Category: South East

Delta State Government has warned against the activities of illegal petroleum task force on highways.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Petroleum Products Monitoring, Frank Ojenima, in a statement, warned that the government had put measures in place to bring perpetrators to book and curb illegal petroleum checkpoints.

He expressed government’s displeasure about the number of illegal task force checkpoints, stressing that they (illegal task force) did not remit to government’s coffers, posing threat to the economic growth of the state.

Ojenima noted that confrontations between the illegal task force and tanker drivers had led to the loss of lives and property in recent times, hence the need to check sharp practices in the sector.

“It has come to the knowledge of the state government that some persons have constituted themselves into an illegal task force to mount unauthorised petroleum checkpoints in Delta State.

“They harass and beat up truck drivers, collecting money, causing nuisance and traffic on the road. “

“We have put in place a monitoring team across the state to check the menace caused by the petroleum illegal checkpoints,” he said.

Ojenima said the task force had liaised with security agencies to bring to book those involved in the dastardly act.

“Let me use this medium to warn them to stay off the road because the monitoring team will go round. If they don’t stop this act, the law will catch up with them.”

He advised the tanker drivers apprehended by the illegal task force to call 07031121973 or report to the Office of the Petroleum Monitoring in Asaba.

Ojenima warned those involved in illegal oil bunkering to desist, as it constitutes economic sabotage to the nation and environmental degradation.

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has reassured investors of continued improvement of security architecture for increased investment, development and employment opportunities.

He spoke at the weekend after inspecting the Radopin Supermarket inaugurated at Kwata in Awka.

The governor, represented by the outgoing Head of Service, Harry Uduh, hailed the owner of the mall, Mr. Raph Azolo, for assisting the government in increasing its internally generated revenue and providing employment opportunity for youths.

The Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mr. Uchenna Okafor, described the new mall as one of best in the city.

He urged wealthy individuals at home and in the diaspora to borrow a leaf by siting more industries in the state.

“Such moves will complement the efforts of the Obiano administration in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” Okafor said.

He pledged government’s preparedness to assist business enterprises.

Dedicating the shopping mall, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, prayed for God’s increased blessings on the supermarket management,  advising them to avoid sale of inferior goods.

The National Vice-President, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, expressed joy about the achievement by the business mogul, especially in view of his humble beginning.

The Chairman of Radopin Supermarket, Mr. Ralph Azolo, narrated how the supermarket, which started in 1986 as a little provision shop, later metamorphosed into the present status.

Colourful posters of some artifacts expected to be received by the Oba of Benin have adorned major streets of Benin City ahead of the ceremony today.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the posters, which also carried the photograph of Oba Ewaure II, were seen displayed in strategy streets, including Airport Road.

The city has been in festive mood since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the return of the artifacts to the place they were looted during the Benin invasion in 1897.

Some of the Benin artworks were recently repatriated from Jesus College, Cambridge, and University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and handed over to the Federal Government.

The presidential directive to return the antiquities to the ancient palace of the Oba of Benin was made known by the secretary of Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor, in a statement.

According to the statement, the handing over of the returned artifacts would take place at the Oba’s palace on December 13.

The statement explained that the event would also be used to mark the 5th anniversary celebration of Oba Ewaure II on his ascension to the throne.

Beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) from Bayelsa State have praised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for the training and funding they received from the scheme.

They comprised those who participated in two entrepreneurship training organised by PAP’s vendor, Seven Oaks Auction and Trading Limited (SOATL), in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

They hailed President Buhari for his dedication in ensuring that the programme was sustained and kept on an even keel.

They also praised the Interim Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dikio (rtd.), for providing good leadership, which had led to relative peace in the state and the Niger Delta.

The beneficiaries underwent two training in 2019 and were empowered with items and money to kick off their businesses.

The empowerment was in two phases. The first batch of beneficiaries was empowered with tricycles, popularly called Keke NAPEP, which were distributed on the premises of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Yenagoa early this year.

The second batch of beneficiaries was empowered with refrigerators, generators, money and food items in July.

The beneficiaries equally applauded the vendors for adherence to laid down procedures of the amnesty programme and ensuring that all persons, who were part of the training, were provided with the necessary empowerment items and funding.

One of the beneficiaries, Ebi Sinclair, extolled the virtues of Dikio, saying he proved to be a round peg in a round hole and had shown dedication to duty.

Sinclair lauded the dexterity of the vendor handling the amnesty empowerment, particularly on the way and manner everybody that underwent the training was taken care of without anybody being shortchanged.

She said that she benefited from the programme, noting that the empowerment items she got had made her an employer of labour.

Another beneficiary, Eddy Michael, said he was trained in how to manage trading stores, and was gifted money and other empowerment items with which he opened his shops and engaged workers.

Other beneficiaries, Zilpah Darius and Caroline Adaga, noted that their lives had been positively impacted with the empowerment by the Federal Government through PAP.

They commended President Buhari, PAP boss and the vendors for the transparency and integrity in ensuring that empowerment items were distributed in such a manner that nobody was omitted or shortchanged.

No fewer than three aspirants under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are doing consultations in line with their aspirations to contest the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State.

The number of aspirants seeking to become the party’s standard-bearer will likely increase as the election approaches, but for now, the known names are Getshom Bassey, Daniel Asuquo and Arthur Javis Archibong.

Sandy Onor, representing the Central Senatorial District, is also reported to be interested, but he is yet to start consultations openly, as others have done.

Speaking during a consultative meeting with leaders of the state chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Bassey, representing the Southern Senatorial District, said the recognition of the relevance of youths informed his making the NYCN his first point of formal consultations.

He promised to run a youth-inclusive administration if given the opportunity to become the next governor.

Responding to questions from the youth on what was going to be his agenda, considering the uncompleted projects in the state, as former governor Donald Duke did tourism, ex-governor Liyel Imoke did rural transformation and Ben Ayade, industrialisation, Bassey said his focus and agenda would be to complete abandoned and ongoing projects of Duke, Imoke and Ayade, and ensure“ progress,  prosperity,  economic development, security and a better Cross River State.”

He said: “Today, I am saying I will make an impact on the economy of the state if elected the governor. I will make the private sector more attractive than the public sector. Hence, I am ready to partner youths.”

Asuquo, representing Akamkpa-Biase Federal Constituency, also promised to complete abandoned and ongoing projects, flaunting his youthfulness as an advantage.

But political pundits believed that the challenge of who succeeds Governor Ayade lies more on competence and track record in human and material resources management.

Archibong is presenting himself as one who is bound to bring a fresh breath of approach to the politics and management of the state.

He said he is a proprietor of a university and one who can manage the state, adding that he has been consulting with groups and stakeholders across the state.

In the All Progressives Congress (APC), no aspirant has openly done consultations, as in the case of the PDP.

The state Chairman, Mr. Alphonsus Eba and his team, who were recently elected, have rather been doing a thank-you tour across the 18 local governments.

Eba said the APC will surely retain the government in the state in 2023, and in getting a successor to Governor Ayade, he said the party will only do that which is proper and the popular wish of the people.

There are, however, names of individuals that are considered in the APC, who are silent aspirants for the party’s ticket, namely, Sen. Bassey Otu, Bassey Ndem, an architect; Asuquo Ekpeyong Jnr, among others in the Southern Senatorial District where the party is believed to focus on.

THE leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has said the party is in good stead to win some seats in the coming local government election, as a victory signal ahead of the 2023 general election.

The party, however, warned the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) against shoddy conduct of the poll, as such could truncate the peace enjoyed in the state.

The Chairman, Chief Ugo Agballa, who addressed members during an inaugural stakeholders’ meeting at the weekend, said although the aim of the leadership of the party was to win the state and contribute to the emergence of an Igbo man as the president of Nigeria, it must start with ending Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) grip of power in the state by winning political positions at the ward and local government levels.

He enjoined Ndigbo to join the ruling APC, as it was the only party through which an Igbo could emerge as the president in 2023.

“I joined the party to change the political monopoly in Enugu State. I joined the party not to be state chairman, but to produce a president of Igbo extraction.

“The party in the state has been split into factions, but what we are trying to do is to bring everybody together and it has not been an easy task. We are trying to have a unified mainstream party and it is only APC that can offer such hope, to end the monopoly of PDP in Enugu State.

“We want to have a robust political system in Enugu State like what you see in states like Anambra. I am here to build an alternative platform, so, we can begin to practise true democracy in Enugu,” Agballa said.

He added: “The time is now for the Southeast to reposition and re-integrate if we are to achieve the Igbo presidency in 2023. APC is a national party and the largest party with 23 governors. It is a party accepted in all the geo-political zones in Nigeria, and it is the right platform for us.”

The former national vice chairman of the party in the Southeast, Emma Eneukwu, commended Agballa for his outstanding effort in restoring the party to its original vision.

He said: “The meeting we held today is evidence that we have got a good leader. Anything that will be good will start with the head. That is the leader. So, we have gotten a good leader and that is Ugo Agballa. I am not worried because I know the man we have. He is a performer and will lead us to the promised land.”