The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

Help! Our candidate is still missing in action

Expectations are still high from people from the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State over the return of the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr (Mrs) Rose Oko.

Oko, who has been away from the country since September last over suspected health issues, clinched the PDP ticket in absentia.

She represents Ogoa/Yala Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

There has been a general feeling in the district that she was foisted on them by the powers that be in the state as they were other capable aspirants who sought the ticket but were sidelined.

Also there is a feeling of dissent among the people that if she ought to represent them, at least they should know her whereabouts and how she is faring.

According to some of them who expressed their dissatisfaction it is unfair that they are completely in the dark about someone who aspires to represent them in the Senate on the platform of the ruling PDP.

“So if the election had held in February 14 we would be casting our votes for someone we would not even see. She would be somewhere we don’t know and win an election. I don’t think that would be fair on the people, she is seeking to represent,” one David Odey said.

Rumors had it that she has been very ill and receiving treatment in a hospital abroad.

Information gathered this week was that she was expected back last week, but could not make it. An official of the PDP in the state who begged not to be named said she is presently in the United Kingdom recuperating.

The source said: “I spoke with her last week. She said she would be coming in. She is alive and in the UK recuperating. She was feeling well laughing and gisting. We spoke for about three minutes. The important thing is that she will come back before the elections. She would come back.”

The situation had led caused some tension within the PDP over the matter as some stakeholders had demanded for her to be replaced. The stakeholders comprising of some members of elders/caucus committee, some wards, local government officers, youths as well as some rights groups had argued that it is unacceptable for the ruling party to field a candidate that is indisposed and is currently receiving treatment abroad for an undisclosed ailment.

In the campaign tours of the party moving round the state, she has been noticeably absent. When campaigns for her was carried it in her district it was done with her posters.

One of the party’s stakeholders, Elder Johnson Agba Johnson had said: “It has become imperative to raise the alarm over the health challenges facing our senatorial flag bearer, Dr. Rose Oko, and immediately seek for her replacement at this crucial stage.

Johnson, a retired public servant, wondered last month what the rationale was for the PDP imposing a candidate they know was faced with a serious health issue, adding that it is an insult on the sensibilities of the people to insist that she is the best material at the moment.

He said: “We have come to a stage where we all have to speak up against what is bad and the treatment meted out on us. In 2011 election when Dr. Oko won PDP primaries into the House of Representatives for Ogoja/Yala, she was on sick bed and later won in the general elections; in the last December again she still won from sick bed against all protestations from party members.

“But the problem is not winning by proxy, but the outright impunity by the party leadership and the fate of our daughter who is critically ill and is receiving treatment outside the country. Besides, she has not shown face in all party rallies and meetings held so far in the Northern district, thereby creating rooms for rumour mongers.

“Due simply to this we demand that the party produces her within the next twenty-four hours or we demand that replaced with another candidate as the constitution give room for such in the case of death or if a candidate is incapacitated as a result of ill health,” the party elder stated.

As one of them who simply wanted to be called Ogar put it, “We are really awaiting her return. The people want to see who will be representing them. We cannot have a candidate in absentia. The party leadership keeps telling us she is alright and would be back. So we are watching and waiting.”

February 27, 2015
Lulu-Briggs Foundation lifts burden of Law students

THE O.B. Lulu- Briggs Foundation started by the Kalabari born elder statesman, High Chief O.B. Lulu- Briggs, is ensuring sound health for rural dwellers in the Niger Delta communities. This is demonstrated by the Free Medical Mission organised every quarter in different communities of the region.

It is also known that the philanthropist provides for over 200 needy senior citizens (the elderly), for whom he has undertaken to provide mental, material, physical and spiritual care. Furthermore some coastal communities, which though surrounded by water, lack good drinking water, because of the salty nature of their rivers, have tasted High Chief (Dr.) Lulu-Briggs’ milk of kindness through his foundation in his “Water Purification and Access to clean water” programme.

However, not many know about the Foundation’s robust education programme under its “Education and Scholarship program” even though no fewer than 500 persons have benefitted from both the law students grant awards and general university scholarship awards .

The 2014/2015 Law students grants award ceremony recently held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital was an eye opener to members of the public who did not know that the Lulu-Briggs family is shouldering such a broad scope of responsibilities . The event which witnessed the presentation of grant cheques- valued at over N6 million and brand new HP Laptop computers to 57 Law students of the Rivers state origin who are due for Law School, witnessed outpouring of prayers, good wishes and deep heart felt commendations from the beneficiaries, their parents/guardians and prominent members of the society who graced the occasion.

The latest ceremony was the fifth time the Foundation is alleviating the burden of parents/guardians to help students cope with the huge demands and requirements of attending Law School in the country.

The Law School Grant Award started with 33 students of the 2008/2009 set. The number according to the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs has fluctuated over time, but as at the last award, a total number of 388 beneficiaries has been recorded and a whopping sum of N46, 265,000 (million), spent on this program.

Each of the speakers at the event extolled the virtues of the High Chief and Paramount Head of Oruwari Briggs House of Abonnema, in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state, whose goodness does not know tongue or tribe.

The Attorney-General of the state, Worgu Boms who chaired the occasion, thanked the High chief for his kindness and concern for the needy. He said: “High Chief and Mrs. O.B. Lulu-Briggs have continued to inspire us to think less of ourselves and more of others. In universities it is common to see government and companies giving scholarship to Science students but not Law student; we protested it, and now I am very delighted and I thank High Chief (Dr.) O. B. Lulu-Briggs for thinking along this path. I request other persons to think so too.”

Corroborating Boms’s view at the occasion, the former Cross River state governor, Donald Duke described the High Chief as kindness personified and an embodiment of good works worthy of emulation. “He embodies the story of the man who spent half of his life making money and the other half giving it out.”

The eyes of the awardees were also enlightened by Duke, when he demystified training at the Law School level, informing them that, “Going to Law School or being called to bar is almost like a calling, you must have passion for it, and the knowledge it brings is amazing.” He stressed.

He urged the students to identify their dreams, strengthen and nurture them while going through their studies, insisting that they would need to fall back on these dreams as they go through life.

Testimonies from the past beneficiaries who have since completed their Law School narrated to the audience how Lulu-Briggs grants improved their academic performances at School.

Ms. Ibigbeye Membere, 2008/2009 set and Mr. Odanabo Godwin 2012/2013 set recalled the surprise with which they received the news of how certain amounts of money they were not expecting was waiting for their collection at the Foundation’s office.

Each beneficiary thanked their benefactor’s good heartedness and prayed God to grant him good health and continue to keep him. Also the new awardees through their representative, Esther Abere, expressed thanks to the Lulu-Briggs Foundation for the gesture, and called on other organisations and government to borrow a leaf from them.

Mrs. Ngowari Abel-Tariah, parent of one of the awardees, noted that it was the second time her children are benefitting from the Foundation’s benevolence and prayed God to reward and bless them more.

She said her son had earlier benefitted in the Foundations University scholarship scheme earlier and now her daughter was a beneficiary of the Law School Grant.

“I am short of words, but I appreciate this great family for their kindness to the poor of the society, I have nothing to give them in return but as a Pastor, what I owe them is my prayers,” she said.

Mrs. Lulu-Briggs explained reasons for the Foundation’s intervention, when she said: “In 2009, a much unexpected policy change increased the fees to be paid by students in the Nigerian Law School by over 100 per cent. Parents who had previously struggled to pay N100, 000 as fees were now faced with the uphill task of paying N250,000 for their children and wards.

“The new fee regime was difficult for parents who had struggled to support their children through the degree program to cope with. It was for this reason that the Foundation decided to provide grants to enable our children buy the necessary equipment and books as well as have a stipend for their living expenses.

“Our plan was predicated upon the thinking that with fewer financial distractions, these children could focus on their studies and graduate successfully from Law School, I am happy the plan is working out.”

To this end, as an age long cliché puts it, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected of’, it is the expectations of the High chief, his family and the society that they justify the rear sacrifice made on them by making the best use of the opportunity to come out tops in the school.

This is the only way they can reciprocate the gesture and keep the doors open for future beneficiaries.

February 27, 2015
And the Dame speaks

dame Patience Jonathan needs no introduction. She is known far and wide. Foreign media, including the respected Economist, have written about her. She is always in the news. The latest bothers on the explosions in Okrika, her hometown in Rivers State.

Bombs went off at a rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Adol Peterside. Gunshots were also exchanged between those who wanted the rally stopped and the police. At the end, a policeman died and a reporter with Channels Television, Charles Eruka, was stabbed. Some other policemen were also badly injured.

Mr Anayo Onukwugha, a journalist working for Leadership in Port Harcourt, said he saw youths carrying AK-47 rifles, locally-made pistols, cutlasses and bottles. They overpowered him and collected all they could lay their hands on in his pockets, including his two phones, a digital voice recorder and some cash.

His colleague, Emeka Amaefula, the Bureau Chief of City Magazine, sustained abrasion on his sheen and waist and had an elbow inflammation.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi believes Mrs Jonathan ordered that the APC rally should be stopped by all means possible. The rally would have held earlier but the agents of darkness never allowed it. The first time it was to hold, guns boomed and tents and chairs were damaged and those arranging the venue had to run for their lives.

Since the latest event, not a few have wondered what the First Lady will have to say if cornered. Well, since it is difficult to get her to interview, I will read her mind and answer questions on her behalf.

Here we go:

Ma, what do you have to say to the allegation that you were behind the mayhem at the APC rally?

That boy called Amaechi is really taking things too far. Why does he take pride in dragging me into anything bad in Rivers. He does and says all these things forgetting there is God. All these bad information he is sharing about me, God will judge him.

Did you really order that APC must not be allowed to campaign in Okrika and Ogu Bolo?

I don’t know what they are talking about. Okrika people don’t want them. It is PDP they want. They want Wike. They want Jonathan. What do we want to use Peterside for? He is just Amaechi in another guise. My people want Jonathan and Wike. That is all.

You have not answered my question ma…

What question? You want me to say I ordered the attacks on APC. What is wrong with you people in The Nation. You see nothing good in what I do. When Mbu was in Rivers, you said he was acting out my script. You said I was the one telling him when to sleep and wake up. Why do you people hate me so much? I know you people are APC.

We are not APC ma. We are beholden only to the nation and not any interest…

Be deceiving yourself. We all know where you people stand and you will be shocked when my husband and Wike win with wide margin…

Let’s go back to the unanswered question ma. Are you against the APC staging a rally in Okrika to show their strength?

Which strength? APC has no strength in Rivers and you people will soon discover that Amaechi has deceived you. He has no following in this state. Take it from me…

But where did the crowd at the APC presidential rally in Port Harcourt come from?

They were rented of course…

Do we take it then that PDP rented the crowd at the Adoke Amasiemeka Stadium too?

No, they were lovers of the president and Wike. Many of them even left the stadium before we came. They were tired and had to go home. But those who waited were still more than APC’s crowd and your paper refused to put it on front page, even though you put Amaechi’s rented crowd on the front page.

Who ordered the attack on APC’s supporters coming to the Buhari rally?

What is your problem this boy? The police have told you they were victims of armed robbery…

But nothing was stolen from them…

I don’t know about that. I am a Dame for God’s sake. I don’t have a hand in things like that. All these things they say about me is APC propaganda. I am a very innocent woman just supporting her husband to do his best for this country. My husband is the best thing that has happened to this country and it will be a pity if he is not allowed to finish the great work he is doing for this country…

Does that mean you see his losing re-election a possibility?

No. He cannot lose. He will win because there is God. God will not abandon His own. Jonathan is God’s anointed and no one can touch him.

Let’s go back to Rivers ma…

You and this Rivers. Why are you always going back to Rivers? I hope Amaechi has not bribed you…

No, he has not. I have never met him ma…

Well, you are sounding like he has shared part of our money with you. That boy has really been disrespectful to me and my office and God will judge him.

Let’s talk about Ateke Tom, Tompolo and Asari…

What about them? They are good people but Asari has offended me by being against Wike emerging as governor because he is Ikwerre like Amaechi, but they are not from the same local government. I will be happier with him if he stops being against Wike. He is saying it is immoral. There is no morality in politics. He should come to terms with this…

I was actually going to ask you about their alleged threat of war if your husband is not re-elected…

Stop talking about my husband not being re-elected. He will win with a moonslide, if there is anything like that. And for your question, stop spreading rumour. They did not threaten the country. It is all noise from the opposition and a section of the media, including The Nation.

Ma, you must have read about the report that your PA led the attack in Okrika…

Well, the man you people refer to as my PA has defended himself. He was nowhere near the place. It is all lies from the pit of hell.

But who could have ordered the attack?

I have no idea, absolutely. You people should go and investigate or wait for the police investigation. Ogunsakin, the AIG Zone 2, is handling it. So, wait for him to provide the answer. Don’t let me say more than that before you people will accuse me of speaking bad English and querying my degree. You people have really been unfair to me.

One more question ma. Will you condole with the family of the police officer who died in Okrika and salute the courage of the others who sustained injury while trying to prevent the attackers…

You this boy, you have returned to Rivers again. Daris God o; daris God o. All these insinuations you are sharing; just know daris God.

And so ended our conversations. Chew on them. And my final take: whoever kills for whatever reason will face the wrath of God. They will reap nothing good for sowing evil. They will suffer and suffer and suffer until they confess to their sins and receive the favour of God. Until then, woe unto them. Yes, woe unto the evil doers.

February 27, 2015
Edo community faults N800m Okpella Water Scheme

Residents of over 100 villages in Okpella clan in Estako East Local Government Area of Edo State are still waiting for water from the Okpella Water scheme after a progress report by President Goodluck Jonathan showed that N800m has been expended to complete the project whose initial cost was N263m. What has further heightening the people’s fear is the alleged sales of equipment supplied by the contractors. Our reporter, Osagie Otabor, who visited the community, reports.

The Okpella water scheme is listed on page 126 of the publication titled Sure and Steady Transformation: Progress Report of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration. The Jonathan administration claimed it has completed the N800m project and listed it under ongoing projects of the Ministry of Water Resources. It reads, ‘Completion of Okpella Water Supply Scheme, Edo State-N800m.

Niger Delta Report’s check showed that the publication was from the office of the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Oronto Douglas.

Okpella clan is a border town between Edo and Kogi states. It sits atop several solid minerals, especially limestone. The huge deposits of limestone led to the establishment of the Edo Cement Factory that later become moribund but is now owned by the BUA Groups.

The Okpella Water Scheme according to documents NDR obtained was supposed to be completed within six months after it was awarded in December 1998 at a cost of N346m by the Petroleum Trust Fund. A letter to the Military Administrator of Edo State and signed by Secretary to the Petroleum Trust Fund, late Chief Tayo Akpata, showed that the project was awarded in four lots to four different contractors.

Messes Rotary Group Limited was awarded lot one which included Pipeline Network, Treatment and building of Pump house. Messrs SIBGA Services Limited was to supply the Generator and Power Supply. The elevated tanks were to be done by Messrs Johnson Steel Company while Messrs Galcon Engineering Company was awarded the contract to handle the civil works.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party led government under Gen Olusegun Obasanjo scrapped the PTF in 1999 and the Okpella Water Scheme was transferred to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Checks showed that all the materials for the project including water supply pipes, pipes accessories and fittings, pumping machines, standby generator and transformer were supplied and the raw water house built. Tanks were also elevated.

When our reporter visited Okpella last week, the transformer and power generator supplied by the contractor were seen at the palace of the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, HRH Andrew Yusuf Dirisu. It was learnt that the traditional ruler took in the transformers and generator to avoid them being stolen.

Managing Director of Rotary Group, Alhaji Ja’faru Nuhu, in a chat with our reporter said the project would have been completed within the stipulated time if President Obasanjo had not stopped all PTF projects and transferred them to the Ministry.

Ja’faru said he was owed a balance of N77m needed to complete the project which was at 60% completion stage when PTF was scrapped. He said he wrote to the Ministry of Water Resources in 2009 on the need to pay the balance for the project to continue but was not paid.

According to him, “We were to start laying the pipes when Obasanjo stopped the project. Since then nobody has talked anything about it. I would have completed the project if the balance N77m were paid. I have been going to the Ministry for the past 15 years and no response.”

“In 2011, the project was reviewed upward to N789m but no money was released. I was surprised when we saw a publication that the project has been completed. We went to the ministry and they told us it was a mistake.”

“You can imagine the price of dollar to the naira now and many of the things we supplied have been stolen. I was told that N150m meant for the project is in the 2015 budget; but whether that money will come out is another thing.”

Vice Presidential Candidate of Action Alliance, Comrade Ishaka Paul Ofeimile, who led other community members on a tour to the project site said the only thing done by the Jonathan presidency was to review the contract upward to N800m.

Comrade Ishaka said more than 200 trailers were used to supply equipment to site only for one Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim to show up in 2008 and start removing the pipes and accessories with a claim that they were sold to him.

According to him, “This is the source of water for Okpella water scheme, it used to be the quarry site for Bendel Cement Company now BUA group. Their activities resulted to the coming of this water. All year round there is water here. It is like a water table. This is where to get water to be supplied to the whole of Okpella. Even though mining activities is still on, it will not stop this flow instead more water will come out. During the rainy season it becomes dangerous to come here. They have built the pumping house. The only thing they have done is to supply the equipment. They have brought everything including the tanks, pipes, generator, and transformers. The tanks they installed in some places have been vandalized.

“Unfortunately since 2008, one auctioneer, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubarkar has been taking the pipes away. He claimed that they were sold to him. He comes here with soldiers and police and they start loading with cranes. In 2010, he removed nine fully loaded trailers of the pipes. We took him to the police headquarters but showed up two weeks ago and he brought armed soldiers. A retired soldier in this community stopped him. Our worry is that we don’t know who he said sold the pipes to him. The people he claimed sold the pipes to him have denied. Who is giving him power to sell the pipes we don’t know.”

“In 2010, when we saw that this project has been completed for N800m, we went to Abuja to see the Minister. A director in the ministry said it was an on-going project. The director said they would soon mobilize the contractor. The only thing the federal government has done is to review this contract to N800m which needed only N77m to complete in 2001. Even after the revaluation not one kobo has been given to the contractor. If you see the progress report of President Jonathan, it is saying that N800m has been spent to complete this project. This project that has been lying fallow since 2001. This is a big fraud. We don’t know who collected the money.”

Chief Peter Ikiedeme Okun, the village head of Iyeshun in Okpella said the project was abandoned because of corruption at the highest peak of governance in the country. He said forged documents were presented to enable them cart away materials meant for the water project. The treatment to Okpella is not good. It is unprecedented.”

The Okuokpellagbe of Okpella said, “There is no water supply from the Okpella Water Scheme. We saw the publication and we went to Abuja. Nobody claimed to be aware of the author of the publication. It is clear the project is an ongoing project. It is not completed and there is no where N800m was spent.”

“The dam is supposed to provide water for the entire Ukpilla community. We get water now from individual boreholes and from good stream. The Federal Government should expedite action to make sure contractor comes to site and complete this project.”

President of the Okpella Youths, Otarru Gospel, accused some elders of the community of conniving with external factors to sell the materials meant for the water project.

“There is no water in Okpella. We only a publication that water has been provided for Okpella. We saw where former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said that our water project has been completed and paid for.”

esidents of over 100 villages in Okpella clan in Estako East Local Government Area of Edo State are still waiting for water from the Okpella Water scheme after a progress report by President Goodluck Jonathan showed that N800m has been expended to complete the project whose initial cost was N263m. What has further heightening the people’s fear is the alleged sales of equipment supplied by the contractors. Our reporter, Osagie Otabor, who visited the community, reports.

The Okpella water scheme is listed on page 126 of the publication titled Sure and Steady Transformation: Progress Report of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration. The Jonathan administration claimed it has completed the N800m project and listed it under ongoing projects of the Ministry of Water Resources. It reads, ‘Completion of Okpella Water Supply Scheme, Edo State-N800m.

Niger Delta Report’s check showed that the publication was from the office of the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Oronto Douglas.

Okpella clan is a border town between Edo and Kogi states. It sits atop several solid minerals, especially limestone. The huge deposits of limestone led to the establishment of the Edo Cement Factory that later become moribund but is now owned by the BUA Groups.

The Okpella Water Scheme according to documents NDR obtained was supposed to be completed within six months after it was awarded in December 1998 at a cost of N346m by the Petroleum Trust Fund. A letter to the Military Administrator of Edo State and signed by Secretary to the Petroleum Trust Fund, late Chief Tayo Akpata, showed that the project was awarded in four lots to four different contractors.

Messes Rotary Group Limited was awarded lot one which included Pipeline Network, Treatment and building of Pump house. Messrs SIBGA Services Limited was to supply the Generator and Power Supply. The elevated tanks were to be done by Messrs Johnson Steel Company while Messrs Galcon Engineering Company was awarded the contract to handle the civil works.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party led government under Gen Olusegun Obasanjo scrapped the PTF in 1999 and the Okpella Water Scheme was transferred to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Checks showed that all the materials for the project including water supply pipes, pipes accessories and fittings, pumping machines, standby generator and transformer were supplied and the raw water house built. Tanks were also elevated.

When our reporter visited Okpella last week, the transformer and power generator supplied by the contractor were seen at the palace of the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, HRH Andrew Yusuf Dirisu. It was learnt that the traditional ruler took in the transformers and generator to avoid them being stolen.

Managing Director of Rotary Group, Alhaji Ja’faru Nuhu, in a chat with our reporter said the project would have been completed within the stipulated time if President Obasanjo had not stopped all PTF projects and transferred them to the Ministry.

Ja’faru said he was owed a balance of N77m needed to complete the project which was at 60% completion stage when PTF was scrapped. He said he wrote to the Ministry of Water Resources in 2009 on the need to pay the balance for the project to continue but was not paid.

According to him, “We were to start laying the pipes when Obasanjo stopped the project. Since then nobody has talked anything about it. I would have completed the project if the balance N77m were paid. I have been going to the Ministry for the past 15 years and no response.”

“In 2011, the project was reviewed upward to N789m but no money was released. I was surprised when we saw a publication that the project has been completed. We went to the ministry and they told us it was a mistake.”

“You can imagine the price of dollar to the naira now and many of the things we supplied have been stolen. I was told that N150m meant for the project is in the 2015 budget; but whether that money will come out is another thing.”

Vice Presidential Candidate of Action Alliance, Comrade Ishaka Paul Ofeimile, who led other community members on a tour to the project site said the only thing done by the Jonathan presidency was to review the contract upward to N800m.

Comrade Ishaka said more than 200 trailers were used to supply equipment to site only for one Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim to show up in 2008 and start removing the pipes and accessories with a claim that they were sold to him.

According to him, “This is the source of water for Okpella water scheme, it used to be the quarry site for Bendel Cement Company now BUA group. Their activities resulted to the coming of this water. All year round there is water here. It is like a water table. This is where to get water to be supplied to the whole of Okpella. Even though mining activities is still on, it will not stop this flow instead more water will come out. During the rainy season it becomes dangerous to come here. They have built the pumping house. The only thing they have done is to supply the equipment. They have brought everything including the tanks, pipes, generator, and transformers. The tanks they installed in some places have been vandalized.

“Unfortunately since 2008, one auctioneer, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubarkar has been taking the pipes away. He claimed that they were sold to him. He comes here with soldiers and police and they start loading with cranes. In 2010, he removed nine fully loaded trailers of the pipes. We took him to the police headquarters but showed up two weeks ago and he brought armed soldiers. A retired soldier in this community stopped him. Our worry is that we don’t know who he said sold the pipes to him. The people he claimed sold the pipes to him have denied. Who is giving him power to sell the pipes we don’t know.”

“In 2010, when we saw that this project has been completed for N800m, we went to Abuja to see the Minister. A director in the ministry said it was an on-going project. The director said they would soon mobilize the contractor. The only thing the federal government has done is to review this contract to N800m which needed only N77m to complete in 2001. Even after the revaluation not one kobo has been given to the contractor. If you see the progress report of President Jonathan, it is saying that N800m has been spent to complete this project. This project that has been lying fallow since 2001. This is a big fraud. We don’t know who collected the money.”

Chief Peter Ikiedeme Okun, the village head of Iyeshun in Okpella said the project was abandoned because of corruption at the highest peak of governance in the country. He said forged documents were presented to enable them cart away materials meant for the water project. The treatment to Okpella is not good. It is unprecedented.”

The Okuokpellagbe of Okpella said, “There is no water supply from the Okpella Water Scheme. We saw the publication and we went to Abuja. Nobody claimed to be aware of the author of the publication. It is clear the project is an ongoing project. It is not completed and there is no where N800m was spent.”

“The dam is supposed to provide water for the entire Ukpilla community. We get water now from individual boreholes and from good stream. The Federal Government should expedite action to make sure contractor comes to site and complete this project.”

President of the Okpella Youths, Otarru Gospel, accused some elders of the community of conniving with external factors to sell the materials meant for the water project.

“There is no water in Okpella. We only a publication that water has been provided for Okpella. We saw where former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said that our water project has been completed and paid for.”

February 27, 2015
Omega Church vs Rivers: The facts, the fiction

The General Overseer of a Port Harcourt-based church, the Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, not long ago, hosted the Rivers State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesom Wike, in his church on the Godspower Ake Road in the Rivers State capital.

While addressing Wike, who is also the immediate past Minister of State for Education, and members of his entourage, the cleric accused the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration of denying his church approval/permit and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the 19.26 hectares of land at the Greater Port Harcourt City.

Wike, a former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt; the Director-General of Amaechi Campaign Organisation in 2011 and a two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council of Rivers state, while speaking at the OPM, assured that two days after his inauguration as Rivers governor from May 29, 2015, he would give the church the C of O, allegedly being denied it by Amaechi’s government.

The Rivers government, through the Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, however, declared that Apostle Chinyere was being mischievous and economical with the truth, describing his claims as spurious and baseless.

Mrs Cookey-Gam, a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) and an ex-Rivers Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, admonished the general overseer of OPM not to abuse his position and to always get his facts correctly.

The administrator said: “We are in an electioneering period and at times such as this, so many activities go around, particularly in a fledgling democracy like ours, that send different signals to the undiscerning general public, which if not professionally handled, are likely to create negative impressions, including bitterness and unhealthy rivalry. We have a responsibility to address the issues dispassionately and for the purpose of equity, fairness, responsibility and posterity, set the records straight.

“Our attention has been drawn to the recent news item in respect of the alleged denial of the granting of Certificate of Occupancy to the OPM by the Rivers State government. It is important that we place on record that the Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Survey (Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi), has stated very clearly that OPM has not submitted any application for C of O in respect of its parcel of land (19.26 hectares) at Mbodo-Aluu (Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State) to the Rivers State Ministry of Lands and Survey, which is the only ministry responsible for the issuance of C of Os. Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority is responsible for planning and regulating development of lands in the new city.

“OPM submitted its application for charting of its parcel of land to the authority sometime ago. The coordinates used in carrying out the survey were faulty and as such, the survey plan could not be used for the charting. OPM was advised to submit a new survey plan, which it failed to do for a long while, as Apostle Chibuzor complained about the huge expenses he would incur with re-engaging his private surveyors. OPM subsequently submitted a new plan, which was used in charting and verification of its land.”

The ex-SSG exonerated Amaechi of playing politics with the OPM’s land, describing the Rivers governor, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a detribalised leader, who is fully committed to developing the state.

Mrs Cookey-Gam said: “The OPM’s land (4 of the 19.26 hectares) is impacted by the right of way for the electricity transmission line from Rumuosi sub-station of Phase One of the new city, next to the stadium (Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex). The authority has held many meetings with members of the OPM’s team, advising them on the extent of the impact, to enable them to prepare their conceptual layout plan. OPM finally submitted the conceptual layout plan to the authority, by the letter dated December 16, 2014.

“The authority also formally wrote to the OPM in January 2015, confirming that the conceptual layout plan was acceptable in principle. OPM was also requested to submit its application for outline planning permit to the authority. We are yet to receive any application from OPM.”

The administrator also stated that the authority had a responsibility to serve the interests of all citizens of Rivers state, including non-indigenes, private, local, national and international stakeholders, irrespective of gender, creed, race, ethnic and other backgrounds.

She maintained that the alleged case of discrimination and partiality or refusal to grant OPM a C of O was baseless, stressing that the authority does not have such powers.

Mrs Cookey-Gam said: “Apostle Chibuzor has been very economical with the truth. It is, therefore, important that we correct the wrong impression he has left in the public domain. The authority will process any application submitted by OPM, whenever it is received.

“We will like to encourage men of God, who hold such positions, to understand their callings and altars as sacred and therefore desist from using such privileges to create disharmony.”

The administrator stated that OPM’s allegation that the authority hurriedly approved its application, because of public outcry, was misplaced and quite unfortunate, declaring that the church had not got approval to embark on any construction yet, insisting that Chinyere was politicising the matter.

She urged OPM to stop playing to the gallery and getting involved in politics, instead of focusing on spiritual matters.

Mrs Cookey-Gam maintained that that Rivers government is daily issuing C of Os, while officials of the state’s ministry of lands and survey had also been processing C of Os daily , urging developers to always comply with all the requirements.

February 20, 2015
Hope rises for erosion ravaged communities in Edo

Communities ravaged by erosion in Edo State will have cause to smile soon as government begins remedial work, writes Osagie Otabor, Benin.

Ogbeson in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area and Auchi, headquarters of Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, are two communities with similar problems in Edo State. For many years, residents of both communities hoped and prayed for solution to the gully erosion that has washed away a large portion of both communities.

Several houses worth millions of naira have been lost to the erosion while many persons have also been killed.

Auchi gully erosion, which started in 1980s during the reign of late Otaru A.G Momoh, began on the major road leading to River Orle beside Paradise hotel and gradually spread into the community destroying properties.

Former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was said to have declared the gully a disaster when he visited the area in 1985. Contract for the control of the gully were awarded but the contractor allegedly ran away from site.

In 2007, Otaru of Auchi, His Royal Highness, Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, led the community to protest neglect of the gully erosion site by the contractor and to draw the world’s attention to possible extinction of his kingdom.

HRH Momoh later told reporters that the Auchi erosion problem would have been solved if competent contractors were hired. He accused the Federal Ministry of Environment of a deliberate attempt to keep out contractors who have the requisite experience to do the job

He said a firm named Valery that was also awarded the contract never executed the job and that investigation later revealed at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) that some companies given the job had no profile or files with CAC.

According to him, “They gave the job to the people who have no skill and competence to do it. They (contractors) came here and didn’t do anything and went away and said: ‘Well, how to do a project of this nature is sharing the money at the ministry’.

“Inspite of our pressures and so on, I sent people to CAC, to examine and find out the profile of all the contractors who placed bids for the contract for the erosion and found out that many of them don’t have any profile with the CAC.

“I am talking about the Federal Government. I am not talking about the state government, except for the fact that money was released by the World Bank and we didn’t know what happened to it, that was during Prof Oseriemen Osunbor’s period.

“The World Bank approved $20 million for Ede and Auchi erosion. Bids were advertised for the erosion contracts and at the end of the exercise, there was nothing to show for it.

“And in Ede as it were, I came to know later when we were having a meeting in Benin, they only got somebody who came to them and said they got contract for erosion. He placed a signpost of the name of the company. That was the end of it as they never came back.”

In 2009, some residents of Auchi took their fate in their own hands and decided to appease the Orle River goddess. A white fowl was slaughtered and incantations were invoked to appease Orle to stop the gully devastation which they termed “devil rain”.

They claimed that the gully erosion was because the community embraced Islam and refused to worship their mother “Orle”.

Nurredeen Igbiebor, a member of the family of the keeper of the Orle shrine, told our reporter then that Orle had revealed what would become of Auchi kingdom if the people refused to worship her

“She told me that everywhere has to be clean white. If people can returned to clean and decorate its shrine with white native chalk. Everywhere in this environment is very dirty. It was not how it showed it to me in the dream. She said we should change the way we are doing things. Everywhere has to be clean and white. We killed cow, white cock, used native chalk, salt and poured libation to worship her.”

Despite the appeasement of Orle, the gully erosion continued to expand.

The gully at Ogbeson community known as the Queen Ede gully started after the dualisation of the Benin-Agbor road and is almost cutting off the Benin-Agbor highway. Contractors engaged by previous administration to tackle the problem worsen the situation.

There is, however, hope for residents in both communities as Governor Adams Oshiomhole has secured a World Bank loan to tackle the menace. Also to be reclaimed is the gully at Ekenwan Road.

Speaking at the flagging-off ceremony of the erosion control projects, Oshiomhole said he was taken aback to discover abandoned equipment at the site when he inspected supposed on-going job at the site.

Oshiomhole disclosed that both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led federal and state governments awarded and paid for the same contract to different contractors but no work was done.

He said he resorted to help from the World Bank after President Goodluck Jonathan refused to help the state from the ecological fund.

According to him, “You have a real scandal when Edo State government under PDP awarded this project and paid for it and the PDP Federal Government awarded the same contract and also paid for it. They both claimed they were doing the job, but as you can see, they simply caused more complications.

“They constructed a small drain to take the water out of the road without taking it to the ultimate destination. That was how the crack started. If they had fixed it properly, it could have cost us less than N5 million today.

“When my attention was drawn by the Edo State Ministry of Works to the fact that this erosion was caused by a design error when the Asaba Road was being constructed by the Federal Ministry of Works, I wrote to Abuja to complain about the erosion challenges in this place. I listed quite a number of erosion sites in the state, including the Queen Ede Erosion problem.”

Oshiomhole added: “When I asked for the project report, the ministry officials told me ‘job is on-going’ and subsequently, I invited the officials to accompany me to show me what they meant by ‘the job is on-going’. What I saw here was an abandoned equipment; there was no single worker on site. That is what they meant by ‘the job is on-going’ but that was not the only thing I found very strange.

“We tried to trace the contract document and it was clear that the job was never meant to be done. It was just a cover up to siphon the fund by the previous government under the political party we want to chase out of Abuja now.

“So, when we speak sometimes with anger and insist on change, it is because we can’t continue this kind of tradition where in the name of the problem of the people, money is misappropriated and this money goes into private pockets. I have to emphasize this so that you do not think it was at the beginning of this government. It was a previous PDP government. I renewed our appeal to the Federal Government to provide resources for us to fix this problem; again, we didn’t get any answer.

“That is the basis of the interaction between Edo State Government and the World Bank and of course like Dr. Amos Abu reminds us, the bank believes that to benefit from their facilities, you go through a very rigorous process. We have to reorder the way government finances are handled in this state, ensure there is data transparency, eliminate inefficiency from our system, and computerise government operations in order to minimise human errors

“All of these we had to do in order to make governance more effective. All these are what the bank required. Today, Edo State is the 2nd state that has attracted direct support from the World Bank.”

Oshiomhole, who lamented the damage done to human and material resources including the Catholic Church by the gully erosion, said: “The last time I was here, I saw that the threat to the community has increased. This school had collapsed, the Catholic Church was almost gone, several of the buildings down here had been washed away and some people had even lost their lives.

“I went through one bush path to go down about kilometer away and I was shocked to find houses almost completely covered up. Of course, their owners had left and some have even died. Today, we have changed all of that. So when we say change, it is not only in terms of politics, it is changing the way PDP has mismanaged our country where government give contracts to friends and associates who are hopelessly incompetent and who lack the will to do the job and yet public funds is expended to pay them.

“We have borrowed N5.7 billion to protect this great kingdom of Auchi, to restore hope and to remove the fear and the pain that people suffer when it rains because that is the primary purpose of government. The loan that the bank gave to us is at an interest rate of less than 1 per cent and it was spread so thinly that we pay painlessly. So, it takes a sensible government, competent and transparent for people to access this World Bank facility.

“So rather than give the contract on the basis of well-thought-out designs that can be scientifically checked and verified as suitable and proper, they chose one of themselves who knows next to nothing about civil engineering or erosion control so that the money can be taken.”

Task Team Leader, Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management Project, (NEWMAP), World Bank Office in Nigeria, Dr. Amos Abu, said NEWMAP is a transformational project with the main partner being the World Bank, FAO, federal and state governments, particularly Edo State.

He said: “I am very happy to report that in terms of meeting the requirement of this project, Edo State has been a leading example.

“This kind of intervention has been carried out in countries like China, Brazil and Indian promising that the result achieved in those countries will be replicated in Nigeria having brought out 2.5million people from poverty.

“Whatever will be done, the challenge is on all of us all to make it work. The money we are going to use to do this project is a loan that will be paid over several periods of years, so it is important for us to be prudent in the management of the project.

“The terrain of Auchi area is something we cannot change. We have done the design and the people who have the expertise and the skills are going to translate it and you will see the drain that will convey the runoff water into the water bodies. Beyond that, the natural environment will be tampered with, some houses will go but thank God the resources are there to create some compensation.”

HRH Momoh thanked the governor for delivering the good things of life to the people of the state in general and the Auchi Kingdom.

He said: “I have no doubt that what we are seeing here today is something that we have fought for. We demonstrated in 2006, we closed down the expressway and said that Auchi erosion be declared a disaster.

“The Federal Government did not respond and we ended up with nothing but today, this is being realised through the efforts of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.”

But State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, said Jonathan should be commended for facilitating the World Bank loan for the state.

February 20, 2015
The dilemma (2)

There were tears crowding up in my eyes. I had seen enough working with Mother Excellency. I doubted if I was prepared to see more. It is time I called it quit, I told myself.

Two hours earlier I had been summoned by the First Lady. She gave me a DVD and asked me to go and watch and develop negative media materials from it against the man she helped install as governor after the palace coup against Mr Silverbird. It had been almost four years since Mr Silverbird was shown the exit and Mr Dick took over.

I sat in my office and slotted the DVD. It was the presidential rally of the Umbrella Peoples Party (UPP) in Goayena.

The crowd in the stadium was massive going by the small population of the state. It was as though the whole of Goayena closed for the day to identify with their son who was facing the biggest battle of his life.

Soon, Governor Dick started talking: “My fellow Goayenas…” and his voice was drown by booing from a section of the crowd. He ignored them and went ahead to call for support for the president and other UPP candidates from the state.

Mother Excellency soon took the microphone. The first thing I noticed was that she did not acknowledge the governor’s presence in her speech. She equally ignored his wife.

Then the president took over: “Let me tell you the truth. The governor and I are working together. So, if you like me, you must like the governor. Forget whatever anybody is telling you, the governor is my man and I am behind him. It is impossible for you to say you don’t like the governor, but like me. I have heard stories. People are poisoning your mind against the governor. I am no party to that. This governor was put in position by me and if you don’t like him, it means you don’t like me. Don’t allow anyone to spoil your mind against the governor.

“I have noticed that some young people have been instigated by people who don’t like us to embarrass the governor and, by extension, me. Take this from me, you must work with the governor of this state for you to benefit from us. We are together, we work together to bring dividends of democracy to this state. Shun deceits. This is the advice of your brother. This is the advice of your uncle. Work with the government to make sure that we develop this state. I plead with you, work with us to shame detractors.”

What first came to my mind after seeing the DVD was: what did this woman expect me to do? To do spin jobs against her husband? As far as I was concerned, her husband made it clear that he was supporting the man she wanted me to paint black.

It was at that point I broke down and cried like a baby. After gathering my thoughts together, I put a call through to Dodondawa, who had since left his position as Editor. He was now Corporate Affairs Manager in a telecommunications firm in Lagos.

“Hi Tunde,” Dodondawa said.

“Hi, my brother,” I replied.

“Hope all is well? Your voice sounded down,” Dodondawa asked.

“It is this woman again,” I said.

“What has she done this time around?”

I explained everything to him.

“So, what do you intend doing?”

“I have had enough. I can’t do what she is asking of me. I will rather leave than do the nonsense she is asking for,” I said.

Dodondawa kept silent for some seconds and later said: “What has the governor done against her? The first one was not good and she removed him and now this one is bad again.”

“To be honest with you, I think she just wants a puppet in power while she will be the real governor determining almost everything, but Mr Dick will have none of that. He has tried to accommodate her, but when he saw that she was asking for too much, he started cutting her to size and she felt slighted. She obviously is not getting her husband’s support in getting Mr Dick out and I am sure that must be generating some fight in their house which they are managing and preventing to come in the open. The woman is just insensitive. Her husband needs all the peace and presence of mind at this moment of his life. His re-election is not guaranteed because of the popularity of the opposition candidate. And here is his wife compounding his problem. You know some of the people supporting the opposition candidate are enemies she made for her husband.”

“What next?”

“Obviously, she will get angry and will call me after some days if she does not see evidence that I did what she wanted. I will go see her and let her know it was one assignment I cannot carry out. Dodondawa, I am prepared for the worst. I will walk out on the job. It has been a dilemma for me. This thing I have called a job in the last six years or so has been a dilemma. Now, I am prepared to walk away from the dilemma. I don’t mind staying at home for months before getting another job.”

“I can see you have made up your mind. My deputy just resigned a few days ago. Will you mind taking up the role?”

This was too good to be true.

“Are you serious Dodo?”

“Very serious,” Dodondawa replied.

“Thanks for making it easy for me to walk away from this dilemma I have called a job for years. Thanks you.”

“I will set the machinery in place for you to come take the slot,” Dodondawa said.

He hung up after I promised to call him later at night.

As expected, Mother Excellency summoned me to her office the following day after going through the papers and seeing no evidence that her instruction had been carried out.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked as I entered her office.

There were newspapers on her table.

“Nothing ma,” I replied, feigning ignorance of why she was angry.

“I gave you an instruction yesterday. And I have gone through the papers and not one single one has any evidence that you carried out my order. What kind of insubordination is that?”

I almost burst out laughing, but I controlled myself. I was pleased with God for giving me the opportunity to let this woman know my destiny was not in her hand.

“Why are you not talking? Has your mouth been glued together? I will fire you o,” she said.

I got angry at this stage and told her: “There will be no need for that madam. I quit.”

She could not talk for the next one minute. No one had dealt with her that way before. So, she was shell-shocked. After some minutes of watching her boiling but unable to talk, I walked out to my office, typed my two-line resignation letter and returned to her office. I handed over the letter to her, including the keys to my official car and apartment.

“Thanks for giving me the opportunity to experience what it takes to endure a dilemma all in the name of a job. Thanks for letting me know that power cannot change one’s character and can instead worsen it. Thanks for the last few years of studying without earning a degree. Thanks for everything. It has been a dilemma working with you.”

I walked out, packed my personal belongings and put a call through to Dodondawa. I had had enough and really did not care whether or not the deal with Dodondawa would sail through. I had some savings that could last me sometime.

For me, all I could see was that a new phase, and obviously a different one, was beginning.

•Concluded.

February 20, 2015
Okrika and its Imperial Majesty

Okrika, the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State is the hometown of the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, and the ex-leader of the Niger Delta Vigilance Movement, “General” Ateke Tom.

Prior to the October 26, 2007 inauguration of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the governor of the state, Okrika was a hotbed of militancy and a no-go area.

The youthful ex-Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly (Amaechi), shortly after his inauguration as governor, declared that his administration would have nothing to do with militants and he declared total war on them.

Ateke’s “highly-fortified” camp in Okrika was invaded by security operatives, with the then dreaded abode destroyed and the warlords scampering to safety, in the face of superior firepower and more sophisticated equipment/weapons.

The late President Umaru Yar’Adua, in 2009, gave amnesty to the repentant Niger Delta militants, which complemented the efforts of the Amaechi’s administration.

Okrika is back in the news. And for the wrong reason.

On January 11, the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Okrika was bombed. Then on January 22, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Nyesom Wike campaigned at the playground of the National School, Okrika. It was attended by Dame Jonathan and transmitted live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Ateke, at Wike’s rally in Okrika, boasted that the ancient town belongs to the PDP and that APC’s campaign would never be allowed in Okrika.

The 44-year-old Rivers governorship candidate of the APC, members of his Greater Together Campaign Organisation and his supporters were billed to campaign at the playground of the same National School in Okrika from 10 a.m. on January 24, but the place was bombed. while some of them were injured and their valuable property lost to the bombing, burning, shooting and attacks with machetes and other dangerous weapons from 3:45 a.m.

The Okrika rally was later suspended by Peterside and members of his team, in order not to expose the APC’s members to danger, but indicated that they would never be cowed or intimidated.

It is believed that the directive not to allow APC’s rallies to hold in Okrika and in Ogu, the headquarters of neighbouring Ogu-Bolo LGA (of the same Okrika-Ijaw stock) was given by Dame Jonathan, for the whole world not to confirm that Peterside has supporters in her hometown.

Ogu is the hometown of the self-acclaimed Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, a former aide to the wife of President Jonathan, and the representative of the Rivers East Senatorial District, George Thompson Sekibo.

Peterside’s Okrika rally was rescheduled for February 12, but the Chairman of the Greater Together Campaign Organisation in Okrika LGA, Tamuno Williams, a lawyer and ex-Chairman of the council, at a news conference in Port Harcourt on February 11, expressed shock on the refusal of the Rivers police, led by Dan Bature, to provide security for the campaign.

Williams said: “The wife of the President, Mrs. Jonathan, decreed that the APC must not be allowed to hold its rallies in the two Okrika speaking LGAs of Okrika and Ogu/Bolo. Despite several entreaties to Her Majestic Excellency (Dame Jonathan) to allow the APC hold mere campaign rallies, she insisted that the rallies must not hold on ‘her turf.’ To further guarantee that her orders were not to be thwarted, Mrs. Jonathan arrived Port Harcourt on February 11, with plans to visit Okrika on February 12.”

The Okrika rally was again suspended. The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad (DSP), however, stated that at no time did the command tell anybody that it would not guarantee security of a rally anywhere in the state, claiming that the Rivers police command, along with other security agencies, was assessing situations in Okrika, with a view of reassuring the APC’s members of the required adequate security.

President Goodluck Jonathan and the security agencies should take urgent steps to put an end to the escalating violence in Rivers and allow peaceful APC’s rallies in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo LGAs.

February 20, 2015
111 Delta oil communities sign Gmou with Npdc

the Delta State government has brokered a peace deal between 111 aggrieved host communities on OML 30 and the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) culminating in the signing of a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU).

The event which took place in Asaba, the Delta State capital, had Delta Deputy Governor, Prof Agbe Utuama and other top government functionaries in attendance.

Also present was Mr Omamuzo Erebe, the Director of People’s Rights, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Mr Aweka Avwenaghagha, Head Local Content Unit, Ministry of Oil Gas and the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, Mr Vincent Omorie, on Community matters.

The highlight of the ceremony was the signing of the GMoU by Delta Commissioner, Oil and Gas, Mr Mofe Pirah and the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Mr Anthony Mouneke who led a delegation of management staff.

It will be recalled that host communities on OML 30 which spread between Delta South and Central senatorial have been at loggerheads with NPDC leading to an ultimatum by the communities which culminated in the shutting down of oil operations of the company.

Delta Deputy Governor, Prof Agbe Utuama who signed on behalf of government in a speech noted that the State government decision to take an active role in brokering this GMoU is borne out of its policy to ensure that an enabling environment is provided for investors to carry on their business in an atmosphere of peace and security.

Utuama admitted that the negotiations which were mediated through the office of the Department of People’s Rights in the Ministry of Justice in conjunction with the Ministry of Oil and Gas was tough, added that when both parties had a deadlocked he stepped in.

Utuama said the GMoU has some highlights which includes incorporating the Delta State Government as a party to the GMoU, adding that this was principally a request from the communities.

Another highlight includes a fixed project sum to be paid yearly by NPDC into a dedicated account to be managed by the community themselves.

Furthermore, Utuama said, in line with the GMoU, the communities will identify their needs and execute the projects.

Also the GMoU has a clause instituting a peace award of 5% of the project sum to clusters that record no disruption of company’s operations.

Mr Anthony Mouneke while speaking with reporters said the GMoU was to compensate host communities, ensure peace and a good working relationship with the host communities and the whole state at large.

Mouneke assured that the GMoU will be respected by all parties concerned as both parties intends to respect the terms of the document, adding that the Delta State Government has demonstrated its commitment to the success of the GMoU by its leading role in negotiations.

His words, ‘This GMoU is going to be different because you are here and it is the intention of both parties to respect it. NPDC intends to keep its word, the host communities have indicated that they want to keep its word as you have seen the Delta State Government have put its weight on this GMoU so I am must assured that it will work.’

February 20, 2015
Ogoni: oil spills are killing us

Despite efforts to clean up Ogoni land, more oil spills have been discovered. They are devastating and ravaging lives, crops and the eco-system.

Worried by the situation, a non-governmental organisation, Centre for Citizens Rights, threatened to file a suit against Shell and its partners operating in Ogoni land. The group said its priority is to ensure the safety of the Ogoni people living in the affected area. It also alleged that over five young men and women died monthly of lumps and other skin diseases emanating from the affected environment.

Although some communities have started receiving compensation from Shell, others have been abandoned to their fate, according to the group.

The leader of the Centre for Citizens Rights, Comrade Gogorobari Fredick James, took Niger Delta Report to the affected communities, such as Gbe, Kpor, Sime and Gio where each of the Paramount Rulers signed a document empowering the organisation to take any action on behalf of the communities.

The first community visited was Sime in Tai Local Government Area where the people are battling an indigenous company, Duson and Son Enterprise for allegedly doing a bad remediation job on spill site at the Trans Niger Pipeline. The community youths and elders are protesting against the contractor, insisting that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) must act fast to re- mobilize the contractor back to site.

His Royal Highness Chief Leton Nbaasue, the Paramount Ruler of Sime, said the contractor used fake materials without excavator to work on the site. He noted that the first idea was to award the contract to the indigene of the area and allow SPDC to supervise but SPDC refused.

Chief Nbaasue said: “My community is not happy over the level of job done at the spill site. When we discovered the spill, we reported to SPDC and we told them that to avoid any misunderstanding with the community especially the youths of the area. The remediation contract on the spill site should be awarded to any member of the community. Surprisingly, the contract was awarded to an outsider and the contractor refused to apply the right material for the job. We are the ones that insisted on the use of excavator, initially they were doing the job without excavator. After few months, the spill started affecting human lives and economic trees in the area, now what do they want us to do?

•Members of Centre of Citizens Rights inspecting the remediation spill site at Sime

“So, my community is calling on SPDC to re-mobilize the contractor back to the site because we will not be taken for granted. We are peace loving people; we don’t want trouble, all we want is for SPDC to order the contractor back to work. We don’t want to be force to take any drastic action on the matter.”

At Gio, in the same LGA, over four young men were alleged to have died of lumps and various kinds of skin diseases due to polluted environment they found themselves. Residents said they are exposed to all kind of diseases because they are surrounded with the polluted Bodo-West spill. They said the environment is not only polluted, but that the people are inhaling poisonous air.

Mr. Khari Akpene, who spoke on behalf of said, “Look at our houses close to the spill, everything we had is gone including the environment. Last time we buried two young men who died of lumps related cases; about four had died before on the same issue. So this is the condition we find ourselves. Nobody is talking to us about compensation to our people though; we heard that some of the communities have started receiving attention on how to get their compensation.”

At Gbe community in Gokana LGA, the story was the same; the people of the community whose occupation is farming are stranded. The paramount ruler, His Royal Highness Mene Friday Dimkpa said, “My subjects have nowhere to farm, this is what we have been suffering for years. Even our only sources of water have been polluted because, there is no water to drink, some still go to the polluted stream to scramble for water. Our condition is worst, we need assistance from people who would visit Ogoni land and see things for themselves as it is being reported on the news”

The last community visited was Kpor in Gokhana Local government where “Shell Right of Way” overflowed and destroyed many economic trees and other crops planted in the area. The Paramount Ruler, His Royal Highness Mene Bemene M. Taoh said, “the community has reported to Shell on the damage done by the spill and have briefed them on the need for adequate compensation.”

The leader of the Centre for Citizens Rights, Comrade Gogorobari Fredick James said the organization in partnership with international organizations decided to undertake a tour to few scenes in Ogoni land, where good health of the residence have been jeopardized. He said in Ogoni land people lives are not important, but only the economic gain of those whose operations in the land have sentenced the environment to death.

Comrade James noted that, “Ogoni people have been victims of human rights violation for many years. In 1956, four years before Nigerian Independence, Royal Dutch/Shell in collaboration with the British government found a commercially viable oil field on the Niger Delta and began oil production in 1958. 15-years period from 1976 to 1991 there were reportedly 2,976 oil spills of about 2.1 million barrels of oil in Ogoni land, accounting, about 40% of the total oil spills of the Royal Dutch/Shell Company worldwide.

“In an assessment of over 200 locations in Ogoni land done by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), they found out that the 50 years of oil production in the region extended deeper than some may have predicted. Because of oil spills, oil flaring, and waste discharge, the once alluvial soil of Ogoni land is no longer viable for agricultural use and attributes to widespread land degradation. Furthermore, in many areas that seem to be unaffected, groundwater was tested to have high levels of hydrocarbons or contaminated with benzene, a carcinogen, at 900 levels above WHO guidelines.

“UNEP estimated that it could take up to 30 years to rehabilitate Ogoni land to its full potentials and that the first five years of rehabilitation would require funding of about US$1 billion. The current Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke, announced the establishment of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, which intends to follow the UNEP report suggestions of Ogoni land to prevent further degradation. Like I said before now, our concern as NGO is to create awareness on the damaging effect on the health of the people.”

February 20, 2015