Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
As former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Engr. Victor Onyekachi Ochei marks his 47th birthday anniversary with pomp and pageantry on Thursday, February 25, 2015, the state legislature on the other hand initiated a probe on the award and execution of the controversial multi billion naira Independent Power Project (IPP) awarded to him during erstwhile Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan’s administration.
The Independent Power Project, awarded by the Delta state government in 2009 at the cost of 21.7 billion Naira and in 2010 reviewed upward to N23.2billion has generated lots of speculations on the faith of its completion, leading to the setting up of a five-man adhoc committee by the state legislature to investigate the state of the project.
The project was awarded to an indigenous firm, Dav-Notch, owned by Hon. Victor Ochei in 2009 and that the state government has so far paid about N19 billion Naira to the contractor out of the N23.2 billion Naira total contract sum.
While Ochei, who is touted to be the most versatile, vibrant and goal-getting Speaker of the state legislature since inception was dining and wning with family members, friends and well-wishers at his Asaba residence, the adhoc ccommittee members were busy taking notes at the site of the project in Oghara, as they were being conducted round the site by the Director, Electricity Power Supply Department, Delta State Ministry of Energy, Engr. Felix Abojei.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Tim Owhefere who is the Majority Leader of the house and former colleague of ex-Speaker Ochei, expressed sadness over the level of work after alleged payment of over 19 billion Naira out of the contract sum of 23.2 billion Naira and vowed to probe all the parties involved in the project to ensure its completion for the benefit of Deltans.
Inspite of his lamentations, he vowed that the project can not be abandoned as huge resources of the state has already been expended on it with a pledge that the present Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration would see to its completion, emphasising that the vision of the state government concerning the project must be accomplished.
He noted that the committee decided to visit the project site for on-the-spot assessment as it can not base its report on hearsay, expressing worry that even a blind man who managed to find his way to the site will know that nothing has been done.
Hon Owhefere who stated that what is on ground at the site leaves much to be desired, however maintained that the visit was just the beginning of the investigation, assuring that the committee at the end of the exercise would be able to come out with a comprehensive report on how much has been spent on the controversial project, as well as how much was the original contract value and how much was judiciously spent.
Earlier, the Director, Electricity Power Supply Department, Delta State Ministry of Energy, Engr. Felix Abojei, disclosed that the project was awarded to an indigenous firm, Dav-Notch in 2009 and that the state government has so far paid about N19 billion Naira to the contractor out of the N23.2 billion Naira total contract sum.
He explained that the project was designed to install two number 64MGW Rose-rot turbines and was awarded in June 2009 at a cost of N21.7 billion and was supposed to last for four years.
Engr Abojei further disclosed that the contractor later wrote to the state government that the delay in the payment of the agreed 60 percent to it of the total sum caused some variation in prices of materials, asking for an upward review to accommodate the changes.
He stated that the amount was later reviewed to N23.2billion in 2010.
The Director however told the committee that in 2014 when the contractor was not able to deliver the project, government decided to sell the project, stating that the process for the sale is still on.
Responding to the planned sales of the project, the Chairman of the the investigative adhoc committee, Hon Tim Owhefere said the Delta State House of Assembly was not aware of such line of thought.
He wondered what must have informed that after the state government has spent over 19 billion Naira on the project.
The committee was shown the level of civil work at the administrative block, the control building, the Workshop, the storage tank, the power station and outdoor control section.
Other members of the committee include, Hon Efe Ofobruku, Anthony Elekeokuri, Emeka Nwaobi and Eric Oharisi.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –By Reuben Abati Reuben Abati
“My brother, e ku exchange rate oh.”
“Excuse me?”
“I am greeting you. I am saying how are you and the exchange rate palaver. The dollar wahala”.
“So, that is why you are saying e ku exchange rate. Is something wrong with you Yoruba people? Must you turn everything into a form of greeting?”
“You are insulting me?”
“I am making a statement”
“Meaning?”
“Any serious matter at all, you and your people must turn it into something else. E ku exchange rate? What kind of greeting is that? Yoruba will say e ku election, e ku democracy, e ku change, e ku ana, e ku gbogbo e, gbogbo e, e ku democracy. I am tired of answering you people and your cynical greetings.”
“The people don’t mean any harm.”
“That was how somebody came to me the other day and said e ku Mecca, Medina, e ku Qatar. I felt like slapping the guy.”
“Ha.”
“I don’t like hypocrites.”
“Would you have felt better, if he had told you e ku living upside down, e ku idorikodo, e pele change?”
“I would just have been livid, because I know you and your people. Too much cynicism.”
“Can you stop?”
“You know me, I speak my mind.”
“No. You are beginning to sound like Donald Trump. Stop Trump-ing other people, just because you don’t know where they are coming from.”
“But of course I know where you are coming from when you say e ku exchange rate”.
“Where am I coming from? I just left my house”
“My friend. Sit down. “
“You too stop going upanddan”
“Okay, you want to talk about exchange rate. I am listening. The way it is, everybody is now an economist in Nigeria. Even my driver yesterday was telling me about the behaviour of the parallel market. And I overheard the nanny commenting on the 2016 budget and how it may, in the long run affect the housekeeping allowance.”
“That’s a criminal in the making. You should sack that housekeeper. She certainly wants to pad the housekeeping allowance.”
“You know these people also watch television. She must have listened to stories about padding on television and radio may be, and she may think it is perfectly normal in today’s Nigeria to pad figures.”
“These things run deep, I agree. But a crook is a crook. Better keep an eye on that housekeeper and let her know that this is the era of prudence, discipline and you-steal-you-get-caught-you-blame yourself-and-may-be-go-to-wa wi-tenu-e places.“
“Don’t worry, I am the EFCC of my house, nobody can pad anything. I am on top of it. I do more market research and monitoring than Madam.”
“I don’t get it. You now go to the market while Madam stays home?”
“You can say what you like, but I can tell you authoritatively that a bag of rice which used to be N8, 500 is now N12, 500. Pampers was N1, 450, it is now within three weeks, N1, 850.”
“Pampers?”
“Yes”
“What’s your business with pampers?”
“What is not my business with pampers? I am a very active man, upstairs and downstairs. You don’t think I should be interested in all things material and particular and eventual? “
“You have really changed. What happened to you?”
“Are you interested in my findings or you want to discuss something else?”
“Carry on. I am listening.”
“A congo of garri was N250 a few weeks ago, it is now N500”
“Common garri?”
“Garri has changed oh. It is no longer common”
“Really?”
“Stop saying really? Be a man and do your own research before Madam and the housekeeper drive you into bankruptcy by adding something of their own to the real figures and giving you false information. You must be proactive.”
“I am with you”
“See, I like to drink Andre. A carton used to be about N20,000. Can you believe it has jumped up to N24,500?”
“Andre? What is that?”
“It is a kind of wine. Middle class taste. I like it.”
“So cheap? Some other people drink Crystal, Cliquot, didn’t know you are just a bush man with all your big mouth. Andre. Please stop disgracing somebody.”
“A carton of Carlo Rossi, a week ago was N14,000, it is now N17, 500.
“Carlo Rossi? Who is that? A football coach?
“Even the cost of paraga and alomo, kasaprenko has gone up.”
“You drink all of that too?”
“A carton of Orijin was N2, 900 the other week, it is now N3, 300”
“You keep talking about drinks. No wonder you have also been monitoring the prices of pampers. You can’t know the prices of these concoctions and not cause some maternity ward problems.”
“I am giving you real figures. And that is why I greeted you, e ku exhange rate. The Naira has been dancing like a yo-yo, and the dollar is the queen of the foreign exchange market in Nigeria today.”
“The colour of change.”
“The Naira even exchanged for N390 to the dollar, and N500 to the pound.”
“Nobody is talking about the pound.”
“It is the American age. You’d think the Americans were the ones who colonized Nigeria with the way they have colonized the Nigerian exchange rate. Practically everyone is looking for the dollar, you would think the Naira never existed. We definitely have an economic identity crisis. ”
“My driver told me he has a solution to the problem”
“I have heard some petrol station attendants also saying they will solve the problem.”
“I am not joking. My own Pastor actually told us on Sunday that the problem with the Naira is spiritual and that with prayers, the Naira will regain its lost strength.”
“Well, the petrol station attendant has a different logic, and his own logic is even different from my driver’s.”
“That is the problem. Everybody in Nigeria today is now an economist. Very soon, the roadside imbecile will issue an opinion on how the Naira can be saved.”
“Are you sure that has not happened yet?”
“I went to a barbing salon last week, and the barber lamented that his prices would have to change”
“Ok?”
“Exchange rate and crude oil prices, he said”
“By the time landlords start blaming the exchange rate and the spot price of crude oil, and they fix prices differently, we would all be in big trouble.”
“But what happened to that campaign?”
“Which one?
“The Buy-Naija-To-Grow-the-Naira campaign, promoted by Senator Ben Bruce and others.”
“Ha. You have not heard? The Common Sense Senator published a book on Common Sense, but it was discovered that the man preaching buy Naija, published his own book in the US of A.”
“So?”
“What do you mean so? Should he do one thing and say another?”
“Let the people criticizing the Senator go and sit down, and keep quiet. The man is a thinker. They should know that. When they go to his Silverbird cinemas, do they watch Nigerian films there all the time, or do they eat guguru instead of pop corn?”
“I am listening”
“And have they seen Senator Bruce wearing local attires like a fisherman? This thing is about ideas. And that is why I always argue that what we need is not common sense, but uncommon sense. When you confront Nigerians with common sense, they will start looking for loopholes”.
“I just hope that your common sense Senator is married to a Nigerian woman, because that is the best way to grow the Naira.”
“What is that? Where is that coming from?”
“I don’t think anybody can preach buy Naija to grow the Naira, and then go and marry a foreign wife, that will be hypocrisy of the highest order!”
“What is the connection between where a man marries from and the Naira?”
“There is. Please, there is; it is the biggest money laundering offence.”
“You have started again. Who are you trying to shade?”
“Nobody. But if we want to really save the Naira, everybody should buy Naija.”
“That is too simplistic. Except you are trying to suggest that our Governor-friend with Cape Verde connections has also refused to buy Naija and therefore has a hand in the problem with the Naira.”
“He is our friend oh. Please, no comment.”
“Some people say to save the Naira, not even the bedroom should be outsourced, and that the biggest drain on this economy is the obsession of the Nigerian rich with all things beautiful and romantically seductive from foreign countries.”
“I can’t comment on that.”
“You are saying all of this because Ben Murray Bruce printed his common sense book in America?”
“I am saying we all need to rescue the Naira and the economy. The economy first!”
“You are beginning to sound like a vulcanizer. It is not your job, it is not my driver’s job, and the petrol station attendants should just keep quiet. Na only we dey OPEC?”
“They won’t. They can’t. This is a democracy and we all have a right to make policy. If we don’t speak up, some people will pad things again and things will get worse.”
“It is Godwin Emefiele’s job”
“Him na your brother?”
“He is the Governor of the Central Bank”
“Really?”
“What do you mean, really?”
“What are his views on monetary policy?”
“Go and ask him”
“And fiscal policy?”
“Go and ask the Minister of Finance?”
“We have a Minister of Finance?”
“Of course we do”
“And who is that?”
“Wait a moment. What’s that her name again?”
“Hello?”
“Wait. I am trying to remember. Em…em…yes, 16+6= 24!”
“You mean you can’t connect the monetary side with the fiscal side of the Nigerian economy, you are busy just saying… Okay, don’t bother, I get it.”
“Candidly speaking.”
“Don’t worry, the people who are benefitting from the Naira crisis know her and they know her name and they know the CBN Governor too. In case you don’t know, while you are busy trying to put people down, some other Nigerians have made a fortune from the Naira-Dollar palaver.”
“A fortune?”
“Yes. That is the difference between people who are clever and those who just complain. One of my wife’s friends is almost a billionaire now because the Naira crashed.”
“How did she do it?”
“The God of Olajumoke intervened. The God of Adekunle Gold picked up her call. And the God of Korede Bello said she had won. Her warehouse is profiting from the difference. So when you talk with that your sharp mouth, just know that in every economic situation, there are both happy and sad stories.”
“But there are standards, normative contexts, economic frameworks”
“If you don’t get it, you can’t get it. If you don’t mind, please, I don’t want a lecture on that.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has rested claims, counter-claims and doubts on he eligibility of the lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Anambra state in the National Assembly by declaring them as duly elected.
The apex court’s ruling on Wednesday put an end to the controversy over whether Senators Stella Oduah and Andy Uba, as well as members of the House of Representatives should vacate their seais or not.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had requested for an interpretation of the supreme court’s judgement delivered on January 29, 2016 in favour of the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee in Anambra state.
But, in its ruling delivered by Justice John Iyang Okoro, who led a five-man panel, the court held that the judgement was clear enough.
Justice Okoro said the case brought before the Apex Court was the issue of the PDP leadership in Anambra state and not on the implications and consequences of elections that were conducted during the 2015 general elections.
The Judge further held that the request sought by INEC through its Lawyer, Solomon Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, would amount to rewriting its earlier judgement even when there was no established clerical mistake.
Justice Okoro said that since the Court of Appeal was the final arbiter and had made pronouncement, there was no need to invite supreme court to make any clarification on a concluded matter that was not ambiguous.
The Apex Court also held that there was no dispute in the claim of the PDP National Executive Committee that it submitted the list of nominated candidates for National Assembly election to the INEC, having conducted the primary election in line with the PDP constitution.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left) Presenting a Cheque to one of the Beneficiaries of Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development , Mr. Godwin Ochonogor (right) with him is the CBN Delta State Controller, Dame Elizabeth Agu, during the Disbursement of Central Bank of Nigeria, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund
DESPITE the downturn in the economy, the Delta State government has disbursed a total of N101 million naira loans to 1000 persons in 101 cooperative groups under the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development fund.
Handing out the cheques to the representatives of the cooperative societies, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa urged the beneficiaries to take responsibility for their success or failure as they were all chosen on merit.
He informed the beneficiaries that the loan was meant to enable them improve their businesses and create wealth for themselves.
He disclosed that the sum of Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, One Hundred And Eighty Thousand Naira (N435, 180, 000) was disbursed last year to 2, 617 persons while One Hundred and One Million Naira (N101, 000, 000) was disbursed yesterday to 1, 000 persons drawn from the twenty-five local government areas of the state under the CBN Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund.
He admonished the beneficiaries to “use the money wisely on the business and as members of cooperatives societies, it means you share similar idea and with cooperation, your business will grow fast.”
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller of CBN in the state, Dame Edith Agu, commended the disbursement.
Chairman of the Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Chief Suru Salami stated that the programme was designed to address poverty and the problem of unemployment, asserting, “all beneficiaries should make prudent use of the fund to enable them pay back as at when due because, the Agency is poised to recover all borrowed money.” Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and the Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof Eric Eboh during the inauguration of the Agricultural Marketing Coordination Committee
In another development, Governor OIowa, also on Thursday inaugurated a 16-man Agricultural Marketing Coordination Committee (AMCC) saying the agricultural sector deserves to be reformed.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Committee which has the state Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh as Chairman, Governor Okowa said that the committee was “to develop the agricultural sector in line with our stated objectives of economic diversification, food security, self-reliance and prosperity for all.”
“This is in consonance with our electoral promise to reform the agricultural sector for the purposes of wealth creation, boosting employment, achieving value addition and sustainable economic growth,” Governor Okowa said, adding, “we have invested substantial resources, personnel, time and energy to stimulate agricultural production through the Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP) and we must do much more than boost the yields from the agricultural sector.”
The AMCC, Governor Okowa said would “tackle the marketing challenges faced by farmers in Delta State and help farmers worry less about finding suitable markets for their produce, while ensuring that they prosper from the work of their hands, thereby make farming attractive once again.”
The Committee has as terms of reference: “identify existing and potential markets for agricultural produce and device measures and arrangements for farmers to access those markets; obtain and disseminate market information to agricultural producers and thereby improve information flow between farmers and processors.”
Governor Okowa reiterated that the Committee would also, “proffer measures for establishing and improving market infrastructure and facilities such as warehouses, cold storage, output aggregation and processing centres; identify and coordinate actionable measures to encourage market-oriented production by farmers; collaborate with national and international agencies in fostering linkages between farmers and markets;” among other terms of reference.
Prof. Eboh at the occasion, observed that the committee has a lot of work to do and thanked Governor Okowa for deeming them fit to be members of the committee which he observed would work towards food security`.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
Poised to curb the unwholesome proliferation of ramshackle school buildings and quackery in the education sub-sector, the Delta State government has reviewed its policy on fees payable by private schools’ operators in the state.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Chiedu Ebie disclosed this during an interactive meeting with the Association of Private School Owners (APSON) and National Association of Private School Owners (NAPS) at the French Language Centre, Asaba.
Mr. Ebie, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. David Onokpe and other management staff of the Ministry, stated that following wide consultations, several review meetings, and comparison with neighbouring states’ policies on education, the need for upward review of fees payable by private schools has become necessary.
He pointed out that the reviewed fees which took effect from February 1, 2016, was not a punitive measure, but as part of the Ministry’s oversight function to regulate and bring sanity into the system, saying that the ability to provide quality education should be taken seriously for the development of the country, as well as avoid growth stagnation.
The Commissioner, who described the role of genuine private schools operators and other stakeholders as partners in bridging the gap in the provision of quality education to Deltans, called for their cooperation, stating that government alone cannot bear the cost of funding the education sub-sector.
He further disclosegtd that the reviewed payable fees on registration, license and renewal by private school operators has been grouped into three categories based on rural, urban location, and school fees charged per session. For nursery/primary, category A include those with schools fees that range from N500,000 and above per session: the new rate for registration fee is N100,000; license fee, 500,000; and renewal fee, N250,000. Category B includes schools in the urban areas outside the above mentioned category – the new registration fee is N100,000; license fee is N200,000; and renewal fee, N100,000. Category C are schools in the rural areas, and registration fee is N50,000; license fee is N100,000 and renewal fee, N50,000.
Similarly, in the secondary school group, category A include those with school fees that range from N500,000 and above per session. For this category, the new registration fee is N150,000.00; license fee is N500,000 and renewal fee is N250,000. Category B is for Schools in urban areas outside the above mentioned category, registration fee is N100,000; license fee N200,000 and renewal fee is N150,000. While schools in rural areas category C:- registration fee is N50,000; license fee N150,000; and renewal fee is N100,000. Payment should be made in bank draft in favour of Delta State Government, and submitted to the Ministry for clearance.
In another development, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Chiedu Ebie in a meeting with the Forum of Chief Inspectors of Education in Asaba, revealed that government has given approval for Governor’s Cup Competition for secondary schools to be organized, and finals of the competition will be held around April at the Ozoro Township Stadium to coincide with the commissioning of the stadium.
Mr. Ebie also said that the state government has approved an increase of the chargeable rate for the use of all public secondary and primary schools in the state from N20,000 to N40,000 (forty thousand naira), saying that application for use should be addressed to the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education.
He added that permission for use of such public schools was only for weekends and holidays, and payment should be in bank draft and in favour of Delta State Government.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Ukah
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah has been presented with an award in recognition of his humanitarian services to Anioma Progressive Youth Association and the entire Anioma Nation.
Members of the Anioma Progressive Youth Association presented the award to Patrick Ukah at his office Asaba when they paid courtesy call at his office in Asaba.
According to the President of the Association, Mr. Clifford Ossaghenye, the group decided to give the Commissioner the meritorious award because of his immense contribution to the development of the Association, Youths and Anioma Nation in general.
In his response, the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah expressed appreciation for the award, saying that he was always happy to identify with the youth as his constituency and want to partner with them as future leaders.
Mr. Patrick Ukah who was equally bestowed with the status of Patron of the Association charged the members of the Association not only to key into the prosperity agenda of Governor Okowa led administration but also use the plat form to get larger number of people to key into the Governor Okowa’s SMART Agenda of the present administration which is youth friendly.
The Information Commissioner said the present administration has demonstrated its avowed commitment to youth empowerment by embarking on visible and fundamental projects with the graduate of 500 Youths the Songai project, stressing that another set of youths was undergoing training skill even as he enjoined them to avail themselves of YAGEP and STEP training rolled out by the State Government.
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of the plague and the investiture of the commissioner of Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah as the Patron of the Anioma Youth Association.
Present at the event were the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Jude Aguonye, Director of information, Mr. Paul Osahor, Assistant Director of Information, Celestine Ufuani amongst others.
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The Federal Government has disengaged the heads of the six information-related parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the disengagement during a meeting he held with the Chief Executives of the Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria, News Agency of Nigeria, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and the National Orientation Agency on Monday .
The Minister directed the disengaged Chief Executives to hand over to the most senior officials in their various establishments.
Mohammed thanked them for their service to the nation and wished them the best of luck in their future endeavours.
The affected Chief Executives are the Director-Generals of NTA, Sola Omole; FRCN, Ladan Salihu; VON, Sam Worlu; NOA, Mike Omeri; NBC, Emeka Mba; and the Managing Director of NAN, Ima Niboro.
The Presidency also issued the following statement announcing the removal of 20 more heads of federal parastatals and agencies.
The list adds to the six heads of agencies under the Ministry of Information and Culture that were sacked earlier today.
Read full statement below.
1. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate disengagement of the following Chief Executive Officers of the underlisted Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.
2.He has also approved that the most senior officers in the Parastatals, Agencies and Councils oversee the activities of the organizations pending the appointment of substantive Chief Executive Officers.
(i) Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
(ii) Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)
(iii) Voice of Nigeria (VON)
(iiii) News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
(v) National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)
(vi) Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)
(vii) New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
(viii) Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)
(ix) Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board(NCDMB)
(x) Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)
(xi) Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)
(xii) National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
(xiii) Petroleum Equalization Fund
(xiiii) Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC)
(xv) Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP)
(xvi) Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)
(xvii) Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)
(xviii) Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)
(xix) National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
(xx) Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC)
(xxi) Bank of Industry (BoI)
(xxii) National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)
(xxiii) National Orientation Agency (NOA)
(xxiiii) Industrial Training Fund (ITF)
(xxv) Nigerian Export-Import Bank
(xxvi) National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP)
3. Mr. President, however, thanked them for their invaluable services to the Nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.
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Darius Dickson Ishaku of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) retained his position as the governor of Taraba State, folowing the Supreme Court ruling on Thursday, February 11, 2016, dismissing the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Aisha J. Alhassan. Gov. Darius Dickson Ishaku
With the ruling of Nigeria’s apex court, Aisha J. Alhassan, a serving Minister in the President Muhammadu Buhari APC led administration has lost all chances of further litigations aimed at clinching the Garage state seat of governance.
In the lead judgment pronounced by Bode Rhodes Vivour and unanimously adopted by six other judges, it was upheld that the appeal lacked merit and consequently could not stand. The judges have also slated February 22 to give reasons for their ruling.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa have congratulated Ishaku on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court, saying the rule of law has come to stay in the democratic process of the country.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had in December cancelled the victory handed Senator Alhassan by the Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal through the nullification of the election of Ishaku on November 7, 2015.
But in its ruling, the Court of Appeal in December 2015, reviewed Ishaku’s appeal and described as ‘unattainable’, a petition by the APC seeking to disqualify him as the PDP candidate in the gubernatorial election of April 11.
In a unanimous ruling, a five-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki noted that the Election Tribunal was wrong in giving victory to Alhassan, while nullifying the election of Ishaku.
In their respective rulings, the judges said: “There is no merit in this appeal and it is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the Appeal Court is hereby affirmed. Parties to bear their costs and reasons for the judgment to be given on February 22.”
“Consequently, I order the return of Ishiaku as governor of Taraba State. I agree with the judgment. The appeal is unmeritorious and hereby dismissed. I entirely agree with the lead judgment and abide by them.”
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, Gvernor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state congratulated the people of Taraba State, saying the judgment of the apex court had further strengthened the nation’s democracy and enhanced the confidence of the people in the judiciary.
On his part, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa urged Ishaku to extend hands of fellowship to his opponents and ensure that the state gets purposeful leadership and congratulated Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State on the affirmation of his electoral victory by the Supreme Court.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, Senator Okowa enjoined Governor Ishaku to extend hands of fellowship to his opponents and ensure that the state gets purposeful leadership.
“I have been there and can attest to the level of distraction a Governor and his administration encounters on account of some needless litigations, but a calm disposition and open-mindedness towards all; including your opponents, is what defines a true leader”, the Governor said.
He urged Governor Ishaku to pursue policies that would define him as a good ambassador of the PDP considering that most of the states around him are being controlled by the ruling All Progress Congress.
“One of the lessons we all should take from our current experiences of emerging from elections which were rancorously contested up to the highest court in the land, is to ensure that we repay our citizens with best governance and prove to them that their confidence in us were not misplaced”, Governor Okowa counseled.
The Governor also noted that the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Taraba state Governorship Election appeal will go a long way in restoring the hope and confidence of the Nigerian people on the sanctity of the judiciary and lauded the apex court for standing firm in the defence of the law and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Governor Okowa further observed that the Supreme Court ruling affirming the decision of the appellate court, that the issue of nomination of a candidate by a political party is clearly a pre-election matter which no tribunal has the jurisdiction to entertain will go a long way in putting an end to the meddlesomeness of some political parties in the internal affairs of another party.
Governor Okowa noted that their party, the PDP, had done its best in giving them opportunity to fly its flag and charged Governor Ishaku to remain focused as his achievements in government would determine his future political career and the other legacies he would wish to be remembered for.
He thanked the people of Taraba state for standing behind their Governor and heeding his call for calm and patience all through the duration of the litigation and appealed to Tarabans to blur the lines of political differences in the interest of the development of the state.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Enalo James– Christopher Erhodyne Anirah
Christopher Erhodyne Anirah, flagbearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the House Representatives (Sapele, Okpe, Uwvie Federal Constituency) who was alleged to have died ahead of the 2015 general elections in Delta State, has raised alarm over threat to his life.
Anirah, who said his death certificate was forged and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the party’s primary election and 2015 general elections, urged the IGP to immediately effect arrest of the plotters.
In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police; titled ‘Imminent Threat of Assassination’, Anirah named the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, Delta state APC Governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Chief Otega Emerhor, Delta State APC Chairman, Mr. Igho .K. Okrikpo and Hon. Gibson Akporehe, among others as conspirators in the grand plot.
According to Hon Anirah , his trouble started in December 2014 after he was duly elected at the APC primary election as the candidate to contest the 2015 general election for House of Representatives election for Sapele, Okpe and UvwieFederal Constituency.
Few days to the election, Anirah discovered to his chagrin that his name has been substituted with one Gibson Akporehe whom he alleged decamped to APC from PDP, adding that while the drama of his illegal substitution unfolded, he was shocked that documentary evidence existed at the INEC headquarter proving that he was dead.
The petitioner further revealed that following his request for the documents, he (Anirah) was issued certified true copy of a forged death certificate which was allegedly used to substantiate the claim that he was dead and substituted with Hon. Gibson Akporehe for the election, and subsequent denial of his electoral mandate.
In a bid to prove that he was alive, Hon. Anirah said he visited the INEC offices in Delta and Abuja to present himself as evidential proof that he was not dead, adding that despite his petition to the former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega and the National Chairman of All Progressive Congress, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, no appropriate action was taken.
Anirah said since the struggle to actualize is mandate started, he has been receiving anonymous, threatening phone calls and text messages from persons suspected to be cronies of the people behind his ordeal to drop his political ambition or risk being killed.
Anirah therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct all relevant authorities, especially the Inspector General of Police to prosecute the offenders.
Meanwhile, Hon. Anirah has gone to court to enforce his right and to challenge the illegal substitution carried out by APC during the 2015 general election in Delta State.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court Asaba, with suit FHC/ASB/CS/47/15, the plaintiff is asking among other reliefs, the court should reinstate him as the candidate for the 2015 General Election in Delta State.
Also, the deputy chairman of APC in Delta State Mr. Okonji Chidi has approached the High Court in Asaba Delta State in a suit A/M/19/2015 seeking to restrict the Inspector General of Police amongst other Police authorities from arresting him.
But in a judgment delivered on the 11th of May 2015, the court dismissed the plea on the ground that his prayers lacked merit, adding that the Police cannot be barred from investigating a complaint of a citizen.
The defendants in the suits are ; APC, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, Delta State APC chairman, Prophet Jones Erhue, Delta State APC Deputy Chairman, Mr. Cyril Ogodo, Delta State APC gubernatorial candidate, Olorogun Oteha Emerhor, INEC and four others.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Delta Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah addressing the press on the development
The Delta state government has adduced reasons for the delay in payment of January 2016 workers salaries in the state to an alleged attempt to defraud the state government of about N7billion.
The disclosure was made at a Press Briefing by the state Commissioner of Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie on Tuesday, February 09, 2016 at Government House, Asaba.
According to a press statement read by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah and made available to Blank NEWS Online, some persons involved in the alleged fraud have been arrested and quzzed by security agents.
“The State policy with regards to the payment of worker’s salaries is to ensure that its general workforce are paid on or before the end of the month.
“However, in the case of January 2016, where salaries were paid between 8th and 9th of February 2016, it has become necessary to brief the press and the general public on the reason for this delay.
“First, it is important to mention that the payment of salaries monthly is based on the receipt of funds from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting which hold monthly . For the month of January FAAC was held from 25th to 26th January 2016.
“After FAAC meeting, the funds are released to the States based on the distribution approved at the FAAC meeting. FAAC funds were received in the State Account on Monday 1st February 2016.
“Transfers were immediately carried out on the same day to the State Account for payment of salaries to workers in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Delta State University, Polytechnics as well as pensions.
“While the payment of pension and Salaries of staff of DELSU was paid as scheduled, that of the MDA(s) as well as the Polytechnic staff was delayed due to an alert received on Wednesday evening 3rd February 2016 of attempts to defraud the State through the payment of salaries.
“The Permanent Secretary / Accountant –General on receiving the threat immediately informed His Excellency , the Governor who directed that the Security Agencies in the state as well as the bank should be informed immediately . He also directed the Permanent Secretary / Accountant – General to put in place additional control measures to forestall future attempts on the Account.
“It is very important here to mention that the Security Agencies have made arrests and measures have been put in place to strengthen the controls in the payment of salaries.
While it is necessary to sympathize with workers in the state for the delay, it is also important to commend your co-operation.
“I would like here to emphasize that this administration has a zero tolerance for fraud and assure all who have such intent to desist from such.
Meanwhile, five persons are currently cooling their heels at the detention cells of the Delta State Police Command headquarters, Asaba, the state capital, following attempt to defraud the state government of about N7billion.
It was learnt that the suspects, a syndicate group, were at the verge of withdrawing about N7billion from the state treasury when they met their waterloo.
The suspects are currently telling the police detectives all they know about the plot to fleece the Delta State government of such large sums of money , their various role , and those who are involved in the crime.
Confirming the development, the state police commissioner, Usman Baba Alkhali said, “I may not be able to disclosed to you the number of arrest we have made , or our level of investigation on the matter as revealing such information might jeopardize our efforts, but all I can tell you is that we have made some arrest and we are getting to the root of the matter”.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Gov. Okowa
The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya on Tuesday reacted to the alleged abduction and killing of the traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku, Obi Akaeze Ofulue III by Fulani herdsmen, saying the Delta State Government will take “appropriate action”
Igbuya who spoke in Asaba not only condemned the murder of the monarch but said “the government is committed to protecting the people”.
“This highly provocative act poses a great threat to peace and security. Deltans and non Deltans must choose a better path” he said.
Protesters under the auspices of Anioma Security Watch Network (ASWN) stormed the Delta State House of Assembly to vent their displeasure over the murder of the monarch and the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the state.
They urged the Delta State Government to provide a permanent place for the Fulani herdsmen.
Addressing the protesters, the speaker urged them to shun violence.
“I understand the issues but you must shun violence. I’ll continue to encourage and support all efforts to prevent crisis in the state” he said.
Igbuya promised to present the issue of the Fulani herdsmen and other grievances to Governor Okowa.
In another development, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya Tuesday afternoon described Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as God sent.
“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is here to develop Delta State” Igbuya was quoted as saying.
Receiving delegates of the First Didactic Young Star Summit, Igbuya praised Okowa for mapping programmes aimed at making the people independent and prosperous.
He appealed to the people to support the administration of Governor Okowa.
“Yesterday, we depended on oil, today; there is the need to look beyond oil. Please encourage your parents to pay taxes. We need the money to look after you. We need the money to develop the state” he added.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – from right; Chairman Governing Council, School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli, Dr. Nelson Ejakpovi; Chief Nursing Offices Owa-Alero Mrs. Anyahaebi Josephine; Mr. Sunny Tatauzugu and Councilor Ward 2a Owa-Alero, Hon. Moris Nwadibie, during an Inspection at the Primary Health Care, Owa-Alero Delta State.
THE Chairman, School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli, Delta State Dr (Pharm.) Nelson Ejakpovi has decried the deplorable state of primary health centres in the country.
Dr. Ejakpovi accompanied by members of the Governing Council, Mr. Sunny Tatauzugu and others, while inspecting the Primary Health Centre at Owa-Alero, Ika South local government area of Delta State, kicked against the neglect of such centres.
He observed that the Primary Health Centre at Owa-Alero “has been abandoned despite the huge benefits the community was supposed to get from it and this is the situation in most of the health centres across the country.” Delivering Room
“Primary healthcare centers are very vital to the healthcare delivery system, we cannot afford to toy with them because, there are some level of healthcare services that requires that the first point of call should be the health centers,” Dr Ejakpovi said, adding, “even in developed countries you have health centers that are close to the people, but, we don’t have that consciousness, we need to build it and encourage people to use the health centres
He disclosed that efforts would be made for the state government to acquire the Primary Healthcare Centre at Owa-Alero for it to serve as one of the practical training centres for the School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli.
According to him, “in a nutshell, the place is abandoned, nothing is working, a community like this need a very functional health centre,” adding, “primary health centers are run by the local government councils but, the School of Health Technology is interested because, we train people who are supposed to be masters of primary health care delivery, community healthcare delivery, and it is part of our curriculum to get this people to go the rural areas, stay with the people, observe and see the challenges in the rural areas; it is part of their training so that when they graduate, they become officers of their different disciplines in terms of community representations.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Okowa (middle) proving his point.
Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has dispelled claims of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB to the effect that Anioma Nation in Delta State belongs to Biafra Republic.
Governor Okowa stated that the Anioma ethnic nationality was never a part of the South-East region and does not subscribe to the renewed agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The Governor stated this during an interactive session with newsmen at the Government House Press Centre Asaba.
“Biafra agitation, we have criticized it. Anioma land as it is said, from here, was part of Bendel State, it was part of the Midwest Region.
“We were never part of the South East and obviously we cannot be said to be part of them. We may speak the same language but we were never part of the South East. We were part of the old Midwest, we were part of Bendel, we are now Delta State and we are Deltans.” he said
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – From left; Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah and NUJ State chairman, Comrade Norbert Chiazor, during the Governor’s Interactive Section with Journalist, in Asaba
DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has ordered the immediate release of funds for the ongoing building of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta state council Secretariat.
Okowa, who gave the directive during an interactive session with Journalists on Wedneday assured that his administration was open to all practising Journalists in the state for effective delivery, urging them to verify their facts before publishing.
While expresing disappointment at the delay in the release of funds to the Delta state council of the NUJ for the project, the governor said that the state government had vowed to ensure the successful completion of the NUJ Secretariat.
The interactive session which was the first the Governor was having with the media, took place in Asaba and lasted for more than two hours with journalists asking questions on different issues, including national issues after Governor Okowa took time to enumerate activities of his administration since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.
According to the Governor, “I cannot do without the press, through the press, our people would be informed and educated about our activities; Journalists are free to reach me directly, through the Commissioner for Information or the Chief Press Secretary because, we are running a transparent government based on trust.”
On allegation that some of his Commissioners were not press-friendly, the Governor reiterated, “that cannot be; we are all public servants and as politicians too, they are all willing and ready to talk with the press but, it is important that when you reach them on the phone, properly identify yourself and the medium you are working for because, these days people are conscious of so many things.”
He described journalists as partners in progress in achieving the S.M.A.R.T. agenda of his administration, assuring that he will remain transparent and accountable to the people.
The Governor also, debunked claims that his administration was working to phase out Keke (tricycle) operations in the state, noting that due to security reasons, restrictions have been imposed on the use of the Keke as means of transportation in certain towns and cities in the state within specified period of the night.
“We don’t have plans to phase out Keke, ours is to concentrate on the construction of roads; Keke is still quite useful, but, the only thing that we are saying is that in some localities, we restrict their movements at nights because, we have discovered that they were being used for nefarious activities,” he elaborated.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Dame Edith Okowa (2nd left)
The First Lady of Delta State and founder of 05-Initiative, Dame (Mrs.) Edith Okowa has encouraged Nigerian women to be positive in their thoughts and actions to endear prosperity and goodwill to trhe society.
Dame Okowa stated this during the 9th edition of the Delta Mothers’ Day Of Prayer, tagged “Mothers Arise: Let your voice be heard”, on Tuesday, February 02, 2016 at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba.
She described women as ambassadors of the Lord who are endowed with the good news of life, transformation and abundant blessings which must be transfered to the children, as future leaders.
The prayer session was attended by hundreds of women from within and outside Delta state and witnessed the rendition of hymns, songs of praise to God and worship, the Governor’s wife and host of the event told women to be fervent in prayers and seek God’s wisdom in their efforts to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord.
Earlier, Mrs Ngozi Nwama, who prayed that God helps Dame Edith Okowa to continue to nurture the programme to the glory of God, said the Delta Mothers’ Day Of Prayer, which started in 2007 is an annual programme of women coming together to nurture Delta state spiritually.
While quoting Ezekiel 22:30, she said there was the need to pray for Delta state and Nigeria, adding that being in harmony with God’s words is a mark of preservation which will usher in deliverance, healing for the sick and salvation of souls.
Speaking on Exaltation, Barr. (Mrs) Christiana Samson espoused on “The power of spoken words” with Bible reference on Numbers 14:38, Proverbs 18:21 and Numbers 27.
While declaring that spoken words can make or mar destinies and create or destroy lives, she urged women to speak life and deliverance that will add value to their lives by being pathfinders rather than fault finders.
Prayers to prosper Delta state were cconducted by Pastor Godwin Oyenache, Pastor Chuks and Ven. Charles Osemene.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Andy Uba
Senator Andy Uba (PDP-Anambra South) has boasted that the January 29 judgment of the Supreme Court in respect of the political situation in Anambra State did not void his election into the Senate as being misrepresented.
This was contained in a statement he personally in Abuja on Sunday.
Uba, in the statement, urged his supporters to remain calm, law abiding and disregard the misrepresentation of the court’s ruling.
The statement said the Supreme Court ruling dealt primarily with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
The statement further explained that the spirit and letter of the judgment were misrepresented as none of the National Assembly members from the state was a party to the suit, adding that their positions could not have been affected by the court ruling.
Uba said: “It should furthermore be noted that neither I, Sen. Andy Uba in particular, nor all the other members of NASS from Anambra State was ever mentioned in the body of the ruling.
“This is not my first encounter with the Supreme Court. I have a history of subjecting myself to the ruling of the Supreme Court, however unpalatable they may be to my person.
“Nigerians will recall that in 2007 when the Supreme Court, in it’s wisdom, ruled against me as the then governor of Anambra State, that as a law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in spite of personal consequences to my person and the people of Anambra State, I vacated office as ordered.
“I, therefore, having been so advised by my lawyers and having gone through the contents of the ruling of the judgment, understand it to what the Supreme Court intended unequivocally to be a suit determining the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State and no other matter.
“I will, therefore, enjoin my supporters, the people of my constituency and all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard previous misrepresentation of the informed ruling of the revered Justices of the Supreme Court.”
It would be recalled that Senator Stella Oduah had also in a statement on Friday in Abuja described as “a misinterpretation” media reports, which quoted a Supreme Court judgment to have sacked her and other federal lawmakers from Anambra State.
In a statement Cynthia Ferdinand, Oduah said the report in the media was misleading as the apex court did not order the withdrawal of her certificate of return.
Meanwhile, the media said the apex court had ordered the replacement of Oduah and other federal lawmakers from the state, adding that their nomination to contest in the 2015 election was wrong.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the African Union’s (AU) vision to silence the guns and reduce preventable conflict-related deaths in the continent by 2020 must be achieved “now’’.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari.
The statement said that the president was speaking at the 26th AU summit in Addis Ababa on Sunday.
President Buhari decried the use of scarce resources in Africa on armed conflicts rather than economic and social development of the continent.
The President challenged fellow African leaders to engage decisively with the people and government of South Sudan and Burundi to bring the conflicts they faced to a speedy end.
He added that African leaders must also forge a united front to rid the continent of the scourge of terrorism and face together with determination the noble goals of Agenda 2063, as espoused by the AU.
“We have all shed blood for Africa to be free, but the irony is that, today, we are now killing each other.
“Rather than facing the developmental challenges confronting us, we are spending our scarce resources killing our children and inflicting unspeakable horrors and unimaginable hardship on our brothers and sisters.
“That is truly a tragedy and it must stop. Enough is enough!
“Within the framework of the African Union, we have to, as a matter of urgency, reach a consensus on how to silence the guns. Not by 2020 but now.
“Why must we wait? We must say “NO” to wars and conflicts on our continent,’’ the President maintained.
He restated Nigeria’s determination to wholly defeat terrorism and bring the war against Boko Haram to an end.
President Buhari said Nigeria would continue to partner with other member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, and Republic of Benin, through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to address the menace of Boko Haram insurgency.
He reaffirmed that Nigeria would soon fully redeem its pledge of 100million dollars to enhance the operations of the Task Force, having released the sum of 21million dollars to the task force in June 2016.
The President reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the unity, peace and prosperity of the continent.
“We in Nigeria have always been attached to the idea of African unity.
“During the struggle to win freedom for our brothers and sisters in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, Nigeria was considered a front-line State, although we were not geographically on the frontline.
“This was because we took to heart the words of President Ben Bella of Algeria that we all had to die a little for all our brothers and sisters on the continent,’’ he said.
Courtesy (NAN)
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Dakuku Peterside
Dr Dakuku Peterside, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers in the April 2015 election, says he has accepted the Supreme Court judgment which upheld Gov. Nyesom Wike`s election.
Peterside disclosed this on Friday in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“ I thank God for giving me the opportunity to go this far.` The learned Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria have arrived at a decision, which was a clear departure from the earlier findings of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal.
“We accept the verdict. We magnify God for giving us the will to go thus far,“ he said.
Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives (APC-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency), thanked the people of the state for their support during and after the election.
According to him, the party fought for the good and interest of the state and not a selfish fight.
“ They know that we were not fighting for ourselves. We were fighting for the good and interest of all Rivers people and those who live in the state.
“ We urge all of them to take a cue from us and accept the verdict, same way we did and remain peaceful and keep trusting the Almighty God,“ he said.
Peterside said the party would work for peace and development of the state by being a vibrant opposition.
He urged the state government not to take it personal, any time the party criticises its policies and decisions.
“ Whenever he (Wike) needs our suggestions on issues, we will be readily available to offer it,“ he said.
(NAN)
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Dr. (Pharm.) Nelson Ejakpovi
Dr. (Pharm.) Nelson Ejakpovi
CHAIRMAN, Governing Council, School of Health Technology, Ofuoma (DESCOHTECH), Dr. (Pharm.) Nelson Ejakpovi has urged host communities of institutions of higher learning to be part of the development processes of such institutions.
Dr. Ejakpovi made the call Thursday, January 28, 2016 when he led members of the Governing Council and management of School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli to pay a courtesy visit on the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Oharisi III.
According to him, at the education summit convoked recently by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State held at Asaba, it was observed that for a progressive education sector, there must be synergy between the institution, the community and parents.
“Your Majesty, just few days ago, because of the importance our Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa attaches to the education sector, a summit was held in Asaba to look at the challenges bedeviling the education sector and proffer solutions and the importance of host communities to the development of tertiary institutions were highlighted,” he said, adding, “we are here to introduce ourselves to you and to ask for your cooperation and the cooperation of your Kingdom in the development of the School of Health Technology, Ufuoma.”
He emphasized, “we are aware that every year, the community have inputs into projects to be executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), as partners in the development of the institution, we will appreciate if projects are sited in the institution as community projects.”
Dr. Ejakpovi reiterated, “we need your support because, we cannot do it alone, government alone cannot do it without the support of the host community, the community can attract projects from the NDDC, DESOPADEC, the oil companies and the illustrious sons and daughters of your kingdom, because, we can assure you of our commitment to improve on what we have seen; in the next three years, we want to leave the institution proud of our achievements and to the glory of God.”
HRM Oharisi III who observed that he was having such visit for the first time, thanked Governor Okowa for appointing serious-minded persons as Chairman and members of the Governing Council of DESCOHTECH, assuring that his Kingdom would partner with government and other stakeholders for the growth of the institution.
In a related development, the Chairman, Governing Council, School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli (DESCOHTECH), Dr. (Pharm.) Nelson Ejakpovi has said disciplined and hard work would not be compromised in running the affairs of the institution.
Addressing management and staff of the DESCOHTECH yesterday (28/01/16), Dr Ejakpovi who resumed with members of the Governing Council, Dr Chris Oharisi and Hon, Sunny Tatauzugu, said the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa desires a disciplined workforce and there would be no compromise on such in ensuring a competitive education environment.
According to him, “this is my third coming as Chairman, Governing Council of this institution; I took my appointments as what destiny has in stock for me; you all know that I don’t compromise on discipline and hard work, that is what we are going to experience.”
He added, “what we want is a total commitment to service, we are going to encourage what is progressive and change what is not progressive, we will cooperate with you, we all will be partners in progress but, we will not tolerate any act of indiscipline.”
“We thank Ofuoma community and those who have piloted the affairs of this institution, we pray for peace in the community because, if the community is peaceful, we will all live in peace,” he reiterated.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Provost of the institution, Dr. (Mrs) Agnes Olojoba congratulated Governor Okowa for the appointment, disclosing that “the school train Middle Health Care Manpower under the Primary Health Care Sector of the economy.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
Most state governments in Nigeria run an opaque budget system opening rooms for deep seated corruption and non delivery of good governance , a report of several weeks of study has revealed.
The report by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) scored most state governments as low as 26 out of hundred on budget transparency while procurement information is around 30 over 100.
The report sheds new light on the question of value for money, the critical importance of state governments in the delivery of good governance and the excessive focus on the central government when issue of corruption is under debate.
Its findings are based on a sub-national survey measuring budget transparency, participation, and the availability of public procurement information in all 36 Nigerian states.
As with national budget transparency, the survey found large gaps in the amount of state-level budget information being made available: the average state budget transparency score was just 26 out 100 (the average score for participation was also 26; while the provision of procurement information was 30).
Beyond averages, however, the survey uncovered considerable variation from state to state. Two states (Ekiti and Cross River) score much higher than the rest across all three measures.
Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, comes a distant third. Six states (Kaduna, Edo, Kwara, Katsina, and Oyo) languish at the bottom of the composite index, performing poorly across all three measures.
Budget transparency was assessed based on whether states produce and publish seven key budget documents. Unlike the Open Budget Survey, which only scores budgets documents that are published in a timely manner, states were given points for producing the document, scoring higher if the document was actually published.
The report found most documents were produced by at least half the states, but far fewer were available to the public. Just one state (Cross River) was found to have published a Citizens Budget.
The report explores whether income level, legislative environment, or degree of oil dependence explain differing scores.
Interestingly, none of these factors seem to account for the wide variation in scores. Wealthier states don’t seem to be more transparent or participatory, all states are relatively dependent on oil for revenue, and states with legal provisions on budget transparency in place seem to be failing to implement the letter of the law.
Political will, the report concludes, seems to be the decisive factor at play: progress has been largely driven by individual state governments prioritizing reforms and ensuring their implementation.
While the report noted that a new government led by President Muhammadu Buhari provides a platform of cleaning up the government, the report said ” beefing up oversight from within government will only drive progress so far.
” Civil society and the media should be recognized as important allies in the drive for greater efficiency and accountability.
“As the results of both the Open Budget Survey and the Nigerian States Budget Transparency Survey show, the ability for CSOs and the media to hold the government to account is severely constrained by a lack of budget information and a lack of space to participate in budget decisions.
” Beyond establishing new units in the finance ministry, the Buhari government should be encouraging scrutiny by CSOs and journalists by the public publishing the information needed to point out poor budgeting and inefficient practices.
“While the political will and mandate for change seems exists, the question remains: will the government drive change by opening up or by tightening its grip?”,the report asked.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Akpabio
The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has denied news of an alleged foiled attempt by him to withdraw $7.2 billion from his foreign accounts in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, Friday in Abuja,the senator said he did not own any foreign account.
“The attention of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio has been drawn to a report circulated in the internet linking him with ownership of houses/mansions in Dubai.
“We state categorically that Senator Akpabio does not own any foreign account in any part of the world.
“If such account is found, the Federal Government of Nigeria should seize the money and investigate the origin of such account, and prosecute the owner.
“In addition, he does not own any property in Dubai or in any foreign country.
“Akpabio served his people diligently for eight years as the governor and the transformation of the State within this period, which has gained world acclaim, is there for all to see.”
The statement said two foreign groups, Wikileaks and The Global Peace Movement Group, UK, had in 2010 cleared Akpabio of having any foreign account, while he was governor.
It accused the opposition in Akwa Ibom State of masterminding the reports of quest to withdraw money from his foreign account.
I“That some people out of political mischief should publish a purported attempt by the senator to withdraw through a CBN source a phantom sum of 7.2 billion dollars is ridiculous.
“It is the height of character assassination. We challenge these purveyors of falsehood to publish the full details of the purported $7.2 billion account.
“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to seize such sum and prosecute the owner if it does exist.”
Courtesy: NAN
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Nnamdi Kanu
Leader of the Independent People of Biafra and Director if Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has been refused bail by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi charged along with Kanu were also denied bail.
Delivering ruling, Justice John Tsoho held that the applicants failed to meet up with the requirements to be admitted on bail.
“The application is hereby refused and the applicants are ordered to be remanded in Kuje prison pending the determination of the case,” Tsoho held.
Specifically, the judge held that the bail was refused because of the nature of the alleged crime against the accused persons – treasonable felony, conspiracy and possession of unlawful firearm.
Tsoho said if granted bail, there was higher propensity for the applicants to continue with the agitation for the actualisation of the State of Biafra.
He held: “The contention between the prosecution and the defendants hinges on the un-disclaimed readiness of Kanu and his group to continue with their agitation and the mandate of the Federal Government to maintain law and order.
“The court is, therefore, inclined to believing that the applicants are prepared to stir unrest as submitted by the prosecution.
“The first applicant (Kanu) is said to have a dual citizenship, being a citizen of Nigeria and Britain.
“This dual status widens probability to escape from justice.”
Tsoho further said that in line with the provisions of Sections 162 and 168 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, applicant for bail shall fulfill some criteria.
He added: “These criteria include, but not limited to: the nature of charge, security of listed witnesses, pending criminal record of applicant, probability of applicant of not surrendering himself for trial and punishment allotted to crime committed.
“From the addresses before me, it is clear that the applicants have failed to dispel the fears raised by the prosecution team.
“The prosecution has urged the court to take judicial notice of the veracity of the charge and the life punishment the treason allegation attracts.”
The Judge also held that it was wrong for the defendant’s counsel to insinuate that the ACJA makes granting of bail mandatory.
The Judge adjourned till February 9, 10, 11 and 12 for definite trial.
Speaking to newsmen after the session, Chief Chucks Muoma (SAN), counsel to the applicants, said the decision would be appealed.
The Court’s insistence that Kanu must remain in prison pending his trial for alleged treason, has however resulted in lamentation among frontliners of the Biafra secession plan from the Nigerian state.
Bail granted him twice by the Courts were refused as fresh charges were brought against him. He was earlier charged for acts of terrorism.
He has been in detention since his arrest in October 2015 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Lagos, shortly after he arrived Nigeria from the United Kingdom.
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While the dust on the sack of Senator Uche Ekwunife by the Court of Appeal is yet to settle down, Nigeria’s apex judicial body, the Supreme Court has sacked Stella Oduah and Andy Uba, the two remaining senators in the National Assembly from Anambra State.
The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, sacked the senators and members of the House of Representatives from Anambra State. The senators, including Ekwunife, emerged on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Chris Uba, younger brother to Andy Uba, and Prince Emeka are expected to take over seats vacated by Andy Uba and Stella Oduah respectively, while former Senator Annie Okonkwo is in line to represent the PDP in a forthcoming election to fill a senatorial seat held by Uche Ekwunife who was sacked last December by the Court of Appeal.
Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision by Justice Chukwu of the Federal High Court laying out the proper procedures for selection of the PDP’s legislative candidates.
In December 2014, the Federal High Court had ruled that it was only the constitutionally recognized state party leadership led by Ejike Oguebego that could organize the party primaries.
The Supreme Court’s ruling reaffirmed the High Court’s verdict, declaring that the Ejike Oguebego-led PDP executive had the sole right to hold the primaries in Anambra State.
Oduah was a former Minister of Aviation, while Ubah was a former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs.
It could be recaled that Chris Uba had dragged INEC and PDP to the Supreme Court over a concocted list of nominated candidates for the 2015 general elections in Anambra state for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Chief Ejike Oguebego as party chairman.
The apex court was to determine who were the legal and validly nominated candidates of the party to stand for the general elections for the party in the state.
They had held party primaries where Uba, Sen Annie Okonkwo and Prince John Emeka emerged the Anambra South, Central and North respectively. While Charles Odedo(Idemili), Julius Ofoma(Nnewi), Tony Offiah(Aguata) and others emerged candidates for the House of Representatives.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Wike
A Seven member Panel of Supreme Court Justices headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Mahmud Mohammed has upheld the election of Nyesom Wike as the governor of Rivers State.
In a unanimous Judgement delivered on Wednesday in Abuja,the Supreme Court frowned at the Decision of the Justice Suleiman Ambursa led three member panel of Justices and that of Justice Dougban Mensem led five-member Appeal Court Justice which nullified the April 11 governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers State on grounds of Card Reader and failure to follow the Guidlines stipulated by INEC.
The court ruled that Card Reader cannot invalidate an election because the accreditation of voters by INEC in Rivers State during the APRIL 11th governorship election was legally done by using both the Card Reader and Manual accreditation process via the voter register.
One of the Justices asked Chief Akin Olujinmi SAN whether the guideline by INEC is bigger than the electoral Act,that question was not answered by Counsel to the Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Rivers State.
The Supreme declared that Barr Nyesom Wike was validly elected as the governor of Rivers state.
Okowa Congratulates Wike, Umahi on Supreme Court Victory
Meanwhile, Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated Governors Nyesom Wike and Dave Umahi of Rivers and Ebonyi States on the affirmation of their electoral victory by the Supreme Court yesterday.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, Governor Okowa, said that by this judgment, the Supreme Court, lifted a burden off the shoulders of well meaning people of Rivers and Ebonyi State and tasked both Governor Wike and Umahi to reciprocate the gesture by running an inclusive government.
“Rivers State, her friends and neighbours waited with baited breath for this favourable judgment. Your ‘long walk’ to victory must not be taken for granted. You must reward the state with open, transparent and purposeful leadership. Rivers people can’t settle for less” Governor Okowa noted.
Governor Okowa also called on the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dakuku Peterside, to demonstrate maturity by appealing to his supporters to take the judgment in good faith. This, the Governor said, would provide even ground that would accelerate development in the state.
” This judgment brings to an end all contests for the office of Governor of Rivers State and governance can’t be pigeon-holed if it has to address the good of the people” he said.
The judgement of the apex court on the cases of Governors Wike and Umahi is a victory for our democracy and a reaffirmation of the divine mandate freely given to them by the people of both states and commended the Apex court for ensuring the sanctity of the people’s mandate.
” The ruling of the Supreme Court will go a long way in restoring the hope and confidence of the Nigerian people on the sanctity of the judiciary”.
Okowa who sited the broad- mindedness of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state, as demonstrated by Fayose’s recent visit to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state and called on politicians; particularly those of Niger Delta extraction to emulate such principle and begin to align forces for the progress of the region, irrespective of political affiliation.
“We should all learn to be good winners and good losers” Governor Okowa said, and called on residents of the state to refuse to be drawn into bitter confrontation with one another on account of pecuniary interest of any politician.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi
The end to the continued rejection of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) graduands from participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is not near, as the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, has disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) is yet to act on the request made by NOUN.
Brigadier-General Olawumi, who disclosed this during the flag-off of the 2016 NYSC Annual Management Conference at Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 said the NYSC cannot admit NOUN graduands into the national service except with the express approval of the NUC.
He noted that the NYSC management has no jurisdictional competence in matters of who to mobilize or exclude from the scheme as that was purely the responsibility of the Federal Government and relevant agencies like the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He further revealed that the National Youth Service Corps is yet to receive a response from the National Universities Commission on the request of the National Open University of Nigeriia.
Meanwhile, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme has introduced a new measure to strengthen the machinery for ensuring the safety of all corps-members serving in any part of the country with the introduction of electronic devices which enables the NYSC to receive alert from any corps-member in distress situation.
In this regard, special toll-free numbers or codes have been issued to corps-members to enable them live and work safely anywhere in the country with the confidence that help would speedily come to them when in distress.
Olawumi also disclosed that appropriate response was still being awaited on a proposal he sent to Federal Government to allow for mobilization of graduates for the mandatory national service to be quarterly in order to accommodate the greatly increased current number of corps-members.
The director-general noted that with the current figure of “close to 250,000 graduates mobilized annually, which might hit the 300,000 mark in no distant future”, up from 2,364 when the scheme began in 1973, the present intake of graduates three times a year was no longer realistic.
Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who declared conference open, sued for concerted effort among the stakeholders to help the scheme overcome its operational challenges against the backdrop of the large number of graduates the scheme now caters for as well as other external factors militating against it.
Okowa, who was represented by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Mr Festus Ovie Agas, noted that the challenges that corps-members had faced in recent time, especially in the light of the current security situation in the northeastern parts of the country, could not be over-stressed.
The governor described the NYSC scheme as “success story” in the country in its over 40 years of existence, saying the orientation of the corps-members should now be slanted towards self-employment while the respective governments create the enabling environment.
“I believe the NYSC has been a success story in this nation despite the challenges that we have. It is one scheme that has brought unity, enabled our youths to be exposed to various states in the nation and has served as a stabilizing tool for our nation”, Okowa noted,
Earlier, during a courtesy call by the NYSC Director-General, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa advocated for a system that would encourage young graduates to “acquire skills while they are in camp to enable them to be engaged in agriculture and other self-sustaining skills.”
In his introductory address, the Director, a planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Akinolu Trmitope Ajayi, gave insight into the objective and design of the conference.
Ajayi said, “The theme of the conference, “Strengthening the operational strategies of the NYSC Scheme for Effective Youth Management”, is very profound an cannot come at a better time most especially in view of the fact that the operations of the Scheme are affected by the political, socio-economic and other dynamics of the society. It is, therefore, intended to generate ideas and formulate strategies with the aim of enhancing productivity and service e delivery for the effective of our youth.”
Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Baba Usman Alkali, Commander of 61 Airforce Detachment Warri, Air Commander A.D. Dudusola Hcief Judge of Delta State, Justice Marshal Umukoro and Professor Temi Akpohonor of Delta State University Abraka were among the special guests who attended the opening ceremony at the Grand Hotel Asaba.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left) and Prof. Pai Obanyan
Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has said low oil prices in the global market and attendant decreased revenue also pose a threat to Nigeria’s education sector, stating that the recent economic downturn necessitated the education summit hosted by the Delta state government, aimed at enabling and re-engineering the education system in the state.
Okowa said this during the Delta State Education Summit 2016 at the Events Centre, Asaba, on Tuesday. The theme of two-day the summit is “Leapfrogging Education in Delta State”.
“It does appear we have reached a crossroad in the education sector. The sector is currently being plagued by funding gaps necessitated by the demands placed on systems struggling to cope with increased enrollment, decaying infrastructure, obsolete curriculum, out-dated teaching methods, and generally falling standards in the quality of education.
“In an increasingly competitive global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge, a good education is no longer an option; it is necessary. Hence, a cardinal policy objective of our S.M.A.R.T. agenda is the pursuit and implementation of educational policies/reforms with the overall purpose of tuning out products that will be able to complete and excel in the 21st Century.
The governor, who stressed the need to place greater emphasis on the training and support of teachers, also noted that the huge challenges in funding of the education sector now requires that parents and communities should be more involved in funding education. “This administration has already made provision in the 2016 approved budget for the establishment of a Teachers Professional Development Centre for regular in-service training.”
“Since the adoption of the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals in 2000, Delta State has made remarkable strides in the implementation of the concept of universal participation in education. There are currently 1,113 public primary schools with total enrollment of 370, 611 while the number of secondary schools, inclusive of six functional technical colleges, stands at 446 with a corresponding enrollment figure of 262 242 students. At the tertiary level, there are three polytechnics and colleges of education each and a university owned by the state government.
“As the demand for education continues to rise, we have also witnessed rapid growth in the number of of privately-owned schools. Currently, the number stands at 2,306 comprising 1,548 nursery and primary schools and 758 secondary schools. The exponential rise in the number of private schools means the state government has to regularly strengthen its oversight and monitoring functions to ensure compliance with the extant laws and regulations, and enforce quality standards.
Chief Afe Babalola, legal luminary and President of Afe Babalola University, while presenting an opening address, attributed to the series of military intervention in the politics of the country as disruption to the stabilization of the education sector in Nigeria.
The destabilization of Nigeria’s educational system has been attributed to the series of military intervention in the politics of the country because it disrupted the established and progressing education sector then existing in Nigeria.
Babalola, who was represented by a member of the governing council of Afe Babalola University, Prof Israel Olatunji Olobunloye, noted that the disruption of the educational system by military governments created the problem of poor management of schools, poor remuneration, strikes, dilapidated infrastructure as well as poor hostels, water, electricity, equipment of school libraries and laboratories.
Babalola noted that government’s unnecessary bureaucracy has negatively impacted on the country’s education sector, saying the challenges he faced as a two-time pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos prompted him to establish the Afe Babalola private university in order to help rescue declining educational standards in Nigeria.
He however expressed the need for parents, community and the government join hands in the addressing the critical challenge of funding of education in our respective states and in the country.
Prof John Okpako Enaohwo, in his presentation on “Fiscal Planning and Development in Nigerian Education: The Paradox of Autonomy and Dependence”, decried the continuous over-centralization of the education system in Nigeria.
He suggested the removal of Education from the Recurrent Expenditure in the annual budget of the Federal Government, saying this was responsible for most of the problems
He also suggested that the Joint Admission and Matriculation (JAMB) should be scrapped, because we do not need JAMB because it is an impediment to students desirous of learning or getting higher education, Enaohwo also said.
Similarly, he said that the National University Commission (NUC) should also be scrapped, saying what Nigerian universities really need are the various professional bodies like the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) doing the accreditation which the NUC has been doing even without qualified personnel.
In a keynote paper titled “Advancing Education in Delta State”, Prof Pai Obayan noted that the greatest challenge militating against the education sector in Delta State and Nigeria in general remained the “lack of access.”
He said that access to quality education goes beyond physical access to education or learning saying features like enrollment, participation, success, progress and advancement were all important elements in determining the level of people’s access to education.
Aside the enormous challenges of policy inconsistency, curriculum and funding, the lack of reliable and regular data remains the greatest issue in the education system in Nigeria, Obayan noted.
On the “problem of examination failure, ” he advised government at all levels to to jettison the current over-emphasis on many examinations and instead adopt the model of assessment of educational performance operational in Ghana and five Anglophone countries called “Monitoring of learning achievement” or MLA Model.
Earlier, the chairman of summit’s organizing committee, Prof Patrick Muoboghare explained the objective of the education summit and gave details of the programme, stressing that Governor Okowa had agreed that the discussions should be frank and inclusive of all participants.
The event was well-attended by serving and retired eminent educationists and renowned scholars as well as senior government officials, proprietors of schools, religious and traditional rulers, including the acting chairman of the state traditional council and Obi of Owa, HRM Emmanuel Onyeike Efeizomor, 99-year old Ovie of Olomu Kingdom, Ovie Richard Layeguen Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro 1, the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, and the father of the state governor, Chief Arthur Okowa. ***Read Blank NEWS Online for regular news updates…Also like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter @blanknewsonlin1
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Reuben Abati– Reuben Abati
Something sad has happened and is happening, and is getting worse in our society: the decline of public intellectualism. And so I ask, where are the public intellectuals? Once upon a time in this country, the public arena was dominated by a ferment of ideas, ideas that pushed boundaries, destroyed illusions, questioned orthodoxies and enabled societal progress. Those were the days when intellectuals exerted great influence on public policy, and their input into the governance process could not be ignored. Ideas are strong elements of nation building, and even where interests are at play, you know the quality of a country by the manner in which a taste for good thinking propels the leadership process.
Public intellectuals are at the centre of this phenomenon: they include academics who go beyond their narrow specializations and university-based scholarship to take a keen interest in public affairs and who use their expertise and exposure to shed light on a broad range of issues. They also include journalists, writers and other professionals who question society’s direction, and offer alternative ideas. The beauty of public intellectualism is that the intellectual at work is a disinterested party, he is interested in ideas not for his own benefit, but for the overall good of society, and he does not assume that his opinions are the best or that he alone understands the best way to run society and its organs. The product of this attitude is that discourse, a culture of debate, is encouraged and in the cross-pollination of ideas, a good current of thought is created; truth is spoken to power.
We have had glimpses of this in Nigeria, and without trying to sketch a history of public intellectualism in our country or attempt a ranking of public intellectuals, let me just say that between the 60s and the 90s, there was so much fascination with ideas in this same country, it was as if the public mind was on fire. Academics from various disciplines took a keen interest in the prospects of the new Nigeria, and they went to the public arena to project ideas. Journalists became revered as sages, so much that certain newspaper columnists almost single-handedly sold newspapers.
Public lectures were organized which attracted persons who were just interested in ideas. Writers did a lot more than the professional task of producing novels, poems and plays and wrote public essays. The vendor’s stand every morning attracted not just buyers and free readers, but also young Nigerians who every morning debated major topics of concern. On television also, there were debates and those in the corridors of power also took ideas seriously. So influential were intellectuals in the public space that they soon got invited to be part of government and although the military had always opposed intellectualism, at least one government, the Babangida government had the largest collection of intellectuals in office since independence. Many who lived during that era will remember the debates over the IMF/Structural adjustment Programme.
As the years went by however, public intellectualism began to decline. In 2006, Jimanze Ego-Alowes published a book titled How Intellectuals Underdeveloped Nigeria and Other Essays, an allusion to the complicity of intellectuals in the crisis that had by then engulfed the country. Four years later, Rudolf Okonkwo in an article titled “The Comedy of Our Public Intellectuals” observed as follows: “the world of the Nigerian public intellectual is a zoo. It is a zoo full of nihilists. Some are sectarian in their outlook and others are humorless. Some are eccentric while others are comical. But one thing they all have in common is an over-inflated ego of their importance in the scheme of things.”
I don’t know about over-inflated ego, but I do know that the flame of public intellectualism in Nigeria is now almost a flicker. There are extremely few new significant voices, saying anything of consequence, the soldiers of old have become old, the fire in their belly, now subdued. It is as if our academics have lost interest in public affairs, as only a few of them maintain a column or write an occasional piece or take on public issues in the manner of the likes of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Segun Osoba, Claude Ake, Bade Onimode, Ola Oni, Mokwugo Okoye, Mahmud Tukur, Yusuf Bala Usman, Ayodele Awojobi, Biodun Jeyifo, Femi Osofisan, Stanley Macebuh, Odia Ofeimun, Niyi Osundare, Chinweizu, Kole Omotoso, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Bode Sowande, Patrick Wilmot…The opinion pages of the newspapers are no longer vibrant. There is so much “opinionitis”, but debate is rare and rejoinders are always self-serving.
What has happened is that politically neutral intellectuals have now become scarce; the typical intellectual of today is not public in the sense in which that word is used; he is in reality affiliated to partisan and sectional interests. The intellectual influence in Nigeria’s affairs is thus diminished because of obsession with individual interests: academics are now at best “acadapreneurs”: the intellectual as an entrepreneur. Business and partisan interests have compromised media houses; those once vibrant platforms are no longer offering vibrant ideas. Within the cultural sphere, there is a total dumbing down. Where are the creative writers? They are still writing, but few want to get involved in the issues of the day and offer ideas.
The effect is that we are in the age of clichés, of jargon writing, of mundane, unimaginative commentary. Whatever appears intellectual is written off as arrogant and there is no quality debate on anything because people have resorted to making fashionable statements that suit the moment and every one is locked in their own little corner, not willing to listen to the other side of the story. The reading public, whatever is left of it, is also not interested in ideas or anything that requires rigorous thinking. We have thus lost a critical element of public intellectualism: an audience. The people are interested in easy stuff, in fashionable opinions that align with their own partisan interests. Nobody wants to read any long commentary; there is an obsession with short thinking, and whereas brevity may be a good technique, there are certain ideas that just cannot be reduced to a tweet. It is really sad that today, intellectualism is seen as a threat.
Even when corporations and politicians in power draw intellectuals close; they end up usurping the powers of the intellectual, compelling him to hold his intelligence within the scope of the definition of his assignment. Intellectuals can be inside or outside, and there are classical cases of intellectuals in power making a difference, but that age appears ended, the disdain of intellectualism has turned politicians and corporate gurus into wise men that they are not, and the intellectual into an organic element of power. The greatest power of the intellectual lies in his freedom; when he is denied that under any circumstance, society turns off its energy source and gradually, it is the self-imposed wisdom of clowns that prevails.
The gap that has been created seems to have been easily filled by internet gladiators who spend the day shuffling from Instagram to Facebook to Twitter and other social media threads. These new culture activists project a democratic impression of public intellectualism – and yes, there is a sense in which everyone is an intellectual, from the village priest to the village idiot- but I don’t see the rigour, the breadth and depth and the aesthetic alienation that can elevate this genre and its promoters to the grade of public intellectualism. For the most part, social media in Nigeria is predominantly at the level of tabloid sensationalism, and it accommodates and offers the same degree of freedom to the ignorant and the mischievous, as well as the entrepreneur and the uncouth. There is no doubt however that its content and the quality can be raised, but that will require innovation, the intervention of thinkers and the creation of new audiences that will be interested in something more than the quick and formulaic.
What we have lost is not the intellectual, as there are many educated Nigerians who are experts in their narrow fields, what we have lost is active intelligence as a tool for social progress. The rub is in the intelligence part of being intellectual. Being intellectual is about living a life of ideas and using those ideas to engage society intelligently in a committed manner.
In addition to other reasons, it may well be that our intellectuals are tired of engaging Nigeria. Having tried over the years to engage the governance elite with ideas and to show that only good ideas should govern society and having been spurned by the politicians, Nigeria’s intellectual elite seems to have become so frustrated, it has retired largely into a state of indifference and inertia. What is the point knocking one’s head against a wall? But intellectuals in society cannot take such a stand. That will amount to an abdication of responsibility: when intellectuals do no more than make righteous noises, the harvest in the long run, is counter-productive.
Another factor is the emergence of a “climate of fear,” and a culture of silence/co-optation/acquiescence. Politicians distrust intellectuals; they can’t tolerate anyone around them speaking truth to power or raising disturbing questions. The intellectual is expected to keep his ideas to himself and respect constituted authority. He is expected to enjoy his freedom in his head and dare not go public with it. Ideas cannot thrive if the man of ideas is afraid to think, and whisper or speak. Rather than insist on the freedom to differ, many academics, journalists, writers and thinkers have since dropped the baton, and surrendered the public space.
But that is unhelpful cowardice. Those who know better must continue to engage the public vigorously with ideas about governance and public policy, and encourage open debates, for the good of the entire society. Those ideas must however, be relevant for them to be of any value; they must not be abstract theories that disconnect with the people’s realities, but ideas that offer intelligent solutions to practical problems.
Right now, there are critical areas where such intervention is needed: budgets, economic planning, handling a currency crisis that is fast turning into a nightmare (France has declared an economic emergency and yet was not in as bad a position as we are in…Argentina made changes to its export taxes to address its own dilemma…). We have had schizophrenic interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria and yet where are the intellectuals to come up with analysis and desired alternative views, beyond bellyaching? Where are the inorganic public intellectuals to guide public thought? Who are those thinking for government, the opposition and indeed the public space?
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA–
DELTA State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has raised alarm over potential crisis in Udu local government area of Delta State as a result of the Council Chairman, Hon. Solomon Kpomah constituting a parallel driver’s union.
Speaking with journalists in Asaba, the chairman, Delta State Council of NURTW decried interference by the Udu Council Chairman which he said was capable to lead to the breach of peace.
According to him, “I feel sad that I am talking to you about what is happening at Udu local government area, but, it is a sad development where a local government chairman could be functioning as a Union leader, allocating units where people should work or not; this is a new development that should not be encouraged, the NURTW is working with local government officials with defined roles, but, in Udu, the functions of the branch chairman is being usurped by the local government chairman which is wrong.”
“The situation if not well handled could lead to breach of peace as there is already tension between the Union members under the leadership of the local government chairman and those who are under the leadership of our recently sworn-in branch chairman of Udu “A” branch of our Union, Comrade Elvis Akpokona,” he said, adding, “we want to make it clear that politicians should play their politics while we run our affairs as a Union and accord respect and necessary dues to constituted authorities as enshrined in our Union constitution.”
Chief Obi called on government at all levels and security agencies to wade into the issue to avoid crisis where the NURTW would be mentioned, reiterating, “Udu Chairman wants crisis and our members wants peace but, we don’t know how long the local government chairman will continue to constitute a parallel executive of the union.”
Reacting to the allegations, Hon. Kpomah in a telephone interview said what he desires is peace and his to boost the internally generated revenue of the Council.
According to him, “my business is to collect my revenue, I don’t want to be involved in the politics of NURTW, but, they must operate in such a way that there will not be crisis,” adding, “what I am bothered with is how to generate revenue in Udu Council because, we are finding it difficult to pay salaries, so, we have decided to look inward.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– From left>>Delta Speaker Igbuya, Delta NUJ boss Chiazor and NUJ Vice Chair Igbekoyi
Speaker of the Delta state House of Assembly, Rt. -Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya has urged media practitioners, especially members of tthe Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) to be more proactive in reporting activities of government and shun unethical practices.
Igbuya stated this on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 when the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta state Council, Comrade Norbert Chiazor led members of the Union to present an award of excellence to the Speaker at the Delta State House of Assembly Complex, Asaba.
The Speaker enjoined Journalists practicing in Delta state to engage in development journalism and use their profession to improve the status of Deltans, build trust and help showcase government’s laudable people oriented policies.
Igbuya who decried the use of sensational media reports to attack public office holders, instead of showcasing policies of government and settting agenda for discourse, encouraged practising journalists in the state to always verify facts before publishing stories.
While informing members of the NUJ that he is open to constructive criticisms, Igbuya said: “Journalists should not disseminate information that are based on heresay and gossip only. They should ensure that stories are properly verified to balance their reports.” He however warned that “I will not tolerate anybody who wants to drag my name in the mud.”
He therefore advised the leadership of the NUJ to devise means of ensuring that journalists abide by its professional ethics and rid the profession of quacks and also ensure that disciplinary actions are metted out to erring members.
The state Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Norbert Chiazor who presented the award described Igbuya as a very media friendly person with exemplary leadership qualities which he has exhibited as Speaker of the House of Assembly and other political circles.
Chiazor, who said the award was given in recognition of the Speaker’s transparent background and experience in governance, said the award is also expected to spur the Speaker to be more focussed in his iegislative duties. He emphasised that he NUJ award is not for sale and strictly given out on merit to deserving individuals.
Comrade Chiazor hinted that “the activities of our members is guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ethical Code of Conduct as enshined in the Union’s constitution.
He assured Igbuya that practising Journalists in Delta state are determined to contribute their quota to the growth and development of the state.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Hilary Ibegbulem
The Principal Secretary to Delta state governor, Senator Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa , Mr .Hilary Ibegbulem says prompt and regular payment of workers salary ,against all odds had established the governor as a prudent and disciplined leader with uncommon passion for workers welfare.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service organized by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to mark Okowa ‘s Appeal Court victory , Mr.Ibegbulem said the state government had continued to meet its financial obligation to civil servants , even with Nigeria’s worsening oil economy.
He noted that the Okowa administration had also given attention to critical social infrastructure like roads, schools and markets and commended the governor for keeping faith with his S.M.A.R.T Agenda.
According to Ibegbulem, Okowa had demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities in time of severe economic hardship, through shrewd fiscal management.
Commending workers and labour unions for their patience and understanding, the governor’s aide expressed optimism that the government would navigate its way out of the financial crisis.
He described the victory as an act of God ,as the Appeal Court panel was faithful to the law and justice .Mr ibegbulem said Okowa is blessed with a popular mandate”as he won 21 out of 25 local government areas in the state, a feat no governorship candidate had achieved in recent history.”
In an address, the state Chairman of the NLC, Comrade David Ofoeyeno said Okowa deserved the goodwill and support of Delta workers., having shown commitment to their welfare.
Comrade Ofoeyeno said the labour union have confidence in the governor’s quest to bring prosperity to all Deltans.
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Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okopwa (sitting 2nd left); Speaker, State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Monday Igbuya (left); Clerk of the House, Mrs Lyna Ochulor (2nd left) and Commissioner for Finance Mr David Edevbie as the signs the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law in Asaba.
Governor of oil and gas wealthy Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has assented to the 2016 Appropriation bill of N268 billion for the fiscal year.
The 2016 appropriation bill showed an increase of N2.5 billion from the N265.6 billion earlier presented to the State House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in December 2015.
While signing the appropriation bill into law, Okowa assured that the projected Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N75 bilion would drive the implementation of the budget, explaining that the increase of N2.5 billion was to facilitate the completion of ongoing project at the Asaba Airport.
The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya accompanied by the Deputy Speaker, Friday Osanebi, the Clerk of the House, Mrs Lyna Ochulor and other principal officers on Tuesday, presented the appropriation bill christened, “Budget of Renewed Hope And Inclusive Development,” to the Governor for his assent at the Government House, Asaba.
At the signing of the appropriation bill, Governor Okowa lauded the legislators for its speedy passage which would translate into massive infrastructure development of the state before the commencement of the rains.
“This budget that have been assented to in good time, gives us enough room to utilise the dry season in our infrastructure development plans and I must appreciate the Speaker and members of the Delta State House of Assembly for taking their time, during the festive season to truly work on the budget, ensuring that we had a very speedy passage of the budget,” he said, disclosing, “with the bill that was signed into law, we have appropriated N153 billion as recurrent expenditure and N114 billion for capital expenditure and by God’s grace, we hope to work very strongly to generate the revenue to implement the budget in full.”
He added, “it is our hope that the Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) would exceed the target of N75 billion from the N40 billion that we had last year; I believe that it is achievable because, we are going to block all loopholes and ensure that more people come into the tax net.”
The Governor specifically urged Deltans to pay their tax, assuring, “we will do our best to be accountable and money collected from taxes would be ploughed back to the development of the state.”
Governor Okowa commended the good working relationship between all arms of government in the state, noting that such partnership would lead to faster delivery of his administration’s mandate of prosperity for all Deltans.
Rt. Hon. Igbuya had told the Governor and members of the state executive council who were present at the occasion, that the Assembly members, “took time off and did justice to the bill in line with your administration’s drive for good time and prosperity agenda.”
Recal that the Delta State House of Assembly had on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 passed the 2016 Appropriation bill of N268 billion for the fiscal year.
The passage of the appropriation bill followed a report presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Erhiatake Ibori, during the proceedings of the state of the Assembly in Asaba.
The 2016 appropriation bill showed an increase of N2.5 billion from the N265.6 billion earlier presented to the State House of Assembly by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in December 2015.
The sum of N153.2 billion was approved for Recurrent Expenditure, while the Capital Expenditure had N114.8 billion.
According to the budget breakdown, the economic sector had a total of N25.7 billion, while the social sector had N17.4 billion.
The sum of N27.7 billion was approved for the environmental sector, while the sum of N15.2 billion was appropriated for the General Administration sector.
The chairman of the committee, while presenting the report noted that the approved budget was specific, realistic and implementable.
Ibori also said that the budget would effectively kick-start the ‘SMART’ agenda of the present administration as well as ensure the commitment of the state government on the provision of critical infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, schools and electricity.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, has condemned in strongest terms, the recent attacks on the oil and gas facilities across the state and called on all Deltans to cooperate with the security agencies to unmask the criminals behind the heinous crime.
The bombing took place few days after a Stakeholders Summit organized by the Delta State Government which held on Wednesday, 13th January, 2016 in Effurun to address the challenges of oil and gas pipeline vandalism and bunkering in the State.
Specifically, on Thursday, 14th January, 2016, these elements blew up the Escravos-Warri-Abuja-Lagos pipelines and the Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Utunan-Makaraba crude oil pipeline in the early hours of Friday, 15th January, 2016. This act of sabotage was further perpetrated in the early hours of Saturday, 16th January, 2016 when the Olero gas pipeline was bombed.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, the Governor urged the security agencies to intensify their surveillance over the oil facilities and pledged the commitment of his administration to support all measures that would restore the confidence of all stakeholders in the oil & gas industry operating in Delta state.
“These attacks should be condemned by all well meaning Nigerians, particularly compatriots from Niger Delta. This is an attack on our soul. The state is bleeding again and its implication for the economy and image of Delta state grave”, he said.
The Governor noted that only last week, his administration hosted a stakeholders’ summit on the effects of the VANDALISM of oil and gas facilities in the state; where the various arms of the security agencies, the oil and gas operators and the host communities converged to brainstorm on measures to stem the activities of vandals.
He noted these attacks, coming just few days after the summit, was not a good way of reciprocating the good intentions of his government and the enormous resources that are being invested in turning around the fortunes of the state.
He called on community leaders and youth groups to resist any temptation to be drawn into these nefarious activities as this might jeopardize the on-going intervention of federal government, in the lives of the youths, through the Amnesty Office.
“Do not be part of this crime and refuse to listen to any leader or politician who would want to pitch one ethnic nationality against the other as a result of these incidents. The destruction of oil facilities is purely criminal and we reject attempts to label it otherwise”, the Governor observed.
Meanwhile, soldiers have invaded Okpelama community, Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, in search of militants, who commenced bombing of crude oil and gas pipelines in state, few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos issued a bench warrant for the arrest of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
The soldiers were also keeping surveillance on Kurutie, the hometown of Tompolo and Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom.
The Joint Task Force Commander of Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, Major General Alani Okunola, has said that the task force was closing in on those blowing up oil pipelines belonging the Nigeria Gas Company, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC. He vowed that JTF would fish them out.
JTF commander, Major General Okunola, who led his troop to inspect one of the blown up pipelines at Egwa II community in Warri South West, said the army would hold community leaders in whose domain such bombing took place responsible for any act of sabotage in their area.
Tompolo, however, has continued to plead his innocence in the attacks, saying he did not carry out any bombing and did not send anybody to destroy oil installations. He insisted that his enemies sponsored the mayhem to spite him.
Chief Patrick Bigha, in a statement said “The Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group wishes to condemn the renewed wanton destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. We are truly disturbed with this happening as the Nigerian economy is in a bad shape; therefore, we are calling on those behind this act to cease hostilities immediately.
“We are not happy over the incident as it look like a smear campaign against the person of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo.
“It is worthy of note that Tompolo will not embark on such self destructive mission as one that fervently believes in the Nigeria project, and has contributed to peace building and development of Nigeria.”
The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, which on Sunday condemned the attack on oil facilities in some parts of the state, has called for a halt to the military siege to five Ijaw communities of Ikpokpo, Saghara, Opuedebubo, Okpeleama and Tebujo, all in Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Three other Ijaw groups: Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, National Association of Izon-Ebe Law Students, NALS and Niger Delta Youths for Positive Change, NDYPC, also condemned the latest attacks on oil installations by yet to be identified militants
The Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, FHRACC, in a statement by its national president, Alaowei Cleric, however, cautioned the federal government to handle the face-off between it and Tompolo with care.
The development has also led to the Chair, Itsekiri Regional Development Council, IRDC, Chief Ayiri Emami to express concern over the attacks which he claimed were targeted at oil facilities in Itsekiri towns and villages, saying it might metamorphose into another Ijaw/Itsekiri war.
He alleged that those carrying out the attacks were Ijaw militants known to the security agencies, state and federal governments, and challenged them to rein in the gunmen.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
A case of Lassa fever has been confirmed in Delta State. It is a 65-year-old lady from Ifiogwari village, Ayamelunu, Anambra State who came for treatment in Asaba, Delta State.
She was first admitted at St. Joseph’s Hospital before she was referred to Federal Medical Centre, Asaba when her conditioned worsened.
The case was confirmed at the virology laboratory, Specialist Hospital, Irrua, Edo State. Two other samples sent to the same laboratory tested negative.
The Delta State Rapid Response Team said it has placed 22 persons who had contact with the confirmed case on surveillance, while five samples have been sent for laboratory investigation.
The Delta State Government has already informed the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja on these developments and the State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has provided the necessary logistics to enhance contact tracing and other control measures.
Lassa fever is caused by a virus found in the urine and faeces of a species of rat when they contaminate food or water or come in contact with broken skin of humans.
Infected persons spread the disease when their body fluids such as blood, faeces, urine, sperm and vomit come in contact with others.
Some signs and symptoms of Lassa fever infection include cold and fever, sore throat, headache, pains in different parts of the body, nausea, cough, diarrhea and general sense of being unwell.
Severe stage of the infection comes with swellings on the face and hand, bleeding in different parts of the body such as ears, mouth, nose, anus and virginal.
Residents are advised to maintain a high level of personal and environmental hygiene, keep their food and water away from rats and promptly report any one with the above signs and symptoms to the nearest health centre or hospital or call the following numbers 08037438829, 07037120510 and 08179338777.
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The Okpala-Uku of Umusadege, Utagba-Uno, Ndokwa West local government area of Delta State, Ogbu-Ewu Egbononwu Ojugbeli has raised alarm over threat to peace in his domain and postponed the annual general meeting of the community.
According to the Okpala-Uku, as a result of the imminent and confirmed threat, the annual General Meeting of the community scheduled for Monday, 18th January, 2016(tomorrow) has been post-poned.
The Okpala-Uku who also wrote a “save our soul (S.O.S) letter to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command said the cancellation of the Annual General Meeting was unavoidable in the interest of peace in the community.
“There is a plot to cause trouble in the community during the annual general meeting and I cannot fold my hands and allow such to happen, our Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa should use his good offices to intervene, all security agencies, especially, the Police should take note of this development,” the Okpala-Uku said, adding, “crisis of any kind can only take us back, we have a new government in the state, we want a peaceful state, a peaceful community.”
In a letter to the Police, the Okpala-Uku said, “I, Egbononwu Ojugbeli, the Okpala-Uku (traditional ruler) of Umusadege Community, Utagba-Uno, hereby, write to notify you of the postponement of Umusadege annual general meeting earlier scheduled forJanuary 18, 2016 in my Palace owing to an imminent threat to peace and security,” reiterating, “I most sincerely implore the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command to deploy policemen to Umusadege, Utagba-Uno on Monday, the 18th of January, 2016 to enforce this cancellation and help maintain peace and order in my community.
He added, “I sincerely appeal to all the Ikpalas and other interest with contrary or divergent views to religiously respect the culture and tradition of our people by hearkening to the voice of wisdom and reason by keeping the peace and remain law abiding.”
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The member representing Ika South Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Okoh Festus Chukwuyem, has warned against any attempt to cause crises in Ika South local government in the guise of fighting for supremacy in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Hon. Chukwuyem gave the warning at the weekend when Chairman of the Delta State Council of NURTW, Chief Ifeanyi Obi led some officials of the Union to meet with him on possible ways to nip in the bud impending leadership crises in the area.
Contenders for the chairmanship position for the local government branch of the NURTW were also in attendance at the meeting.
According to Hon. Chukwuyem, “what we want is peace, there is nothing that we are fighting for that we will take when we are leaving this world and I can confidently tell you that anybody who wants to cause trouble in Ika South will be dealt with according to the law.”
“We don’t want trouble of any kind, nobody can be pleased 100 per cent, so, accept the situation and let us live in peace,” the law maker told the chairmanship contenders.
He commended the efforts of the Delta Council of the drivers’ union towards having peace in Ika South NURTW which has led to the creation of four branches of the Union in the local government.
Chief Obi had told the Assembly member that after series of deliberations on how to solve the crises in the area, State Council of the NURTW decided to create another branch of the Union.
He appealed on those involved to accept the situation as one of the measures to attain peace, stating that Ika South was one of the very few areas that were causing challenges for the Union.
While commending the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for his understanding of the situation in the area, Chief Obi appealed to those involved to have the spirit of give and take in the interest of all stakeholders.
“I want to thank our Governor for the way he is handling activities in the state, for his patience and understanding, and I want to call on our members to accept the situation of things which is in everybody’s interest; we have created Ika South branch “D” for peace to reign, we should all work together, accept the situation and avoid encroaching in other people’s branches so that we can have peace,” he said.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (middle); his Deputy, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro (left) and the Chairman, State Advisory and Peace Building Council, Prof Sam Oyovbaire during a One-Day Stakeholders Summit on Vandalization of Oil & Gas Facilities and Installations at P.T.I Conference Centre, Effurun
DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has called for strategic alliance between host communities in oil producing areas, the international Oil companies (IOCs) and security agencies in securing oil and gas investments in the state.
The Governor made the call today (13/01/16) during a one-day stakeholders summit on vandalism of oil and gas facilities and installations with the theme, “security and environmental challenges in oil and gas sector in Delta State – the way forward,” at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) conference hall, Effurun.A cross section of service Chiefs
According to Senator Okowa, while the downward trend in crude oil price had led to a sharp drop in allocation to the state from the Federation Account from N20 billion to as low as N6.7 billion, the Governor said, “our problem is further compounded by the recurring decimal of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalization which by most accounts, about 400,000 barrels of oil are stolen daily, accounting for trillions of naira loss to the economy and when we add the value of the gas condensate lost also, the figure become astronomical.”
He stated, “the summit should provide insight and proffer solutions to the types of threats faced by oil and gas installations because, we need to have a clear understanding of the various threat groups, the dangers they represent, their goals, capabilities, opportunities, past attacks and possible future attacks,” reiterating, “to boost our earnings from oil – which is what this summit is all about – we should construct creative and enduring strategies that will enable strategic alliances among the host communities in oil producing areas, the IOCs and security agencies in securing oil and gas investments in Delta State.” Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (right) in hand shake with traditional rulers
“I must also stress the need for appropriate sanctions to be meted out to oil thieves when they are caught, we need to deal decisively with these economic saboteurs,” he asserted, noting that “they need to be fished out and the full weight of the law brought to bear on them to deter others.”
Governor Okowa who stated that his administration was committed to maintaining law and order to boost investor’s confidence, decried the relocation of some oil companies, especially, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) which led to the state losing “a billion naira in monthly revenue from royalties and taxes,” while more than N2 billion monthly was also, being lost in taxes and royalties as a result of some oil companies operating in Delta State failing to domicile their offices and staff in the state. Commissioner for Oil & Gas, Mr, Mofe Pirah (left) and the Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Petroleum Matters, Barr. Bosin Ebikeme
Governor Okowa assured the people of his administration’s determination to develop the non-oil sector, disclosing that the Export Processing Zone which was being developed by the Federal Government which has the capacity of creating 100, 000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs when fully operational was still on course.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, former Minister of Information commended the Delta State government for organizing the summit and called on the National Assembly to revisit the Petroleum Industry Bill which he said would proffer solutions to some of the challenges facing Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector.From left: Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Chief Fedelis Tilije; Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah and the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Vincent Udaghan
Lectures were delivered by resource persons while officials of oil and gas companies and representatives of security agencies gave talks on different issues on the way forward.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) – Igbuya
A fresh insight into the precise role of the Delta State House of Assembly was on Tuesday given by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya.
The Speaker at the first sitting of the House for 2016 said the House would ensure accountability, probity, transparency and efficiency in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the 2016 budget.
“I wish to quickly reiterate that the Delta State House of Assembly has been adequately positioned to meet the demands of making well focused research and people oriented laws that will impact positively on the people of the State. This is contingent on our firm belief that as the pillar of democracy, the legislative arm must be a catalyst of change, working in concert with the other arms of government in providing democratic dividends to the people” he said.
He asked his colleagues to brace up for the ever-evolving and unfinished business of state development as the months ahead will no doubt be challenging.
“We have shown uncommon resilience, maturity and understanding. Our display of competence, patriotism and commitment to duty which we demonstrated while carrying out our legislative duties and other assignments, has in no small means translated to the success the House has enjoyed. We should not compromise or betray the mandate the people gave us for pecuniary gains. We must work hard to secure a better life and greater opportunities for them through viable and pragmatic laws and other legislative instruments that would ensure viable socio-economic and infrastructural transformation in all the 29 constituencies in the state. We must also renew our priorities, listen to one another more attentively and remind ourselves of the ways by which our aspirations and destiny are intertwined as a people.”
Igbuya who expressed worries over the nation’s economy, said “presently the price of crude oil at the international market is put at around $38. In the face of declining crude oil price, it is clear that our over-reliance on a mono-product is unhealthy and unsustainable. This reality makes it even more pertinent that the Federal and State governments work assiduously to develop other sources of revenue outside the oil and gas sector. The continued diversification of our economy into other sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, trade and services is now inevitable. In this era of paucity of funds occasioned by the drastic fall in crude oil prices, the responsibility of curtailing wasteful and unnecessary spending falls solely on us.”
Igbuya also listed the passage of Delta State Territory Development Agency Law, 2015, Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board Law 2015, Delta State Contributory Health Commission Law, 2015 and the Amendment of the Delta State Oil Producing Development Law, 2015 as major achievements of the House.
“Distinguished colleagues, as we look forward to another year of robust and fulfilling legislation, we cannot but pat ourselves on the back for what we have achieved thus far. In the last seven months, this great House made appreciable progress in some very vital areas in the life of this administration. In 2016, we intend to push ourselves further and accomplish even much more to the benefit of Deltans.”
He expressed dismay over the attitude of some people in the state thus, “Let me also use this medium to educate our numerous constituents that it is time we do away with the entitlement mentality whereby we over burden our legislators with mundane requests borne out of the fact that you have supported and helped them to win elections. While I agree that the legislators have the moral responsibility to assist their constituents within their means, constituents should not overstretch their request to the extent that legislators would be afraid or discouraged to run their constituency offices with utmost efficiency or even run away from their constituency”.
Igbuya praised the judiciary for the victory of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and others at the Court of Appeal.
“It is equally proper at this juncture to thank God for victories at the Court of Appeal. Let me congratulate everyone who experienced this sweet victory. Let me also commiserate with those who were not successful at the Court of Appeal. I also welcome members who will be joining us in this assembly as a result of their victory at the Court of Appeal. In the same vein, I want to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for his resounding victory at the Court of Appeal. Infact, it was the best Christmas gift to Delta state.”
For the interest of the growth and development of the state, Igbuya urged Chief Great Ogboru and Chief O’tega Emerhor to work with the present administration.
“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is an advocate of an all-inclusive government. Instead of continuous litigations that distract and impede growth, it is for the interest of the people of our dear state for them to work with the government to move delta state forward.”
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) By Albert OGRAKA– Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi,
Ahead of the 2016 undergraduate Scholarship for Anioma students in accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions, The Friday Osanebi Foundation (FOF) has pledged to sustain the goal of producing best students from the area.
At a meeting with stakeholders and National Presidents of Anioma students Mr. Agbanashi Obinne, on behalf of the foundation, urged the student leaders to ensure that the forms were evenly distributed to the indigent students, adding that the foundation was established to enhance students’ capacity at the tertiary institutions.
The meeting which held on Monday, January 11, 2016 at the House of Assembly in Asaba was attended by national students’ presidents of the Federated Union of Ndokwa Sudents (FUNS), National Association of Aniocha/Oshimili Students (NAAOS) and National Association of Ika Students (NAIS).
The stakeholders commended the founder of The Friday Osanebi Foundation (FOF) and Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi, for approving the commencement of the 2016 undergraduate Scholarship for indigent Anioma students in accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Meanwhile, forms have been given out to the national leaders of students’ groups from Delta North to be distributed to eligible students in various institutions across the country with an aim to ensure a smooth process and check fraudulent actions.
The education scholarship scheme is open to all students of 100 level from the Nine local government areas in Delta North, namely: Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North and Oshimili South with a transparent selection process through the screening test.
The scholarship is sessional from year of entry till graduation, depending on the successive performances of the benefitting undergraduates in the nation’s universities, polytechnics and monotechnics by sustaining a CGPA of 3.5 or 2nd Class Upper and above.
The best graduating student from each of the nine local government area with the highest CGPA, will at the end of the scheme be given instant employment in various multi national oil companies.
Deadline for submission of completed forms and FOF Scholarship screening examination is 23rd and 30th January, 2016 respectively.
Completed forms are to be submitted at the collection point with the following documents: Photocopy of school ID Card, Local Government Identification, Admission Letter, SSCE and other relevant documents.
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Sitting Bayelsa state Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been re-elected for a second term in office, after a fierce electoral battle with main rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipriye Sylva.
The Returning Officer, Prof Akpagu, on the night of Sunday, January 10, 2016 declared Seriake Dickson duly elected after collating the results from all the Local Government Areas, where Governor Dickson polled a total of 134, 998 votes while the APC candidate, Sylva garnered 86, 852 votes.
After the re-run election conducted on Saturday, January 9, 2016, in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, the PDP candidate floored his main challenger, scoring 23, 081 votes as against former Governor Sylva’s 10, 216 votes.
The election witnessed violence which led to the death of over 10 persons and others injured, in what the PDP alleged was the handiwork of the APC.
Recall that the governorship election which was held on December 5, 2015 was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The electoral body had anchored its decision of widespread violence and glaring cases of ballot snatching, in the Southern Ijaw hence, the decision to order a re-run election in the area.
Okowa Congratulates Dickson on his Election Victory
Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, has congratulated Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, following his victory at the governorship polls in Bayelsa State, which held on December 5th 2015 and January 9th, 2016.
This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, wherein the Governor described the win as “well deserved” for Dickson, a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Governor Okowa while commending INEC, security agencies and Bayelsans for a successful election in Bayelsa State, condemned in strong terms the reported cases of violence and killings which characterized the Gubernatorial election in the state.
The Governor expressed sadness over the violence, unwarranted loss of lives that characterized the election and called on the relevant security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I congratulate you on your hard earned victory at the Bayelsa State Governorship Election. Your victory is well deserved because you campaigned vigorously, selling the party’s policies and programme to Bayelsans. Your victory in seven out of eight local governments in the state showed too that Bayelsa State is home to the PDP,” he stated.
“Your reelection for a record second term is a fulfillment of the clearly expressed wish of the people of Bayelsa State, I therefore urge you to be humble and magnanimous in victory, remain focused and ever committed to your Restoration Agenda and work for the advancement of the interests of all Bayelsa people irrespective of their political affiliations or loyalties,”
Governor Okowa further called on Hon. Seriake Dickson to regard his reelection to serve as “a sacred mandate from God Almighty and his people which he must discharge with immense dedication, wisdom and vigour to achieve a much more rapid pace of socio-economic development in Bayelsa State for the benefit of its people who resoundingly reaffirmed their trust in his leadership by voting overwhelmingly for his election in the just concluded polls.”
Okowa urged the opposition to accept defeat in good fate and cooperate with the Governor to move the state forward. He wished “Hon. Dickson continued good health and a very successful second tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State”.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
LEADERSHIP tussle which rocked the Udu ‘A’ branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has been put to rest following the inauguration of a new executive for the union.
Contenders for the chairmanship position, Comrades Elvis Akpokona and Mathew Uparan agreed that in the interest of peace and progress in the Union those elected should function without hindrance.
Secretary to the Delta State Council of the drivers’ union, Comrade Raymond Adeyemi thanked members of the Union for towing the line of peace, insisting that nobody should engage in anti-union activities.
In the new executive, Comrade Akpokona emerged as Chairman, while Comrades Sikprako Felix, Solomon Sodje and Frank Muwen clicked the positions of 1st and 2nd and 3rd Vice Chairman respectively.
Comrade Bikawei Russia emerged as Secretary while others who were elected into different positions were Comrades Dolor Peter (Assistant Secretary), Shalokpe Freeborn (Auditor), John Tere (Financial Secretary), Richard Agididotan (Assistant Financial Secretary), Festus Magege (Treasurer), Frank Diamond (Public Relations Officer), Moses Bokwe (Provost), Isaiah Masheni (Organizing Secretary), Christopher Jebishi, David Rheriobore, Lucky Jitokun (Trustees) and Amos Atele (Provost).
Comrade Akpkona thanked members of the union for believing in him and pledged to work with all stakeholders, especially, the local government council, the traditional institution for a progressive NURTW that will attract development to Udu.
On his part, Comrade Mathew Uparan said leadership is not a do or die affair, stating, “today is for you, we want peace in Udu, elections will still come up in the future, we should work for progress,” while the State Treasurer of the Union, Comrade Amaechi Igumbor thanked the interested parties for been peaceful stated that it was important for everybody to be carried along.
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