The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta State

  • Tourism: Delta organises fiesta to woo local, foreign investors

    Delta State Government says it will hold a fiesta to showcase its tourism potentials with a view to attract both local and foreign investors, News men reports.

    The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Chinye Emmanuel, disclosed this when he visited the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation ( NTDC ) and National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism ( NIHOTOUR ) in Abuja on Thursday.

    The Commissioner said the three-day fiesta, which is scheduled to hold between July and August, was expected to attract both local and foreign tourists in the state to tap from its vast potentials.

    According to him, the platform will also provide an avenue for the people to also showcase their rich culture, food, music and fashion during the event.

    “In view of the dwindling oil resources and economic downturn, the need to look inward and think outside the box to find other sources of revenue must be explored.

    “I believe strongly that tourism is that alternative, if properly harnessed, has the capacity to rejuvenate the economy of this nation,” he said.

    He gave assurance that the security of the lives and property of people, irrespective of the nationality were safe in the state.

    “Today, you can walk freely in Delta state, whether you are a black or white man unlike in the past, where you hear about kidnapping.

    “No more crime as such in Delta state, so with that foreigners will be free to come in and move round Delta state freely,’’ he said.

    He said the visit was to garner the support from NTDC and NIHOTOUR to host tourism fairs, expos, training, cultural programmes, develop its historical sites and monuments, as well as its eco-system in other to promote domestic tourism.

    Read Also: Delta CJ acquits man over Murder Charge

    Responding, the Director-General, NTDC, Mr Folunrunso Coker assured the state government of the corporation’s support in harnessing the tourism potentials in the state.

    “Tourism is a business to look at in Delta state and I assure you of our support in making the event successful and promoting tourism potentials in the state and nation at large,” he added.

    Similarly, the Director General, NIHOTOUR, Mrs Chika Balogun, assured the Delta government that the institute would continue to support it, especially in the training of its tourism and hospitality officers.

    “We assure you of our support in training and retraining of your officers in tourism and hospitality industry to meet up with global standard to create a vibrant tourism sector,” she added.

    Balogun, therefore, encouraged the state government to expedite action in developing some of its tourist sites to increase tourism in the state and reduce movement to other countries for holidays and tourism.

    NAN

  • Corps member creates awareness on STEM, breast cancer

    A Corps member, Miss Lucy Ikpesu, says she has impacted the lives of over 1,600 students through enlightenment programmes in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM ) and breast cancer awareness among others.

     Ikpesu, who made this known to the News men in Abuja on Wednesday, said the programmes were her personal Community Development Service ( CDS ) as a Corps member in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ).

     She said that students between the ages of 12 and 16 were beneficiaries of the programmes.

     “It has been my long term desire to impact and contribute to the development of my community through my knowledge and skills.

     “I saw my service year as an opportunity to impact students, so I did it through my personal CDS and I carried out projects on STEM education, establishment of STEM clubs/ groups in schools.

     “Other projects include self-esteem and mentorship for female students, breast cancer awareness, Lassa fever awareness, personal and menstrual hygiene, distribution of stationeries to students at the Internally Displaced People’s camp, among other services.’’

     According to her, 550 persons benefited in STEM education, 245 on self esteem, 280 girls on breast cancer awareness, 150 students were given stationeries, 100 girls got sanitary pads, 275 students trained on menstrual and personal hygiene.

    Read Also: Businessman remanded for allegedly defrauding corps member

     “Grooming students in STEM education integrates them into a cohesive learning programmes based on the real world activities,’’ she said.

     Ikpesu said the STEM outreach programme was carried out in Model Secondary School Maitama, Government Science Secondary School Maitama, Government Secondary School Wuse Zone 3 and Government Secondary School Lugbe.

     The breast cancer awareness programme, according to her was done for women at the Bama,Gwoza, Durumi IDP camps along with other corps members.

     She said that Project Pink Blue, Working to Advance STEM Education in African Women ( WAAW ) Foundation, Project Delta Initiative, Youngstars Development Initiative were some of the organisations that supported her projects.

     She, however, sought for more support to enable her extend the programmes to other rural communities in the FCT and some states in the North.

    Ikpesu studied Chemical Engineering in the Delta State University.

    NAN

  • Group seeks establishment of Cooperatives bureau in Delta State

    The Delta State Cooperative Confederation has renewed its call for the establishment of a Bureau for Cooperative Societies to ensure efficiency in the operation of the scheme.

    Its President, Mr. Larry Onyeche, made the call in Asaba, when he led the group on a visit to  the Delta House of Assembly Speaker, Sheriff Oboorevwori.

    Onyeche explained that the bureau, when established, will assist the government in implementing the national policy on cooperatives, especially on employment generation, capital accumulation, poverty alleviation and wealth creation.

    He said cooperative societies played a vital role in the economic development of any nation, adding that the potentials of cooperative societies had yet to be fully exploited in the country.

    He said some factors had impeded effective operation of cooperatives in the state, including improper focus, lack of policy support and inadequate legislative framework.

    “A cooperative society is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations, through jointly owned controlled enterprises,” he said.

    According to him, cooperative movement remains a potent means of meeting the financial needs of large numbers of small producers, industrial sector producers and retail traders, among others, through thrift and credit operations.

    The president said there were over 35,000 registered cooperative societies in the state with membership of over million persons and a capital base of about N20 billion.

    Onyeche recalled that the confederation, during the second Delta Cooperative Retreat 2017, urged the state government to establish the bureau to ensure cooperative development.

    He appealed to the House of Assembly to support the group by enacting a law establishing the bureau, citing Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa as instances where such bodies existed.

    Responding, the speaker noted that the legislature was engaged in making laws that impacted positively on the lives of the people of the state.

    Oboorevwori assured the confederation that the House would support its effort for the establishment of the bureau which it had sent to it as a private bill.

    He gave the assurance that the proposed bill would be referred to the appropriate committee to for consideration

     

  • Murder: Family of sentenced traditional ruler alleges political manipulation

     

    The family of the embattled Unuevworo (Prime Minister) of Ekpan in Uvwie council area of Delta state, Chief Newton Agbofodoh, has alleged foul play in the circumstances that led to the death sentence awarded against the traditional ruler by a Delta High Court last week.

    The first son of the traditional ruler, Darlington Newton, who led the charge by the family at a press briefing in Warri on Monday, alleged that there was a political undercurrent to the court judgement, vowing that the family would challenge the decision at the appeal court.

    Chief Agbofodoh, who was arrested on the 17th of June, 2016 on allegations bordering on murder and others  like it, was sentenced to death by hanging by the Delta state High Court 4, sitting in Asaba last Thursday.

    But speaking against the court decision at the press briefing, Darlington Newton claimed that his father’s current fate was orchestrated by politicians who accused him of not supporting them in the 2015 elections, adding that the testimony used to convict the traditional ruler was that of a witness who had earlier denied having any dealings with Ekpan or its people.

    He claimed further that the political grievance against the sacked chairman of Uvwie council chairman, Henry Baro Minabonware, was extended to “my father who is neither a member of PDP or APC. It’s just because Baro is my father’s nephew. My Dad was accused of not working for Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 Governorship /House of Assembly elections”.

    He said further that sentencing his father, Chief Agbofodoh, to death over the murder of one John Mogidi, on the testimony of Innocent Chukwuma Akemu that he was an accomplice in the murder “raises more doubts because the same Innocent Akemu, a PDP member, initially said he doesn’t know anyone in Ekpan”.

    While calling on the federal government, members of the traditional institution to intervene with a view to saving his father over perceived taboo in Urhobo land, especially Uvwie, Newton vowed that the family would head to the Appeal Court and explore all legal avenues “until justice is served”.

     

  • Delta: INEC bemoans state of office in Patani

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC )  on Tuesday bemoaned the state of its office in Patani,  Patani Local Government of Delta.

    This was disclosed by the Administrative Secretary, Mrs Rose Orianran-Anthony during the inspection of the continuous voters registration (CVR) across the state.

    Orianran-Anthony said that Patani office was the worst INEC office in the state.

    She said that the commission would relocate  to a rented apartment for now pending the building of a prototype office.

    She said that the commission would not  conduct the 2019 election in its present location but would move to a rented apartment immediately.

    She however appealed to the local government authority and the traditional ruler of the town  to provide the commission a land to build its prototype office.

    She said that it was a policy of the commission that it should  not buy land for office building.

    She said that so far, the CVR was going on smoothly, the crowd orderly and the machines were in good working condition.

    She said that the turnout had been encouraging and the cooperation from the local government was encouraging.

    At the Isoko North Local Government, the Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Egbabor said that he was committed to the exercise and INEC had done well.

    Egbabor said that he would continue to push to make sure that the people get registered.

    He however appealed that INEC should look into creating additional constituents.

    NAN

  • Religious places will not be used as registration point -INEC scribe

    The Executive Secretary of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), in Delta State, Mrs. Rose Oriaran Anthony has foreclosed the location of  INEC registration centres in religious places during the current registration exercise.

    She said if such provisions were made for churches and mosques, adherents of traditional religious group will also start clamouring for registration points in their shrines.

    The INEC scribe who made this remarks on Tuesday in Asaba-the Delta State Capital said the continuous voter registration (CVR) would stop 60 days to the general elections.

    She said the 60 day gap was to enable the electoral body process registrant’s permanent voters card (PVC), distribute them and face the conduct of the 2019 general election.

    He admitted that desperate politicians may try to sabotage the commission’s efforts through multiple registrations, but stressed that mechanism has been put in place to expunge multiple registrants from INEC register.

    Read Also: ‘INEC may burn unclaimed PVCs’

    Her words, “There are devices already built into our systems to detect such manipulations”.

    She said towards the end of the CVR exercise, registration centres will be taken to wards to enable those who were unable to register at the local government council centres the opportunity to be registered.

    The INEC scribe noted that the new set of machines received in the State for the CVR exercise has helped in making the registration process quicker than when the old machines were in use.

    On allegation of extortion by field officers of the commission engaged for the CVR, she urged the public to come up with verifiable proof, adding that it was not enough to make allegations against the staff without concrete evidence.

    According to her, this will enable the commission investigate and sanction erring staff.

     

  • I will serve for one term if elected Delta governor- Ojougboh

    A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Delta State Chapter, All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has declared his intention to commit to serve for only one term, if elected Governor.

    Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh was a onetime member representing Ika Federal Constituency in the NASS, and PDP governorship aspirant in the run-up to the PDP governorship primaries in 2007.

    According to him, his desire to contest the governorship election is borne out of a desire to rescue Delta State from PDP misrule.

    He said, “I want to make it clear that I am not contesting the Delta State governorship ticket just because I am from Delta North. I am not saying it must be me because I am from Delta North, I am not claiming superiority over anyone in Delta State.  I believe the APC must take power and all of us must make personal sacrifices, so that there will be change and if, however, you decide that I am capable and you elect me, I want to assure you that I will do only one term .I will not abuse the arrangement on the ground. I am a man of my words. I will do only one term”.

    Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh spoke weekend to APC faithful in Delta South Senatorial District during a consultative visit in Uvwie Local Government Area.

    He assured Deltans that the APC has wonderful programmes  , stressing that an APC government will guarantee “free and compulsory education in Delta Schools” and improving on the  poor health delivery service in the State, by building medical centres of excellence in the three senatorial districts of the State.

    He condemned the present administration for budgeting a meager N290 billion as the 2018 State budget while  other States have budgets running into trillions  ,and  questioned  the use of N20billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue  accruing  to the State coffers.

    Dr. Ojuogboh maintained that a politician, who gains election through the backdoor, will not be able to develop the State because he lacks ideas.

    Read Also: Delta approves full implementation of central tax billing

    He said, “And this is why you cannot expect anything good from the current PDP led administration in Delta State. The government of Okowa is completely incompetent .Our federal allocation every month is approximately N14 billion and if you multiply N14 billion by 12 months, it gives you about the N290 billion, the current budget of the State. What is Gov. Okowa doing with the state’s internally generated revenue worth N20billion? Where has he kept it? How can he develop the State with a budget of N290 billion? He is not working with the budget because they are misappropriating and misapplying.”

    He said APC in the South/South States will be supporting the second tenure ambition of President Muhammdu Buhari because of the developmental strides of the APC in the Niger-Delta region.

    His words, “The APC has a wonderful programme for the people of Delta State .A lot of people in the South/South do not know why we are campaigning for Buhari. The PH/Aba road that was impassable is now a ten lane road. Ewu community road in Edo State to Sapele is being dualised, work is in progress. The East/West Road has been upgraded and with funds in the budget so that we can have a road second to none”.

    He said under his administration, power will be restored to the political party, stressing that it is the party in power that owns the government of the day

    His words, “As an APC governor we will take power back to the party, because it is the party that owns the power. So the government must respect the party. If you recognize the party structure from the ward executive level through to the local government and state executives, and the leaders which produced you, then you should know that you must discuss your programmes with the party”.

    The highpoint of the occasion was the unveiling of the one-man-one vote plaque with APC chieftains in Delta South Senatorial District.

    Dr. Ojougboh urged Deltans to ensure that their votes are protected and resist rigging during the Delta 2018 governorship elections

  • Niger-Delta: Stakeholders advocate technology to check vandalism

    Niger-Delta: Stakeholders advocate technology to check vandalism

    Stakeholders in the Niger-Delta have advocated improved technology as well as efficient communication between the federal government, oil companies and oil bearing communities to check oil pipeline vandalism in the oil industry.

    These were the recommendations at the end of a one day sensitization workshop on education, good governance and peaceful coexistence in the Niger Delta organised by a non-profit organisation, Benaiah Care Foundation, which held weekend in Warri, Delta State.

    Participants drawn from mostly the youths and women groups called for urgent intervention to avert imminent crises as the 2019 polls comes closer.

    In a paper presentation titled ” Oil Theft and Pipeline Vandalism”, Oil Pipeline Management Expert , Mr. Ini Isong said ” oil majors must explore the use of modern technology to secure oil pipelines as well as establish right of way(RoW) to enable security personnel easily identify where there are such cases”.

    According to him, the advocacy became necessary to raise the standard of security towards checking vandalism in the Niger Delta region.

    Read Also: Buhari committed to peaceful, developed Niger-Delta – Boroh

    He also advocated stronger synergy among the stakeholders stating that oil bearing communities should be engaged in the oil economy through what he described as ” open and frank communication to avert imminent crises”.

    Mr. Isong who  doubles as the Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Kligz Energy, an oil pipeline survey outfit in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, said local communities have to select credible leaders in representative capacity and must also design a visionary template that will actualize concrete development of their areas.

    This, he maintain ” will make the oil bearing communities maintain their commitment to stop oil pipeline vandalism especially among the youth ”.

    He, however , condemned the deplorable conditions of the region occasioned by prolonged oil exploration activities stating that the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility needs to be reviewed to provide commensurate impact to cushion the effect of the exploration activities.

    Also in a paper presentation titled ” Effect of Political Violence in Nigeria ”, a University of  Port Harcourt Don, Dr. Celestine Nwanokwai said Nigerian youths have to move away from the culture of violence mostly associated with politics.

    According to him, the recent electoral reforms have considered the place of the youth in political leadership and therefore urged that rather than take to the option of violence, youth must think towards taking the lead in governance.

    Earlier , the programme facilitator, Mr. Okon N. Effiom remarked that the organization was concerned about improving the condition of the Niger Delta people through education

     

  • With oil comes chaos

    Ndokwa East is a local government area in Delta State, with its headquarters in Aboh, a sleepy town on the bank of River Niger. It has an area of 1,617 km² and a population of 103,171 at the 2006 census.

    The recent crisis in Obalutchi land, comprising some close-knit communities in the area, goes against the culture of the people, who are agrarian, peace-loving and welcoming. The people had lived in peace and harmony for centuries. The crisis has at its core the discovery of oil in a piece of land, reportedly belonging to Obeche Utchi, one of the villages in the community.

    The discovery of oil should ordinarily bring prosperity and wellbeing to the community, but in this case, the reverse is the case. With the discovery came chaos and mayhem. Since the discovery, lives have been lost, properties worth millions of Naira destroyed, and people displaced from their ancestral homes.

    According to investigations, the problem started long before the discovery of oil. There was a dispute over the ownership of a farmland between Obeche and Oboma. In order to make the case for their ownership, Obeche enlisted the help of a man from Oboma, whose testimony proved to be crucial in winning the dispute. As compensation, Obeche carved out a portion of the previously disputed land and gifted it to the Oboma man. When oil was eventually discovered on the land, the man was approached by Obeche to renegotiate the gifted land in view of the new value of the land on account of the discovery of oil. The man went to his kinsmen, Oboma and asked them to help fight off Obeche who are bent on taking his land. Things quickly escalated from here. It became a dispute between Obeche and Oboma, instead of a dispute between Obeche and a man from Oboma. Skirmishes between the two villages began in 2015.

    On Sunday, November 12, 2017, Oboma launched an attack on Obeche. A young Obeche man, was killed. Many people sustained gunshot wounds, women and children were injured, property destroyed. Another young man was captured and taken to Oboma, and was subsequently beheaded. This was followed by a spate of daily attacks on Obeche.

    On November 21, 2017, Oboma launched another attack on Obeche. This time, however, they were repelled and chased out of Obeche, and pursued to Oboma, where the head of Dakota was recovered from a shrine in Oboma. His body remains unaccounted for. As result of the continued raids on Obeche, most of the villagers have had to flee to neighbouring towns and villages, where they fear they might still be attacked by gangs from Oboma. For now, the village remains virtually a ghost town.

    • Chukwuji, a novelist and advertising practitioner, sent this piece from Lagos.

  • Govt will revamp steel, glass industries, says commissioner

    Delta State government yesterday approved the resuscitation of ailing industries, to create jobs for youths.

    Information Commissioner Mr. Patrick Ukah, who briefed reporters on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Asaba, said the government gave approval to revamp Bendel Steel, Bendel Glass industries, among others, through a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

    He said the government would retain 20 per cent shares in the companies.

    Ukah said Kiakia Gas Ltd would invest in Bendel Steel structures, while Steyrvistar Ltd would invest in Bendel Glass Industries Ltd.

    Global Smartfit Nigeria Ltd, he said, would continue with its proposal being processed by the committee under the mandate of the Economic Management Team.

    The commissioner said the government approved the development of Burutu and Ozoro modern markets.

    He said it also approved the building and rehabilitation of eight roads aimed at opening up urban and rural agrarian communities.

    Ukah said Asaba drainage projects would address flood, adding that Okpanam drainage and road projects were being handled by competent contractors.