The mere mention of maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Nigeria most often elicits embarrassing statistics and comments. It has been so for decades. With a maternal death rate of over 800 per 100,000 deliveries, Nigeria has continued to remain among the four countries with worse maternal health indices; the others being India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Recent findings even rated Nigeria as second to India in world’s worse maternal related death. In the main, the implication of this is that Nigeria is still very backward in her human capital development, suggesting, of course, that the country’s healthcare structures are ill-equipped to save lives from preventable deaths of women, such as those from pregnancy and child births.

Unfortunately but expectedly, experts and analysts still rate the entire country poorly without taking into cognizance efforts of some state governments that have deliberately put structures in place to tackle maternal mortality headlong. In Delta State for instance, the fight to frontally combat high maternal mortality started in November, 2007 when the Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan-led administration launched the free maternal programme in Ughelli. The programme recognizes the inhibitory factor of poverty to accessibility of healthcare and thus provides free antenatal, laboratory, pharmacy and surgical services right from conception to six weeks after delivery, inclusive of caesarean section. This is in addition to the engagement of additional staff, provision of blood for the needy and construction of Integrated Mother and Child Care Centres. The idea is in consonance with the Millennium Development Goal No. 5 that is targeted at reducing deaths resulting from pregnancy and child birth to 75 per 100,000 live births by 2015.

According to a survey carried out by the UNFPA in 2005 the maternal death rate in Delta State was put at 456 per 100,000 live births. Another done three years later (2008) by the National Demographic and Health Survey showed that the maternal death rate was 545 per 100,000 live births. It has been four (4) years since the free maternal programme started and statistics gathered from hospitals across the state showed that there has been a steady improvement in the fight against maternal mortality.

In the first year of the programme covering November 2007 to October 2008, a total of 54,193 women benefited in the antenatal bookings with 143,273 routine antenatal visits recorded. A breakdown of the figure indicated that 1,871 women benefited from the free caesarean section while the MMR for the period reduced in the state from 545 to 395 per 100,000 deliveries.

Similarly, in the second year of the programme that covered November 2008 to October 2009, a total of 44,488 women benefited from antenatal bookings with 170,972 routine antenatal visits recorded. One of the significant achievements for the period is not just that 2,520 women received free caesarean section but that the MMR reduced further from 395 in the previous year to 301 per 100,000 deliveries.

The third year of the programme covering November 2009 to October 2010 recorded 42,571 beneficiaries in the antenatal bookings while 141,489 routine visits received attention, out of which 2,310 women got free caesarean section. The MMR for the period also recorded significant decline from 301 to 276 per 100,000 deliveries.

The period from November 2010 to October 2011, representing the fourth year of the programme showed that 52,636 women benefited from the antenatal bookings while 175,723 visits made by the women were given due attention. Out of those registered, 2,836 benefited from deliveries through caesarean section. The fourth year equally recorded significant decrease in the MMR from 276 to 221 per 100,000 deliveries.

It is obvious that the MMR in Delta State has progressively reduced over the years, owing to the timely interventionist package encapsulated in the free maternal programme. However, the  state hospitals’ authorities are of the view that the strides made could have been more if poorly managed cases had been brought to government hospitals on time, particularly those of eclampsia; a condition of persistent but increasing high blood pressure that sometimes accompanies pregnancy, especially the first.

As at 2011, the MMR in the State has reduced to 221 per 100,000 deliveries while 193,888 women have benefited from the free maternal programme which also includes 631,457 routine antenatal visits and 9,537 free caesarean section. However significant this feat may be, what is more paramount to the state commissioner for health, Dr Joseph Otumara, is to further reduce the maternal death figure to 150 by 2013 and eventually to 75 by 2015. A major impediment to achieving these targets, according to the Honourable Commissioner, is the patronage of quacks by expectant mothers saying this allows for mismanagement, unnecessary and prolonged retention of very ill patients and possibly death. ‘There is no reason why any woman should go to unrecognized birth attendants when the state is giving them free and qualitative services’, the commissioner queried, adding: ‘we have put in place the structures and we are well able to reduce maternal mortality rate to two digits by 2015.’

With the structures and achievements on ground so far in enhancing maternal health, there is no doubt that Delta State is very much on course to meeting the maternal health targets of the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs). The snag, if any, is that the State does not blow its own trumpet despite being the foremost in the country in terms of having a comprehensive maternal health package that is not only free and qualitative but also accessible to Deltans and natives of other states. This is evident in the 65 hospitals that the State manages and spread across the 25 LGAs, out of which six have been upgraded to a central status, acting as referral centres to the general hospitals. In addition there is the Specialist/Teaching Hospital with state-of-the-art facilities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CT Scan, Fluoroscopy Machine, ECG, Ultrasound, automatic ventilators and complete patient monitors. The teaching hospital, with trained and experienced workforce, is grouped among the few best in Africa. It is noteworthy that the state also boasts of  446 functional primary healthcare centres (PHCs) which far exceeds the national and WHO recommended number of 225, considering the State’s land mass and the one PHC for every five kilometre radius target.

A conducive health structure and package of this magnitude is certainly the envy of all. This is why it is no longer news that even indigenes of neighbouring states and elsewhere cross borders on daily basis to benefit from the state’s big-hearted disposition towards healthcare delivery. Sometime in the recent past, there was a case of a woman of Taraba extraction who relocated temporarily to Delta State because of the need to have her baby delivered free through caesarean section. Cases of this nature are commonplace but for the State Government, any sacrifice to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the State will not be too much to bear. On how the State Government hopes to tackle non-Deltans infiltrating the scheme, Dr Otumara said, ‘We do not see the need to start screening beneficiaries of the scheme to eliminate non-Deltans because such measure would end up creating bottlenecks that would defeat the very essence of the programme to drastically cut down maternal mortality rate in the state.’

The effort of the Delta State Government in reducing maternal deaths may be viewed by some as small but it nevertheless contributes significantly to reducing the MMR in the country especially as people from other states are also beneficiaries of the free maternal programme. This feat has not gone unnoticed; which is why officials of the World Bank who were on a sectoral assessment tour to the State recently rated the health sector as the overall best in performance index. A testimonial of this stature can only get better for a state government with so much paragon of rare political goodwill to perfect the lots in the health sector.

–Mr. Oyowe is the Head, Public Relations, Delta State Ministry of Health, Asaba.             

DELTA State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN) has described the peace being enjoyed in the state as a result of the commitment of Deltans and activities of security agencies.

Speaking when he played host to the new Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, Prof. Utuama said Delta State is very peaceful.

“You are coming to the home of peace because our first agenda is peace and security and the Police, the Army, Navy and other security agencies have helped us to sustain the peace,” Prof. Utuama informed the new Commissioner of Police.

He observed that Delta State is a unique state where those who have served are always promoted to higher ranks when they are still serving or immediately the leave the state, adding that the state is Police-friendly and also, friendly to all security agencies.

While congratulating the out-going Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Tsafe for his promotion to the post of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and describing him as a “very conscientious and dedicated officer, Prof. Utuama emphasised, “we see security agencies as partners in progress.”

Earlier, Mr Tsafe who introduced Mr Aduba thanked the Delta State government for the support the Police received during his tenure and appealed for such gesture to be continuous with the new CP.

Delta state government has spent a whooping N79.9BN in the construction and rehabilitation of federal roads across the state since its creation in 1991, till date.

Commissioner for Works, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon disclosed this while briefing the committee members of Federal Government Ministerial Committee on Verification of Claims for reimbursement by state governments for works executed on federal roads.

Funkekeme said that the state had been involved in the construction and maintenance of federal roads across the state since its creation, adding that the initiatives were geared towards ensuring the safety of lives and properties of Deltans who are the road users.

He also revealed that the initiative would help to ensure effective partnership between the state and the federal government in enhancing transportation network in the country.

He said that the present administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in line with the three point agenda had embarked on the dualisation of five federal roads across the state to enhance the socio- economic lives of the citizenry, adding that the governor was interested in road development whether state or federal as it was the gateway to the transformation of the state.

Funkekeme lauded the federal government for the initiative to reimburse money spent on federal roads as the funds to be released would be utilised for further infrastructural development of the state.

He implored the team to carry out their assignment judiciously, saying that he believed the team would be pleased with the job on ground.

Responding, the Chairman of South-South Zone of the Verification Committee, Engr. Bola Aganaba, said that the team comprised of seasoned Civil Engineers from both public and private sector constituted by the Hon. Minister of Works to facilitate the payment of money to the states that carried out the maintenance and construction of federal roads.

He said that federal government was happy with the action taken by states in maintaining federal roads, adding that the reimbursement was an incentive and encouragement to the states and pleaded with the state government’s co-operation to extend their time for the verification dues to the number of roads to be verified in the state.

The team which comprised of seventeen members undertook a visit to Ughelli– Asaba Road Dualisation, Refinery Road, P.T.I- Osubi- Eku Road, Ugbenu – Koko Road Dualisation, as well as Agbor among other federal roads which the state government intervened.

Civil Servants in Delta State have again been warned to steer clear of partisan politics or face serious consequences.

The Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, who gave the warning today while playing host to the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Delta State Council, said that government, would no longer tolerate this ugly trend.

Comrade Macaulay expressed surprise that civil servants who were supposed to show commitment and dedication to their duties often abandon their responsibilities for activities that would not move the state forward, adding that some of them use their offices to castigate and destroy the government that they were working for.

The former labour leader advised civil Servants who were interested in politics to resign their appointments and form opposition groups to confront government constructively instead of fighting under cover, revealing that government was aware of this scheming for long, saying that it decided to give those concerned ample opportunity to retrace their steps.

He called on the labour leaders to as a matter of urgency re-orientate civil servants in the State on their duties and functions in order to avoid unpleasant consequences that could likely to befall those that were guilty of the offence.

Comrade Macaulay however, assured civil servants who were dedicated to their duties, of adequate protection and reward, adding that the state government would continue to protect the interest and welfare of workers in the state through the formulation of policies and programmes that would beneficial to them.

He stressed that from 1999 to date the state government had maintained a cordial relationship with labour unions in the State, stressing that workers in the State enjoyed vehicle and housing loans as well as the new minimum wage.

The SSG assured the labour team that their demands would be adequately looked into with a view to finding lasting solutions to them.

Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Williams Akporeha, commended the present administration for its labour friendly posture and gave the assurance that workers in the State would continue to reciprocate government’s gesture through dedication to duties.

Comrade Akporeha appealed to the State government through the SSG to look into some of the issues confronting workers in the State especially the new tax regime.

Delta State government is to pilot the Feed Africa Programme (FAP) as former President Olusegun Obasanjo launches a scheme to battle mal-nutrition and ensure food security in the African continent.

Speaking at the formal launch of FAP, Monday in Abeokuta, Obasanjo said that Delta State will host the pilot scheme given the state’s pedigree in agricultural programme.

He commended the Delta State Government for identifying with the Obasanjo Farms in developing its agricultural sector.

In a keynote address, the Vice President (Africa) of the World Bank, Dr Oby Ezekwesili averred that inadequate investment on irrigation was partly affecting food production in sub Saharan Africa but lauded the Delta State Government for identifying with the Feed Africa Programme, Ezekwesili challenged African leaders to get their priorities right in striving to ensure food security in the continent.

Governor Uduaghan, in his reaction, at the launching of the programme which was part of activities marking the 75th birthday of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, expressed delight at the choice of the state for the pilot scheme of the Feed Africa Programme, noting that agriculture remains a challenge to every government.

While saying that the State Government was pursuing a programme of developing other areas with proceeds from oil, Uduaghan said, “most times, the success of agriculture was measured by how much fertilizer was given to farmers which he said was wrong”.

He further gave insight into the agricultural Programme of his administration since 2007, which has led to the emergence of a new generation of farmers from the Youth Empowerment through Agriculture (YETA) scheme with the establishment of cluster farms.

The Governor said infrastructure such as the Asaba Airport, roads and power were being put in place to encourage investors and went on to say that the OFN/Delta Farms Ltd., a joint initiative of the Obasanjo farms and the State Government was presently producing the highest number of poultry in the country.

He also said that as a measure, to further revamp the agricultural sector, the State Government has keyed into the United Nations Climate Change Programme. “We are concerned with the pollution of our water and the environment. We need to clean up our water and regenerate our soil.”

The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has been commended for his visionary leadership since inception as the governor of the state.

A Peoples Democratic Party Chieftain in the State and member, Uduaghan Solidarity Front in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Mr. Peter Nwadialu who made the commendation in Asaba, described the 3 point agenda of the Uduaghan led administration, especially the human capital and infrastructure development as laudable initiatives that had accorded so much economic and social impact on the lives of Deltans.

Mr. Nwadialu who gave the appraisal in Asaba, said that the construction of roads in different parts of the state would help open up the rural areas to urban cities, adding that road networking would facilitate socio-economic activities in the state.

He stated that the Asaba International Airport would not only turn around the economic fortune of Asaba and environs, saying that it would also boost the economy of the state in general through the investment opportunities that would help cushion the effects of unemployment in the state.

The PDP Chieftain said that government through micro credit empowerment scheme had affected the lives of many Deltans, saying that a lot of women and youths had benefited from it since inception of Uduaghan’s administration.

Mr Nwadialu enjoined PDP faithful to shun acts capable of causing chaos during the forthcoming PDP’s National Congress, just as he also advised Delta North to rise up to the occasion of producing the next Governor.

The PDP Chieftain said that it could be difficult for the Delta North to produce the next governor if they allowed factions to disorganise them, even as he advised them to speak with one voice.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, now 25, a Nigerian student who confessed to trying to blow up a US passenger plane headed for Detroit with explosives concealed in his underwear has been jailed for life.

The bomb had allegedly caused a fire but failed to explode on a Delta Airlines flight carrying 289 people on Christmas Day 2009.

Abdulmutallab was eventually overpowered by passengers and crew on the Northwest Airlines flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit.

The attack caused the US to tighten up both its ‘no-fly’ lists and airport security.

The would-be suicide bomber and son of a prominent retired bank manager said he was carrying out the work of God against the “oppressors” of Muslims.

“The mujahadeen are proud to kill in the name of God and that is exactly what God told us to do in the Koran.”

The US judge gave the maximum sentence, saying: “This was an act of terrorism that cannot be quibbled with.”

Abdulmutallab, who pleaded guilty, said his plan was to avenge “the attacks of the United States on Muslims.”

The Nigerian became radicalised during a series of trips to Yemen where he met the cleric Anwar al Awlaki , part of al Qaeda‘s Yemen-based wing.

He travelled to Yemen in 2004 where he enrolled at the Sanaa Institute for Arabic Language.

A former teacher said Abdulmutallab was not deeply religious when he arrived in Yemen in 2004 but became a devoted follower of Islam.

Abdulmutallab stayed in Yemen for a year between 2004 and 2005 before returning for another stay from August 4 to September 21 in 2009.

He claimed he stayed with Awlaqi and spent two weeks preparing at a training camp where he “received instruction in weapons and indoctrination in jihad”.

Delta state government has cleared the air on the N20billion bond allegedly secured from the capital market by former Acting Governor of the state, Hon. Sam Obi, saying that the fund was not a bond but a loan.

The disclosure was made by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, while addressing newsmen at a ministerial press briefing, on Tuesday February 14, 2012, in Asaba, the state capital.

Although he did not explain whether the loan was secured on personal grounds or in the interest of the state government, he revealed that the loan facility is being repaid by instalment.

Recall that former Assembly Speaker and three-month old Acting Governor of Delta state, Hon. Sam Obi had written to the Legislature to approve leave for him to secure a bond from the capital market which was expressly approved by the House.

But Obi, having secured the fund was alleged to have used the N20billion on self-enrichment as he was said to have purchased choice vehicles and houses for himself and his wife and latter jetted out of the country after his three-month old tenure elapsed.

The issue of bond/loan, according to a Government House source, had pitched hatred between the come-back Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Sam Obi, as Uduaghan expressed displeasure with the manner with which Obi ran the affairs of government within his short stay in office.

However, prominent politicians were said to have stepped into the matter since Uduaghan had just returned to government House after his victory in the re-run poll following the nullification the 2007 election in the state by the Appeal Court sitting in Benin.

Meanwhile, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay has disclosed that the Delta state government had signed an agreement to take a Bond of N100billion in two tranches, but the state had only taken the first tranche of N50billion and was still considering the necessity of taking the second N50billion tranche.

He mentioned some projects that require enormous financing which the state government had already embarked on to include; the Asaba-Ughelli-Warri road dualization, the construction of 10 model schools and rehabilitation and upgrading of over 45 other schools, payment for the completion of the Asaba International Airport and the upgrading of the Osubi Airport amongst others.

Comrade Macaulay noted that the law which governed the Bond was structured to ensure that the release of the money was tied to the execution of particular projects and this gave the contractors confidence to be fully committed to the projects.

The SSG gave kudos to the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for ensuring that achievements were being recorded on daily basis in keeping with the electoral promises of the governor, despite what he termed ‘the glaring lean resources of the state’, and affirmed that the administration was committed to completing all on-going projects and leaving behind a legacy of development to Deltans.

Nigeria’s politics is mostly described as a dirty game and also life threatening, considering the incidents that occurred years ago in the likes of the late Kudirat Abiola who was murdered in cold blood and the principal suspect linked to the assassination is one of the late Abacha’s boys: Hamza Al-Mustapha.

The wind of death never stops blowing across the country as another elder and a well – known activist Pa Cyril Opara from Umudike local government area of the eastern part of Nigeria was assassinated in Ughelli on the 4th of February, 2012.

According to the police investigation, Pa Cyril Opara was a man that was diligent in his ways, upright and never engaged in any ill-gotten activities. He was said to be survived by: Theophilus Opara- son, Victor Opara – son both from his late first wife and Martins Opara who is the only child of his late second wife Mrs Mercy Opara.

The killers were never apprehended although the police allegedly adopted a face –saving tactics of parading some armed robbers but those who know better are insisting that the assassination was politically motivated.

Based on investigation, our political correspondent reveals that those involved in most of the kidnap, human trafficking and rape cases in the Umudike community are members of a political gang who are highly sponsored by prominent people who are actually in the same party with the aforementioned Theophilus and Victor Opara. It is said that Theophilus and Victor Opara’s ideological views are different from their father’s.

The likes of Chief Bola Ige of the Action Congress (AC) and Dr. Rewane who was a chieftain of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), one of the parties that has teamed up to form the All Progressive Congress (APC) was murdered on the 5th March 2003 and nobody is serving any jail term whatsoever. The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Onitsha branch chairman, Igwe Barnabas was also gruesomely murdered on the 10th of September 2002 together with his wife Mrs Abigail Barnabas. After the assassination, the killers ran over them with their car.

One should seek for protection whenever he or she could get one, because the irony of this story still remains that death lingers around the nation and people will never think that a man who was upright in nature and stood for the interest of the communities and country could face condemnation from close associates.

The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah Esq., has restated Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan administration’s commitment towards ensuring good governance in the state.

Ogeah, who stated this when a Non-Political Group known as Delta State Unity Group paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba, said that the state government would continue to embark on policies and programmes geared towards improving the lots of the people.

He said that the group’s agenda were properly articulated, adding that any serious government would not hesitate in embracing their ideas.

He enjoined the group to put an advocacy programme in place, organise lectures for members of the legislative arm of government as well as other political office holders in the state, adding that by so doing, their scope would have been widened, just as he pledged to partner with the group to achieve their objectives.

Earlier, the Chairman of the group, Mr. Orishedere Sunday, said that Ministry of Information was sensitive in fast-track unity, peace and development in any nation.

According to him, Delta State had the best policies and programmes in health, education as well as infrastructural development in Nigeria, saying that the group had resolved to commit their intellectual and material resources in ensuring a more united and peaceful Delta State.

The group leader listed the objectives of the group to include, fostering unity among various tribes and political parties, bridging the gap in politics through reconciliation, initiating human capital development programme for the youths as well as promote good governance and leadership support to the government of the day among other objectives.

Orishedere stated that plans were under way to organise lectures for the members of the National and State Assemblies on the need to initiate policies anchored on good governance, saying that they had organised similar lectures in the past.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has loathed the way and manner the Delta state government under the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is running the affairs of the Delta state University (DELSU), Abraka and its campuses.

The state government is said to among other frustrating measures be withholding promotion arrears of staff and freezing of the recruitment rights of the institution despite the lack-lustre nature of the University, due to inadequate funding by the state government.

Chairman of ASUU, Delta State University branch, Abraka, Dr. Emmanuel Mordi, while issuing a one month ultimatum, said that the state government has also deliberately refused to provide needed infrastructure in the institution, warning that government has given enough reasons to warrant industrial unrest on campus.

“We want to warn that we have outstanding issues with the state government which are yet to be resolved and we are expecting that latest one month, government would have resolved the issues, failure which we are at liberty to take any step we consider appropriate.

“The issues have been in the news for a very long time. Our members who were promoted in 2005 are still expecting their promotion arrears and this is unacceptable. Government is aware of that and we were with the Governor on November 28, 2011 and he promised that the issue will be fast-tracked and up till now nothing has happened.

“We also have other issues. There are so many abandoned projects. The University is not well funded and ….so many of our colleagues have died, others have retired and they are not being replaced. The Vice Chancellor has applied to the Governor for permission to employ lecturers…since August 2011. Up till now, approval has not been given and we consider it unacceptable. These are the major challenges.

“And this University should be well funded. The University is in an oil state but if you look at what we have on ground, it is just a glorified Secondary school. And we think that this University should be better. There are so many abandoned projects all over the school. The University is not funded and we see that these are enough reasons to warrant industrial unrest on campus.

Meanwhile, in a rather swift reaction to the issues raised by ASUU, Dr Hope Eghagha, Commissioner for Higher Education in Delta state said their claims were erroneous, since the Delta state government has met with its obligations to the University.

“First, let me correct an erroneous impression that the Delta state government is consciously not funding the University. In the last 10 years, the state government has regularly funded the University with capital grants. The medical school was funded and we produced our first graduates last year…if the government did not fund it very well, it will not produce medical students.

Last year, I remember clearly that N100 million was released for that purpose. I also remember that N150 million was released for accreditation in 2009. And funds are routinely released to the University. As we speak, the state government meets a monthly obligation with that University to the tune of N368 million monthly.

“It is true that some arrears have not been paid but the problem is the bureaucracy, not because the government did not want to pay and that has been fully addressed, the papers are virtually ready. Let me correct this point, it is not true that from 2005, some were paid for 2007, 2008 but one of the files was missing, some were paid for 2009. So, it is not correct to say from 2005 to 2011 that arrears were not paid. We paid some promotion arrears in 2010 but there are some outstanding.

If you look across the country, all Universities complain that they are not properly funded the Delta state government is meeting its obligation to the institution. We have seven tertiary institutions in the state and the University has three campuses. We have direct intervention on the campuses in terms of infrastructure. Definitely meeting these obligations is no problem.

“We have not frozen the recruitment exercise, as I said earlier on, this state has seven tertiary institutions, we have a government public service that pays about 65, 000 persons and the wage bill is about N7.5 billion monthly. In 2009, the monthly wage bill of this state was N3.5 billion, now it has doubled. The state government said if any parastatal or government agency wants to employ, they should get clearance so as to control the wage bill.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ordered that the winner of December 3^rd 2011 Kogi state governorship election, Captain Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) be sworn in immediately.

The Supreme Court had on Friday, in its judgement sacked five governors, whose tenure ended on May 28, 2011 and directed that they should hand over to the Speakers of their respective states.

But a statement dated January 30, 2012 and signed by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega has proved otherwise.

The statement reads:

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court on Friday, January 27, 2011 delivered a judgement tht the tenure of five governors to wit: Adamawa, Bayelsa, Cross River, Kogi and Sokoto states expired on the 28^th day of May 2011. This Commission having carefully studied the judgement and after due consultation with its legal team has decided as follows:

1. That the Kogi state governorship election which took place on December 3^rd 2011 is a concluded election and therefore, the governor-elect should be sworn in immediately.

2. The dates for the remaining governorship election are as follows:

a. Adamawa, Saturday, February 4^th 2012

b. Bayelsa, Saturday, February 11^th 2012

c. Sokoto, Saturday, February 18^th 2012

d. Cross River on Saturday, February 25^th 2012.

This decision have been taken after careful consideration of the logistics, operational and administrative requirements to ensure, free, fair and credible elections.

3. The Commission wishes to categorically states that ONLY candidates who emerged after the Court of Appeal judgement of Friday, April 15^th 2011 are the recognized candidates for the elections.

Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has warned management of the state-owned Delta Transport Service, operators of Delta Line and others operating government procured vehicles to desist from charging arbitrary fares or risk heavy sanctions.

The governor gave the warning during an unscheduled surprise visit to the loading bay of Delta Line in Asaba and halting the fears that had greeted the earlier planned ouster of the transport service from the post subsidy removal palliative programme of the state government.

Uduaghan’s presence had jolted the management team, led by the General Manager of the State Transport Line, Elder Isaiah Eyione, who quickly promised to comply with the governor’s directive to immediately refund the excesses in fares charged during the Yuletide including the current jacked-up fare.

The governor had directed various transporters operating it’s over 600 vehicles not to increase fares as a result of the staggering increase in the price of petrol pump price, having promised to subsidize the difference in cost, as part of the state government’s palliative measures to cushion effect of the removal of fuel subsidy but it fell on deaf ears.

The Governor who was visibly angry recalled his directive last week during the commissioning of 100 18-seater Hiace buses where he told the benefiting transport companies to revert to the old fare before Christmas.

He reminded the transport companies in the state that the state government would to pay the difference between what they were charging before Christmas and when subsidy was removed and wondered why his instructions would be flouted.

Dr. Uduaghan also warned that any government parastatal and their officials found working against palliative measures or sabotaging government’s efforts would be sanctioned.

His words: “I don’t want a repeat of this. Do not collect more than the fare you were charging before Christmas. If you repeat this, I will show you the way out”.

He explained that transport companies should be humane rather than exploitative at this material time in the nation’s history. Dr. Uduaghan said “Do not exploit the people. Be considerate and charge moderate fares. There should not be anything like special seasonal fares. Instead of high fares, it should be lower”.

He however enjoined the state transport company, Delta Line to urgently repair all broken down vehicles and put them on the routes outlined for the company so that commuters would enjoy the palliative measures designed by the state government to reduce hardship, explaining that the self-paying company depends largely on the availability of vehicles in the company’s pool and maintenance against wear and tear.

Blank NEWS Online can report that the Delta state government is yet to implement the new National Minimum Wage policy for workers in the state civil service.

Commissioner for Economic Planning, Kenneth Okpara, said the delay in implementation is due to the state government’s plans to use the bio-metric screening system to determine actual workers from ghost workers.

He revealed that a committee has been established by the state government to do proper screening of its workers before the new wage could be paid.

“The committee will review staffing in the state workforce and finger-print will be a major factor in the exercise.

“We must ensure that the salary figure that we will be releasing subsequently matches the number of persons remaining in the employment of the state after the bio-metric exercise.”

Recall that Blank NEWS Online had on Tuesday, November 29, 2011, in its breaking news,  reported that “Delta Pays New Wage With Effect From March 23, 2011”

Uduaghan’s earlier approval of the implementation of the new national minimum wage for civil servants in the state, followed a circular letter issued from the office of the Head of Service and signed by Mrs A. P. Umukoro, indicating that the implementation of the new minimum wage will take effect from March 23, 2011.

According to the circular letter made available to Blank NEWS Online, the new minimum wage was to affect all civil servants from Grade Level 01 to Grade Level 17, with least paid worker getting N18, 900. Prior to this new minimum wage approval, the least paid worker’s take home pay was N17, 500.

Meanwhile, the 2012 budget of N437 Billion reflects a recurrent expenditure of N169.82 billion as funds set aside for the payment of new minimum wage.