The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Justice, politics take front seat at Ogoni Day

    Justice, politics take front seat at Ogoni Day

    This year’s Ogoni Day has come and gone. But, its memories will linger on for a long time in the minds of many. Environmental justice, politics and the need to actualise the Ogoni dream took the front seat at the event, which was attended by community leaders and politicians. Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was represented by his preferred successor, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

    The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), which organised the event,  called for the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on the oil pollution of Ogoniland.

    The speech of Mr. Pius Barikpoa Nwinee on behalf of the National Union of Ogoni Students’ USA , undelined the people’s quest for justice.

    Nwinee said: “On behalf of the National Union of Ogoni Students’ USA, I humbly present to you a message of goodwill, hope, and assurances this January 4, 2015 as we celebrate “Ogoni Day” the United Nations’ World Indigenous Day. The students’ organisation is honored to be a beckon of hope for our people and our assurances is that we will emerge from political, environmental, and economic enslavement “Together.”

    “We are here today to rekindle the position of the Ogoni people highlighted in a letter to Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company, world leaders, and institutions all over the world on 10/25/2014 pertaining to divestment of Shell Oil Blocks in Ogoniland.

    We wish to strengthen our position by asking Royal Shell Oil Company to bequeath its 45 per cent interest in NNPC as equitable relieve for its liquidated debt and unliquidated damages. As a common practice the world over, Ogoni is entitled to rent, royalties, and proceeds for landownership; this has been denied us for over fifty years and therefore bequeathing the said 45 per cent to Ogoni will serve as compensation for the Ogoni people.

    “May we also reiterate on this occasion that, ‘Ogoni Oil mining license (OML 11) is not for sale.’ NUOS International USA recently discovered a sinister move by a pseudo Oil Company, (Belema Oil), an oil firm with link to Mr.Mutiu Sunmonu, the Chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited (SPDC), and Mr. Precious Okolobo, the Spokesman of Shell Oil Company Nigeria Plc., collating signatures in Ogoni areas to influence the sale of oil in Ogoni land. Some Ogoni community leaders were recently flown to Lagos where they held secret meetings on Ogoni Oil sale. They were bribed with N3 million and giving documents with which to collect signatures from the Ogoni people as consent to the sale of Ogoni Oil. We are restraining from naming names but we know all parties and agents involved from Tai, Ken-Khana, Nyo-Khana, Gokana and Eleme. We are humbly advising the leadership of MOSOP to distance itself from Belema/Shell Oil deal because we will fight it to the last man.”

    He added: “On the political situation in Ogoniland, the Ogoni students in Diaspora advise Ogoni people to re-strategise and re-position themselves to access the dividends of democracy. Ogoni people should negotiate their future with our votes. As democratically oriented people, we should start to engage our political arrowheads what their candidature would mean to Ogoni. Ogoni politicians should be accountable and answerable to the massive developmental and infrastructural stagnation in Ogoni. Importantly, Ogonis should no longer be subservient to the political class and therefore should monitor and expose public corruption, unethical practices (including ghosts and duplication of names on payroll in Ogoni Local Government Councils), and sharing of public funds in Ogoni. Silence means complacency.

    “The demand for the creation of state is still on the front burner in Nigeria. We hereby encourage you not to give up on the creation of Bori State as Bori State is the only remedy to the institutional enslavement of our people.

    “The issue of politically master-minded cultism in Ogoni is limping into national and international arena. Ethnically, we are losing greater number of youths in Ogoni area to politically master-minded cultism than any other ethnic group in Rivers State. The Ogoni youths must ask themselves, whether it is worthy to carry AK-47 for the sake of politicians, Belema/SHELL oil that means no good to Ogoni. Ogoni youths should ask for books and employments rather than guns. We urge Ogoni people to give priority to tackling security menaces in 2015 to bring normalcy into Ogoni Kingdoms. Ogoni people must live in peace because it is a universal right as declared by the United Nations.”

    The need to implement the UNEP Report did not escape Nwinee, who said: “On the issue of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), we hereby call on the Federal government and SHELL OIL to empower UNEP herself to come and handle the cleanup in Ogoniland as we shall not accept any Chinese firm that has no technical know-how and capability to clean up Ogoniland.”

    He also had nice words about the man regarded as the fathers of modern Ogoni: “In conclusion, the generation of Paul Timothy Naaku Birabi left a legacy for Ogoni as pioneer nationalists and pathfinders, those of Ken Saro-Wiwa brought Ogoni out of the dirt and shadows enabling us to celebrate a day for the Indigenous peoples as it is today. The question that begs an answer is what will be our legacy? I leave this with us as a food for thought. NUOS INTL.USA call on Ogoni people to unite as we shall not fold our hands nor blind our eyes and watch SHELL OIL Company auction the remains of our heroes in the name of divestment of OML11. We also call on Belema oil to stay clear from OML 11 as it is not for sale.”

    Another memory that will not be easily forgotten was the emotion displayed by Ogoni people when Dr Peterside, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, arrived in Bori for the celebration.

    Peterside said watching the Ogoni fight for justice, equality and right while growing up as a lad on the streets of Bori, the Ogoni heartland and political headquarters, helped to mould his life. While addressing a mammoth crowd of Ogoni natives and guests during the 2015 Ogoni Day celebration organised last Sunday, January 4 at the Birabi Memorial Grammar School open field, Dr. Peterside described his visit as “homecoming”.

    Peterside grew up in Bori where in the cause of time, built a bond with the famous Wiwa family of Bane.

    Dr. Peterside, who was the representative of Rivers State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, at the event, praised the Ogoni for remaining resolute in the search for a better and cleaner environment. He recalled that when the debate on the UNEP Report for the clean-up of Ogoni land was on the floor of the House of Representatives, his voice stood in total support of the Ogoni.

    “I will remind you that when the issue of the clean-up of Ogoni land came up on the floor of the House (of Representatives), I was among the few voices that spoke extensively on what the Nigerian State owes Ogoni people. And I said on that occasion that we would do everything humanly possible to ensure that Ogoni land is cleaned-up and that if Ogoni land was not cleaned-up, we would not rest.”

    The APC flag-bearer, who received record-breaking reception from the crowd, told the people how, with the support of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, he, for the first time, constructed every road in Bori.

    “The Ogoni Struggle became my life and my life became intertwined with the Ogoni Struggle. That was why when I had the opportunity to serve as Commissioner for Works of Rivers State, I, personally, with the support of the Governor, constructed for the first time all roads in Bori. Today, the roads I constructed in Bori are a living testimony of what I will do if given the opportunity (to serve as governor)”.

    Recalling what it was growing up on the streets of Bori, fetching and drinking water from Ogoni rivers and streams; cultivating their farmlands made rich by natural manure.

    Dr. Peterside said his heart is always broken much as any Ogoni to see such once fertile lands and rivers ruined and devastated.

    “I have drunk from the waters of Kpor. I have participated in farming in the farmlands of Nyortem, of Zaakpon, of Kaani.

    “And so, if they talk about social justice, I understand what it means.”

    Dr. Peterside said peace, justice and progress of Ogoni land were uppermost in his heart and would work, if elected governor of Rivers State next month, to ensure Ogoni’s environment was cleaned-up.

    “This place (Ogoniland) gave me the formative days of my life. As a young boy growing up on the streets of Bori, I admired the courage of the Ogoni people, their resilient spirit; their spirit of industry. And I can tell you those rare qualities in the Ogoni which I observed while growing up in Ogoniland inspired me to the point where I am today.

    “We have come in solidarity with the Ogoni people; in solidarity with Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People. If we were here for politics, I will remind you that when the issue of the clean-up of Ogoni land came up on the floor of the House (of Representatives), I was among the few voices that spoke extensively on what the Nigerian State owe Ogoni people. And I said on that occasion that we would do everything humanly possible to ensure that Ogoni land is cleaned-up and that if Ogoni land was not cleaned-up we would not rest. You will recall that my relationship with the late Pa Chief Jim Wiwa of Bane and that I participated in most meetings that led to the birth of the Ogoni Bill of Right not as an outsider but as a son with rights. So my brothers and my sisters, I have not come for politics but I must say that this is like a home coming for me.

    “To you our brothers and sisters, as we mark another Ogoni Day, please know that what is uppermost in our mind is peace, justice and progress of Ogoni land.”

    Peterside and Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, ‘put politics aside’ and exchanged pleasantries.

    Wike declared that he would work with Ogoni people to actualise their dream. He noted that as an administrator who believes in development, he would ensure that all the programmes meant for Ogoni development are brought to fruition.

    He stated that as governor of Rivers State he would develop Ogoniland and all other ethnic nationalities across the state.

    Wike said: “We are committed to the development of Ogoniland and the entire Rivers State. The emerging Rivers State Government under the platform of PDP will address the challenges being faced by Ogoniland. I will personally lead the struggle to develop Ogoniland.”

    The Ogoni people will have to wait till after May 29 to see what their next governor will do for them. For now, they are preparing to go to the polling booths on February 28 to choose Amaechi’s successor.

     

     

  • Quick Lane debuts in Calabar

    Quick Lane debuts in Calabar

    The investment profile of Cross River State has risen a notch with the arrival of Coscharis Group, a representative of some of the top brands in the automobile industry, in Calabar. The company promises  world class services.

    The company has introduced the Quick Lane Auto and Tire Centre. Calabar is the second place in the country the service has been introduced, the first being in Lagos in 2013.

    Addressing reporters in Calabar on the development Head, Dealer Network Development of the company, Adenuga Olalekan said: “Buying a brand new vehicle is just like a young man that is wedding on the wedding day, the woman looks gorgeous and is beautiful but whether she is going to remain that way for a long time to come is a question of maintenance. We as an organisation recognise the importance of after sales service of enjoying any new vehicle that you buy.  And that informs our investment in after sales facilities nationwide.

    “Accidents are not act of God as we are often made to believe in the country. Often times it is a product of human error. Road accidents generate the largest number of accidents. We recognise that the human error in question involves either the use of substandard spare parts or trace the problem to poor maintenance or rickety vehicles. The objective if citing this facility is to be able to address these challenges. We want to through this facility produce certified parts to be able to maintain all the vehicles that you have bought from us, so we can maximie the enjoyment. We have four key sections. One I have mentioned is the one that provides certified parts for vehicles you have purchased. The other one is the Quick Lane, which is not just Coscharis invention. It is a Ford franchise and established in several places around the world. It is just coming to Nigeria. The first one came to Lagos last year. This is the second one we would be having in the country today. It is an all brand facility. It does not have to do with any of the vehicles here. You can bring other brands and it would be accepted for quick servicing. That indicates that we have on ground well trained professionals that have theoretical and practical experience in the maintenance of the vehicles. The other facility is a fully equipped auto-service centre. Then there is of course the auto sales showroom.  Our main emphasis really is the Quick Lane. Nearly everybody can sell any vehicle, but the maintenance of the vehicle is a job meant for professionals. Coscharis Motors I can tell you today is the only indigenous automobile company that has invested so much into after sales maintenance. It is our experience that we are bringing into this environment.”

    General Manager, Marketing/Corporate Services, Mr Abiona Babarinde, said they were out to create value in Calabar and environs.

    He said they represent seven global automobile brands.

    He said: “It is not just about the selling the car as a company. It is not about buying. It is about the aftersales. The issue is not just getting the parts but the right parts. If you walk into any of our facilities nationwide it is as good as walking into the manufacturers’ workshop of the brands we represent.We are already relevant in Calabar already and we are bringing the brands closer to the people.”

    He said the company was going to provide opportunities for qualified indigenes of the state to get employment with the company. He emphasized the need for training of the staff they would employ.

    South-South Regional Manager of the company, Owumi Odongharo, said, “We have been in Calabar but were operating from afar. So we found it expedient to come on ground which is what we have done, but other than that we have also been in the South-South region as long as Coscharis has been in existence. Port Harcourt happened to be our first port of call. We are going to have the same in every other state in the region. The whole idea is that wherever you find yourself, wherever you take hold of our product by way of buying, you have no reason to be afraid of how to maintain it.

    “I am talking of the south-south but we are replicating it in every other region of the country. Our coming is to ensure you don’t hold any of our products with regret. This facility would be up and running in the first quarter of next year completely.”

  • Our roads have no maintenance contracts, says NDDC

    Our roads have no maintenance contracts, says NDDC

    Member representing Cross River State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr. Paul Adah, has said the commission does not make provisions for maintenance of roads it has executed.

    Adah said to that extent, the commission ensures that the qualities of road constructed under its supervision are made to be durable to stand the test of time.

    He said this at Utugwang in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State during the formal unveiling one of the road projects constructed by the commission in the south, central and northern senatorial districts.

    The road projects, which span over 12 kilometres, include the Utugwang-HRH Agba-Ukpirinyi road (1.25km), St Theresa-Kakum road (1.5km) Ukwel-Obudu-Bebuagba (1.5km), Ashikem-Ufono-Bebuastwan road (2km), Bebuabong-Kakum village square road (1.5km) and Babuagba-Katung road (1.5km).

    The commission also unveiled the Calabar Municipal solar power light project in State Housing Estate, Obubra solar power street light, Etung Comprehensive Health Centre in Okoroba village, Yala solar power street light, Oba village solar power water project of 25 gallon capacity, among others.

    According to Adah, the roads can be used for over 20 years without any maintenance due to the thickness of the asphalt and quality of work done.

     

  • ‘It is a very trying period for Urhobo nation’

    ‘It is a very trying period for Urhobo nation’

    The President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Chief Joe Omene, in this interview with BOLAJI OGUNDELE, highlights the challenges facing the Urhobo nation, especially the so much talked-about marginalisation of the majority tribe in Delta state. 

    The last few months you assumed the office of the President General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), how has it been?

    It is very challenging and interesting, challenging in the sense that this is a very trying period for Urhobo nation, the challenges have been there. In 2015 we are going to have the governorship election and nobody will want to be a loser and Urhobo nation will not want to lose the governorship race. So that is how it has been, we work around the clock to make sure we get it.

    You said something about it being a trying time for the Urhobo nation, besides the 2015 general election, any other …

    (Cuts in) For example, after war, there are also the spoils of war, even the time of sharing the spoils of war, you are cheated. You won’t be happy in trying to correct the abnormality. We see it as trying time; we really need to reposition ourselves properly in order to be accorded the recognition that is due us.

    Prior to this time, the UPU started a bridge building relationship with other tribes, in your terms how far?

    Yeah! We are working on that and then this bridge building relationship, we want to be friendly with our neighbour and I am sure that our neighbour did not disappoint us, the Itsekiri did not disappoint us, the Isoko did not disappoint us, the only place we had disappointment is the Ijaw neighbour. We have over the years been thinking that they are our close pals, neighbours but what they just demonstrated baffle us. You see in any relationship there should be a spirit of disastic and if the Urhobos voted overwhelmingly for President Jonathan being our Ijaw neighbour. I saw no reason why the Ijaws will vote against us in the recent primaries because one good turn deserves another. Now, if for example we want to pay back, they are either telling Urhobo nation not to vote for Jonathan. If for ordinary primaries they decided to vote for us and they are so proud about it, so proud and happy that they did not vote for us. And they are indirectly telling us not to vote for the President in the forthcoming Presidential election.

    UPU said that the resolution of the Urhobo is that whoever gives its governorship ticket to an Urhobo aspirant will have Urhobos support. Now PDP has shown it is not ready to give support to Uvwiamuge Declaration. Does it mean that the President should be afraid?

    No! You see in any system there can be saboteur maybe some overzealous people who could be so close to the President can saboteur his effort, I don’t think that the President himself will want to make sure that Urhobos suffer. Sometime, your Aide can cause problem for you, some of your aide can cause problem for you. PDP is not just a carry go affair, the President should explain or discusses with the Urhobo nation and tell us why certain thing happened, and then we will understand. If the APC or any other party can gave us the governorship ticket, it’s equally your right for you still need to discuss with us. What is going to be our own if we vote for you? We will not just go out blindly and vote but such people may have a better chance. The two, Mr. President and the Presidential candidate of APC and any other Presidential candidate will need to discuss with the Urhobo nation first and foremost before we can make up our mind, if you don’t talk to us we will not blindly go out there and throw our ballot papers into your box, it won’t happen.

    It looks like the mainstream of the Urhobo elites is not pleased with the former Governor James Ibori. Why?

    No Urhobo man, except maybe his agents, apart from his agents and co-travellers, no Urhobo man is happy with him. When this new executive (UPU) came, the first thing we did was to set aside the curse that was placed on him and he assured us that we will work together to produce an Urhobo governor because that is one of the anger we had against him, other than that one we had no other problem. What Dr. Omene said is the correct thing. His (Ibori) own daughter, Mrs. Erieh Atake, was at the venue, campaigning to everybody, including delegates from Ethiope West that her father said they should vote for Dr. Okowa. Again, recently at a marriage party held by one of the PDP Chieftains in Urhobo land, Chief Ighoyota Amori was at that party and right there at the party, he placed a call to Chief Ibori after which he handed the phone over to the organiser of that party that James Ibori was telling him who to vote for and also pleading with him, telling him to vote for Amori and also to Okowa. If he says that it is not true, he can come out to say it. After all he has been talking to people, let him come out and deny it and talk publicly that look ‘oh my stake is for the Urhobo’. What Urhobo elites say and what they believed is that he does not want any Urhobo man to grow politically. He wants the highest placed Urhobo politicians to dance around here at Asaba and his local government. None of them should become the Iroko tree like he used to. That is the anger of the Urhobo elites with him.

    Some believe that what happened at the primaries of the PDP is an indicator to the general election in February…

    It cannot and it will not because for example in the last local government election, in Ughelli local government alone, about 70,000 plus voters voted. Compare that to a local government like Bomadi, compare it to any three local governments put together in the North that is only one local government. See, very few local governments can beat Ughelli in terms of voters’ strength. You have the voters in Urhobo land. Genuine voters you have them in Urhobo land, the people are there and there is no faking there. Delta North, because of the mago-mago of the past  when they gave them many local governments, they have about 440 delegates to Urhobo’s about 410 delegates, but their voting strength they are not more than one quarter of that of Urhobo. Burutu for example, the voters in Burutu are not up to a quarter of that of Ughelli local government, but Burutu is a local government. Urhobo people produce more votes for Jonathan than many or over twenty states in the federation in their separate capacities.

    Can UPU count on the faithfulness of Urhobo voters by the time the election comes?

    The case in party primaries is different from the general election. Primary is like delegates and delegates are controlled by their owners, delegates are controlled by the amount of money you give to them. So general elections are different and I can tell you it will be all out electoral war even the non-registered. Those who did not register whether you are in Ghana, you are in Sokoto, you are in Osun state or you come home, if you did not register, cheer up those that registered, push them to go and vote, it is not a question of as it used to be, no! We are not going to have dry votes by the grace of God, the people, their spirit is high, they will come out to vote.

    Just few hours to the primaries of the PDP, the governor threw his weight behind the UPU choice to emerge with the PDP ticket. Does it mean that his relationship with Urhobo nation has be mended or what happened then?

    He is an Urhobo man now, is he not? The governor is an Urhobo man, it does not mean that if your father does not come from Urhobo you are not Urhobo, if your mother comes from Urhobo, you are also Urhobo. He is partly Mosogar, he grew up here; he had his primary education here. So the thing is that at times, you have misunderstanding and at times you put this misunderstanding behind you. For example, if anybody wants to maltreat him now, Urhobo will come out stoutly in his defence. I can assure you that. If anybody wants to rubbish him because of this or that, we will come out to defend him because he is one of us. There were times I have spoken bad of him too and at times he may have spoken bad of us, but the most importantly thing is the ability to reason together, to come together not to support Urhobo, but to only give everyone level playing ground.

    We said okay don’t support an individual, you are the governor, give everybody a level playing ground and that is what happened. So if somebody was carrying you before and you based all your strength on that person and the person now decides to be neutral you will fall. If you rely on your strength that is exactly what is going to happen at the general election. We are not saying everybody should come out and favour us. We are not saying the Governor should come and favour us because he is an Urhobo man. He should give everybody a level playing ground because democracy is all about number. See, the minority can have their say, but the majority will always have their way. In Benue state only Tivs have been in government, the Tivs have produced the government of Benue state right from the beginning of this democracy, they did not part with it and that does not mean the minority there did not have their say.

    You cannot have the state capital and be thinking of having the governorship, it’s unfair and if you want to do that you must come and convince us, don’t tell us it is the issue of strength. It is not long, this is just primaries and see the arrogance in them already, how their people talk, go and read the Anioma papers and how they have started insulting the Urhobo, they are not yet governor, they are not yet in Government House and they have started talking rubbish about us. So why do you think Urhobo should feel comfortable by allowing them to be in Government House. How comfortable can we feel? Instead of them to say well the thing has come and gone, we are all the same, Urhobo we want to appeal to you, their papers and the so-called social media started insulting UPU, insulting my humble self, laughing at us, they are not good sportsmen.

    Who, between the candidate of the APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and that of the Labour Party, Chief Great Ogboru, will the UPU support?

    I can tell you which of the two. Before the primaries you had about seven and few days before the primaries, Urhobo came up with one and about that one who polled about 299 votes, the next person polled just 10 votes. When the time comes, UPU will tell the Urhobo nation what to do; so if we are able to bring seven people and we were able to shortlist them to one what is difficult then in asking one to step down for the other between the two people. It is not a problem. Urhobo knows what to do when the time comes and unlike the primaries we will not wait for the last hour before we take the decision.

    The elections are just eight weeks from now after the elections when the dust is settled what is going to be the focus of the agitation of the UPU?

    If UPU is 83 years old and all the 83 years old we are not devoted towards elections, it is just that these are the elections time otherwise there are other skirmishes between kingdoms against kingdoms even within kingdoms there are skirmishes here and there. UPU will look into this for it is a socio-cultural organization to further the interest of the people since government is not listening to the yearnings of the Urhobo people. UPU will still appeal to the government to please do something about it not confronting the government anyway, appeal to the government to look into the problem. We are there because of the collective welfare of our people not just there for name, not there for politics, we say politics, UPU is not a political party that is what people say but there is no socio-cultural group in this country that is not into politics. Let me give you an instance during the last constitutional confab, the Aferifere were there defending the interest of the Yorubas; the Arewa was there defending the interest of the Hausas. You have the Middle Belt defending their own interest. You also have the one Eze Ndigbo defending their interest. Is that not politics? If an Urhobo man is only an adulterated Urhobo man that will say UPU cannot play politics. How would you defend the interest of your people? If a group of people using politics to suffer you, to deny you of what is due you and you have a socio-cultural group like UPU. Are you saying UPU should not cry out? And in crying out what are you doing you are playing politics, so there is no socio-cultural group that is not into politics in Nigeria but there are some people who put their personal interest first before the interest of the general or the entire Urhobo people. Like a situation, is it not laughable for somebody to say because he was to be a Speaker? Urhobo man should not be a Governor because if Urhobo man becomes a Governor, he cannot be a Speaker, is it not laughable? Can you call that one a good Urhobo man? In other word, he is now thinking of his personal interest and that personal interest is over riding the interest of the entire Urhobo people but he forget to note too that it is God that gives position to man. If you fight for a position you will not get it; if God say this position is for you; you will get it. Today if one and half years ago, somebody told me that look you are going to be a prominent member of UPU or a member of UPU Exco, I will say how? I will doubt it but I became a UPU member because when election was coming I did not know. You see I was invited to come and contest. I did not know that they were going to have an election, I was invited to come and contest and specifically told to contest for the 1st Deputy President General. Some people in UPU rose from Ex-official member to Deputy President General. I entered as 1st Deputy President General, not even Ex-official not even other ranks. I don’t know but I think its God own arrangement. We lost our President General. Even after the election so I am now the President General. I am the President General today because I did not dream to become one. I did not even dream to become 1st Deputy not to talk of President General. So whatever you will be you will be and you cannot be what you are not and if God has anointed you to become a Speaker you cannot be. People become Governor because it is the approval of God. Look at our incumbent governor, he is from one of the minority tribe in Delta State, a tribe that is considered somehow being unfriendly. Though not real not that they are unfriendly, people think they are unfriendly but they are not as people think and yet they produce the Governor, it is the hand work of God, it is not by the power of that individual who became Governor because ordinarily if an Itsekiri man wakes up to say he wants to be Governor, people will say you are joking but he is the Governor and people say they cannot be trusted, they are this, they are troublesome, they are this. People may not understand them but God understand them. You see is like that. This people if you want to get to any level, first and foremost put it in prayer. If God say it is your own, it is your own but my advice to the politician is that you should see yourself first and foremost as an Urhobo man before you become a member of that your party because at the end of that your party, you still remain an Urhobo man; if you occupy any position in your party after some time it will still expire and you go back home as an Urhobo man. So that is why they need to look at the Deputy Governor against all odds, he became an aspirant. UPU decided after setting up a Committee to say it is this person that can go. A whole Deputy Governor was gracious enough to lift up the hand of the chosen one by UPU and say I step down for you. That is somebody that is honourable and Urhobo nation will remain to appreciate that gesture that is why in our report after the primaries. Look at another Urhobo man James Ibori, the Urhobo nation put food in a plate for him, go and eat this food (that is the governorship) at the end of the day bring the plate so that we put another food for another Urhobo man, he carried the plate and give to another person and told us he is given it to that person because that person is also an Urhobo man and looking at it deeply the incumbent Governor is also an Urhobo man because maternally he is an Urhobo man. Okay no problem, after the tenure of that person, he now James says it should go to Delta North despite our appeal, despite our initial anger. This is the point; this is where we are angry with him. So today he is saying if at the end of the day he eventually gets the governorship which eyes is he going to look at Urhobo after selling out?

  • Oron Nation threatens to shut down oil operations

    Oron Nation threatens to shut down oil operations

    The Oro Nation in Akwa Ibom State comprising of five oil producing Local Government Areas is not finding funny the zone’s exclusion from the governorship race by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) .  Last month, the peopleheld peaceful protests at Oron and Lagos.

    The Oron protest, which started from the Oro Development Union House, went through most of the major streets in Oron town with markets, shops and other businesses closed  by their owners for hours, to join the protest. Old men and women, Okada riders, taxi drivers and even pregnant women joined the protest. Everybody was in one accord and they were heard complaining of Oro nation being marginalised and deceived by the state government and the PDP.

    The Oro Nation, the third largest ethnic group and the third leg of the tripod on which Akwa Ibom State was created and stands, said the protest was an announcement to the state government and the PDP in the state and national, that they reject in totality the result of the’ stage managed’ governorship nomination of the state where about 95 percent of the votes were allocated to the governor’s candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel.

    The ‘Save Oro Group Initiative” who initiated the protest said the Oro nation must produce the next governor of the state come 2015 despite the political permutations of the incumbent governor, Godswill Akpabio, otherwise the centre will no longer hold.

    They said they have waited for 27 years since the creation of the state, supported the other two ethnic groups, Ibibio and Annang to produce governors in turn and as such will not accept or support Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as it is the Oros’ turn to produce a governor for the state.

    The youth leaders from the five local government areas which make-up the Oro Nation stated emphatically that the Oro people in the state totally reject the deliberate attempt by  Governor  Akpabio and the state PDP to rob them of the opportunity to produce the next governor for the state come 2015. The group said they stand by the decision of their elders that the Oro people ‘must’ produce the next governor of the state at the expiration of the incumbent Governor, Godswill Akpabio’s tenure May 2015.

    The Prime Minister of the’ Save Oro Group Initiative’, Prince Victor Uweh said the Oro people will not jettison their just demands and advised the party to do the right thing now for the sake of peace. He said the people should not be forced to go violent.

    “The Oro people supported the Ibibio of Uyo Senatorial District to produce Governor Victor Attah between 1999 to 2007; supported the Annang of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to produce the incumbent governor, Godswill Akpabio,  2007 to 2015, it is logically the turn of Oro Nation to produce a governor in 2015, going by  the State’s ethnic  tripod arrangement “, Victor stated.

    At Uya Juncion in Eyo Abasi community, near the compound of Mr Nelson Effiong who was given the Senatorial ticket by the PDP, the protesters announced that Oro people are not interested in a senatorial seat but in producing a governor for the state come 2015. Mr Victor Awanakak, a former Counselor in Udung Uko Local Government Area said whoever collected a senatorial ticket from PDP is on his own. He said the Oros’ interest for now is to produce a governor for the state like her other two counterparts.

    He vowed that the Oro people will dump the PDP for APC if their demands are not met. “The Oro is not supporting Udom’s candidacy, we are insisting on producing a governor for the state come 2015. If PDP does not give us chance, we will pull out from PDP and fully support APC in the coming elections”, Victor said.

    Over 20 placards were carried with specific messages on them some of which were: If Oro is not allowed to take the governorship, we will block all oil wells; Oro 2015 or militancy; Oro Youths are ready for war; Oro will resist any attempt to deprive Oro of 2015;Oro 2015 is non-negotiable, on the tripod we stand; Oro must be heard; Ibibio and Annang have taken their turns, 2015 is Oro turn; we will fight on until Oro 2015 is restored; Oro contribute 80 percent of the revenue of Akwa Ibom; Godswill Akpabio – give Oro her right in 2015 and PDP should do justice for Oro governorship among others.

    The Oro nation also held a similar protest in Lagos. Armed with placards, banners and dressed in their native attires of red caps, uniformed wrappers, the young and old people of Oron nation last Friday morning stormed the premises of the Akwa Ibom Liaison Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    They were there for a peaceful protest against what they called the marginalisation of the Oron people in the governorship primaries of the state.

    On some of the placards was written: “Akpabio, stop forcing candidate on us”; “Akpabio, please give us the full benefits of our rights”, “Oron people say no to imposition”, “Akpabio return our mandate and don’t encourage hard feelings”, Oro nation needs 2015 governorship”, “Akpabio stop punishing us with our resources because Oron owns 80% of AkwaIbom resources and oil wells”, Akwa Ibom was created on  tripod”, “Don’t waste our resources anymore on your cronies”, “Akpabio retain the goodwill and support of all”, and “We need visionary and productive leadership devoid of greed”.

    Addressing the crowd of protesters and onlookers, President of Oron Lagos Branch, Mrs Felicia Essang-Oludare, she lamented that the Oron people have been pushed aside and have not been given a fair opportunity in the affairs of the state governance and rejected the outcome of the PDP governorship primaries which was held at the AkwaIbom International Stadium on December 8.

    She said it is the turn of the Oron people to occupy the governorship seat of Akwa Ibom.

    She said: “We own the oil wells in the state, yet we are not regarded in a favourable competition in the state. Henceforth, we will not allow our oil to be taken anymore because it is our turn and an Oron man is waiting to occupy the governorship seat next year.

    “No Oron man, no 2015, no governorship and that is our message.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Goodswill Akpabio on Media in Lagos, Jackson Udom thanked the gathering for the peaceful demonstration and promised to take their message to the appropriate authorities.

  • New Year, old issues

    New Year, old issues

    He was enraged. His email bore it all. Yet all I sought to do was a review of the developments in the Southsouth after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries. What angered him was my use of the words “answered prayers”. As far as this angry reader was concerned, the governors and (not God) answered their own prayers by foisting their candidates on the people.

    For my “wrong choice of words”, he labelled me an” enemy of democracy” and my article “shameful”.

    What the reader’s email shows is the emotion that is attached by the people, politicians and their supporters to the electoral process.

    Akwa Ibom, one of the places where the electoral process is generating interest, was the reason my reader got mad at me. Many, especially aspirants, are still getting mad at the choice of Mr Udom Emmanuel to fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag. There are 22 of them, who are not happy about the manner Emmanuel was chosen. They say the primary was rigged. They petitioned the party’s national leadership and followed up with a court action.

    They got a relief when the court ordered that no candidate emanating from the disputed primaries should be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The court ruled that the case proper would be heard first week of January. By then, the deadline prescribed by the Electoral Act for the submission of candidates’ names would have lapsed. On this basis, the Emmanuel group approached the vacation judge. He saw reason and vacated the order. Now, his name is with INEC.

    Akwa Ibom is an interesting state. It tops the country’s Federal Allocation chart. What it gets from the 13 per cent derivation fund equals what other four states combined receive. Its politics, many will swear, generate so much hullaballoo just because it has so much cash. It is a place where the person in power can make or mar you.

    The outcome of a meeting between Governor Godswill Akpabio and the aggrieved aspirants last month further proves that power intoxicates. The way it started should have warned that nothing good would come out of it. Shouting match is the best way to describe how the meeting started. The shouting match was between Akpabio and an aspirant, Assam Assam, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. The duo used to be very close to the extent that they had seen the inner recess of each other’s homes. Akpabio even nominated Assam as ambassador. He also ironically wrote the petition which saw his recall.

    The governor, I heard, was really livid with the aspirant calling him names several times. He had uncharitable words to describe him and kept saying something like: “you are talking to your governor like that.” He also referred to his role in removing him as ambassador.

    The aspirant too would not let the governor have the final say. The duo kept giving it to each other. It was clear that each felt the other had betrayed their once shared bond. It was a tough job for the others to calm them down. So heated was the argument between the duo that the meeting which took place at the secretariat set up by the aggrieved aspirants in Abuja almost never got underway until about several minutes after Akpabio and his team, comprising ex-SSG Emmanuel and Senator Bob Effiong,  arrived.

    When frayed nerves were calmed, an opening prayer was said. Jesus was asked to come and moderate and take charge. Christian hyms were sung. The atmosphere at the secretariat could have been taken for a Redeemed Christian Church of God’s praise and worship session. The only difference is that there was no drumming or any form of instruments playing in the background. Clappings took the place of drumming.

    I was told the governor was the first to speak after the prayer and worship session. He was said to have pleaded with the aggrieved to let Emmanuel fly the flag. They allowed him take his time. At the end, they made sure his prayer received negative answer. One major plank on which they based their objection was that Emmanuel did not emerge in a contest agreeable to them. Emmanuel was said to have added salt to their injury by making an allusion which they considered as comparing himself to Jesus Christ, who was earlier rejected but turned out to be the messiah. They felt this did not show humility.

    After the deadlock, they put their rejection of Emmanuel on paper. The governor actually requested for it. They got it published in this newspaper some 24 hours after the meeting ended. Not only that, they also resolved to go on with the case in court hoping their prayer against Emmanuel is answered. They also demanded that President Goodluck Jonathan must be involved in efforts to bring the matter to a closure.

    Key among the reasons the 22 aspirants discredited the December 8 process include: the allegation that the delegate list was concocted by certain interests as there was no delegate election in the state;  that accreditation for the election was done inside the Government House and not at the venue; that agents of the 22 aspirants were not accredited, thus, they were denied  access to the election venue; that marked ballot papers were given to the purported delegates outside the venue to drop in the ballot boxes, and that the electoral panel was compromised.

    As the aspirants are awaiting Jonathan’s intervention, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is also trying to cash in on the situation and reap from the discord in the PDP. Its candidate, Umana Okon Umana, is said to have initiated moves to get the 22 on his side. So far, no concrete deal has been reached. The aggrieved aspirants have denied holding any talk with the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. But going by their denial statement, Patrick Ekpotu, Nsima Ekere—two ex-deputies to Akpabio— and the 20 others are not ruling out the possibility of talking with the opposition, if their party continues to ignore them.

    Umana, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), joined the APC after the PDP national secretariat zoned him out of the race. It remains to be seen if Umana’s prayer will be answered by getting these men on his side and increasing his chances of taking over the Government House. I hear he needs all the muscle he can muster to defeat Akpabio’s man. He also needs to rein in ex-Minister James Akpanudoedehe, who, I understand, feels the ex-SSG hijacked his structure to get the APC ticket.

    So, this New Year, Akwa Ibom is still beset with old issues. How they are resolved will be closely watched.

    For me, two things are of paramount importance on this matter and they are my final takes. One, Akwa Ibom’s wealth has not really trickled down to the people. Forget the glitz on the beautiful streets of Uyo and other major towns, an average Akwa Ibom man still lives in abject poverty. Millions of them have not truly felt the state’s fabled wealth. So, my prayer is that this fight should be won by someone really out to serve the people. Anyone who will get there and be gallivanting all over with the common wealth will never get there. Two, in the interest of the state, I have another prayer: violence will play no role in resolving the ensuing fight. The sort of madness witnessed during the last governorship race will be alien to this dear state, which has truly transformed from its village-like look over the years.

    Happy New Year!

     

  • Between Dickson and Dame Jonathan

    Neitherof them has openly admitted the feud. But, it is glaring that all have gone awry between the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson.

    The governor has tried to patch things up. In public statements, he claims his relationship with the First Lady is intact.

    In contrast to her sobriquet, Patience seems determined to shatter the existing fragile peace in the state of President Goodluck Jonathan. She has not hidden her ‘hatred’ for the governor, especially Dickson’s frugal quality. The governor is known for not being free with cash and with such lifestyle, it seems a Herculean task for Dickson to earn the admiration of the president’s wife.

    Like the lioness, the first lady kick-started a project to remove the governor. As it was in Rivers State where she played many failed cards through the former Supervising Minister for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to remove Governor Rotimi Amaechi, so are the events unfolding recently in Bayelsa State.

    A school of thought believes that the disagreement is over the sharing of the state’s commonwealth.

    To this school, Dickson is not ready to satisfactorily dole out the collective wealth of Bayelsa. In fact, he has always said that the state’s money is meant for development and not to be shared. This, members of this school, said provoked the First Lady and cast a permanent dent on their relationship.

    The First Lady allegedly kick-started a project to remove the governor. She wants to replace Dickson with her friend and Senior Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafagh. Since the report leaked, the First Lady has been making moves confirming the development.

    Some have sworn that she influenced the posting of Commissioner of Police Valentine Ntomchukwu to the state with an agenda to play similar roles the former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu played against Amaechi.

    The recent change in the state’s chapter of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) is believed to have been carried out as part of the project-get-Dickson-out.

    The former state Chairman of TAN, Mr. Talford Ongolo and the executive members were unceremoniously relieved of their functions and replaced with loyalists of the First Lady led by the former Deputy Governor, Werinipre Seibarugu. The changes were effected to enable TAN lead the first lady’s Dickson-must-go project.

    To stand on moral ground in her war against the governor, Mrs Jonathan resigned her appointment in the state’s civil service as a  Permanent Secretary. The resignation, which was uncovered last October, was an obvious sign that the relationship between the governor and the First Lady had finally broken down.

    Though Dickson has been swallowing insults hauled at him by the First Lady, he has been fighting his war secretly. The governor has been cleansing and purging his cabinet of the First Lady’s loyalists and moles. In his first major cabinet shake-up in March 2014, the governor sacked seven commissioners who were believed to be loyalists of Madam Peace and Dudafagh.

    Early this week, Dickson sacked the Commissioner for Local Government, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, and the Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, Chief Remi Kuku. The governor, through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, denied that the two officials were laid off because of the rift.

    Undoubtedly, the crisis is taking tolls on the state and threatening the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February general elections. The party, which hitherto paraded itself as a close-nit family, has now spilt into two: Dickson’s and First Lady’s camps.

    The two camps are separate and distinct as they try not to be found together in social and political gatherings. Persons found associating with loyalists of Mrs Jonathan are viewed as haters of Dickson and vice versa.

    Also enveloped in the web of this war is the reelection ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan, as he did in the case of Rivers State, has kept mute. There are indications that Dickson may toe the path of his Rivers State’s counterpart if he is pushed to the wall.

  • ‘Trado-medicine is the answer to all ailments’

    the District Superintendent (DS), of Assemblies of God Church (AG), in Rivers State, Rev. Joseph Kalu, has condemned men of God who preach an aspect of the gospel to the detriment of salvation of their members.

    Kalu, who spoke at the Media Day celebration of AG Silver Valley Parish, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said such one-sided messages make their members’ stereotype, half-baked and tight-fixed against real message of salvation.

    He expressed regrets that most people who parade themselves as “born again” Christians don’t have the real gospel and are not also ready to open their hearts to receiving it; instead they stay under cover of a church as excuse.

    He said: “The major challenge in reaching out to people with the gospel today is the problem of many church goers who would not want to open up to salvation message. They hide under the cover of ‘I am a member of this church or that church and will not want to be preached to’.

    “There are so many things people are preaching that are not the gospel, there are so many things people are preaching that could be regarded as part of the gospel, but when I say real gospel I mean we have in mind the entirety of the gospel, which include the gospel that reaches out to the soul, body and finances of the individual.

    “What we may call error in preaching may not be that one was telling a lie, but when you emphasize one aspect of truth to the detriment of others it turns to error.” He explained.

    He said the programme was initiated in the 90s to sensitise their members on the role of the media in spreading the gospel of salvation.

  • ‘Trado-medicine is the answer to all ailments’

    A renowned traditional medicine practitioner in Edo State, Prince Scotty Ewemade Iyamu, popularly called “Aimunuosisi-daigbe” has urged Nigerians to believe in the efficacy of traditional medicine.

    Prince Iyamu said most deadly ailments like stroke, diabetes, asthma, tetanus and mental instability that have defied orthodox medicine could be cured by traditional medications.

    In a chat with Niger Delta Report at his residence in Benin City, Prince Iyamu said his traditional medicine could provide cure for barrenness, tetanus, impotency and antidote against poison.

    He however said he refused to provide protective charms for armed robbers because ‘it is a sin against God.’

    According to him, “There are six stages of impotency and we can cure them with herbs. If farmers want thieves and robbers to stay away from their farms, we can give them charms for protection.”

    “I travelled round the country to learn traditional medicine. I spent about nine years in Utagba-Ogbe in Kwale, Delta State where I acquired great trado medical knowledge. From there, I went to Irile, the home of the dreaded Aiyelala Shrine in the South West, where I spent six years.”

    “I left there to Obolo – Afor in Ebonyi State where I spent another five years before returning to Benin City where I have lived for the past 18 years.”

    Iyamu noted that the practice of adultery by some traditional healers negated the true ethnics of true practice of trado-medical practice.

    “We do not kill or take people lives. What we do is finding solution to people’s problems. Government should invest more in this business so that we can also be exporting our medicine abroad as China and others have brought their medicine to Nigeria.”

     

  • Our roads have no maintenance contracts, says NDDC

    Member representing Cross River State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr. Paul Adah, has said the commission does not make provisions for maintenance of roads it has executed.

    Adah said to that extent, the commission ensures that the qualities of road constructed under its supervision are made to be durable to stand the test of time.

    He said this at Utugwang in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State during the formal unveiling one of the road projects constructed by the commission in the south, central and northern senatorial districts.

    The road projects which span over 12 kilometres included the Utugwang-HRH Agba-Ukpirinyi road (1.25km), St Theresa-Kakum road (1.5km) Ukwel-Obudu-Bebuagba (1.5km), Ashikem-Ufono-Bebuastwan road (2km), Bebuabong-Kakum village square road (1.5km) and Babuagba-Katung road (1.5km).

    The commission also unveiled the Calabar Municipal solar power light project in State Housing Estate, Obubra solar power street light, Etung Comprehensive Health Centre in Okoroba village, Yala solar power street light, Oba village solar power water project of 25 gallon capacity, among others.

    According to Adah, the roads constructed by the commission can be used for over 20 years without any maintenance due to the thickness of the asphalt and quality of work done.

    He said, “NDDC has no provision for maintenance of road. That is why from the beginning of the road project we make sure that we do quality roads that can stand the test of time. For instance, these roads being commissioned are solid and it will take over 20 years before maintenance is carried out.”

    While noting that the costs of one kilometre of road construction vary, Adah disclosed that the average sum per kilometre in the projects already executed is around N150m.

    Adah urged community leaders and the youths against the burning of used tyres on roads as it could reduce the life span of the road.

    He also urged members of communities where projects are sited to monitor the quality of work being done by contractors in order to ensure that durable facilities were delivered.

    The State Director of NDDC, Mr. Frank Isaiah, said the commission would only continue to carry out more projects in communities if the ones already provided were maintained.

    He said the commission initiated 15 projects in Obudu, adding that nine has so far been completed for public use while others are still under construction.

    Isaiah added that NDDC would continue to expand the road network in the rural areas in order to ease movement and commerce.

    Also speaking, chairman of Obudu LGA, Mr. Emma Ugbe, promised that the facilities would be protected by the various communities where they are sited.

    Paramount Ruler of Obudu, His Royal Highness, Joseph Davis Agba, said the road constructions were fulfillment of government’s promise to open up the rural areas.

    He commended the state NDDC representative for his foresight in location of projects being carried out by the commission.