With out a doubt, the greatest problem of the Niger Delta has been neglect, complete absence of infrastructures and the fact that the people of the region are seen as irrelevant and inconsequential.

There is nothing about royalty for the people of the Niger Delta. There is nothing about the cleaning up of the environment which is more damaging to the communities. There is nothing about any condition of how Niger Delta states and communities can have a stake in the industry, for example, a provision that will allow them preference to some oil blocs which they can exploit so that they can have significant practice in the industry.

Speaking during the official signing of the agreement, Kanu, Coordinator of the KHF, said the partnership arrangement had been in incubating for over year but got a break through in May 2009 in England when both parties finally agreed to collaborate in a partnership arrangement where 50 heart patients from the stable of the KHF will receive free open heart surgery every year in the Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery, at the Blue Nile area of Khartoum, Sudan.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu and MKO came to me here in this house and MKO said `they are my friends’. I told them that the ministry that suited me was ministry of works and housing and asked MKO that ‘these your soldier friends, when would they go?’ He said it won’t be long but Tinubu said it might be 12 months, it might be 15 months. I then said I would think about it.

NOBODY can write off the optimism that trailed Yar’Adua’s inaugural speech. It was inspirational, even as it raised the expectations of a people, used to mis- governance. Since then, promises made, are yet to translate to overwhelming prosperity. Not even the pledged generational shift, has been noticed in federal appointments-a reason why many have blamed […]

On Wednesday, July 8, the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) held an interactive session with print and electronic media executives in Lagos. The forum afforded the governor an opportunity to respond to a wide range of issues raised by the journalists on the mega city challenges confronting the State. Below are excerpts: OKADA […]

Text of US President, Barack Obama’s speech to Ghana’s parliament, in Accra, today. IT is an honour for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I’ve received, as are Michelle, Malia, and Sasha Obama. Ghana’s history is rich, […]

By SAMUEL OYADONGHA Yenagoa – AFTER nearly three years of Spartan life in the deep mangrove swamp of the troubled Niger Delta, some of the militant leaders in Bayelsa State who, penultimate week, agreed to lay down their arms in deference to President Umaru Yar’Adua amnesty offer, have resorted to lying low for now pending […]

By Judith Ufford VANGUARD Newspapers paved the way when it organised the first ever  South-South: One Voice summit for the Niger Delta region In Port- Harcourt, Rivers State. Since then various groups and leaders and players in the region have bought  into this vision. For example, the gathering of Niger Delta leaders for the first […]

*Captain of Nigerian ship tells the story of kidnap by pirates, ordeal and release For the 10 Nigerians who returned home two weeks ago after 303 days in   the custody of Somali pirates, the agony they went through is unlikely to go  soon.  In this interview, the ship captain, Graham Egbegi, recounts what they went […]