By Elo Edremoda, Warri

A rights activist, Comrade Israel Joe, has said the disbursement of funds by the Federal Government for the rehabilitation of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), will be monitored.

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday voted $1.484billion for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries in Delta and Kaduna states.

Joe, in a statement to reporters yesterday, hailed the Federal Government for the approval of the funds, noting that it was part of the demands by youths during the #EndSARS protest last October.

The statement recalled that youths across Delta State had at meetings with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, in Warri and Asaba, canvassed for operations to resume at the WRPC, among other dying government establishments in the state.

It said the rehabilitation of the refinery would boost economic activities and reduce unemployment among youths in the area.

“On behalf of Delta State youths and other southern youths, I commend the Federal Government for the approval of the rehabilitation of the Warri refinery. This is a sign that our struggles are yielding positive results.

“The Warri refinery, Osubi Airport reopening, Delta or Premium Steel Company and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Warri were our cardinal demands during the October 2020 #EndSARS protest in Warri, which include the rejection of police brutality, extortion, harassment and extra-judicial killings.

“At a town hall meeting with the Delta State governor in Warri and Asaba and a meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, in Asaba, we canvassed for these cardinal demands.

“While the government took it seriously to attend to these demands, we followed up with letters to the authorities.”

“We are glad that a whopping $586 million has been earmarked for the Warri Refinery rehabilitation, duly approved by the FEC yesterday (Wednesday), which of course will put us in the economic hub in the region after completion.

“We shall ensure a follow-up on the process and make sure we track the funds to be used for the purpose for which it was approved.

“We thank the government for the resumption of the airport. We are reminding the federal authorities that our letters to the Warri Seaport and Premium Steel companies are on their tables, so they can expedite actions as well.”.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt 

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, has dismissed a report that a final year student was stabbed to death by suspected cultists after his final examination at the Faculty of Science.

The university spokesman Sam Kpenu said in a statement yesterday that no cult-related attack occurred at the institution during the examinations. The statement said:

“The management of the university wishes to state in clear terms that no such event happened in the university.

”The report is a figment of the imagination of the writer.

To put the record straight, no cult attack was witnessed in the university during the examinations.

”In fact, students went about celebrating their final papers unmolested by any intruder. The public should please disregard the unfounded report.”

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt 

Niger Delta youths have again issued an ultimatum of 14 days to the Federal Government and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to inaugurate the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The youth, under the auspices of Southsouth Youths Initiative (SSI), said they would launch a civil action tagged: “Operation no mercy for the wicked”, to shut down the headquarters of the NDDC and call for the sacking of Akpabio.

The youth in a letter they addressed to Akpabio, condemned the delay in the completion of the ongoing forensic audit of NDDC, raising suspicion that the exercise could be compromised.

The letter was signed by the National President, SSI, Saviour Oscar; National President,  Organisation of Niger Delta Pioneer Youths (ONDPY), Saro-Neebari  Legborsi; Leader, Niger Delta Youth Assembly (NDYA), Dume Benedict; National President, Network for Patriotic Niger Deltans (NPND), Anthony Tabu, among others.

The youth said: “We call on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, to  immediately make efforts to constitute a substantive board for the Niger Delta  Development Commission, NDDC, within the next 14 days.

“If at the expiration of this 14 days, the commission did not get a substantive board, the youth of the region  under the umbrella of South South Youths Initiative, our affiliate bodies and other  well-meaning youths of the region will shut down the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“This shutdown already tagged, ‘Operation No Mercy For the Wicked’, will last until our demand is met. The Federal Government is becoming a wicked institution. We will ensure that all activities at the commission are put on hold.

“As a follow up, this protest will initiate another round of protest for the sacking of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

“We are urging the minister to immediately commence the move of matching his words with action. We are holding the minister by his promise that there will be a legal board of the commission by the end of June.

“It beats our imagination that Sen. Akpabio, who claims to be true son of the region, will still be  the one behind the underdevelopment of Niger Delta.”

Lamenting the delay in the conclusion of the forensic audit, the youth said: “The delays in carrying out both urgent task for the people of Niger Delta is at the moment being adjudged to be a tactics to compromise the whole process.

“If actually the forensic audit is a process of  giving justice to the depraved Niger Delta, why the unnecessary delays?

“The body language of delay in the forensic audit will only mean that there is a serious  attempt and moves to compromise the entire process and we as vibrant youths of the Niger Delta region, who are committed to good governance and development of the region, are saying no to this.”

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has said it is compulsory for public office holders to declare assets.

The governor, who received a delegation of the newly-posted state Director, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr. Abel Sunday, who visited him at the Government Lodge in Aba, told public office holders that it is not only proper, but also mandatory to declare their assets before they begin to function in their official capacities.

Ikpeazu, who directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and relevant officers to ensure that every public officer complies with the constitutional obligation for assets declaration, said, henceforth, no public office holder will be sworn in unless there is evidence that such individual has declared his assets.

Read Also: Supreme Court ruling okays Buni-led caretaker committee, says APC

The governor, however, implored the Code of Conduct Bureau to play the role of an enabler by finding ways of encouraging individuals to willingly declare their assets through capacity building, seminars, etc.

He said despite serving as a watchdog, the CCB should go about its duty with a friendly disposition, in order not to scare people away, noting that he understands the important role of the bureau in holding public officers accountable.

Sunday said he came to visit the governor and seek his collaboration to fight corruption in the state and Nigeria.

He said while some public office holders in the state have declared their assets, others are yet to do so, stressing that the constitution enjoins them to declare their assets before assuming office and afterwards.

The CCB boss assured the governor of the commitment of his office to cooperate with the state government “in ensuring that public officers do the correct thing under our laws.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has said it was not disturbed by the court order stopping it from holding its congresses, as it was expected.

Seven members of the APC loyal to Sen. Magnus Abe in suit number PHC/1857/CS/2021, between Stephen Wonah and six others, on Monday obtained an injunction from a state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, stopping the party from conducting its congresses.

The claimants sued APC and the state Caretaker Chairman, Isaac Ogbogbula, raising issues of exclusion in the congress nomination form sales and the congress proper.

Read Also: Members get court order against APC congress in Rivers

They sought to stop the congresses, pending the determination of the substantive suit by the court.

The court, presided over by Justice Ben. Wyte, granted the prayers and ordered the plaintiffs to serve parties through substituted means.

He also gave the parties 24 hours from the time of receipt of wright of summons to reply, and adjourned the suit till today for hearing.

Reacting to the development, the state party Caretaker Chairman,  Isaac Ogbogbula, in a phone interview with The Nation in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the order was expected even before the congress was conducted, wondering why they waited till after the exercise.

He said: “I am not perturbed at all, it was expected. We expected it even before the congresses. We have been expecting it. It is even coming a bit late. To the glory of God, we will continue to remain victorious in all the battles.”

Ogbogbula, a lawyer, however, explained that the court order does not affect the ward congresses held by the party on July 31 and its outcome, and that the plaintiffs in the suit admitted that the ward congresses have been held and results declared before the suit, and the order to maintain status quo was made.

“As at the time the order was made on Monday, we had already concluded our ward congresses, the results declared and entered.

“As far as ward congresses are concerned, the order does not concern them. In fact, the applicants, plaintiffs in the matter, admitted that we had concluded the ward congresses. So the latest development, being the order of the court that we should maintain status quo apparently did not affect the congresses,” he said.

Ogbogbula accused Abe and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of working to ensure that the APC in the state never succeeds, but noted that they will fail.

“Sen. Abe and his cohorts will always conspire with Governor Nyesom Wike to put APC down, because they are afraid of contesting elections with us. Nothing less, it was expected. So nothing strange about it.”

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Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has appealed to Delta State former governor Chief James Ibori to support Ijaw’s agitation to produce the next governor.

The President, Peter Igbifa, in a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to mark Ibori’s 63rd birthday, described the ex-governor as the father and courageous apostle of resource control.

He said Ibori had remained outstanding for championing Ijaw’s agitation for resource control alongside the late former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Igbifa, who described Ibori as the leader with the Midas touch, said the former governor had remained indispensable in the political space because he provided a platform for youths to actualise their economic and political ambition.

He said Ibori had remained a rallying point in Delta State and Niger Delta in general because of his selfless sacrifice, astuteness and forthrightness.

Igbifa appealed to Ibori, whom he described as a man of justice, to endorse the agitation for the emergence of a governor from Ijaw extraction in Delta State in 2023.

IYC has raised the alarm over the alleged hijack and illegal sale of employment slots meant for indigenes of Bayelsa State in federal ministries and parastatals, to strange and unknown names as beneficiaries.

It urged the Federal Government to halt the process of recruitment, which it described as “faulty and suspicious.”

National spokesman Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, in a statement yesterday, expressed concern about the list of beneficiaries of the employment slots meant for Bayelsa indigenes at a federal ministry.

He said investigation conducted by the IYC showed that the list released by the ministry was either hijacked by employment racketeers or sold out by those involved in the recruitment processes to indigenes of other geopolitical zones.

It urged the Federal Government to halt the process of recruitment, which it described as “faulty and suspicious.”

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Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday granted tax credit to Saro Group of Companies, as part of efforts by the government to fast-track development across the state.

Obaseki, signing the clearance certificate at the Government House in Benin, said the tax credit would be used for the development of infrastructure, including the construction of roads and upgrade of facilities, such as primary health care centres.

He said the scheme was targeted at revolutionalising government’s approach to financing infrastructure, to engender sustainable development, as the scheme would allow private sector players to invest in infrastructure, in return for tax credit.

The governor said: “Executive Order number 1 of 2021 is the legal basis and framework on which this scheme was designed. The scheme is borne out of our desire to fast-track development of infrastructure across the state, as the government cannot do it alone.”

“I want to encourage companies, shareholders and individuals who have business interests in Edo State, or companies making money through production that the government is ready to further partner them in the area of giving them tax credit, which will be utilised to expand infrastructure in the state.”

He urged those already collecting tax credits from the Federal Government, but operating in the state, to apply such tax credits to some of the communities where they were doing their businesses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Saro Group of Companies, Mr. Rasheed Sarumi, hailed Obaseki for the tax credit.

One of the governorship candidates on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has debunked an allegation that a godfather picked his running mate for him.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, Ozigbo said Lady Azuka Enemo was selected by him among the list of names sent to him by the party, based on merit.

He said no godfather or group of people imposed the former commissioner for Local Government Affairs on him as being insinuated.

Ozigbo said his choice of Enemo was informed by the premium he placed on women and youths.

He added that he needed a person from the Anglican Communion, who also had electoral value.

Ozigbo said: “I decided to run with Mrs. Enemo because of her integrity and large support base. Nobody imposed her on me.

“The fact that I ran primaries for two years in the state should have given me an idea of who my running mate would be. Although I didn’t decide on that even after the primaries.”

“I am not one of the people who go to politicians to make empty promises. In fact, I was in a plane coincidentally with Mr. Peter Obi and I told him how I would engage the leadership of Anglican Communion to get my running mate.

“I turned down the first list of the people they sent to me not because the individuals sent to me are not good, but because there are certain criteria I insisted must be met.

“I had to be thorough about the choice of running mate because she must be someone I have confidence in.”

Ozigbo is contesting the PDP ticket in court, based on the parallel primary election the party held in Awka where Senator Ugochukwu emerged.

He said he had no godfather and did not believe in such.

Ozigbo said: “I’m an independent minded person. I don’t believe in godftherism, not even Peter Obi, Tony Elumelu or any other individual.”

He said although the leadership of the party could make suggestions to him about issues, such suggestions must be evaluated on their merit.

Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin branch, Edo State, have begun indefinite boycott of High Court 6, Benin, presided over by Justice Helen Adesuwa Courage-Ogbebor, over alleged high-handedness, insubordination and being disrespectful.

NBA, Benin branch, through its Chairman, Pius Oiwoh and Secretary, Andrew Lawani, yesterday in a statement in Benin said the decision to boycott Justice Courage-Ogbebor’s court was taken on Monday evening at the monthly meeting of the Lion Bar (Benin branch) at the Bar House Complex, Benin.

The lawyers’ crucial meeting was also attended by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), benchers, elders and leaders of the bar, with the general house reviewing the complaints of lawyers against the female judge, described as the second of such review within a period of two months by the general house, against Justice Courage-Ogbebor.

The Benin branch of the NBA said: “With regard to the incessant harassment, intimidation, outright insult and deliberate embarrassment to counsel appearing before the lordship, including SANs and very senior members of the bar, in the presence of clients and would-be clients, we resolved unanimously to immediately and totally commence an indefinite boycott of High Court 6, High Court of Justice, Benin City, presided over by the Hon. Justice Courage-Ogbebor.”

“Consequently, all members of the Benin Bar are by this notice directed to embark on a total boycott of the said court and are not permitted to carry out any business in the said court, till a subsequent review of this directive by the general meeting.

“Take notice that any member who flouts this directive, under any guise, shall be liable to be blacklisted at the branch and made to face its disciplinary committee.”

Judges are barred from speaking with reporters or reacting to allegations levelled against them.

The Chief Registrar of Edo State High Court, Benson Osawaru, did not pick his calls and had not replied the SMS sent to his line, to get his reaction to the lawyers’ boycott of Justice Courage-Ogbebor’s court.

Our reporter also gathered from some senior lawyers in Benin that there had been complaints from lawyers about the activities of Justice Courage-Ogbebor, including a situation where she recently delayed a SAN, while instructing him to wait till the end of the sitting, which they said was against the normal practice.

The displeased lawyers reiterated that once SANs were in the court, no matter how many they were, they would first be attended to, as a mark of honour and respect for them, saying Justice Courage-Ogbebor was always treating SANs with disdain.

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State led by a national caucus member of the party, Group Captain Ewang (retd), have declared as null and void the purported suspension of 17 caretaker committee chairmen of the party.

The state Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Dr. Ita Udosen, had earlier yesterday announced that the State Working Committee of the party had suspended the chapter chairmen for opposing the credibility of the ward congresses, which was purportedly held last Saturday.

But Ewang at a new conference at the State NUJ secretariat said the SWC had no powers to suspend the chapter chairmen, as the State Caretaker Chairman and his team had earlier been suspended by the chapter chairmen of the party in the state.

The former military administrator of Rivers and Ogun states insisted that there were no ward congresses in the state.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Ita Enang, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and other eminent stakeholders to rescue the party in the state from imminent disintegration.

He said it has become imperative due to the desperate antics of the National Secretary of the party, Senator John Udoedeh, to usurp the party structure and powers for his selfish interest.

‘’We call on President Buhari in his capacity as the leader of the party in Nigeria to call to order the Akwa Ibom APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr Ita Udosen, who has been operating as though he is a domestic staff of Senator John Udoedehe.

‘’We unanimously reject in totality the deployment of Senator John Udoedehe’s man, Friday and apologist, Mallam Shehu Sheriff, from Abuja to superintend over the conduct of ward congress in Akwa Ibom State.”