Seplat Energy PLC, a leading indigenous oil and gas company in Nigeria, proudly sponsored the 5th edition of the Orodje of Okpe Golf Tournament. This prestigious annual event, which held over the weekend at the Sapele Athletic Club’s golf section, drew over 100 golfers from across the nation, showcasing not only the sport, but also the vibrant culture of the Okpe Kingdom.

The tournament was graced by His Royal Majesty, the Orodje of Okpe, Major General Felix Mujakperuo Agho (rtd.), who spoke highly of Seplat Energy’s continued support for the community. “I want to appreciate the Sapele Athletics Club and I also want to thank the sponsor, Seplat Energy for a good job. The tournament is attracting a lot of people to Sapele. We are seeing some players from Port Harcourt, Asaba, Warri and more states. It is a competition that is growing from year to year,” he remarked during the closing ceremony.

In his remarks during the tournament, Walter Egemba, Seplat Energy’s General Manager (Engineering) explained that the sponsorship underscores the company’s commitment to community development and promoting healthy lifestyles through sports. “This tournament is an important one for Seplat. The Okpe community hosts some of our infrastructure for oil and gas development, and we pride ourselves on having special relationships with the communities where we operate. We have sponsored this tournament since inception and we are committed to elevating it to an international standard. Sports enable the well-being of people and we believe that with continued support for sports in this kingdom, we will have a healthier community.” he said.

The tournament which featured various categories of competition, with participants ranging from seasoned golfers to beginners, also impacted the economy of the Okpe community, as the influx of golfers into the community led to a surge in patronage for local vendors and businesses. The competitions saw fierce but friendly rivalry among female and male golfers, with winners awarded trophies, adding to the excitement of the event.

While expressing his gratitude, Alexander Verhees Fritz, Captain of the Sapele Athletics Club, said: “This event is one of the biggest at our golf club. We are very proud to have Seplat Energy as the major sponsor. They have supported the tournament from the start, and we are pleased to see their continued support. The rationale behind this tournament is to encourage young people to play golf. The beauty of golf is that there’s no age limit. Our youngest players are 10 and 12 years old, and our veteran pro is 82, still playing 18 holes regularly.”

The Orodje of Okpe Golf Tournament is reputed as the biggest annual golf event in the South-South region of Nigeria, while the Sapele Athletic Club Golf Section is acclaimed as the oldest Golf Club in Nigeria, having been founded in 1897. The tournament, therefore, continues to serve as a platform to celebrate the rich culture of the Okpe Kingdom.

National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has officially granted a direct satellite broadcasting (DSB) television licence to Voice of the East Media Limited.

This contained a letter published on the official social media pages of Voice of the East.

Gaius Chibueze, chairman of Eastside Ventures and founder of Voice of the East-Ndi Igbo, stated in a statement via his verified Facebook page that, with the licence, Voice of the East can operate a terrestrial television channel, a digital media broadcasting network, and other services.

He further stated that he founded Voice of the East eight years ago to promote Igbo excellence and defend the interests of Ndi Igbo.

He added that the NBC approval marked a new chapter in their mission to inform, educate, and influence people and society.

“From integrity to innovation, we are committed to delivering content that not only informs and educates but also inspires positive change. Our dedication to diversity and inclusivity drives us to represent and empower voices from all walks of life,” Chibueze said.

Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, media consultant and founder of Visage Media, commented on the development and noted that Voice of the East, from its humble beginning, has grown to be the number one social media platform for Ndi Igbo, where they go for everything Ndi Igbo.

He stated that Gaius Chibueze discovered a market and a niche when many people were not paying attention and built a brand around them.

“Voice of the East will begin operations in December and will be available on DSTV near you,” Iwuchukwu added.

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has declined to oppose the preliminary objection of Multichoice Nigeria,  Pay-TV operator, which challenged the jurisdiction of a court sitting in Abuja that recently restrained it from increasing the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages.

Nikiomari Abeke, counsel for the FCCPC, told the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) on Thursday that he was not opposing the application of Multichoice Nigeria.

Recall that the he tribunal had restrained MultiChoice from increasing its subscription rates pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed by Festus Onifade through Ejiro Awaritoma, his lawyer,.

Onifade, who sued Multichoice Nigeria Ltd, had accused the former of unjustly increasing subscription fees without one month’s notice to customers, seeking interim orders against the Pay TV.

A three-member tribunal, chaired by Saratu Shafii, had ruled in favor of Onifade by restraining Multichoice in the interim, in the suit marked CCPT/OP/2/2024.

The court  held that “the 1st Defendant(Multichoice) is hereby restrained, whether by themselves, her privies, assigns by whatsoever name called, from going ahead with impending price increase schedule to take effect from 1st May 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed before this Honourable Tribunal.”

But M.J. Onibanjo (SAN), Multichoice’s lawyer, filed a preliminary objection urging the court to decline jurisdiction on the suit filed by Festus Onifade because such price dispute case had been decided before in favor of his client.

Onifade also asked the tribunal to direct Multichoice Nigeria Limited to pay the sum of N1 billion  or any amount the tribunal deemed fit in this circumstance for “deliberately disobeying, contravening, and failure to comply with the Interim Order of this Honourable Tribunal granted on the 29th April, 2024.”

At the resumed sitting, Onibanjo tendered and adopted the previous judgment of the tribunal in suit no CCPT/OP/1/2022(Exhibit A), alongside his application, saying when a court had determined an issue between the same parties on the same subject matter before, that matter cannot be re-litigated again by any tribunal or court.

“This tribunal cannot sit on appeal on its decision. This tribunal is bound by its own decision in Exhibit A; that it is not the forum where the claimant can come to seek to regulate the prices and services offered by Multichoice,” Onibanjo said, urging the tribunal to strike out the suit.

On his part, Onifade argued that the issue he placed before the court is whether Multichoice Nigeria gave adequate notice in respect of the May 1, 2024 price TV subscription increase, and not price regulation or increase.

“It is our submission that the eight-day notice issued by Multichoice Nigeria is insufficient in law. A monthly subscriber should be given at least a month.

The FCCP counsel, Abeke, said his client “is not in opposition of the first defendant (Multichoice) and to that extent, no process and no counter was filed to the motion of the first defendant.”

After hearing from the parties, the three-man panel chaired by Justice Thomas Okosu adjourned the suit to June  7 for ruling.

Multichoice announced new price adjustments on DStv and GOtv packages on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.