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Tag: Delta

  • Edo, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo, power consumers protest blackout

    A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of BEDC Franchise State Peoples’ Alliance, yesterday protested against the management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja.

    The protest was led by power consumers from Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states.

    The protesters also visited the offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to lodge their complaints against company.

    The power users from the four states called for the overhaul of the company’s management.

    The President of Edo Civil Society Organisations, one of the CSOs in the alliance, Mr. Leftist Agho, said the BEDC had not recorded any improvement since it took over the distribution of power to the affected states.

    The address was jointly signed by Comrade Terry Ajagbawa, Delta State Coalition of Civil Society Groups; Comrade Omopariola Dare, Ondo State Electricity Customers; Comrade Akinsuroju Olubanjo, Bring Back Our Light and Ibukun Ogundipe, Ekiti State Residents’ Association.

    Agho said: “Since takeover, the BEDC has not recorded any discernible improvement or added value to what it met on ground. Nigerians in the affected states have been groaning under heavy estimated and ‘crazy’ bills, deliberate non-supply of meters and molestation of consumers with the military.

    “There is also the refusal by BEDC to connect communities to the national grid, non-provision of transformers, poles and other ancillaries, creation of special electricity lines for certain institutions and individuals, while the majority are served total darkness, among other inefficiencies numerous to outline.”

    He urged the Federal Government not to extend the date for the review of BEDC’s performance agreement with the BPE.

    He said: “While Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti people are waiting for the end of the terrible activities that BEDC has dealt on them for over four years running. It was shocking to read in the media of the purported plan by the BPE and the NERC to extend the performance agreement with additional one year, which hopefully, will elapse in December 2019.

    “This is insensitive, to say the least, of a government in the face of several protests, complaints and petitions from citizens, civil society groups, communities and youth groups from the four states of BEDC franchise area.”

    In October, the Federal Government announced that the date for the final performance review of the privatised electricity distribution companies will be on December 31, 2019.

    The BPE said the announcement became imperative due to the interest shown by various stakeholders in the electricity industry on the date for final review of distribution companies’ (DISCOs’) performance.

  • Delta Apc leaders in war of words

    DELTA State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Jones Erue has dismissed his ertswhile deputy and factional leader, Cyril Ogodo, describing him “as an imposter and an attention seeker merely acting the script of his paymasters in PDP”.

    Nick Ovuakporie, APC’s Head, Strategy & Communication spoke weekend in a statement while reacting to comments by Cyril Ogodo.

    Erue accused the factional leader of attempting to distract the party from its goal of clinching the governorship in 2019.

    Ogodo had queried the powers of Erue to inaugurate a reconciliation committee, headed by Richard Odibo, saying it breached a court order.

    He said: “ The party has ordinarily refrained from responding to sponsored cheap media blackmail and vituperations against the state chairman that are aimed at distracting his focus of building a new Delta as a prelude to occupying the Denis Osadebey Government House in Asaba but for the public which may be misled by these wrong contraptions being planted on some national newspapers.”

    The statement expressed dismay at the level of distortions and lies peddled by a group obviously being financed by a jittery PDP.

    Ovuakporie added that the question as to who was the authentic state chairman had been put to rest owing to the transparent congresses conducted months ago which Erue won.

    The statement debunked insinuations that the alleged feud between its governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, was the reason for setting up the reconciliation committee.

    Erue said such feud only existed in the figment of the imagination of Ogodo and his band of co-travellers, adding  that there was no issue among the leaders nor crisis requiring any reconciliation, except for squabbles generated by the primaries and other issues, which necessitated the Odibo Committee.

    He stressed the need for unity and cohesion among members, appealing to them to embrace peace, and support  the reconciliation committee.

    Erue urged support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and all candidates of the party in 2019.

    He praised members for their support and show of solidarity in the face of daunting challenges and intimidation by PDP agents.

     

  • Okowa swears in commissioner, SAs

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday swore in three new appointees — Chief Joseph Utomi, Mrs Mercy Almona-Isei and Chief Kenneth Gbagi — charging them to bring on board their brilliance in furthering the state’s development.

    Utomi was sworn in as Commissioner, while Almona-Isei and Gbagi were sworn in as Special Advisers.

    Their specific offices were not named at the swearing-in ceremony.

    The governor, who performed the ceremony in Asaba, charged the appointees to key into the developmental framework of his administration.

    “The thrust of our policies and programmes is clear and focused, and that is, empowerment, job and wealth creation.

    Read Also:We’ ve lost a patriotic Nigerian, says Okowa

     

    “We are committed to building infrastructure that can support economic growth and an economically integrated state,” Okowa said.

    He said that his administration was committed to transparency and accountability, and the state was blessed with many brilliant people out of which the appointees had been selected.

    Okowa congratulated them on their appointment and urged them to contribute to positive development in the state, for the common good.

    “Let it be known loud and clear that service to the people is the best opportunity to serve God,” he said.

    The governor assured the people that the development programmes of his administration would get to every community in the state.

    Responding on behalf of the appointees, Utomi, thanked the governor for finding them fit to serve in his administration.

    He assured the governor that they would serve the government and the people of the state selflessly and to the best of their abilities.

  • FG tasked on lasting solution to flood onslaught

    The federal government has been tasked to pursue ways that will bring lasting solutions to the onslaught of flooding across communities in Nigeria.

    The director of the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade, made the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Wednesday.

    According to him, not only are properties worth millions of naira lost to the ravaging flood, several lives have been yearly, cut short.

    It will be noted that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NMA) had warned of the impending disaster in 11 states including Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Yobe and Zamfara. However, not much was done by relevant government agencies to avert the situation.

    Mulade, in his statement, therefore appealed to the federal and state governments, international civil society organizations, private sectors as well as well-meaning individuals to join CEPEJ to provide assistance, especially in resettling flood victims in the country.

    He said “As a non-governmental organization with a special focus on environmental justice, we are sensitizing the people living within the affected areas and call for adequate relief materials to the victims and to properly resettle them.

    “CEPEJ is also by this means advocating that the federal government provides continued assistance in the resettlement efforts towards finding a permanent solution to the problem of flooding in Nigeria. We are deeply saddened that several lives have been lost to the annual flooding in the affected areas, homes and farmlands have been destroyed, means of livelihood brought to an abrupt halt and farm produce worth millions of naira have also been destroyed.

    Read Also: Flood kills 20-year-old in Anambra

     

    “CEPEJ hopes that as part of the Federal Government’s long term measures, the construction of buffer dams on the long stretch of the Niger be considered, to intermittently break wild water tides and avoid future re-occurrence”, he said.

    Noting that many affected persons are yet to be reached with aids, he added that suffering is on the increase for cases where it was practically impossible to send relief materials or evacuate the victims.

    In September, a national disaster was declared in the worst four affected states; Anambra, Delta, Kogi and Niger, with NEMA releasing a report that about 327,052 people are affected in the flooded states with over 70 casualties.

    Also, an outbreak of malaria and water borne diseases has been reported, just as displaced persons are currently being hosted in emergency shelters such as local government offices, schools, stadiums, churches and internally displaced persons (IDP) hostels built by Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation.

  • Delta to boost tourism with 33 meter exhibition tower

    DELTA State government said it will build a 33 metre exhibition and observatory tower at the Lander Brothers Anchorage in Asaba, Delta State. Okowa made this known yesterday shortly after inspecting the Lander Brothers Anchorage. The anchorage plays host to the graves of some expatriates located at the bank of the River Niger. Okowa said, “You can see that this place (the anchorage) is under utilised,.

    We are aware of the importance of tourism in our lives, as a government, we are going to improve on the facilities we have here. “We have to do it as a government. We need to improve it to attract more tourists; we will have an observatory tower that is going to be about 33 metres high and you will be able to see the rest of Asaba and Onitsha. It will attract a lot of people.” At the multi-billion naira Central Secretariat, Asaba Okowa expressed satisfaction with the pace of work, disclosing that with the pace of work witnessed at the construction site, the contractor would beat March, 2019 completion date.

    “I am happy with what I saw at the secretariat. The contractor is doing a great job. Recall that the ground breaking ceremony was performed in June this year and from what we saw, they will complete the secretariat on schedule , ” he said. The governor who was taken round the project sites by the Chief Executive Officer of Contemporary Group, Arch. Kester Ifeadi, also inspected the site for proposed Delta State Leisure Park in Asaba.

  • Six Catholic nuns kidnapped in Delta

    Six Catholic nuns were Thursday night kidnapped by unknown gunmen at Agbor town, Ika South L.G.A.

    The Nation gathered that the nuns were traveling in a commercial bus when gunmen attacked their vehicle at Railway junction near Emuhu village.

    It was learnt that two persons were shot,but it is unclear whether the victims shot were the nuns or the other passengers in the vehicle.

    The Nation gathered that two captives escaped from the abductors.

    Read Also: 11 people died in Benue boat mishap – NIWA

    Delta State Police Commissioner,Mustafa Muhammadu confirmed the incident.

    He assured that the security agencies were on the trail of the kidnappers.

    He said security operatives have been combing the area.

  • Delta South primary: Four APC senatorial aspirants protest exclusion

    FOUR All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirants in Delta South Senatorial District have protested their exclusion from the party’s primary election even as they dismissed the Delta South Senatorial Primary as a sham.

    Decrying claims through media reports that they were all disqualified and that only one aspirant was cleared for the contest, the four aspirants said they have not been given any reason for their alleged disqualification, adding that they attended the oral interviews and met all the requirements set out by the party to contest for the senatorial ticket.

    In a statement made available to The Nation, the four aspirants, Temisan Omatseye, High Chief Michael Johnny, Evans Omatsoguwa, and AVM Omatsola Okorodudu (retd), petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party. They called on the party’s hierarchy to urgently address the problem.

    They noted that they paid the sum of N7million, being the cost for the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, picked and filled nomination forms and followed every process before embarking on electioneering campaign. Based on these, they decried their exclusion from the primary.

    The statement read in part: “We the undersigned, being members of the All Progressives Congress and having paid the seven million naira being cost of expression of interest and nomination forms to contest for the Delta South Senatorial District would like to draw the attention of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, members of the APC worldwide and Nigerians at large on the unfortunate incident that is happening in our party most especially as it relates to the recently conducted scam called senatorial primary that took place in Oleh, Delta State.

    “Based on the electoral guidelines as issued by the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC), we took it upon ourselves to pay and collect the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, filled out same and submitted to the Director of Administration of the APC and all this was duly acknowledged.

    “We were all invited for screening at Abuja and were all screened by the team appointed by the NWC and chaired by former Senate President Ken Nnamani on Friday 21st September 2018 at the Ladi Kwali hall, Sheraton Hotel Abuja.

    “Based on the oral discussion during the screening process we were informed that our certificates to confirm us being cleared to contest for the primaries will be forwarded to us before the conduct of the primaries. On the basis of that communication, we all set out to our various locations to continue with our campaigns scheduled for 2nd October 2018.

    “There was no further communication from the APC National Headquarters to all the undersigned and based on this we preceded to the election venue on the said 2nd October 2018. While at the venue, we were informed that a publication had been released by the APC that only one person had been cleared to contest the primary election and that we the remaining four contestants had been technically disqualified by the APC.

    “Naturally, we found this very difficult to believe and refused to rely on the mere publication of the news media considering the amount of fake news that is making the rounds… We waited for a direct communication from the APC on reasons being adduced by them for the so-called technical disqualification as they have all our phone numbers.

    “Prior to the publication being made, all aspirants had made efforts to mobilise all statutory delegates from the eight local governments consisting of Bomadi, Burutu, Isoko South, Isoko North, Patani, Warri South, Warri South West, Warri North and all the 87 wards that make up the Delta South Senatorial District to Oleh being the senatorial zonal headquarters.

    “Having spent from 8am to 6pm at the venue, we were again informed through the social media that the APC had postponed all senatorial primaries to the 3rd of October 2018 at 9am. Once again the party did not deem it fit, out of courtesy, to communicate same to all aspirants through their respective phone numbers.

    ”Meanwhile, the only cleared candidate had inundated the social media with claims of him being unopposed, a claim that is false as neither the delegates nor the other four aspirants got together to endorse him in any form.”

  • INEC projects 80m registered voters ahead of 2019 elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) said on Thursday that more than 80 million registered Nigerians were expected to vote during the 2019 general elections in the country.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this in a paper he presented at the 14th All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) holding in Asaba, Delta capital.

    Yakubu, represented by Mike Igini, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Akwa Ibom, said that the figure was made up of 67 million existing registered voters and 14 million fresh registrants.

    He said 91 political parties had been registered ahead of the 2019 elections, adding that there was a total of 120,000 polling units across the country.

    The INEC chairman also said that the commission had so far conducted about 190 elections that had not been upturned by any law court.

    He further disclosed that the commission had 16,000 staff across the nation, but added that the number was insignificant in managing elections effectively.

    Yakubu urged Nigerians to take ownership of the election process by participating actively in it.

    The INEC chairman appealed to politicians to shun “vote-buying” which he said the commission was currently working hard to curb.

    “Vote-buying is bad and if we don’t deal with the problem of vote-buying, it will destroy the electoral process,” he said.

    He further tasked the media to maintain neutrality in all its activities during and after elections, noting that the media had assisted tremendously in sustaining voters’ enlightenment.

    Yakubu said that the gathering of editors provided an opportunity for INEC to update those who determined the content of news for the Nigerian people on the extent of its preparations for the elections.

    Read Also: Midnight Raids: Reps ask Customs to return seized Rice

    “No other body in the country has a better reach than the media in disseminating the goals, intensions and efforts of the commission,” he said.

    He noted that credible elections underscored the idea of election integrity and the notion of inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.

    According to him, it requires that the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) who manage elections should live above board.

    Mahmood advised the EMBs to act in a non-partisan and independent manner by ensuring that established rules governing the conduct of elections were enforced fully and impartially.

  • ‘Vote wisely for credible politicians in 2019’

    A Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State Hon. Thompson Abideke has applauded the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate in 2019 elections.
    Abideke who spoke with reporters on Monday in Warri said that Atiku’s victory did not come as a surprise, adding that he is the only one who can give President Muhammadu Buhari a good fight in 2019 exercise.
    His words,”I see PDP taking over the reigns of governance at the centre because APC led government has disappointed Nigeria and thereby plunged Nigerians into untold hardship to the extend that the average Nigerian cannot afford two meals a day”.

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari, Atiku set

    He praised Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his achievements.
    According to Okowa has already laid a solid strategy through his numerous achievements that will bring him back to complete his second tenure.
    “Governor Okowa has no doubt fulfilled all righteousness by impacting all the 25 local governments areas by providing infrastructural development that has placed Delta above all other states of the Federation. Owing to  this fact that the Governor has played well his part, hence I am appealing passionately to all the people of the state to vote massively for him”, stressed the Ijaw Opinion leader.
    He charged Nigerians to avoid crisis that will further heat up the polity, stressing that, effort should be geared towards ensuring a virile and indivisible country.

    “It is no more secret that Dr. Okowa has been the Governor whose administration has touched the lives of the people of the state. No doubt, both Deltans and non-Deltans have appraised the present administration in the state and lauded the solid achievements of the Governor”, said Abideke.

    “The primary election has been conducted and Governor Okowa emerged as the sole gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the state. It is also a clear indication of his giant developmental stride; hence majority of Deltans are clamouring for his return in 2019”, stressed the PDP chieftain.

    The Ijaw leader however assured that his people are ready to vote Okowa again in 2019, because he has truly showed that he is committed to  the wellbeing of the people.

    “Presently, he has promised to build an overhead bridge in the Bomadi axis as well as other strategic places in the state. Above all, his smart agenda are being implemented to give Deltans a sense of belonging”, remarked the renowned politician. 

  • House of Assembly aspirant calls for cancellation of APC primaries in Delta

    A House of Assembly aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) in Delta state, Mr. Victor Azebiri, has called for the cancellation of the just concluded primaries in the state.
    Calling on President Muhammad Buhari, as well as the national chairman of the APC to cancel the results, Azebiri decried the imposition of candidates by party leaders in the state.
    Azebiri who is vying for the Bomadi constituency seat in the Delta State House of Assembly come 2019, alleged that the process was hijacked by one of the state leaders of the party, Hon. George Timinimi.
    Making the call on Sunday in Asaba, the lawmaker hopeful described the election conducted as a charade, vowing not to give room for the party to be destroyed.
    According to him, in spite of the warnings against imposition from the party’s leadership through its organizing secretary, Timinimi went ahead to handpick his political son, Mr. Preye Okaba as the candidate of the APC for the Bomadi constituency.
    Mene had particularly stated that there was no materials for Bomadi Local Government Area for the primary and expressed shock over the development as the party did not send any returning officer to Bomadi.
    He said, “I can’t believe that at this level of our nascent democracy, acclaimed APC leaders in Delta State like Hon. George could be so bent on destroying a party that some of us have worked so hard to build, never will I ever allow this political sabotage to have its way in my constituency.
    “Therefore, I call on Mr. President and our able and capable national party chairman, Comr. Adams Oshiomole to put an end to this free reign of impunity in Delta state by cancelling the purported APC primary elections in Delta state,” he said