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  • 2019 ELECTIONS: PDP GOVERNOR URGES ELECTORATES TO PREPARE TO DEFEND THEIR VOTES

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has urged the electorates to be prepared to defend their votes. The governor made the call on Thursday, January 9, at the well-attended campaign rallies of the PDP in two local government areas in the state. Thousands of party supporters thronged the venues of the rallies in solidarity with Governor Okowa.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has urged the electorates to be prepared to defend their votes in the 2019 general elections.

    The governor made the call at the campaign rallies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Warri South, Uvwie and Okpe local government areas of the state held at the Warri Township Stadium, Effurun and Orerokpe respectively.

    The governor also expressed confidence that the PDP will have a landslide victory in the general elections, reports Legit.ng

    Specifically, at Orerokpe, Governor Okowa said, “At all the places visited, Deltans are coming out in their large number because they are confident this government is their own.

    “I am confident that all of you who are at the rally ground have your permanent voter’s card, but records show that there are still people who are yet to collect their PVCs, visit them at home, escort them to collect their PVCs because we don’t want to lose any vote.”

    “During the elections, for every unit, don’t leave after voting, remain, send delegations to accompany the electoral officers to the ward, the local government headquarters and to the state headquarters, don’t give them room to rig because, you can see that the opposition is not engaging in campaign because they are aware that they cannot win in a free and fair contest.”

    While listing some of the projects he has executed in the areas, the governor stated that if his administration could do so much in four years, another four years would transform Delta state.

    He thanked the people for collaborating with his administration to deliver dividends of democracy in practical terms.

    “We have the youths, women, and elders on our side, so, we are not afraid of going into the elections; Deltans love good things, we have agreed on the principles of rotation and it is cementing the bond of unity in our state,” the governor said at the Warri Township Stadium.

    On his part, chairman of the campaign council, Professor Sam Oyovbaire said: “I testify that Governor Okowa has performed; ask yourself what the opposition has done in Delta state, they have only brought hunger; when they meet you, ask them if they have contributed any little thing to the development of Delta.

    “Governor Okowa is working very hard and the results of his hard work are visible for all to see; our governor has delivered first class dividends of democracy, he will complete his second term in office.”

    Also speaking, former minister of defence, Dr Roland Orisejafor, said at the rally in Warri that, “the crowd you are seeing here is clear evidence of the performance of the governor; we are going to protect our votes, we are voting for stability, we are voting for continuity, we are voting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for president, Dr. Okowa as our governor.”

    “We don’t have lazy youths in Delta state; the federal government is an embarrassment to Nigeria, security is in shambles, the economy is in a problem, Nigerians are hungry, we must get it right with our votes.”

    Others who spoke at the rallies stated that the performance of Governor

    Okowa has endeared the PDP to Deltans.

  • Atiku accuses Buhari, APC of using state resources, apparatuses for campaign

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of using state resources as apparatuses for electioneering campaign.

    Describing the action as a violation of the nation’s electoral laws, Atiku said Buhari and the APC have been acting contrary to claims by the President that he would not use state resources for election.

    In a statement Thursday by his media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, the PDP presidential candidate called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sanction President Buhari and the APC for violating the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

    The statement said, “Recall that the National Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu had in December of last year warned incumbent office holders against using state resources or apparatuses for their campaigns, or deploying same against their opponents.

    “Prof. Yakubu, who issued the warning at a lecture titled “Political corruption and other emerging issues for the 2019 elections” in Abuja, noted that the commission has the power to monitor campaign financing and sources of funds according to the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

    “However, in negation of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, the Buhari administration and the APC has taken to the illegal deployment of state resources to its advantage for the election.

    Read Also: Atiku blames APC for joblessness, insecurity

    “We wish to remind President Buhari and the APC that the use of state videos released by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture is illegal under the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

    “The media is awash with advertisements with the hashtag #PMBDIDIT and signed by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and referencing so-called achievements of the APC administration in the states of Abia, Kwara, Lagos, Ebonyi, Delta and Kano, among others”.

    These, Atiku said, were without doubt, 2019 presidential campaign materials produced by the Ministry of Information and Culture using state resources and apparatuses to benefit President Buhari.

    “This appalling conduct, which is clearly in violation of Section 100 of the Electoral Act, is even more shocking when it is recalled that the state resources being used to the illegal advantage of President Buhari are being drawn from agencies which for over three years, prior to this election, failed to perform their duties to the benefit of Nigerian citizens. The Ministry of Information and Culture must stop this illegality immediately.

    “We demand that INEC issues an immediate cease and desist order to both the Ministry of Information and Culture and to the broadcast channels running it.

    “We also insist that INEC register the media spend behind it as part of the APC’s total N1 billion campaign spend limit.

    “Fortunately, INEC is alert to this danger and itself warned the ruling party to refrain from such conduct. Now that the party has clearly flouted the law in negation of the electoral umpire’s warning, we urge that INEC sanctions them accordingly”.

  • How APC can defeat PDP in Delta, by chieftain

    Otunba Princewill Ejogharado is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State. In this interview with OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE, he speaks on the post-primary crisis and how to end the strife and rancour.

    The Delta APC is in crisis but the national leadership of the party has set up a reconciliation committee  headed by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. What is your reaction?

    You see some of the approaches to the resolution of this near intractable problem in the APC are mostly exercises in self-deception. You see it isvery obvious that we don’t seem to be ready with the way we are going and it is very unfortunate. We read it on paper that there were some reconciliation committee and from the composition of the reconciliation committee those guys were not really ready for reconciliation so it’s an exercise in self deception, so there is nothing on ground now that can sincerely show that we are ready to reconcile with each other as it is, it is very very hard on the Fortune of the party APC in Delta State.

    Don’t you think that this crisis will impact negatively on your party during the poll?

    The truth of the matter is I will say it is rather most unfortunate the way  Adams Oshiomhole handled the Delta State issue, Delta State.This was a state that was prepared for a take over, just go to Asaba the state capital and do a covert investigation and talk with people along the streets including civil servants and all of them if they know that you are an APC member they will remonstrate with you angrily asking why we behaving like this? Asking, “Do you want to allow this people to continue for another four years”? You can see the anger in them, you can even see now that the electorates are more bothered than the stakeholders in APC, they want a change, a change that is very very clear and possible but here we are. Sometimes, I take my analysis from the local government elections, when the last Local Government election that took place on the 5th of January there was this divide between Omo Agege/ Ogboru vs Emerhor but it was very evident that APC was ready to take over, the difference was not a problem at the local polls. We are all aware of the flaws the local government electoral law but we came together and we made the sitting government to take note, but at the APC national convention we expected that as a party chairman , Oshiomhole should have done some intelligence gathering about the peculiarities of Delta State, whether you like it or not Delta State is a very peculiar state in Nigeria. I will find it very funny if there is a any government in power at the centre who  ignores Delta State and doesn’t pull Delta State along, so with this we were very ready, some of us left the PDP with high hopes and we felt the APC was an alternative for us to achieve our purposes, actually when we came in we were really ready to provide the politics that will help us take over but alas when we got there we saw something different especially the handling of the congress issue. Oshiomhole messed everything up so that even now you can see that the PDP in the state are quietly walking into success because we are more engaged with ourselves in the APC and nobody is even talking about the PDP and the election we are talking about how I will outdo you and how you will outdo me. You can see that we are having factions on the eve of an election. O’tega Emerhor who was the original leader of the party in the state  has been shoved aside. Suddenly Ogboru came and I can’t understand what is happening. I wouldn’t say that the O’tega is a perfect person but this man is the man who has been holding the party together you cannot just come and push him away like that but Oshiomhole for God knows why just came and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with Otega, if the truth must be said I have always said that Oshiomhole took personal vendetta into human administration and it is very very wrong that is the problem in Delta state, Oshiomhole brought in personal vendetta to bear on the problem of Delta State if not Oshiomhole knows very well that Cyril Ogodo is the Chairman of the party but for the singular mistake he made, there . We were made to understand that in the countdown to the National Convention , Oshiomhole called a meeting to the Government House in Edo State and Prophet Jones Erue , unilaterally , attended but Cyril challenged Jones for attending Oshiomhole’s campaign meeting, that is what has brought problem to the Delta State APC,but you don’t carry your personal vendetta to party administrstion so it has helped in no small way to reduce the party’s chances at the gubernatorial polls in 2019 to the barest minimum, PDP is coasting to victory quietly with no stress.

    You have just said that Oshiomhole  brought personal vendetta into the party. Can you really substantiate that because it appears Prophet Jones Erue emerged from a parallel congress conducted by another  faction?

    You see, let us take it from this angle there was a national chairman Oyegun who conducted all the congresses from the ward to the national level.It was Oyegun that produced Oshiomhole, if the making of Ogodo that Oyegun  made is not good, then Oshiomhole is not good too.Oshiomhole will always say that we are all Bendelites, we are all Bendelites so he sees Delta State as his own. The Oyegun that conducted the elections that was transparent. Oyegun and his  National Working Committee to send the Electoral panel to all the states which they did ,but along the line I think we were made to understand that there was some compromise somewhere there, it remains the right of Oyegun the national chairman and his Excos to correct the anomalies if there was any and that he did immediately, it is not the right of Oshiomhole to correct that because he was not the Chairman then, he came out with the mindset that he was coming to deal with the O’tega tendencies and that is what he has embarked on not minding the negative impact it will have to bear on the party in the state, that is where we are now.

    The national leadership of APC has urged aggrieved party men to withdraw their cases from the court but gubernatorial aspirants Victor Ochie and Prof Pat Utomi   have gone ahead. Why?

    Like I told you I was a party Chairman and I was a Local Government Chairman and if you critically look at the constitution of the party structure they all have the same function whether as State Chairman, National Chairman and Local Government Chairman and even the ward Chairman our functions are almost duplicated. So you see sometimes you take some decisions that are belated, you can do the right thing in the wrong way, trying to tell those who are already in court to withdraw their cases is doing the right thing in the wrong way and at the wrong time. It’s belated. Everybody knows that Oshiomhole has taken sides how would I know that and still come to him for justice. In Delta State Oshiomhole has clearly taken sides with Omo-Agege/Ogboru. It is very clear the extent of damage that Oshiomhole has caused our party that was already prepared to take over. I was thinking that Oshiomhole was going to look beyond his personal vendetta and look at the party and the fortune of the party but this he hasn’t done,but he has allowed his personal vendetta to becloud his sense of judgement, that is the problem we are having in Delta state. How can Rt Hon.Victor Ochei whom I see as the only candidate that the PDP doesn’t want at all because they know that he is a candidate that will give victory to the APC, be treated with disdain? I am personally thinking that whatever Ochei is going through today is being sponsored by the opposition party because they know his emergence as the candidate of the party will throw them off balance. If Ochei had emerged as the candidate the party I am telling you that there would have been a tsunami in Delta state and lots of high ranking persons in the PDP will have decamped from the PDP. Some times I wonder if our National Chairman is consciously or unconsciously trading off the state from the APC because he is too close to Delta not to know. That is why every reasonable member of APC in Delta State should support Victor Ochei, we know where Utomi belongs to and I like him as a person, he is very intelligent man but politically he cannot give APC victory in Delta state, but Ochei has the name he belongs to them, he knows them, he was the speaker of the state, he was a member of Delta state caucus and not just being a member he has a very influential personality he usually dominates every environment, there is no way Ogboru can win this state for APC so we need a candidate that will win this state, whether you like it or not, we have a unwritten political agreement in Delta state, in 1999 the PDP did their 8 years through James Ibori and Delta South through Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan comprising Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko did their 8 years and now it is the turn of Delta North. The candidacy of Ogboru is unnecessary troubleshooting we the practical politicians solved this problem and we started seeking for somebody who we know and we can use to deal with the PDP and get our victory that is why some of us who knows the potency of Ochei’s candidacy aligned ourselves with Ochei , Ochei is the former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly had a legacy that had not been matched since he left there, go there you can see the tenure of Ochei as the speaker should he be the Governor of this state Asaba will become a different story, Delta State the richest state with one of the poorest and dirtiest state capital.

     

     

  • Buhari appoints Nine new federal permanent secretaries

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of nine new Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

    The appointment was announced in a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita.

    The list of the successful Federal Permanent Secretaries and their states of origin are as follows:

    Read Also: Buhari may present 2019 budget to NASS next week

    “Dr Bakari Wadinga, Adamawa, Dr M.K. Dikwa, Borno, Dr Ajani Magdalene N. Olor, Delta, Umakhihe Ernest Afolabi, Edo, Mbaeri Maurice Nnamdi, Imo, Babatunde Lawal, Lagos.

    “Engr. Festus Yusuf Narai Daudu, Nasarawa, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, Osun and Dr Musa Hanafi Moriki, Zamfara

    He said that the swearing in and assignment of portfolios would be announced in due course.

  • Delta APC gov: Court says suit against Ogboru improperly filed

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has held that the suit challenging the emergence of Great Ogboru as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta was not not properly commenced.
    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in a judgment on Tuesday, in the suit by Victor Ochei, held that there were contentious facts in the suit that could not be resolved through mere affidavit evidence, but would require additional evidence.
    It is Ochei’s contention that the delegates that voted at the Delta APC’s governorship primary of September 30 this year, which produced Ogboru as the party’s candidate, were illegal.
    Ochei argued that the delegates were not those contained in “the list of delegates contemplated in the consent judgment entered on June 19, 2018 by Justice A. I. Chikere (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/509/2018 between Odjebobo Desire Onayefeme & another v. The National Chairman of the APC & another.”
    Justice Dimgba, who partly upheld the preliminary objections filed by the APC and Ogboru (2nd and 3rd defendants), however rejected their requests to have this suit struck out on the grounds that it was wrongly commenced.
    The judge converted the suit, initiated by way of originating, to writ of summons and directed parties to file and exchange  pleadings before January 23 next year when the case would be heard again.
    Details later

  • Delta gets new police commissioner

    A new Commissioner of Police, Anthony Ogbizi Michael, has resumed in Delta State.

    He replaces Muhammad Mustafa, who was redeployed to Ebonyi State. Michael has a BSc in Political Science from University of Calabar.

    He hails from Obudu Local Government of Cross River State.

    The commissioner, who enlisted into the force in 1986 as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), has held posts including  Assistant Commissioner of Police, Special Investigation Unit, FCIID Abuja, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Counter-Terrorism and General Investigation EFCC.

    He was deputy commissioner of Police Administration Force Headquarters, Abuja, commissioner of Police, former Special Fraud Unit, Abuja, commissioner, Community Policing, Force Headquarters, Abuja,  Special Squad Unit Abuja,  commissioner, Railway Command, commissioner, Abia State Command, and briefly commissioner,  Ebonyi State Police Command.

  • NNPC/Chevron JV donates to IDPs in Delta, Bayelsa

    The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture has donated mattresses, food items, toiletries and other materials to assist flood victims in Warri Southwest, Warri North, Delta State and Igbogene in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The gesture, according to the joint venture, is another significant contribution to the wellbeing of people in Nigeria.

    At  Warri Southwest, Secretary to the Local Government, Mrs. Gabari Gladys Omare, and the state Emergency Management Authority (SEMA) representative, Mrs. Attu Evelyn, received the items on behalf of  the council Chairman, Hon Tuoyo Duke Taiye, while in Warri North, Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Victor German with the support of Head of Department, Engineering, Jerry Atigan, received the items on behalf of the council chairman, Mr. Aduge Okorodudu. At Igbogene, the items were received by  Angus Didei on behalf of Bayelsa State Emergency Relief Committee.

    Explaining the reason for the donations, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Esimaje Brikinn,  represented by Tony Emegere, PGPA superintendent, said: “This donation is in line with the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture’s commitment and our tradition of care for the welfare of people around our areas of operation in Nigeria and beyond.  As we donate these items today, I hope they will assist in meeting the needs of the people,” he said.

  • Power outage in Edo will soon be over, BEDC

    Management of the BEDC Electricity Plc in charge of Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo states has said that the power outage currently being experienced in parts of Benin City and environs would soon be a thing of the past.
    It said that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has made commitment to procure two 60mva transformers to replace the faulty  ones that plunged the state into darkness.
    Spokesman for the BEDC, Adekunle Tayo, told newsmen on Wednesday that the firm has put measures in place to ensure power is restored to affected areas before the two procured 60mva transformers are installed.
    Tayo said the new lines being installed at Okada in Ovia North East would soon be completed.

    Read Also: Edo budgets N7b for investment drive

    He debunked reports that Edo gets more power since the Azura Power Plant generates 600 megawatts of electricity.
    Tayo explained that whatever Azura generates is taken to the national grid before it is transmitted to the Discos across the country.
    According to him, “What happened at the transformer that caused all these was purely an accident and we have taken steps to connecting affected customers to other areas.
    “As a stop gap on the recent reduction in power supplied to Edo State on some feeders in Central Benin, arrangement was made to connect customers on the affected feeders to existing functional ones in a manner that would not overload the system and to provide supply albeit on limited basis, pending when normal supply”.

  • Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja Crisis: Delta community pleads for extension of military exercise

    The Ogbe-Ijoh Traditional Council of Chiefs in Warri South-West council area of Delta state has pleaded with the state government and the Nigerian Army authorities to extend the duration of the Exercise Crocodile Smile 3 in their area for the sustenance of peace and security.
    The council, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Chief Anthony Jolomi, noted that the the kingdom, especially in its headquarters, Ogbe-Ijoh, had experienced the sort of peace and calm that had eluded it over the years, especially since the bloody communal crisis between it and the neighbouring Aladja community in Udu council area erupted.
    It would be recalled that the Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja communal crisis had lasted for more than two decades, claiming several lives and led to the destruction of multi-million naira properties on both sides.
    The Exercise Crocodile Smile 3, which was kicked off on October 22, 2018, was designed to fight criminals in the country, as well as engender peace and communal harmony from community to community, and was meant to last for one month.
    However, the traditional leadership of Ogbe-Ijoh community, in its statement over the weekend, after commending both the Delta state government and the Nigerian Army, expressed its appreciation for the gains so far made out of the last one month of the exercise and demanded that it be extended in the Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja axis.
    It also requested that a permanent military base be established in the border between their communities.
    “Your excellency sir, we want to particularly thank you for the extension of stay by the detachment of operation crocodile smile III sent by the federal government in collaboration with the Delta state government to restore total peace in Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities.
    “As a people, we want to thank the Nigerian military, especially the chief of army staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai for his swift response. Like Oliver twist, we want to ask that the operation crocodile smile III sent to restore normalcy in the area should continue.
    “The people of Ogbe-Ijoh are so happy, we can now sleep with our two eyes closed, all thanks to the military that have truly brought peace to our community. Peace is truly what we need and not violence.
    “It would be recalled that the operation crocodile smile III was declared as a military exercise charged with the responsibility to quell any clash, it was billed to last for a month, it started on October 22nd 2018 and November 22nd makes it one month already. We are so happy that they are still around, we want to believe that they will continue to stay in order to safeguard us.
    “The military is truly working, we can’t really thank them enough, we are ever ready to cooperate with them whenever it is needed. We are also appealing to the Delta state government to please establish a military base in between the two towns. This we believe will put to rest the incessant attacks,” the council stated.

  • Two mobile policemen killed, rifles taken by gunmen in Delta

    There was palpable tension all through Friday and Saturday around Usiefurun Road area of Orhuwhorun town, Udu council area of Delta state, following the killing of two mobile policemen by unknown gunmen.
    The mobile policemen, who were on guard duty in the area, were murdered by suspected criminals, who took their riffles away and left several residents of the area with various degrees of gunshot injuries.
    However, residents of the area started fleeing their home on Friday after reportedly being threatened by colleagues of the fallen policemen while demanding that the perpetrators be found and handed over to police authorities or they would visit their anger on whoever they lay their hands on.
    One of the residents of the area, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, said he and his family, just like most other residents of the area, deserted their home since Friday and had been taking refuge in separate abodes.
    “My wife and the children are with my in-laws since yesterday (Friday), while I have since been in my cousin’s place in town (Warri). Our landlord also left with his family. He said so long as they don’t burn his house, he will return when everything has returned to normal.
    “People are running away because that later that evening when other policemen came they were very angry and were threatening that they would start killing people if the community failed to produce the killers and the rifles. They also went to the palace of the traditional ruler and asked him to produce the rifles”, the community source said.
    Meanwhile, when reached, the spokesman of the Delta state police command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said the command was already on the trail of the perpetrators, adding that there would be no rest until the killers are brought to justice.
    “We are on the trail of the criminals who carried this act out and shall not rest until we bring them to justice.
    “There’s no way any police personnel will threaten the people because without the people, there can’t the a police force; we only exist because there’s a people. I must plead, though, that people with credible information about how these criminals can be arrested should volunteer such information. You and I know that those who collected those rifles did not take them for nothing, they definitely want to use them to further do harm to innocent people,” he said.