The Commissioner representing Cross River State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rt. Hon. Chief Orok Otu Duke, Ph.D., has expressed deep concern and sadness over the fire outbreak that gutted sections of SPAR Mall , popularly known as Calabar Mall, in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026. In a statement issued on Sunday, Duke sympathised with the management of Artee Group /SPAR Mall Nigeria, affected traders, shop owners, workers and others who suffered losses in the incident. He noted that the mall had previously been protected from destruction during the EndSARS protests and recalled that he personally mobilised citizens of Ward 1, Calabar South, to help safeguard the facility at the time. Duke expressed relief that no lives were lost and no serious injuries were recorded, attributing this to the grace of God and the efforts of emergency responders. He commended the Cross River State Fire Service , the Nigeria Police Force and othe...
Presidential Campaign Council: Niger Delta youths laud Tinubu, Shettima over Idagbo’s South-South appointment -Say his experience, network will strengthen regional mobilisation
The Niger Delta Youth Assembly has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima over the appointment of former member of the House of Representatives , Rt. Hon. Ochiglegor Idagbo , as Zonal Coordinator, Support Group Coordination, South-South, under the APC Presidential Campaign Council . The group described the appointment as timely and strategic, saying Idagbo’s extensive experience in grassroots mobilisation, governance and legislative affairs would strengthen political coordination and mobilisation across the six South-South states . The National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Assembly, Comrade Bedford Berefa Benjamin , stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, on Saturday. Benjamin said Idagbo had acquired decades of experience in grassroots politics and public administration, beginning with his days as a student union leader, where he developed skills in mobilisation, organisation and consensus-building. He said ...