The Nigerian Government has reiterated its dedication to achieving lasting peace and security in the Niger Delta region.

The Minister of Youth Development, Engr. Ayodele Olawande, gave this assurance during a One-Day Multi-Stakeholder Consultative Engagement on the Niger Delta, held at the Bolton White Hotel in Abuja.

Represented by the Director General of the Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization (CYMS), Chief Obinna Nwaka, the Minister underscored the importance of community-driven approaches to tackling the persistent security issues and criminal activities in the Niger Delta. He also acknowledged the current security threat and assured that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to addressing it.

Olawande expressed his appreciation to the organizing bodies for bringing together diverse stakeholders and emphasized that the dialogue was a crucial step toward achieving sustainable peace in the region.

The objective of the event was to present findings from the ‘Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ project, as well as to explore strategies for promoting peace.

The Minister highlighted the progress made in addressing these challenges and called on participants to collaborate on solutions that are not only relevant to the region but also aligned with global peacebuilding practices.

“This engagement provides an invaluable opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas, and locally relevant strategies to combat violence and criminality in the Niger Delta,’ Olawande said. ‘It is crucial to involve youth and women’s groups, as they are both the most affected by the conflict and central to driving change in their communities,” the Minister said.

The Minister also expressed government’s commitment to support the resolutions that would emerge from the discussions. He urged stakeholders to continue their collective efforts to ensure the successful implementation of strategies that would transform the region into a model of peace and prosperity.

He further expressed strong support for the initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, particularly in areas such as security, job creation, and education in the Niger Delta. He assured participants that the Ministry of Youth Development would complement the President’s efforts through initiatives like the National Integrated Youth Agency (NIYA), the Youth Pi-CNG Initiative, and the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).

Olawande called on all stakeholders to collaborate with a shared purpose, ensuring that the outcomes of the engagement lead to meaningful, actionable solutions for the benefit of the Niger Delta.
This consultative meeting is part of ongoing efforts aimed at building a peaceful and secure future for the people of the Niger Delta, with a focus on empowering youth to play a central role in the region’s transformation.

Present at the gathering were key stakeholders such as government officials, security agencies, civil society groups, and representatives from youth and women’s organizations.
The event was organized by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and the Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta (PIND), with support from the European Union.

Following Supreme Court annulment of Rivers State Local Government Council elections, Governor Siminalayi Fubara in a state broadcast on Sunday directed the conduct of fresh Local Government Council election by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.

He asserted that his administration remains committed to the rule of law, even though he disagrees with the judgment of the apex Court nullifying the previous Council elections, assuring that once the certified true copies of the judgments are obtained, expectedly by Friday, March 7, 2025—his government will study and implement them accordingly.

The Governor urged the Council Chairmen to hand over administration to the Heads of Local Government Administration, saying that heads of administration should immediately take over governance across the 23 LGAs pending fresh elections.

Fubara directed the outgoing Council Chairmen to hand over power by Monday, March 3, 2025.
“Given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by RSIEC,” Fubara stated.

The governor urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that his administration is working to stabilize the situation and continue delivering on its responsibilities.

“Although our dear state seems to be back in trying times, I urge everyone to remain calm and peacefully go about their legitimate daily activities,” he said.

The announcement comes amid heightened political tensions in Rivers State, as various factions await the implementation of the Supreme Court’s verdicts and the scheduling of new local government elections.

As reactions continue to trail allegation of sexual harassment against the President of the 10th Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi on Sunday declared that “it’s a pattern of reckless claims and unsubstantiated allegations, warning against manipulating the institution for personal or political gain.

The lawmaker urged Nigerians to carefully see through attempts to destabilize the Senate through falsehoods.

This was even as the former Senate President of the 8th National Assembly, Dr. Bukola Saraki called for probe of the allegations so as not to tinker with the integrity and sanctity of the Senate.

In Saraki’s statement which was obtained on Saturday by CAPITAL POST in Abuja, he neither exonerated nor indicted Godswill Akpabio or Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, but said, probe would reveal the truth and put paid to the controversy, recalling that he was accused by a Senator during his Senatre presidency of importing vehicles without paying for custom duties which he submitted himself to probe and was cleared.

The Ex-Senate President called for transparency in handling allegations against the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Senator Nwebonyi argued that Saraki’s case—centered on an administrative issue concerning an official vehicle and was vastly different from the current allegations against Akpabio, which he insisted are unsubstantiated and timed to avoid disciplinary proceedings.

Nwebonyi lampooned Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for making allegations of sexual harassment after she was summoned for disciplinary action, reasoning why no prior complaints were made within the Senate or to female colleagues.

“If we take Saraki’s argument to its logical conclusion, we would be establishing a dangerous precedent—where any habitual liar can throw out an unsubstantiated allegation and expect the Senate to grind to a halt,” Nwebonyi stated.

The Senate Deputy Chief Whip pointed to what he described as a pattern of reckless allegations by Akpoti-Uduaghan against prominent figures such as Reno Omokri, Dino Melaye, and Yahaya Bello, arguing that these claims have consistently lacked evidence.

He argued that Senator Natasha was once appointed as Senate Committee Chairman on Local content and if such thing happened, why did she accept the Chairmanship at the time until she has to cry out after she was redeployed to another Committee.

Nwebonyi outlined three key points in handling the controversy, saying that Akpoti-Uduaghan should first answer to the Senate Ethics Committee for her misconduct.

“If she has a legitimate harassment claim, she should take it to the appropriate legal forum

“The Senate must resist being drawn into what he described as a “distraction campaign” designed to avoid accountability.

“The Senate is moved by reason and laws, not sentiments and drama,” Nwebonyi stated, adding that protecting the institution means ensuring it is not hijacked by what he termed “opportunistic falsehoods.”

He called on the Senate and Nigerians to remain focused and not allow blackmail to dictate the institution’s agenda.