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Project HOPE: NDDC Onboards Communities in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, & Rivers State for the Agricultural Specimen Program
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has onboarded host communities in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers State for the agricultural specimen program, under the Holistic Opportunities and Programs for Empowerment (HOPE). The exercise was carried out at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, PhD, and also had in attendance the Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA), Chief Boma Iyaye; Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Etim Antai; directors, staff of the commission, traditional rulers, stakeholders, and representatives of the host communities for the agricultural program.
The opening remark was given by the Executive Director, Projects, who is also the chairman of the Project HOPE committee in the Niger Delta Development Commission, Sir Victor Etim Antai. He said, “Project HOPE is a signature project in the Niger Delta Region. Project HOPE is the hope for the Niger Delta to identify the teeming youths, empower the youths, and is aimed at changing the tenor of militancy to a more respectable tenor of technology. The man behind it is the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku. We are here together because we have a lead consultant who is translating the dreams of the Managing Director for the youths and people of the region.” He thanked the traditional rulers and stakeholders for keying into the vision of Project HOPE, stressing the idea of the agricultural specimen is to make the region self-reliant, especially regarding food production and provision. He also informed that the Rivers Farmers Association has already met with the commission, explaining that other areas of the country need irrigation for rice production, but the Niger Delta doesn’t need irrigation as there’s enough water. He finally promised that the commission will not fail the communities in any way.
Ambassador Blessing Fubara, the lead consultant for Project HOPE, in his speech thanked the Managing Director and the 7th Board for the birth of the project. He said, “The communities are here today, and they have set an example to show that as communities, they are ready to be developed. MD sir, we carried out your directives, which is to translate from transaction to transformation, and the communities gave us hectares of land. Each community has seeded their lands and given us these lands for free with no dime paid.” He further said, “For us to develop the communities, we need to engage in public, private, and community partnerships, as they will be stakeholders in the project. The children of the communities will be part of the management of the farms. We have promised that we will start planting with the rainy season, and with the permission of the MD, we will meet up with planning in due time to ensure we harvest also in due time.”
Traditional rulers and stakeholders from the various states gave goodwill messages and remarks from their respective communities, thanking the Managing Director and other members of the 7th Board for ” not taking the bull by the horns but rather by the teeth .” They assured the commission of security and all the necessary support from their communities, stating that they have even above the required 100 hectares.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, in his remark, began by thanking the lead consultant for going to the field on behalf of the commission. He also thanked the Executive Director, Projects, and the other members of the Project HOPE committee for working around the clock to ensure the project is actualized. He said, “Project HOPE is born out of the renowned hope agenda of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What we are doing is creating sustainability. We know in the past so many projects have been done and abandoned. Food security is one vital instrument in the society that feeds our people and reduces social restiveness. In the past, we have tried to do all we can to ensure we empower youths and women of our region with little or no success. That is why we went back to the drawing board to have the Holistic Opportunities and Programs for Engagement. Development should not be only infrastructural; there’s a need to create a balance between infrastructural and human capital as well as other types of development. Once we can sort the basics, our region will develop rapidly.”
Chief Ogbuku reiterated that the commission wants the rural communities to be engaged to ensure they produce enough for the region. He further said, “The essence of this partnership is to ensure you’re not spectators to development but partners in development. For anyone to benefit from the program of engagement, the youths need to register in the Project HOPE database. With the database, we will know and pick people based on their areas of competence and interest, so we can put square pegs in square holes to ensure we don’t make mistakes. Everything about Project HOPE is properly structured to move on auto-pilot. We want the database so that at the end of the day, we can know how many we have engaged and be accountable for the youths of our region. The state reps and officers are carried along, so if you cannot reach us, reach the state offices for any information or enquiry. Project HOPE will ensure we work with our Triple T, which is Transition from Transaction to Transformation. Project HOPE is bringing hope to the people of the Niger Delta. Let me thank you for being magnanimous enough to donate your lands. I assure you that we will be transparent, and we will not disappoint. For the fact that you donated your lands, when we have projects, we will give you preference.”
The proof of the onboarding exercise was the presentation of documents for the seeded lands by the communities to the Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku.
~ Cooperate Communications
Project HOPE
Reactions have trailed to trail the disclosure by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 following recent welfare reforms by the Federal Government.
Veterans and serving personnel have described the amount as grossly inadequate in the face of Nigeria’s rising cost of living, while some accused the Federal Government of failing to implement a more substantial salary review promised months ago.
The criticism comes amid renewed concerns over troop welfare, military funding, and the effectiveness of efforts to boost morale among personnel battling insecurity across the country.
A retired soldier, Abdul Isiak, argued that the current salary falls far short of what is needed to meet basic living expenses.
“It is not enough at all. What is N100,000 in the current situation of the country? It cannot go far. They should do better. If soldiers are paid more, they will be more motivated and committed to their duties,” he said.
Another retired military officer, Sergeant Zaki Williams, questioned the accuracy of the figure disclosed by the minister and described the amount as inadequate for personnel who risk their lives in service to the nation.
“I doubt if they are even paying up to that amount now. Even if they are, it is too little. Any government paying a soldier N100,000 in today’s economy is not serious enough about the welfare of its troops,” he said.
Williams noted that soldiers face enormous challenges and deserve better remuneration and working conditions.
Also reacting, the Coordinator of the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, Abiodun Herbert-Durowaye, said the salary does not reflect the sacrifices made by military personnel.
“How can that be sufficient for someone putting his life on the line for the country? Consider the cost of food, housing, transportation, and children’s education. N100,000 is far from adequate for those responsible for protecting the nation’s peace and security,” he stated.
The reactions followed comments by the Minister of Defence during an interview with News Central, where he disclosed that the minimum monthly salary of soldiers had increased from N49,000 to N100,000 under the current administration.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has made deliberate efforts to improve troop welfare despite funding challenges facing the military.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
Musa, however, acknowledged that the defence sector remains underfunded and requires greater financial support to effectively address the country’s security challenges.
The minister also advocated stricter penalties for kidnapping, including the possibility of introducing the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, arguing that stronger deterrents are necessary to curb the growing wave of abductions across the country.
The debate over soldiers’ welfare comes at a time when the military continues to confront multiple security threats, with stakeholders insisting that improved remuneration, better equipment, and enhanced welfare packages are critical to boosting morale and operational effectiveness.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that travellers in the United States seeking Nigerian visas must now submit their applications directly at Nigerian diplomatic missions following the termination of its contract with a third-party visa processing company.
The new directive, which takes immediate effect, ends the role previously played by Online Integrated Solutions (OIS Services), which had been responsible for receiving and processing Nigerian visa applications through its centres across the United States.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said visa applicants are now required to submit their documents directly at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta until further notice.
The immigration service did not state the reason for ending its partnership with OIS Services.
However, Akinlabi assured applicants that adequate measures have been put in place at the embassy and consulates to ensure a smooth transition. He added that visa submission, processing and approval would continue without disruption.
He also urged prospective travellers to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian diplomatic missions in the United States for updates on visa application procedures.
A Professor of Economics and Governance, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, has called on South African Government to take active responsibility of protecting foreigner and desist from ‘compromising inaction’.
Uba, Chairman of the ACUF Initiative for Policy and Governance, made the call on Thursday in Enugu in a statement he titled: “South Africa Is Playing with Fire, and Its Elites Are Holding the Match”.
He said that the lack of intentional action against the individuals and groups perpetrate the xenophobic attacks, who are non-state actors, raises serious questions under international law.
The don noted that “protection of non-nationals is a clear obligation, not a discretionary act.”
According to him, persistent failure to uphold this responsibility undermines both legal commitments and diplomatic credibility.
Uba said that the implications of the development extend far beyond South Africa, adding that it would have economically, politically and diplomatically consequences both to the country and Africa in general.
He noted that economically, the country is not just another market.
“It is a continental anchor. Its financial systems, industrial base, and regional linkages make it central to African growth.
“Prolonged instability would ripple outward, constraining trade, deterring investment, and weakening regional integration,” he said.
On the Political aspect, he said that South Africa had long been seen as a model of democratic transition and constitutionalism.
“If that model begins to fracture, it sends a powerful signal across the continent.
“It emboldens those who argue that institutional democracy cannot deliver, and it weakens reformist voices elsewhere,” he said.
Uba said that diplomatically, xenophobic violence is not a domestic issue when it targets foreign nationals.
He said, “It is an international concern that tests regional solidarity and diplomatic patience.
“Each episode forces other African governments to respond, balancing domestic outrage with the need to preserve bilateral relations.”
The don noted that over time, the balance in the country would becomes harder to maintain as non-state actors would be emboldened to perpetrate other unlawful acts as they view the government as weak or inactive.
The Apex sociocultural youth organization of the Igbo race worldwide, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has described the current arrest made by the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence (ICPC) against former Minister of Science and Technology and the 2027 People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State, Hon. Uche Nnaji, regarding his certificate, as a deliberate political witch-hunt orchestrated by the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Gov. Peter Mbah.
In a press address in Enugu on Wednesday, 8th July 2026, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), called on Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to maintain the commission’s ethical standards, threatening to seek his removal if evidence confirms the alleged bias of ICPC in favor of Governor Peter Mbah against Hon. Uche Nnaji regarding the 2027 Guber election.
*The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) revealed that the fight against Hon. Uche Nnaji is a battle for the Enugu Governorship and the “Lions Building Seat” in 2027, and dismissed the certificate forgery allegations against Uche Nnaji as a political distraction and blackmail.*
The surreptitious entry into the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to obtain a court order detaining Hon Uche Nnaji is a teleguided executive overreach attributed to Gov Peter Mbah apparently aimed at silencing Hon Uche Nnaji, which is highly censurable.
The Council stated that “A court of competent jurisdiction is presently handling the unsubstantiated certificate forgery case, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Hon Uche Nnaji have opted for an out-of-court settlement, following recent findings of misinformation.
Therefore, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), should maintain a neutral stance regarding the Enugu State Governorship battle to preserve his reputation built through his legal career and public service, and avoid being perceived as succumbing to Governor Peter Mbah’s alleged attempts to utilize executive power to blackmail and witch-hunt Hon. Uche Nnaji.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) warned Governor Peter Mbah to concentrate on fulfilling his unfulfilled campaign promises to Enugu State rather than chasing Hon Uche Nnaji through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
Families displaced by the recent fire outbreak in the Asata area of Enugu have received immediate relief from the Enugu State Government following the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah, who directed that palliative support be provided to ease their suffering.
Chairman of the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA), Chinasa Mbah, disclosed that the agency promptly delivered the relief materials in compliance with the governor’s directive.
“We have given them some palliative as directed by His Excellency. Our report has equally gone in, and we await further instructions,” Mbah said.
She explained that ESEMA has completed its assessment of the incident and submitted its recommendations to the state government, adding that additional assistance for the affected families will depend on the governor’s approval of the agency’s report.
The swift response underscores Governor Mbah’s commitment to standing with citizens in times of distress. The victims, whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the fire that gutted two flats in a two-storey building on Church Road, Asata, are expected to receive further support as the government considers ESEMA’s recommendations.
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