NDDC Director, Administration and Human Resources, Sir Kelechi Nwelue and the Director, Community and Rural Development, Engr. Theophilus Alagoa (middle), surrounded by traditional rulers and stakeholders, during the Stakeholders’ Forum on Public Infrastructure and Vandalism Prevention in Port Harcourt.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged traditional rulers, community leaders and residents across the Niger Delta to take ownership of public infrastructure in their communities and protect it from vandalism, theft and deliberate destruction.

The Commission warned that attacks on government-funded projects undermine development, increase maintenance costs and divert scarce resources that could have been used to execute new projects.

Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Forum on Public Infrastructure and Vandalism Prevention in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said safeguarding public assets requires a collective commitment from host communities.

Represented by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Sir Kelechi Nwelue, Ogbuku stressed that while government has the responsibility of providing infrastructure, communities must see such projects as their own and ensure they are preserved.
“The aim of government is to focus on infrastructure, but after building, how do we protect it?” he asked.

“There is a need to create awareness and educate citizens that projects executed by government are the property of the community, and they should protect them,” he added.

He also encouraged residents to promptly report suspicious activities around public infrastructure to relevant authorities.

Also speaking, the NDDC Director of Community and Rural Development, Engr. Theophilus Alagoa, expressed concern over the increasing destruction of government facilities in communities, lamenting that many people failed to take responsibility for protecting projects intended to improve their lives.
“This event was organised to inform and educate everyone that government projects are our property, and it is imperative to take care of the investment,” he said.

Alagoa described vandalism, theft and the destruction of public infrastructure as acts of economic sabotage, warning that such crimes erode public resources, disrupt essential services and raise the cost of replacing damaged facilities.

He maintained that communities must play a more active role in safeguarding development projects to ensure they continue to deliver long-term benefits.

The facilitator of the forum, Mr Ibiyekaribo Inko-Tariah, urged participants to propose practical solutions to curb vandalism and theft, noting that the engagement formed part of the Commission’s broader efforts to secure government-funded infrastructure and ensure it continues to serve communities across the Niger Delta.

Behold King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI.

The ancient Kingdom of Opobo on Saturday wrote a new chapter in its 156-year royal history as His Majesty King Charles Douglas Mac-Pepple Jaja, Jeki VI, was crowned Amanyanabo, using his first address as monarch to unveil a development-focused vision anchored on justice, unity, equity and the restoration of the kingdom’s historic prominence.

The colourful coronation, held at the King Jaja Palace in Opobo Town, drew an array of distinguished personalities, including Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, represented by Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu; former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe; the Obong of Calabar; the Amanyanabo of Kalabari, His Royal Highness Asari Dokubo; and other first-class traditional rulers and dignitaries from across Nigeria.

In a coronation address that blended history with a call for renewal, King Jaja VI pledged to uphold the sovereignty and dignity of Opobo while pursuing purposeful development for the riverine kingdom.

King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja (left) with the Amanyanabo of Bonny, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple, shortly before the coronation, last Saturday.

Paying glowing tribute to Opobo’s founding monarch, King Jaja of Opobo, he described him as a courageous strategist and statesman who transformed Opobo into a major commercial power and defended its economic interests against British imperial pressure.

Governor Fubara, in his goodwill message, urged traditional rulers across Rivers State to remain custodians of the people’s heritage while contributing to peace, stability and development.

Represented by Prof. Odu, the governor described traditional institutions as indispensable partners in preserving cultural values, fostering unity and maintaining peace across communities.

He said the coronation was more than the installation of a monarch; it was a celebration of Opobo’s rich history, culture and enduring heritage, which forms an integral part of the identity of Rivers State and Nigeria.

Fubara prayed for wisdom, peace and progress throughout King Jaja VI’s reign, expressing confidence that the monarch would provide purposeful leadership for the kingdom.

Former President Jonathan described the Opobo monarchy as one of Nigeria’s most distinguished traditional institutions, recalling that the name of King Jaja had earned global recognition far beyond the country’s shores.

Congratulating the new monarch, he expressed confidence that King Jaja VI would build on the achievements of his predecessors by promoting peace, unity and sustainable development.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, reflected on the centuries-old relationship between Onitsha and Opobo, describing it as one forged through trade, mutual respect and the shared legacy of their ancestors.

King Charles, shortly after his coronation by Bishop Emmanuel Okwuchi Oko-Jaja at Opobo, on Saturday.

He recalled attending the installation of the late Amanyanabo in full traditional regalia and said he was delighted to witness another defining moment in Opobo’s royal history.

The climax of the ceremony came with the anointing and coronation of King Charles Douglas Mac-Pepple Jaja VI by the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Okwuchi Oko-Jaja, formally enthroning him as the sixth monarch in the royal lineage established by the legendary King Jaja in 1870.

The coronation, marked by pomp, pageantry and deep cultural symbolism, attracted guests from across Nigeria and beyond, reinforcing Opobo’s enduring place as one of the Niger Delta’s most historic and influential kingdoms.

With Chairman of the Conference His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe,Obi of Onitsha.

The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has challenged Nigerian editors to become the nation’s last line of defence against disinformation, warning that artificial intelligence (AI)-generated falsehoods now pose one of the greatest threats to electoral integrity and democratic survival.

Speaking on Thursday while declaring open the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, Achebe said democracy cannot survive on its own but requires vigilant institutions, especially the media, to protect the truth before, during and after elections.

Addressing editors from across the country at the conference themed, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” the monarch likened democracy to a fire that must be constantly tended lest it dies unnoticed.

“Democracy is not a monument we erect and then walk away from. It is more like a fire lit to keep the house warm. It must be tended, fed, protected from wind and rain, or it dies quietly in the night while everyone believes it still burns,” he said.
Achebe, who reflected on Nigeria’s journey from independence through military rule to democratic governance, argued that the ballot remains meaningful only when citizens are equipped with truthful information.

“The ballot is the citizen’s voice. The media is the mirror by which that citizen sees the world clearly enough to know what to say with that voice. When the mirror is cracked, or worse, deliberately distorted, the citizen no longer votes from truth but from illusion,” he warned.

The royal father devoted significant attention to the conference’s sub-theme, “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Elections,” describing it as one of the most unsettling issues confronting journalism today.

According to him, advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to manufacture convincing fake voices, videos and images capable of inflaming political tensions within seconds.

“A voice that sounds exactly like a governor can now say something that the governor never said. A video can show a candidate in a place he never was, timed precisely to inflame passions on the eve of an election,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria’s strong communal ties and trusted family and community information networks, once sources of resilience, have become fertile channels for the rapid spread of misinformation through platforms such as WhatsApp.

The monarch outlined three responsibilities for editors in confronting the new information landscape.
The first, he said, is placing verification above speed.
“In the old order, being first with the news was honour. In this new order, being first with a lie dressed as news is a betrayal of the public trust.”
Secondly, he urged journalists to deepen public literacy by mastering the tools used to create AI-generated disinformation and teaching citizens how to recognise fabricated content without descending into blanket distrust.
“A citizenry that believes everything is as dangerous as one that believes nothing,” he cautioned.
His third charge was courage, insisting that journalists must debunk falsehoods irrespective of whose political interests they serve.
“True journalistic integrity in this era will require you to correct falsehoods regardless of who benefits from them,” he said.

Achebe acknowledged the economic pressures, political intimidation and relentless pace of Nigeria’s media environment but expressed confidence that the profession possesses the capacity to meet the emerging challenge.

He recalled journalism’s historic role in exposing colonial injustice, advancing the struggle for independence and documenting Nigeria’s defining moments, urging editors to renew that legacy.
“Let Enugu be remembered as the place where Nigeria’s editors resolved to defend the ballot from the lie, and the citizen from deception dressed as fact,” he declared.
The monarch concluded by urging editors to remain steadfast even when politicians, institutions and electoral bodies fall short of public expectations.

“You must be the ultimate last man standing in the task of defending democracy,” he charged, before offering prayers for the safety, wellbeing and continued success of media practitioners across the country.