The Administrator of Rivers State Ibok Ete Ibas has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the extent of work at the Port Harcourt Ring Road Project.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule Implementation, led by Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, Ibas described the contractor’s performance as “regrettable.”
He said that despite receiving 77% mobilization totalling N150 billion of the N195 billion contract sum, the project remains largely unexecuted.
According to Ibas, worse still, is the fact that the contractor has requested an 87% variation, potentially inflating the total cost to N367 billion.
Ibas issued a stern warning against contractors who fail to honour lawful agreements and terms.
It would be recalled that the Ring Road Project in Rivers State was flagged off by the now suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara in October 2023 with Julius Berger as the contractor. A three-year time frame was agreed upon for the completion of the multi-billion Naira project, which traverses six local government areas of the state. Work on the Ring Road Project was progressing smoothly until the suspension of democratic structures in Rivers State over political disagreements in March 2025. This subsequently led to the appointment of a sole administrator to govern the state.
Julius Berger, the contracting firm thereafter, requested a variation in the cost of the project, citing the rising costs of materials. With no assurance from the government that its request for variation would be met, Julius Berger began by downsizing the workforce before finally pulling out from all the sites of the project. The Ring Road Project is one of the flagship projects of the suspended Governor Fubara’s administration in Rivers State.
A university Don, Professor Andy Wali, has posited that for marketing and business research from tertiary institutions to sufficiently impact on the civic community and industries, there is the urgent need to adopt new methodology, given the evolving change in market dynamics and technology. Delivering his Inaugural Lecture titled, “Rethinking Impact In Marketing and Business Research Through The Interpretivist Lens,” Prof Wali, who delivered the 116th Inaugural Lecture of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt on Wednesday August 13, 2025 at the University’s Senate Building, said the time had come for scholars to rethink their marketing and business research findings for the benefit of the civic community and industry. According to Wali, who is a Professor of Strategic Marketing and Social Constructivist Techniques at the Rivers State University, the eminent disconnect between the academic and civic communities is due to the “perceived negligence in conducting ethically and value oriented research in business sciences and specifically in marketing schools within the Ivory Tower. Prof. Wali stated that his postulation was not aimed at discrediting existing researches in the areas of marketing and business, but with a view to redirecting the attention of scholars within business sciences and allied disciplines to the decline in research occasioned by certain ethical improprieties and those he termed “colonialists in the Ivory Tower “. The university Don lamented that research in the ivory totally geared towards, and are made only for academic and promotion exercises, urging scholars to redirect their researches towards contributing in shaping business development and deepening service users’ experiences. He noted that a properly harnessed research output would bring about enhanced teaching quality, which would invariably lead to the production of quality graduates that can further translate to industry productivity and societal development.
Prof. Wali, at the lecture identified the rationale for declining impact in marketing and business research in industry and civic community, which he attributed to research misconduct, relevant departure in research value and policy making, poor mentorship and training, poor research archivization and management systems, inadequate funding and poor institutional infrastructure, poor communication and dissemination. The university Don stated that over the years as a researcher and scholar, he had focused on closing the gap on poor research using qualitative paradigm through focus group interviews, single interviews, nethnography and narrative analyses to explore problems within consumer behaviour and experiences, higher education and marketing ethics in Nigeria and the United Kingdom context, respectively.
Furthermore, he mentored emerging scholars to embrace methodological diversity by using qualitative methodology, which can come through a reform in postgraduate programmes in marketing and business sciences. Proffering solutions to the challenges of marketing and business research meeting the needs of the civic community and industry, Prof. Wali advocated the establishment of a Centre for Behavioural Science And Industry Studies, which, according to him, “will drive a new research order in all functional areas of Business and allied disciplines, and to attract industry-oriented researches and institutional grants. Prof. Wali further advocated the establishment of a data repository for all researchers within the university, training and sharing success stories by researchers and integration with other paradigms. The 116th Inaugural Lecture of the Rivers State University was well attended by renowned dignitaries, including the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb Obipi, former Vice Chancellors of the University, scholars and researchers, members of the university community, and friends of the Inaugural Lecturer.
If history is anything to go by, then Sunday’s opening match of the English Premier League (EPL) between Manchester United and Arsenal Football Clubs at Old Trafford portends danger for Arsenal Historically, Manchester United have been known as the opening weekend specialists having won the opening day fixtures over the years with 22 victories in a 66.7% success rate and they have, in recent times, played the opening weekend matches at Old Trafford, nine seasons in a row. For the 2025/26 season which kicks off this week, Manchester United would be hosting Arsenal in the opening weekend only for the second time, the last happening in the 1989/90 season (36 years) ago, when United beat Arsenal 4-1. The clash which is the stand out fixture in the first week of the new season is already eliciting the usual thrilling feuds, sparking a rivalry that encapsulates the blockbuster meetings of the clubs from their fans across the globe. Manchester United fans are in an upbeat mood. Who wouldn’t be? At least if historical antecedents favour you. This clash, on Sunday, is only the fourth time the two teams will contest a league fixture in August, with United winning the previous three, including the famous 8-2 walloping and 2011. However, for Arsenal Football Club and its supporters, history does not play football, as they believe that current realities of the potentials of both clubs give a clue as to what happens on Sunday at Old Trafford. For a team that has consistently been runners-up of the English Premier league title in three seasons, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, it’s a pointer to the strength, at least, when compared to a Manchester United team that ended the last season on the 15th position, their worst in recent times. What, however, makes this season opening encounter more interesting and fascinating is that both teams have broken the banks to bolster their teams. In a move, signifying their intentions to drop the toga of perennial runners-up, Arsenal approached the transfer market with zeal and gusto. They brought in the likes of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for £51m, Christian Norgaard from Brentford for £15m, Christian Mosquera from Valencia, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Noni Madueke. The star signing was Viktor Gyokores from Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. Not wanting a repeat of the worst performance of last season, Manchester United with an eye on returning to the top echelon of the league brought in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo, Diego Leon and star striker Benjamin Sesko. Not done yet, the team is still in the hunt for Carlos Baleba to bolster their midfield. Sunday’s encounter is even more peculiar as two key signings from both sides, Victor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, were wanted by the teams they face in the encounter. While Arsenal initially wanted Sesko, the player turned them down, preferring to join the Red Devils. On the other hand, Manchester United had eyes on Gyokeres, who had his mind fixed on joining Arsenal. This circumstance will further spur Gyokeres and Sesko to want to outpunch each other during the encounter.
While Arsenal initially wanted Sesko, the player turned them down, preferring to join the Red Devils. On the other hand, Manchester United had eyes on Gyokeres, who had his mind fixed on joining Arsenal. This circumstance will further spur Gyokeres and Sesko to want to outpunch each other during the encounter. The statistics of both players coming into the encounter on Sunday have further raised the stakes. Viktor Gyokeres scored 39 goals in 33 matches last season with Sporting Lisbon in the Liga Portugal. He took 103 shots in 33 matches in the 2024/25 season, 73 of which were on target. The 1.87cm, twenty seven year old Swedish born player had a shot accuracy rate of 70.87% and a pass completion rate of 73.83% Benjamin Sesko, on the other hand, plied his trade in the 2024/25 season with RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga, where he started in 30 matches and scored 13 goals. With a height of 1.95 cm, Sesko, the 24 year old Slovenian, showed how good he is in the air, winning 70% of aerial duels during the season. Sunday’s encounter will be the 245th time Arsenal and Manchester United will be locking horns since 1919. In their last 244 meetings, Arsenal won 90 times, Manchester United won 99 times, while 55 matches had ended in draws. In matches involving both clubs, Manchester United has the record of the longest unbeaten streak of nine games from 1954- 1958 and 1991 – 1995. However, on current strength, Arsenal has the unbeaten streak of six games from 2023 to the present. Whichever way victory goes on Sunday between both clubs, it will certainly be a pointer to how the teams would fare in the 2025/26 English Premier league season, which promises to be very exciting and extremely competitive.
As the final Grand Slam of the year gets underway at Flushing Meadows in the United States of America, from August 24 2025, tennis lovers all over the globe would have their eyes on the newest teenage female tennis sensation from Canada, Victoria Mboko. It was her stunning Canadian Open triumph weeks ago over former world Number One, Naomi Osaka in the final, that turned the eyes of the tennis world on her. Victoria Mboko, the 18 year old had downed fellow Grand Slam champions, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff( the top seed), and Sofia Kenin in earlier rounds of the Canadian Open to send tongues wagging. The 18 year old raised in Burlington, Ontario, becomes the second – youngest player in the Open Era to defeat four Grand Slam champions in a single tournament. The only player to accomplish such a feat was 17 year old Serena Williams at the 1999 US Open. Mboko’s mesmerizing win in Canada vaulted her rankings, blossoming from the little known wildcard to the tournament headliner and household name in tennis, at least for now. Her feat in Canada has earned her a place among the female tennis players to be seeded at Flushing Meadows in the United States, having jumped from 85th to 24th in the world rankings. That’s certainly remarkable for a teenager who started the year outside the top 300. Mboko’s history: Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Congolese parents, but grew up in Toronto. Won her first professional singles title at the ITF W25 tournament in Saskatoon in 2022, which she successfully defended in 2023. Won four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour events to begin 2025, adding a fifth in March. In second place for most ITF World Tennis Tour women’s singles titles won this year. Began 2025 ranked at No 333, but rose to be No 24 in the rankings updated recently following her victory in Montreal. Qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, where she reached the third round Coached by former world No 3 and 1998 Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
Refreshingly, what was expected of her was the same thing that was expected of Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi, local jam and peppermint tea.
Yet strangely the place did not seem crowded. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
Headed over Lions Bridge and made our way to the Sofia Synagogue, then sheltered in the Central Market Hall until the recurrent (but short-lived) mid-afternoon rain passed.
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque, then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
I had low expectations about Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour I absolutely loved the place. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia has a very average facade as you enter the city, but once you lose yourself in the old town area, everything changes.
Clothes can transform your mood and confidence. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
