The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

  • EU to invest fresh €5.6m in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers

    EU to invest fresh €5.6m in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers

    European Union (EU) Head of Cooperation in Nigeria, Reuben Alba, has announced plans by the European block to invest €5.6million in some communities in three states in the Niger Delta, as part of efforts to tackle youth restlessness and other forms of insecurity.

    The three states are Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers.

    The Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, solicited the assistance and support of the EU delegation in some priority areas of the government developmental programmes for the oil rich region.

    The duo spoke when the EU delegation visited the minister in Abuja.

    Alba said the fresh support is besides the over €500 million invested before now across the country.

    He said Niger Delta remained a priority of the EU.

    Alba said: “What I can tell you is that Niger Delta is a priority for us.

    “So, we have already been mobilised and invested more than 500 million euros for the whole of Nigeria.

    “We are mobilising 6.5 million euro. This is a massive investment and we’re really looking at working with communities, having a community centred approach to try to transform criminality and violence in the Niger Delta into opportunities.

    Read Also: Obaseki, APC chair clash over Edo council poll’s results

    “So that very much matches with your vision on working with you, working with communities at the grassroots level to address insecurity, some of the criminality challenges and provide them with an alternative life as we move forward. “So, this is a programme we wanted to implement to start with in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers.”

    He added: “We’re not talking about massive projects. We’re really looking at how to address some of the issues in some selected communities in those three states. That approach to scale up the traditional fund.”

    Alba, however, said if the results of the projects were encouraging, it would be scaled up to other Niger Delta states.

    The Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, had solicited the support of the European Union in addressing the challenges in the region.

    He told the EU head of Cooperation that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s priority is to develop the region through provision of infrastructure, empowerment and skill acquisitions.

    The minister also talked about finding solution to the massive flooding of the region caused by the opening of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon.

    He said the region was always the most hit in the situation, urging the EU, as a partner, to help address insecurity and technological development, agriculture and poverty.

  • Tribunal: Otti, Ahiwe, Emenike know fate October 6

    Tribunal: Otti, Ahiwe, Emenike know fate October 6

    Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the candidate of Labour Party (LP); and two others, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and High Chief Ikechi Emenike of the All Progressive Congress (APC), will know their fate at the election petition tribunal sitting in Umuahia on October 6.

    Judgment has been fixed for that day in a petition challenging the declaration of Dr. Otti as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

    The Nation reports that Emenike had approached the court to seek Otti’s sack over allegations of non-resignation of his membership before joining the LP.

    He also alleged that Otti’s name was not in the Labour Party’s register before his nomination as the party’s standard-bearer in the poll.

    Also joined in the petition was the candidate of the PDP, Ahiwe; that of the Young Progressives Party, Nana Nwafor and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Speaking to reporters, Otti’s lead counsel, Abiodun Owolekoko (SAN), said his team was optimistic that the judgment would favour his client.

    Read Also: Uzodimma names 7 PDP defectors as advisers

    However, counsel for Emenike, Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), claimed that the defendant’s lawyer failed to provide the Labour Party register where his name appeared.

    He said his team prayed the court to cancel Otti’s votes, as well as those of the PDP and YPP candidates; and declare his client the lawful winner of the election, having scored the highest of lawful votes in the election.

    Lead counsel for the PDP, Prof. Paul Anaba, said his team agreed with the petitioner to sack Otti, but noted that the PDP would benefit from the petition because the case of non-resignation as the chief of staff to the former holds no water in the eyes of the law.

  • Rivers APC disagrees with Fubara’s achievements

    Rivers APC disagrees with Fubara’s achievements

    Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disagreed with some of the many achievements listed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, during his state broadcast to mark his 100 days in office.

    APC’s state spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, described some of the claims as bogus without empirical evidence.

    Nwauju, in a statement yesterday, however, commended the governor for improving the sanitary condition of the state secretariat complex within his 100 days.

    But he said: “It is absolute falsehood to claim that the state’s free WAEC/NECO policy achieved 100 per cent success given the fact that school principals were caught with evidence of extorting parents on the same subject matter.

    “The corrupt tendencies of government officials stationed at the Ministry of Education, who shamelessly trade in distributing postings for WAEC/NECO exams’ supervision while compelling school principals to make returns on these external exams have remained one of the “consolidated” achievements of Governor Fubara’s administration.

    Read Also: HOSTCOM to Diri: account for 13% derivation

    “While it is true that government is a continuum, the unveiling of luxury buses purchased by the Rotimi Amaechi administration as part of the state’s palliative measures to cushion the effect of removal of petrol subsidy should not have gone without giving credit to the Amaechi administration.

    “Again, it is clear to residents of Port Harcourt City and environs that the state must have to do more to tackle the sufferings of ordinary citizens in the hands of shylock transport operators, as the cost of transportation within Rivers State is outrageously exorbitant and wipes away the meagre monthly salary of an average civil servant or middle class family.”

    On the promotion of civil servants, payment of gratuities and pensions in the state, Nwauju said: “We dare say that besides the very recent additions made to salaries of workers on the payroll of the UBE, their colleagues in the Senior Secondary Schools Board have neither been promoted for close to a decade nor received salary raise in the years earlier quoted.

    “Payment of gratuities and pensions have become prayer points for our people who served the state meritoriously, as we have received complaints of demands for kickbacks based on percentages from would-be beneficiaries from government offices responsible for handling gratuities/pensions.

    “Rivers APC finds it unjustifiable for the state government to be calling on public spirited individuals/NGOs to donate materials to support the state’s Intergovernmental Flood Management Committee when in fact, the state government has refused to be open or transparent in accounting for the billions of naira donated to the state in cash and materials during the COVID-19 pandemic era.

    “Our party has always canvassed that the state moves away quickly from the era of engaging in the bazaar of donating scarce resources on unsolicited charities in favour of state governments and private organisations. We therefore invite Rivers people to note that our previous calls have today been justified since Governor Fubara is now begging for support from individuals and NGOs.

    “Our party believes an Enterprise Fund in partnership with the BoI is a noble idea, but, the critical state of poverty among the youth in the state coupled with the long years of ‘planlessness’ by government for the future of these youths, demand that mobilising funds in the range of N10billion and not N4billion should be most appropriate. Our money should actually be channelled where our mouth is and our youths are our tomorrow!

    “Rivers APC believes activating a Youth Entrepreneurship Development Trust Fund and an Investment Promotion Agency should have taken far more priority than a N200billion Port Harcourt Ring Road for a state that is among the first five on the list of states with the biggest unemployment figures in Nigeria.

    “Finally, we still have not been convinced at the scientific logic behind the Port Harcourt Ring Road project given that Rivers residents and people have not been educated on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of such a project that will surely come with a health and social impact on the lives of the people. This is besides the fact that Tender Notice(s) for this project was not advertised in national dailies in keeping with the Procurement Act.”

  • Itsekiri group threatens fresh shutdown of Chevron facilities

    Itsekiri group threatens fresh shutdown of Chevron facilities

    A group, the Niger Delta Itsekiri Oil Producing Communities (NDIOPC), has threatened fresh shutdown of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) facilities in Olero, Dibi and Abiteye fields in Delta State, over perceived failed promises by the company and Delta State Government.

    The threat by NDIOPC was contained in separate letters addressed to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as well as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Chevron.

     Indigenes of the Itsekiri host communities are vexed with the seeming inaction of the Delta State Government and the management of Chevron, regarding the alleged refusal to convert the VTP5/OTP2 and VTP6 graduates, to workers of the oil firm 15 years after their employment, despite interventions by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.

    The VTP5/OTP2 and VTP6 graduates reportedly went through the recruitment process completing their one-year Ogere training programme.

     The NDIOPC, in the separate letters written by Raymond Aderejor, Eyeolusan Arubi, Bawo Remere, Austin Dorsu, Alfred Jemine, Kingsley Omamogho, Taiye Alakowe, Freeborn Ododo, Oritseje Oporukun and Tony Oweghoro, recalled how some notable personalities like Weyinmi Okorodudu, Mr. Momodu Releand and former Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Prince Emmanuel Amgbaduba, intervened at various stages of their protest and made several promises, “that were not done till this moment, more especially with regards to light and water for our communities.”

    Read Also: TETFund moves to eradicate hitches in project execution

    Alleging that the only means CNL recruits people from the host communities, “has been halted by the company for several years now”, NDIOPC queried the rationale behind classifying the, “South Africa set, VTP1, VTP2/OTP1, VTP3, and VTP4 as employees of Chevron after their training, yet their counterparts in VTP5/OTP2 and VTP6, are pegged as perpetual Trainees/Support Production Technicians for more than a decade now, as against the principle of the programme.

     “To soften the minds of our people in the various Itsekiri communities, promises were made by the government of Delta State, in line with the demands of the protesting communities, which include water projects, electrification and health facilities of the communities and job opportunities for indigenes of the various communities.

    “The government of Delta State as an intervening mediator, mutually took responsibility to fix the light and water project for the respective communities while your company (Chevron Nigeria Limited) promised to provide job opportunity and strengthen contractual relationships with indigenous contractors, such as awarding to them supply and other necessaries.

    “In respecting the mutual agreement and the promises by the Delta State Government, the protesters vacated your facilities occupied by them to give room for those promises to be executed, but surprisingly more than one year after those mutual agreement and promises, none of them were carried out as the situation of the communities under your (Chevron) area of operation within the Itsekiri communities, is worse compared to before.

    “The water and light project promised and undertaken by the government of Delta State, was not done or attempted in communities such as Uso, Saghara, Eghoro, Ureju, Deghele and Bateren. It is material to our complaint to state further that those communities are still suffering from lack of these facilities, while your company’s (Chevron’s) operation within the respective fields continue to destroy the ecology of our communities.

     “The water project that was commenced in Obaghoro and Ebrohimi communities are not consumable as the water is bad and life threatening, because the contractor that was contracted to do the job, did a very bad job, while the government authority is careless about the health of the indigenes of both communities.

    “Other communities such as Tebu, Gbokoda, Ajamintan, Udo and Jakpa, did not have the water project attempted or executed in their area; it’s either it’s half done or not attempted at all as the water is not flowing in any of these communities.

    “Indigenes of the communities that were employed by your company (Chevron) for over 16 years now, are still contract staff, while people from other geo-political areas of the country, are being made permanent staff of your company every now and then.”

  • Akwa Ibom spends N5b on palliatives

    Akwa Ibom spends N5b on palliatives

    Akwa Ibom State Government has spent N5 billion on the palliative scheme, Governor Umo Eno has said.

    Eno, who made this known yesterday in his address to mark his 100 days in office, said the government had begun the distribution of additional bags of rice to each of 2,272 villages.

    He added that the government had also done cash transfers to 53,000 workers for three months, as well as embarked on levy-free Fridays for transporters for three months.

    The governor said: “Distribution of additional bags of rice to each of the 2,272 gazetted villages; cash transfers to 53,000 workers for three months, levy-free Fridays for transporters and traders for three months; all these have raised our contributions to the palliatives scheme to over N5 billion.”

    Read Also: Obaseki, APC chair clash over Edo council poll’s results

    He said the state government had acquired over 50,000 hectares across the 31 local governments and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Songhai farm to tackle food insecurity.

    “We have sent hundreds of our people for training so they can form the nucleus of the skilled workers to drive this exercise,” Eno said.

    Noting that education remained free and compulsory at the primary and secondary levels, the governor said as part of the palliatives, his government intended to support parents with uniform, shoes and payment of bursary to students.

     “Our commitment to the payment of WAEC fees is irrevocable and we have already done so, since we came in,” he added.

  • Ijaw group urges Tinubu to renew Tantita’s contract

    Ijaw group urges Tinubu to renew Tantita’s contract

    Crusaders, under the auspices of Egbesu Brotherhood (EB), have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to renew the contract of the private security firm, Tantita Security Services (TSS), owned by a foremost ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

    The National Coordinator of the group, Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, said in a statement yesterday that the appeal for renewal became necessary because since the award of the contract to TSS by former President Muhammadu Buhari, the security firm had reduced oil theft, increased oil production and provided jobs for thousands of youths in the Niger Delta.

    He slammed some merchants of oil crimes trying to frustrate the process of the contract renewal owing to their dubious and selfish purposes, aimed at depleting Nigeria’s economy.

    He said: “As a group, we are pleased to recognise and applaud the achievements of Tantita Security Services in the fight against oil theft, provision of job opportunities, fight against crimes and criminality.

    “Their activities have recorded massive discoveries and confiscation of numerous illegal bunkering points and vessels, which have also contributed to the increase in oil production, which is evident to the country’s improved economy.

    Read Also: HOSTCOM to Diri: account for 13% derivation

    “The current realities of Tantita in the oil and gas industry have increased the figure of production benchmark per day as set by OPEC. 

    “Nigeria now enjoys about 1.6 million barrels per day from an abysmal 700 barrels of oil production, thereby saving a whopping $8 billion of the country’s resources from oil thieves, courtesy of Tantita’s inputs in securing crude oil facilities.”

    Kemepadei called on those working to terminate the contract of Tantita to stop their gimmicks and attempt to satisfy their selfish gains and paymasters, who are beneficiaries of oil theft.

    He noted: “Based on the above, we are calling on President Tinubu to act timely and grant the renewal of contract to Tantita Security Service to continue in their collaboration with the  Navy in the fight against crude oil theft because the oil thieves are already gathering to plunder Nigeria’s resources.

    “We remain resolute in our call for the renewal of Tantita contract and for the umpteenth time we are urging agents of oil theft cabal to desist from the politics of hate to halt the process and support Tantita, which is yielding progress in the increase of crude oil production for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.”

  • Abia denies sacking 10,000 workers

    Abia denies sacking 10,000 workers

    Abia State Government has debunked the news that it has sacked 10,000 workers. 

    Information and Culture Commissioner Prince Okey Kanu made the clarification in an interview with reporters in Umuahia. 

    He said what happened was that some ghost workers were removed from the payroll of the government.

    Kanu added that some workers, whose names were thrown up during the verification embarked on by the government as illegally-employed, were affected too. 

    Read Also: Obaseki, APC chair clash over Edo council poll’s results

    He said: “This group comprised those who were illegally-employed from December 2022 till March and April this year, long after the current governor had been declared as the duly elected governor of Abia State.”

    The commissioner said some of the affected workers had their appointment letters backdated. 

    He said their employment was surreptitious and a bait with which to pile underserved pressure on the then incoming administration of Dr. Otti, adding that no responsible government would allow such a situation to subsist.

    Kanu said there were no waivers applied in those subject employments as well, noting that there were officially-established processes for employment into the civil service in Abia State.

    He said such processes were not followed with regards “to these employments.”

    He reiterated the governor’s resolve to pay arrears of salary and pension.

  • Imo ADP governorship candidate slams monarchs for cursing voters

    Imo ADP governorship candidate slams monarchs for cursing voters

    The Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate for the November 11 Imo State governorship election, Dr. Kachi Nwoga, has condemned the actions of some monarchs, who recently gathered and cursed voters from across the 27 councils for not supporting the re-election bid of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

    Nwoga, in a statement, described the activities of the traditional rulers as not only inglorious and absurd, but also unacceptable.

    It was gathered that a cross section of monarchs from Orlu Zone placed the alleged curses on voters at Nkwerre Local Government.

    The ADP standard-bearer said cursing anyone not voting for Governor Uzodimma was wrong and condemnable.

    The statement said: “My attention has been drawn to the trending videos and reports on the debased outing of a few traditional rulers placing curses on anyone who is not supporting the incumbent governor. I wish to respond as follows:

    “First, it is wrong to say ‘traditional rulers of Orlu or Orlu zone’, as we can’t ascribe the absurd act of a few to the largely innocent and many responsible traditional rulers known to us in Orlu and Orlu zone. Surely, those Eze who went to Nkwerre did so on their own.

    “Secondly, as a scion of royal stock, I find those acts abhorring. As a citizen of Imo State, I feel those traditional rulers deserve more pity than anger. As a Christian, I find their act one of depravation, and as the governorship  candidate of ADP and the incoming governor of Imo State, I am very satisfied with the overwhelming outrage of ‘Imolites’ to that malfeasance. In fact, the outrage cannot be better captured as has been widely expressed across all platforms and across the globe.

    “I therefore wish to commend my Imo people for waking up to the call to put things right in the state, as against hitherto appearing to succumb to intimidation or acquiescence to wrongdoing. I have therefore gladly shared their expressions with the tons of well-wishers who have reached me in their consternation.”

  • TETFund moves to eradicate hitches in project execution

    TETFund moves to eradicate hitches in project execution

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has intensified efforts to remove bottlenecks hindering execution of projects in tertiary institutions.

    To actualise its mandate, TETFund said its desk officers of the beneficiary institutions must be equipped and knowledgeable about its operational guidelines.

    Executive Secretary, TETFund, Sonny Echono, spoke at a two-day TETFund desk officers’ workshop titled: ‘Improving TETFund Intervention Programmes and Processes in Tertiary Institutions’, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday.

    Echono, represented by TETFund Zonal Coordinator, Southsouth, Aminu Dumburi, highlighted the significant roles of desk officers in the conception, reconciliation and implementation of the Fund’s programmes and process.

    He said the workshop was designed to enable stakeholders attain transparency and effectiveness in accessing TETFund interventions.

    Read Also: Insecurity: TETFund releases N550m to Kaduna college

    He added: “You are the critical interface or intermediary between the Fund and your chief executives, who are the accounting officers of the intervention allocations. The significance of this workshop can, therefore, not be overemphasised.”

    “It becomes even more glaring when we consider the synergy and continuous interaction needed between the Fund and your institutions, as reflected in the frequency of submissions and communications we have with your institutions on a daily basis.

    “I hope the essence of this workshop, which is to engage, dialogue, discuss and challenge us on ways in which we will improve in our operations and smoothen the process of accessing interventions and their implementation by our beneficiary institutions is realised.”

    Echono said desk officers remained the interface between the beneficiary institutions and the Fund regarding activities and interventions from the beginning to the end of the project.

    Said he: “The desk officers are responsible for the day-to-day operations that exist between the Fund and the institutions and are, therefore, positioned strategically to perform tasks and functions that require that they are fully informed on the nature and methods of TETFund operations always. As a result, the desk officers of our institutions are expected to be fully equipped and knowledgeable about our guidelines and mandate.

    “This workshop is expected to bridge the gaps between the Fund and our beneficiary institutions regarding our procedures and processes with regards to our intervention lines.

    “There shall be presentations by the departments of the Fund that process and reconcile these intervention lines. These presentations shall update us about new policies or changes in our operations or personnel where necessary.

    “It is my hope that at the end of the workshop, the heads of our public tertiary institutions and desk officers will be equipped with the knowledge of the relevant guidelines, procedures and processes of the Fund.”

  • HOSTCOM to Diri: account for 13% derivation

    HOSTCOM to Diri: account for 13% derivation

    The leadership of Host Communities (HOSTCOM), Bayelsa State chapter, has called on Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to account for the 13 per cent derivation fund he had received since he assumed office, how it was expended and its impact on the oil production communities.

    HOSTCOM, which insisted that its demand was in line with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, regretted the alleged misapplication of the 13 per cent derivation that had accrued to the state from successive administrations to date.

    It said the infrastructure development of the oil and gas producing communities in the state had been arrested and the people’s sufferings had remained unattended to.

    The HOSTCOM in a statement yesterday by the Bayelsa State Chairman, Pastor Samson Graham Dabbey and the Secretary, Mr. Cool Kwomo Christopher, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold forthwith the monthly release of the 13 per cent derivation accruing to Bayelsa from September 2023.

    The statement said: “With the passage of the FOI Act in Nigeria by the National Assembly and the assent by the President, it is expected that the Nigerian FOI Act will foster freedom of the press, provide greater opportunity for investigative journalism and promote the good tenets of democracy such as transparency and government’s accountability to the people.”

    “In line with the FOI Act, we demand a detailed account of how the 13 per cent that had accrued to the states is spent, vis-a-vis its impact in the oil and gas producing communities in the state.

    Read Also:Bayelsa poll: Sylva will defeat Diri, others to become governor, Youth group declares

    “We make bold to say that owing to the misapplication of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund that has accrued to the state from successive administrations to date wherein the infrastructural development of the oil and gas producing communities (being the target communities of the Fund) being arrested and the suffering of the people had continued to be unattended to up till the moment.

    “We are aware that the solution to this anomaly is only through the establishment of the Bayelsa State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (BASOPADEC) that the misapplication of the Fund would have been corrected in line with Section 162, Sub-Section (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

    “And it was to discuss this infraction on the continued misapplication of the Fund that HOSTCOM has put in much effort in trying to meet and commune in-person with Governor Douye Diri but without success.

    “In what follows, we have officially laid our concern on this subject in writing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold forthwith the monthly release of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund accruing to Bayelsa State from September 2023.

    “As a result, we are constrained to resort to this constitutional and peaceful approach collectively and in good faith as an advocacy organisation in furtherance of our Article of Faith – to pursue the cause of the downtrodden host communities whose right to the 13 per cent Derivation Fund has been denied them for so long in this state (Bayelsa State).

    “Leadership is a sacred trust and transparency, accountability and selflessness are the hallmark which we seek for in all our leaders in Bayelsa State.”