From Francis Sadhere, Delta

The Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has commended the Value Rebirth Centre Leadership School for its unwavering commitment to nurturing future leaders.Speaking through the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Nyerhovwo Tonikari, at the school’s 8th Annual Lecture and Graduation Ceremony, the Governor lauded the institution for its role in shaping character, instilling values, and equipping young people with leadership skills.

Delivering the Governor’s goodwill message, Tonikari praised the graduating students for their dedication and hard work, describing their achievement as a significant milestone in their personal and professional growth.“True leaders are not just born; they are made through dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn. The skills and values you have acquired here will serve as a strong foundation for your future,” he said.He noted that leadership goes beyond titles or positions of authority, adding that it is about “character, vision, and the ability to inspire and influence others.”The Governor’s message aligned with the theme of the ceremony, which stressed on the importance of rebirth and renewal in personal and societal development.Oborevwori expressed appreciation to the management and staff of Value Rebirth Centre Leadership School for their tireless efforts in grooming the next generation of leaders, stressing that the institution’s impact will continue to resonate for years to come.Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to educational development, the Governor stated, “Investing in education is investing in the future, and we are proud to support institutions like Value Rebirth Centre Leadership School.”He urged the graduates to remain committed to the principles of leadership they have learned, positioning themselves as change-makers, innovators, and problem-solvers for society.In his address, the Founding Executive Director of VREI, Edewor Egedegbe, traced the organization’s origin to a divine encounter in January 2014, inspired by Isaiah 58:12. This vision, he said, led to the establishment of VREI in June 2014 to raise transformational leaders and restore values in society.Egedegbe, who is also Director of Studies at the Delta Study Centre, recalled his own training at the Centre LSD Leadership School in Abuja during the 2012/2013 session, which he attended tuition-free, travelling from Warri monthly to acquire leadership knowledge.Founded on June 10, 2017, the Delta Study Centre is the first of its kind in the South-South region, set up to tackle leadership and entrepreneurship challenges in Nigeria through intensive training and mentoring. Since inception, it has trained 792 leaders, including this year’s graduating class of 144, with demand for admission growing annually.The leadership school, which is tuition-free, partners with Centre LSD Abuja, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), and Shamar Educational Foundation. Each academic session ends with an annual lecture, and this year’s theme — “Leadership & Value Decadence in Nigeria: Finding Local Implementable Solutions” — was delivered by veteran journalist and retired editor of The Guardian newspaper, Mr. Abraham O. Ogbodo.Egedegbe praised the commitment of partners, volunteer lecturers, and facilitators, singling out Centre LSD, KAS, Shamar Educational Foundation, his wife Dcns. Joy Egedegbe, and dedicated staff for their support.To the graduating students, he charged them to lead with purpose, applying the lessons learned to drive positive change. He also urged matriculating students to embrace the transformative journey ahead with commitment and active participation.

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

National Vice Chairman of Phase Three of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), General Alhaji Letugbene has lauded the Administrator of PAP, Dr. Dennis Otuaro for prioritizing capacity-building of ex-agitators in the amnesty programme.

He commended Dr Otuaro last weekend, during the closing ceremony of the third batch of the three-day Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation Training For Presidential Amnesty Programme Stakeholders organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja. Letugbene, who acknowledged that the workshop has broadened the knowledge and understanding of participants, commended Dr Otuaro and his team for organizing the programme to boost the capacity of PAP stakeholders across the three phases of the amnesty programme.He said as PAP’s Peace Ambassadors, the knowledge gained at the capacity training programme would enable the participants to engage positively with other stakeholders such as traditional rulers, women and youth groups, in their various communities in the Niger Delta.The ex-agitator on behalf of participants, also thanked His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing the peace, stability and development of the oil-rich Niger Delta in his eight point Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring of commitment to sustain the peace in the region.”This capacity-building programme is apt and timely. On behalf of the participants in the third batch, I want to express my profound gratitude to the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr. Dennis Otuaro to carry out lofty programmes like this”.While describing peace-building initiatives as catalyst for growth and development, the National Vice Chairman of Phase Three enjoined the participants to share the knowledge gained at the training programme as a way of spreading the message of peace and collaboration to engender all-round development in the region.According to him “Our capacity has been built, we are now better prepared as PAP Peace Ambassadors. Going forward, we will work with the authorities in our various communities to foster peace in our region”.The Bayelsa youth leader also asserted that the Amnesty Office has successfully concluded the leadership training for first, second and third batches of stakeholders in the PAP phase one, two and three, noting that another set of ex-agitators in batches, would soon commence their training to boost their capacity.Letugbene also extolled Dr. Otuaro for being proactive, pragmatic and visionary, saying his commitment and dedication has catapulted him to the front row as the best PAP Administrator since the establishment of the PAP by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’dua in 2009.He equally described as novel, the plans to expand the Amnesty Programme to include impacted women and youths, hinting that the proposed training for the expected new entrants in the PAP is highly commendable and urged the federal government and other key stakeholders to support Dr Otuaro to succeed in his mandate.General Letugbene, however, admonished PAP beneficiaries not to be used as agents of destabilization by selfish politicians as they do not mean well for the region, while restarting his call on traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to work with the Amnesty Office and the federal government to sustain the peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta.

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

A coalition of Niger Delta ex-agitators under the umbrella of Aggrieved Freedom Fighters Forum (AFFF) has withdrawn a petition to the federal government seeking the termination of the pipeline security surveillance contract awarded to the Pipeline infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).

The group, in the petition, had accused the PINL of alleged non-performance, marginalization of host community youths, forceful renaming of Ijaw communities, rampant bunkering activities, sponsoring tribal conflict as well as territorial claims over Ijaw and Urhobo lands in Delta State. The decision to withdraw the petition was contained in a press statement issued last weekend by the leader of the group, General Seiyifa Gbedeke alias Don Cairo, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital and made available to our Correspondent.Gbedeke said that the AFFF was misled to carry out the action which has clearly embarrassed the company and therefore, extended an apology to the management and staff of the PINL, the federal government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Niger Deltans.He admitted that the petition was not only hasty but premature and lacking in facts, adding that the demand for the PINL surveillance contract to be revoked was driven by limited understanding of the operations of the company and success recorded so far.The ex-agitator asserted that the AFFF acted on misinformation but after consulting key stakeholders, including staff, ex-agitators and beneficiaries of numerous PINL scholarship and medical outreach programmes, it reviewed its position and immediately withdrew the petition and tendered an apology.”After due consultation with some stakeholders, we realized we were hasty in our approach to seek redress by petitioning the Federal Government to withdraw the PINL surveillance contract. We are using this medium to apologize for our ignorance as we were misled to embark on that journey” he said.According to the AFFF leader, the group has become more aware of the operations of the PINL and are totally convinced that the surveillance company has been carrying out its operations within the scope of its responsibilities and in accordance with the terms of preference as laid out by the NNPCL and the federal government.He lauded the management of PINL for providing employment for about fifteen thousand Niger Delta youths, as well as for organizing regular medical outreach programmes and offering scholarships to youths among other lofty initiatives aimed at fostering peace and stability in their area of operation.