restiveness because with these activities, jobs are created and the youths are engaged. We will work with you to give you all the support you need. We’ll work with you to see any available jetty for the purpose you want to use it for. When it comes to deep sea diving and other marine related training, we have experienced staff here that we can always send to you to offer training and advisories whenever the need arises.

“We have tried as much as possible to have a very good working relationship with the host communities in the Niger Delta. We have seen a reduction in restiveness because of what you have been doing as well as our engagement with the host communities. We also seek your support when you are engaging with the communities around the port locations; they need to realise that their action and inaction will determine how viable the ports are,” he said.

News

Insecurity: Former NYSC Director Tasks Corps Members On Self, Environmental Consciousness

Published

3 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

A retired Director, Information and Public Relations, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate Headquarters, Eddy Megwa, has called on all corps members serving in the country to take their personal security seriously, always be self and environmental conscious.

The former Director made the call at the Bauchi NYSC permanent orientation camp, Wailo, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state on Monday.

He warned that the times were evil, therefore vigilance, self consciousness and consciousness of the environment were of paramount importance.

He also called on them to serve the nation with loyalty, commitment and zeal for patriotism, adding that no nation grew without the selfless service of the citizens and called on the corps members to rise up and make the desired change.

“I want to urge you all to deliberately work towards building a great nation of our collective dreams.

“This is because if we have a country that is working very well, the youths will not be desperate about relocating to other countries of the world for greener pastures,” he said.

Megwa further discouraged the youth from illegal migration, describing it as a suicide mission as many of such ‘desperate people’ ended up losing their lives in the Sahara desert in the most gruesome manner.

The former NYSC Spokesman encouraged the corps members to strive for excellence in all they do and achieve even what their forebears could not achieve.

“There are a whole lot of opportunities you have now and can leverage on which the older generation never had.”

He told his audience not to put their names and their families into disrepute by getting themselves involved in crimes and other unwholesome activities.

“The Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme of the NYSC is the panacea to graduate unemployment.

“I want to, therefore, advise you to take advantage of the programme by learning skills that will be useful to you in the future.”

Earlier, Mr Umoren Kufre, the state’s Coordinator of NYSC, appreciated the retired Director for the visit and words of motivation to both camp officials and corps members.

He described the former Director as a living legend that shaped the NYSC Public Relations Unit to what it is today and left his footprints boldly.

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Sunshine, Cloudiness From Monday

Published

4 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and haziness from Monday to Wednesday across the country.‎

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged sunny skies over the entire northern region throughout the forecast period on Monday.‎

It envisaged ‎sunny skies with patches of clouds over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, ‎cloudy atmosphere with sunshine intervals is anticipated over the region with slim chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross River during the afternoon to evening hours,” it said‎According to NiMet, dust haze is anticipated over Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, and Yobe on Tuesday throughout the forecast period.‎It anticipated sunny skies with cloud patches over the entire central region.

“For ‎southern region, ‎cloudy skies are expected over the region with slim prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of ‎Cross River during morning hours.‎” Isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Delta, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River later in the day,” it said.‎

The agency predicted dust haze over the northern region throughout the forecast period on Wednesday.‎NiMet anticipated a sunny and hazy atmosphere over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, cloudy atmosphere are over the region in the morning hours.‎

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers ” it said.

NiMet urged the public to drive under the rain with caution and to take necessary precautions as ‎dust particles would be in suspension over the northern region.

NiMet advised people with asthmatic health conditions and other respiratory issues to be cautious of the present weather ‎conditions.

‎”Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.‎” Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet – visit our website – www.nimet.gov.ng.

News

MOWAA: Why I Will Not Appear Before Edo Assembly Panel — Obaseki

Published

4 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The immediate past governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has given reasons he would not appear before the Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee set up to investigate funding and ownership of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The Edo Assembly set up the panel following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo that the Assembly should probe funding and ownership of the projects.

Amongst what the governor requested the Assembly to investigate is the state government’s N3.8bn investment in the MOWAA and N28bn in Radisson Hotel.

Former Governor Obaseki is scheduled to appear before the Committee on Thursday, December 4th, 2025.

The Committee, had in a letter signed by its Secretary, Bekisu Oshone Wilson, said attendance by Obaseki and others were required as part of the committee’s investigation.

Obaseki, who spoke through his media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, said it was offensive and laughable for the Assembly to invite him over a matter that was already in court.

He said the Edo Assembly should learn to know how the law works.

The former Edo Governor said he could not be subjected to answering separately on the same issue.

“It is subjudice for the former Governor to appear before the Edo Assembly in a matter already in court.

“Why subject him to another round of questioning on the same issues?”

Management of MOWAA had also refused to appear before the Edo Assembly Ad Hoc Committee.

Its Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, said the Assembly could only make recommendations but that the Court would make the final decision on the issues.