The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta State

  • Vandals destroy six power transmission towers of TCN in Delta

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says six of its power transmission towers along Delta-Benin and Delta–Sapele-Benin 330kV transmission line routes have been vandalised with some of the towers removed.

    Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs in a statement on Monday in Abuja said the vandalism, coupled with the heavy rainfall of March 17, caused the collapse of tower No 61 alone.

    Mbah said when the transmission line tripped, a patrol team was dispatched to investigate the cause and investigations revealed that the tower had collapsed and its aluminum conductors were on the ground.

    She said the patrol team also discovered that tower members of five other towers including the tower directly opposite tower 61 on the Ughelli – Benin line route were missing.

    According to her, the Delta-Benin and Delta-Sapele-Benin 330kV transmission lines evacuate power from Transcorp power Limited, in Ughelli into the national grid.

    “With the collapse of tower No 61 on Delta-Benin line, TCN is now evacuating the power through Delta – Sapele- Benin 330kV transmission line alone.

    “Although the collapsed tower has not affected power evacuation, transmission lines redundancy is effected until the second line is restored,’’she said.

    She said TCN had been facing the challenge of repeated attacks by vandals on the Benin transmission line axis since December 2018.

    Mbah said the company had also made formal reports to security operatives and to the traditional rulers in the area, including the King of Okpe Land and the Ovie of Oghara.

    Read also: TCN groans as capacity utilisation dips to 14.8 per cent

    According to her, the traditional leaders equally held meetings with their subjects to address the menace of vandalism in the axis,  but to no avail.

    She, however, said TCN had already mobilised its quick response and repair engineering team to the site, noting that repair works on the affected towers would be completed in four weeks.

    “TCN reiterates the need for host communities to watch over electricity installations in their domain, to forestall the destructive activities of vandals,’’ she said.

    She also urged electricity customers nationwide to report any unusual activities around electrical installations to appropriate authorities (NAN)

  • Ighalo, Onyekuru, Simon on target

    The Super Eagles defeated the Pirates of Seychelles 3-1 in their final qualifying match of the 2019 African Cup of Nations played yesterday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State.

    Goals from Odion Ighalo, Henry Onyekuru and substitute Moses Simon helped the Nigerian team defeat the underdogs in yesterday’s clash.

    Being well-placed at the top of the log, Gernot Rohr’s men came into the clash as huge favourites but showed less than what was expected of them in the first 45 minutes of the game.

    Odion Ighalo scored the opener for the Eagles via a spot kick in the 35th minute after Wilfred Ndidi was brought down in the Seychelles box.

    The Pirates then benefitted from a howler from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Francis Uzoho who failed to effectively punch a cross, to snatch an equaliser through Rody Melanie’s strike in the 41st minute.

    Read also: Season of harvest for Super Eagles and company!

    The Eagles came back better in the second-half and just five minutes after the restart, went into the lead through a header from Henry Onyekuru. The Galatasaray forward nodded into the net from a Jamilu Collins cross to send his effort past the Seychelles goalkeeper from close range.

    Moses Simon, who was introduced late in the second period, put the icing in the cake for the Eagles with a pin point strike in the box on the stroke of 90 minutes. The winger picked up a pass from Collins, twisted and turned, before blasting in at the near post for the Eagles third.

    Nigeria thus finish Group E as winners with an unassailable 13 points regardless of the outcome of Monday’s game between group mates Libya and South Africa.

    The Eagles will now have their attention turned to an international friendly against AFCON hosts Egypt on Tuesday.

  • Okowa urges security agencies to go after human trafficking syndicates

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged security agencies to track, arrest and prosecute syndicates of irregular migrations in the country.

    The governor stated this yesterday when the Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba.

    He said that the way to stem the surge in irregular migration and human trafficking was for the security agencies to go after those who spread deceitful stories to lure innocent Nigerians.

    “We are very disturbed with the number of persons involved in irregular migration; most of them travel oversea because they have been told stories how rosy it is out there.

    “In most cases, these persons find themselves in countries where their economies are not better than that of Nigeria.

    “Security agencies should look out for those who are carrying out the deceitful messages. They may be operating as cartels or what do you call it?

    “When they stop deceiving people, irregular migration will reduce,” he said.

    Okowa said: “As a state government, we will carry out enlightenment campaigns because if you do not take enough time to get our people properly informed, they will enter wrong hands.

    “We have a lot of youth engagement programmes, training and empowering our youths but it is unfortunate that the number of people who want to seek greener pastures abroad is still high.

    “We want to appreciate you, NAPTIP for what you are doing. We want to assure you of our cooperation for irregular migration to be reduced.’’

    Earlier, Okah-Donli said that the problem of human trafficking and irregular migration had become of great national concern to the government.

    She said that the particular concern was with the large number of Nigerians trapped in sexual and labour exploitation in various African and European countries.

    Okah-Donli said that hundreds of them continued to die in the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea.

    She said her visit was to solicit assistance of the Delta Government to curb the twin menace of human trafficking and irregular migration.

  • Breaking: Delta suspends head teacher over Success’ viral video

    The Delta State government has suspended the headmistress of Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele Local Government of the state, Mrs. Vero Igbigwe.

    She was suspended following the viral video where little Success Adegor was sent home over her parents’ failure to pay her examination levies.

    Igbigwe was suspended on Monday when the Delta State Commissioner for Education, Barr. Chiedu Ebie visited the school.

    The head teacher, according to the commissioner, could not explain the alleged illegal collection of examination levies from the school students.

    Details later…

  • Abolish death penalty in Nigeria, Okowa urges FG

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Monday called for the abolishment of death penalty in Nigeria.

    The governor made the call when members of the Presidential Committee on Prisons Reforms led by its Chairman, Justice Ishaq Bello paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba.

    According to him, death penalty should be abolished and those who are already sentenced to death be converted to life imprisonment, more so now that most state governments are unwilling to sign the death warrant.

    He also called for the reformation of the prisoners to make them better citizens of the country.

    Okowa condemned a situation where prison inmates coordinate criminal activities such as kidnapping from the prisons, adding that reforming the prisoners was apt for a sustainable crime-free society.

    “We need to reform the minds of the prisoners, a programme to reform the mind of prisoners is very important because once you are able to reform their minds, they will become better citizens.

    “As a state government, we are extending our skills acquisition programmes to the prisons.

    “But, it will be such that the prisoners would be given starter packs as they are leaving the prisons to enable them start their own businesses and be useful members of the society,’’ he said.

    Read Also: ACPN denies endorsing Okowa

    According to the governor, setting up of the committee for Prisons Reforms is timely and urged it to ensure a thorough job.

    He noted that the crime rate in the country was on the rise and available prisons infrastructure had been stretched beyond their limits.

    Earlier, Bello said that they were in the state to have as part of their activities to reform the Nigerian Prisons Service.

    He said that the committee had visited more than 13 states in that regard.

    NAN

     

  • 20 families lose shelter to fire in Delta community

    Not less than 20 families were rendered homeless on Sunday after a cooking gas cylinder exploded, leading to an inferno that consumed a living quarters made of shanties in the Ugboroke area of Uvwie council area of Delta state.
    Sources told The Nation that the fire started at about 3pm on Sunday when the girlfriend of one of the tenants in the stretch of shanties was preparing a meal, but was unaware that the gas cylinder was leaking gas, a situation that led to the explosion.
    Although no death or physical injury was recorded while the fire burned, as virtually all occupants of the living quarters were said to be in the church while their house burned, most of the residents lost all their belongings to it.
    Narrating the much he knew about the incident, a resident of the neighborhood, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the cooking gas cylinder exploded when the girlfriend of one of the tenants in the compound was preparing meal, not knowing that the gas was leaking.
    “Before the girl came out from the house, everywhere was on fire. Her boyfriend asked her lock the door and they both ran away. By this time, some of the other tenants were still in church”, the source said.
    Some of the victims who spoke to The Nation at the scene of incident said they did not know the cause of the fire.
    One of the victims, Mrs. Enohor Obukevwo, while narrating her plight said “I don’t know how the fire started. I lost everything to the fire. Only this wrapper you see on my chest is what I came out with. Mr. Governor, please help us. Come to our rescue.”

    Read also: Many injured in Lagos restaurant fire

    Another victim, Mr Barrack Odjere, a 68 year old man, said he returned from the church to meet the inferno, saying “all my properties burnt to ashes. I have no place to stay now with my family. I want government to come and help us because we are homeless.”
    Another victim of the of the fire, simply identified as Mama Israel said “I sweep church before I enter morning. Everything for house burn finish. The only thing I manage to rescue is this small bible I came back from church with.”
    Another victim, a pregnant woman with a child in her hand, Rose Anthony, said she only came out from the incident with the wrapper on her body. “Government should help me with accommodation and settle me.”
    It took the prompt intervention of the Delta State Fire Service Department to quell the fire and save same from spreading to other buildings.

  • One axed to death in Delta Community

    A man, simply identified as Harrison Mukoro, was on Sunday morning found dead in Emevor community, Isoko North council area of Delta state, with severe cuts all over his body.

    Although no member of the community could volunteer any credible information about the person of the deceased or the possible circumstances surrounding his death, the state police command, on Sunday afternoon, linked the killing to cult related activities.

    Many of the people approached information would not want to offer information make comments as it became obvious that the entire community had been under panic since the discovery of the deceased’s corpse.

    Read Also: Police nab robbery suspect, recover arms in Delta

    However, when reached for an official confirmation of the development, the Delta state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, during a telephone conversation, said the incident bore looks of a cult-related killing.

    According to Adeleke, the victim was axed to death, adding that investigation was already ongoing.

    “There are no details for now other than it became obvious that he was axed to death in an attack that looks very much like a cult-related incident. Investigation is on though and as soon as we have enough clues and lay our hands on the perpetrators, more will be revealed”, he said.

  • Ijaws leaders task Okowa on development of riverine communities

    The People’s Democratic Party leaders from the Ijaws ethnic nationality have tasked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and governor-elect of Delta State to aggressively focus on the development of the riverine Ijaw communities in the state.

    The PDP Ijaw leaders who spoke through Chief Julius Bobuoghan and Chief Torulolo Love, in a statement obtained by the Nation, also enjoined other PDP Delta House of Assembly members-elect across the state to join hands with Governor Okowa to “collaborate towards connecting the riverine communities in Forcados and Escravos Areas to the upland by road networks within the next four years.”

    While congratulating Governor Okowa for his victory at the just concluded poll, the Ijaw leaders said the re-election of Governor Okowab was an indication of his wide acceptance across the three senatorial districts of the state.

    The Ijaw leaders said Governor Okowa was a rare politician in Nigeria, stressing that the visible transformation of Delta State into an enviable height made Okowa’s re-election very easy.

    They enjoined Deltans to rally round the governor and be ready for more developmental strides during his second term.

    The Ijaw leaders also assured Deltans, particularly their primary constituency, Burutu local government area, that Governor Okowa would embark on more developmental projects in the area.

    According to the statement, “We congratulate the deputy governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, distinguished Senator James Manager, Senator-elect, Delta South Senatorial district; Rt. Hon. Julius Pondi, as member-elect, Burutu Federal Constituency, House of Representatives; Hon. Asupa Forteta, member-elect, Delta State House of Assembly, Burutu constituency I; and Mr. Emomotimi Guwor, member-elect, Delta State House of Assembly, Warri South-West constituency.”

    The leaders also expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP 2019 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will be victorious at the tribunal.

  • Delta APC rejects governorship/House of Assembly election results

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state has called for the cancellation of last Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

    APC’s position was made known at a press briefing addressed by the chairman of the Delta state chapter of the party, Prophet Jones Erie, on Monday evening.

    Erue accused security agents who were deployed on election duties in different parts of the state, as well as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with agents of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to massively rig the election in favour of the PDP.

    “You all witnessed an electoral process where soldiers aided PDP thugs to hijack ballot boxes and materials in collaboration with the presiding officers and thumb printed them for the PDP.

    “Our people were not allowed to enter any collation centre, our agents were treated as enemies of the electoral process. The whole place was militarised against APC and results were changed at will.

    “For example, at Emede Ward 5 unit 2, soldiers aided the destruction of that unit. At about 10:00am, ballot boxes and ballot papers were carted away, we managed to complete the election and at the end, APC had 4323 votes, 1134 votes for PDP House of Assembly.

    “Surprisingly, the same votes were counted and they recorded 2,712 votes for the governorship for the APC and 2,702 votes for PDP. If this is the discrepancy in my own ward, it is enough prove to show that the same thing took place across the state.

    “Our members were brutalised, presiding officers collaborated with PDP to undo us. In Warri South and Warri South-West, most of the materials did not get to their units”, Erue alleged.

    Erue said the party would approach the Election Petition Tribunal should the electoral umpire refuse to cancel the election.

    However, when reached for a response, the spokesman of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, said the allegations by the parties against security agencies borne out of the wrong perception of what the agencies stand for.

    “People see security agencies as instruments of the state that can be used by the ruling party. The opposition parties will bash on the security agency, the ruling party will also bash on the security. The election is over, if he is not satisfied, he should go the Election Petition Tribunal,” Iliyasu said.

  • 2019 Polls: Four missing after Delta boat mishap

    Four persons have been declared missing after a boat returning from a voting exercise capsized in the Benin River in Delta state.

    The Nation gathered that the victims, who were returning to Koko, the headquarters of Warri North council area of the state, were in a boat loaded with 22 persons, including three policemen, coming from Ebrohimi community, also in Warri North council area.

    Sources said the boat accident, which happened at about 1:20am on Sunday morning, occurred around Ureju community, also in Warri North. The passengers, who said to be community members, were returning to Koko after exercising their franchise during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ebrohimi community.

    Earlier on Sunday, reports had gone out on some local online media platforms about the accident, claiming that the passengers were officials and ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some security agents, all of whom were returning with election materials to Koko.

    However, both the INEC are the state police command, on Sunday, debunked the earlier reports as false and misleading.

    Read Also: Don’t turn Niger Delta into a battle-field, Obi warns

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Delta state, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, while responding to the report said none of his staff members had been involved in any boat mishap in the state, saying no material had been lost to accident in Delta North.

    “I understand that my staff members are not involved, they were all safe and the ad-hoc staff were safe. The actual details have got to me right now. And I don’t think the mishap affected the materials because it happened later in the day, from what I know,” he said.

    Also responding to the development, spokesman of the Delta state police command, Mr Chuks Orisewezie (ASP), gave details of the events leading to the accident as well as details of the passengers on board the ill-fated boat.

    “A boat loaded with 22 persons, which left from Ebrohimi community and heading for Koko, capsized around Ureju community at about 01:20 hours.

    “The occupants of the boat were three policemen and 19 community people. 18 persons, including the three policemen have been rescued, while search is still on for the remaining four missing persons. Two of the rescued victims have been taken to the hospital for medical care.

    “I must clarify that there were no INEC staff or NYSC members on board, just as there were no election materials. Investigation is already on”, he said.