The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta

  • New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    The federal government has released a State by State breakdown of another tranche of Paris Club refund of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments from 1995-2002.

    A statement from the federal ministry of finance said these payments which totalled N243, 795,465,195.20 “were made to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory upon the approval of the President on May 4, 2017.”

    Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers states received the largest disbursements of N10 billion each.

    This second tranche of Paris Club refunds is a “partial settlement of long-standing claims by State Governments relating to over-deductions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002.”

    The statement added that Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun explained that these debt service deductions were in respect of the Paris Club, London Club and Multilateral debts of the federal and State governments.

    Adeosun noted that “while Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in October 2005, some States had already been overcharged.”

    The funds were released to State Governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.

    The releases the ministry said “were conditional upon a minimum of 75 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for States that owe salaries and pension.”

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said it “is reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by State Governments.”

    A detailed report is being compiled for presentation to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the process for approval for the release of any subsequent tranches.
    The disbursements are contained in the table below:

     

    S/N STATE AMOUNT PAYABLE (NGN)
    1 ABIA 5,715,765,871.48
    2 ADAMAWA 6,114,300,352.68
    3 AKWA-IBOM 10,000,000,000.00
    4 ANAMBRA 6,121,656,702.34
    5 BAUCHI 6,877,776,561.25
    6 BAYELSA 10,000,000,000.00
    7 BENUE 6,854,671,749.25
    8 BORNO 7,340,934,865.32
    9 CROSS RIVER 6,075,343,946.93
    10 DELTA 10,000,000,000.00
    11 EBONYI 4,508,083,379.98
    12 EDO 6,091,126,592.49
    13 EKITI 4,772,836,647.08
    14 ENUGU 5,361,789,409.66
    15 GOMBE 4,472,877,698.19
    16 IMO 7,000,805,182.97
    17 JIGAWA 7,107,666,706.76
    18 KADUNA 7,721,729,227.55
    19 KANO 10,000,000,000.00
    20 KATSINA 8,202,130,909.85
    21 KEBBI 5,977,499,491.45
    22 KOGI 6,027,727,595.80
    23 KWARA 5,120,644,326.57
    24 LAGOS 8,371,938,133.11
    25 NASARAWA 4,551,049,171.12
    26 NIGER 7,210,793,154.95
    27 OGUN 5,739,374,694.46
    28 ONDO 7,003,648,314.28
    29 OSUN 6,314,106,340.62
    30 OYO 7,901,609,864.25
    31 PLATEAU 5,644,079,055.41
    32 RIVERS 10,000,000,000.00
    33 SOKOTO 6,441,128,546.76
    34 TARABA 5,612,014,491.52
    35 YOBE 5,413,103,116.59
    36 ZAMFARA 5,442,385,594.49
    37 FCT 684,867,500.04
    TOTAL 243,795,465,195.20

     

  • Many injured as police, air force personnel clash

    Many injured as police, air force personnel clash

    The peaceful atmosphere in Jeddo, Okpe council area of Delta, on the outskirts of Warri metropolis, was shattered Monday evening as operatives of two sister security agencies; police and the Nigerian Air Force, engaged each other in a fierce shootout.

    Although there was no death record from the engagement, the Nation gathered that several persons, including personnel of both agencies and some residents of the area, sustained various degrees of injuries even as properties including vehicles and makeshift homes, were destroyed.

    The Nation gathered that trouble started when a personnel of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the police got engaged in a hot argument with a lady, which resulted in a physical assault as the police personnel reportedly slapped the lady, who happens to be an air force personnel’s daughter.

    The lady went back home to relate her experience to her father, who reportedly mobilised his men to storm the spot where his daughter had been assaulted. The police official also called his colleagues in when he sensed that the situation was about to go out of hands.

    Security sources disclosed that the Airforce, on arriving the scene, opened fire which was replied by the Police special squad with people scampering for safety.

    Alhough no life was lost in the incident, several people, including the personnel of the two agencies, sustained injuries while several vehicles were vandalised and make shift properties of traders destroyed. The incident has scared most residents out of their homes, fearing there might be further faceoff between personnel of both bodies.

    Although efforts to get an official reaction from the police was not immediately successful as the police spokesman at the Delta state police command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said he was driving when reached, a senior police source confirmed the incident, but was unable to talk much.

    It was also gathered that the Area Commander of the Police in charge of Warri, Mohammed Shaba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) met with the new Commanding Officer of NAF for several hours to find a lasting solution to the clash.

    “I am in a meeting over the clash. I cant talk on it. It is the Commander of the Nigerian Airforce that call talk on it”, he said on phone.

    Delta State Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, said he was not aware of the incident but promised to investigate.

  • Delta: Four killed as Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja crisis festers

    Delta: Four killed as Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja crisis festers

    There is a fresh security concern in the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh axis of Delta State after a clash between Urhobo and Ijaw elements in the area claimed no fewer than four lives between Wednesday and yesterday.

    Allegations and counter-allegations of abductions and subsequent slaughtering of victims spread like wildfire   last week, with the people of Aladja, an Urhobo community in Udu council area of the state, accusing their Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom neighbours, an Ijaw community in Warri South-West council area, of abducting and killing two Aladja indigenes; Moses Kporoko and Saha, last Tuesday.

    The claim by Aladja was followed on Wednesday by Ogbe-Ijoh, claiming that two men from Opuede community in Gbaramatu, another Ijaw kingdom in Warri South-West council area – Solomon Ikoto and Samuel Agolo – were kidnapped and allegedly killed by Aladja people.

    Residents of Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu, consequently threatened to retaliate if the missing persons were not found immediately.

    The situation degenerated yesterday after persons suspected to be armed Ijaw youths from Fenegbene community in Warri South council area abducted one Tuwere Metabor, a native of Aladja community, while fishing along the Warri River at about 10:20am.

    The abduction is suspected to be in retaliation for the alleged killing of the two Gbaramatu men.

    Chairman of Opuede community, Williams Tortor, who confirmed the alleged abduction of the youths, however appealed to the leadership of Aladja to prevail on their youths to release the abductees unconditionally.

    He pleaded that should they have been killed, their corpses should be released for burial.

    Tortor who spoke to reporters in Warri, also asked  the state government to arrest the situation.

    According to him, allowing the Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja long standing communal crisis to spread to Gbaramatu kingdom and other Ijaw communities would worsen an already bad situation, and snowball into a major intra communal war.

    He said:”Gbaramatu people are not part and parcel of Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja dispute. We have never been part of the crisis, and we don’t support any community against the other.

    “We have been playing the peaceful role of good neighbours but we have never being involved so why should they extend their crisis to us by abducting our boys.

    “We are appealing for their unconditional release, dead or alive, we don’t want further trouble so that the issue doesn’t escalate more than it is now. If they have killed them, let them release their corpses, but if they are alive they should please release them unconditionally.”

    Also, the Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) Gbaramatu clan chapter, in a statement by Godstime Ayetan, Godswill Doubra Wuruyai, and Frank Ekpemupolo, has given the abductors 48-hours ultimatum to release their victims, saying that abduction of Gbaramatu indigenes could have been done in error.

    When contacted, the spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said no case of abduction had been recorded around the area yesterday, although there was a case of suspected missing person, which was recorded two days earlier.

    He said the Ovwian/Aladja axis was calm, adding that investigation was still on over the suspected missing person.

     

  • FG to distribute 1,500 bundles of cassava stems to farmers in Delta

    FG to distribute 1,500 bundles of cassava stems to farmers in Delta

    The Federal Government will distribute 1,500 bundles of cassava stems to 300 farmers in Delta on Friday, the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Delta Chapter, has disclosed.

    Justus Kachikwu, Chairman of the Association disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Asaba.

    Kachikwu said that government partnered with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in providing the improved stems for distribution to the farmers.

    He said that farmers from the three senatorial districts of the state would benefit from the free cassava stems.

    According to him, each of the senatorial districts would receive 500 bundles of the cassava stems.

    Names of 100 farmers were randomly compiled to benefit from the gesture in each senatorial district.

    According to Kachikwu, IITA in partnership with the Federal Government produced the stems with boundless Yellow (vitamin A) for distribution to cassava farmers in the state.

    “Farmers from the three senatorial districts will benefit and each district will receive 500 bundles of cassava stems with each farmer taking home 5 bundles of cassava stems for planting.

    “There is no condition attached; the qualification as beneficiary is that you own a parcel of land prepared for cultivating cassava.

    “To benefit, you must be present at the distribution centre to collect the stems,’’ Kachikwu told NAN.

    He said the association was committed to improving cassava production in the state with a view to creating jobs and providing raw materials for the agro-based industries.

    He assured the farmers of a ready market for their cassava tubers at the end of harvest.

    According to him, there are several proposals from various agro-based industries, demanding for cassava.

    “We need more people to go into cassava cultivation in the state because we have ready markets for it.

    “This is why we are calling on serious farmers to go into cassava cultivation,’’ he said.

  • Relief as Avengers calls off attack plan on oil facilities

    Relief as Avengers calls off attack plan on oil facilities

    There was relief in Delta State Thursday morning following news that the militant group, New Delta Avenger, had called off its plan to cripple oil production in the state through attacks on oil facilities.
     
    The group had threatened to resume hostilities targeting oil facilities and production platforms in the state following its face-off with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration on development of oil communities and funding of the state oil producing areas commission, DESOPADEC.
     
    However, in a volte-face on Thursday morning, the group’s leaders said they were retracting the threat in deference to call for peace by Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
     
    “In deference to your authority on issues involving our development and efforts to change the tide of perpetual underdevelopment and treatment as 2nd class citizens of this nation, the highest command of the NDA has decided to shelve our planned attack on major oil facilities in the region from June 30, 2017,” it said it a statement.
     
    “Without prejudice to any ongoing discussion with the Federal Government, we hope that the window of peace will afford you time to take up the issues as you promised with Delta state government.”
    Five members of the group representing the five allegedly marginalised oil bearing tribes signed the document. They urged Clark to reciprocate their gesture by following up on his promise to ensure justice.
  • FRSC to enforce emotional, mental evaluation of traffic offenders

    FRSC to enforce emotional, mental evaluation of traffic offenders

    Mr. Kehinde Adeleye, the Zonal Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) RS5, Benin, says the organisation will enforce emotional and mental evaluation of traffic offenders.

    Adeleye made the assertion during his second quarter inspection of the Anambra Command Headquarters in Awka on Wednesday.

    The zonal commander said the FRSC would carry out the tests to check offenders’ level of stability.

    He advised motorists in the zone to change their attitude and avoid being caught in the web of the new policy.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that RS5, Benin comprises Anambra, Delta and Edo states.

    Adeleye said the enforcement of the new traffic management policy would be comprehensive, adding that it had become expedient to check recklessness and enhance safety.

    The zonal commander said that so many lives had been lost on the highways, noting that some of the offences that would attract tests include use of phones, route violation and speeding.

    Adeleye, however, said that there was improvement on some of FRSC’s activities in the second quarter of 2016, adding that the corps should not relent in its efforts.

    “The FRSC has come up with a project to address the anomalies in the behaviour of road users; people using phone while driving and people engaging in excessive speeding.

    “It will also address those who fail to install speed limiter in their vehicles and people who drive against traffic.

    “With the good roads and no gridlock, we observe that people still chose to drive against traffic,” the zonal commander said.

    “Motorists caught committing these offences will be subjected to emotional and mental evaluation to check their level of stability and we are going to enforce that seriously.

    “I am using this opportunity to appeal to road users to be conscious of their safety and do everything possible to promote their safety.

    “Across the zone, there has been tremendous improvement over the first quarter in the areas of enforcement, public enlightenment and stakeholders’ engagement.”

    According to him, our response time to crash scenes has also improved to about five to six minutes.

    Adeleye commended the Anambra Command of the FRSC, headed by Mr. Sunday Ajayi, for a good job in keeping the corridor safe.

    He also thanked the state government for donating three motorcycles to the command to enhance its operations.

    “The Anambra Government came to our aid with three motorcycles to enhance our patrol monitoring; and we intend to monitor the whole routes,” he said.

    Contributing, Ajayi said the visit of the zonal commander was re-energising and would motivate them to do more for the safety of the people.

    “We cannot assess ourselves. The important thing is that we have not lost track in our duty to reduce crash and death.

    “The zonal commander is here to evaluate the situation in Anambra and with his coming we have been directed again on what to do.

    “We shall leverage on that to ensure that roads in Anambra become the safest in Nigeria,”

  • Suspected toxic material in Delta community

    Another Delta State community, Egbeleku in Okpe Council Area, now hosts a foul-smelling substance believed to be toxic waste. It is being brought in by a yet to be identified firm.

    The Nation gathered from a community source that leaders of the community, who are suspected to have been compromised by owners of the unidentified object, warned members of the community not to raise any alarm over the development.

    When The Nation visited the community, a new haul of the  suspected toxic materials was being pushed into a dugout pit by an excavator.

    “A company came and settled some leaders in the community some weeks back and have since been hauling in the foul smelling brownish waste through the community into the site.

    “Some of us meant to raise questions as the tact and secrecy with which they control movement of the unknown product into the community tells even the uninformed that what is being brought is toxic.

    “Before we could say what’s going on, some community leaders issued a warning vowing to sanction anyone who exposes the shady deal. It is obvious some persons have been settled to endanger our lives. We call on relevant authorities to come and stop this dangerous business,” a community source said.

  • Teenagers’ death in Delta causes anxiety

    Parents and relatives of two deceased teenagers in Warri, Delta State, have called on both the Delta State government and the state’s police command to unravel the cause of death and bring killers of their sons to justice.

    The bereaved families, whose 15 year-old sons; Samson Omagbemi and Darlington Taire, died on Monday in the premises of Golden Tulip Hotels, also alleged foul play by officials of the hotel, accusing them of corrupting facts of the actual circumstances surrounding their death.

    It should be noted that the disappearance of the boys occurred just a day before officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), sealed the hotel off over a N15.6 million tax indebtedness and their corpses surfaced on Wednesday, just a day after it was sealed off.

    Omagbemi, a nephew of the head coach of the Nigerian female national football team, the Super Falcon, Florence Omagbemi, and Taire, had joined other peers of theirs who also wrote the  last paper of the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE), to swim at the hotels swimming pool.

    They were bother students of Challenge Secondary School, Kolokolo area of Enerhen, Uvwie council area of Delta state. They just ended their junior secondary school grade.

    The Nation was told by both families yesterday that although they were not informed of any prearrangement by a teacher in their school, identified as Mr Robinson, they were alarmed to receive the news of the death of their sons on Wednesday after, after two days of fruitless searches for them.

    According to the sad account of the events, as narrated to the Nation in Warri by both Omagbemi’s uncle, Henry Omagbemi and Taire’s father, Morrison Taire, the corpses of the boys were said to have been found in the pool on Wednesday, two days after the got missing, with their faces swollen and traces of blood from the nose and mouth.

    “We went to the mortuary and saw the two students in the mortuary. They didn’t look like people who were in the pool because the mouth and the face were bleeding. But the legs were intact. If somebody is drowned in the pool you will see some signs of swollen stuff and all that but nothing like that. Before we finished, the two people that went with us, disappeared on Wednesday”, Omagbemi said.

    He called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Khotoun Idris to investigate and bring to justice anyone culpable for the deaths of the two students.

    “We want justice to be done. It looks mysterious to us. We want justice to be done. The truth of the whole thing should be told to us. Covering somebody’s corpse is something else. taking somebody’s corpse to mortuary without the knowledge of the person’s family and all that looks suspicious”, Omagbemi said.

    Efforts to get the manager of Golden Tulip Hotels to throw more light on the development was unsuccessful as he was said to be away from his office, however, another female official of the hotel, who gave her name as Mukoro, said menders of the swimming pool were the ones who discovered the corpses on Wednesday.

    Although she denied that the teenagers who came to swim on Monday were coordinated by any adult, as she said they paid their ticket fees individually, she, however admitted that the deceased members of the group of boys came along with others on Monday and that their corpses were only discovered on Wednesday.

    Delta State Police Commissioner Zanna Ibrahim confirmed that three suspects were already in police custody.

    “About 1000hrs one MC Collins Nwose,  the General myanager of Golden Tulip Hotel, Effurun, reported that at about 0530hrs of 14/06/2017,  two male corpses were found floating inside the hotel’s swimming pool.

    “Scene visited by team of  detectives, led by the DPO, CSP Ibrahim Shuaibu. Photographs taken, corpses deposited at Central Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy.

    “Information in our disposal revealed that the names of the deceased are Darlington Taire, male, aged 15 years and Samson Omagbemi, male, aged 14 years. Both are students of Challenge School, Kolokolo, Enerhen.

    “However, two students, namely Muntari Sidi, male and Feargod Edafe, male,  who accompany the late students to the said swimming pool, and the swimming pool attendant, have been arrested and are helping the police in their investigation,” Ibrahim said.

  • NGO donates books to schools in Delta community

    NGO donates books to schools in Delta community

    An NGO; Every Child Counts Initiative for Education, on Friday donated text books worth millions of naira to schools in Oyede Community in Isoko-North Local Government Area of Delta.
    In her speech at the occasion, the founder of the NGO, Mrs Veronica Ogbuagu, expressed hope that the books would boost reading culture among school children.
    Ogbuagu, Commissioner for Education in the administration of former Gov. James Ibori, said the books were donated to her at no cost by an organisation “Books for Africa,” based in the USA.
    She expressed concern that over 80 per cent of Nigerian children in public primary and secondary schools could not read and comprehend due to poor reading foundation.
    “As an NGO, we are committed to the course of children, youths and women.
    “We teach young people life skills; we promote good health and quality education.
    “We believe that every child must be educated to enable him realise his potential and contribute meaningfully to the development of the society,” Ogbuagu said.
    In his remarks, Mr Solomon Oyenenue, Chief Inspector of Education, Isoko-North LGA, said the books would help to redirect the children from social vices and inculcate in them good moral values.
    The Pincipal of Oyede Comprehensive High School, Mrs Roseline Ogbo, who spoke on behalf of principals of the benefitting schools, thanked the donor and promised that they would make judicious use of the books.
    She called on other NGOs and well meaning Nigerians to emulate the donor and assist school children to acquire knowledge.
    The president of Oyede Development Union Mr Peter Akarogbe, who also commended the donor, said the gesture would help to address the high level of illiteracy in the community.
    “Reading culture of Nigerian children has fallen to 30 per cent according to the United Nations rating.
    “This gesture will help inculcate in the children the habit of reading,” Akarogbe said.”

  • NDDC ’ll develop Niger Delta, Ekere assures residents

    The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, has said the commission will establish the right institutions, partnerships and strategies to bring true development to the Niger Delta region.

    Ekere spoke yesterday at NDDC’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, while signing separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), led by Dr Dara Akala, and the Budgit Foundation, with Mr Oluseun Onigbinde as its lead partner.

    The NDDC chief said the Federal Government interventionist agency placed emphasis on Niger Delta region to fulfil the people’s expectations, reward aspirations and renew faith in government and other institutions of authority.

    He noted that PIND was a Chevron and United States of America (U.S.A) agency for International Development (USAID)-funded non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Ekere said it operated exclusively in Niger Delta with the objective of building peace, resolving conflicts, building capacity and providing the enabling environment for sustainable living.

    He said: “In very clear and unambiguous terms, this commission is mandated to develop our people and the Niger Delta region.

    “In the execution of the challenging and unenviable task, management (of NDDC), in collaboration with the board, is at liberty to enable a pragmatic vision of regional development, roll out strategies and tactics for execution of the vision and harness internal and external metrics that would facilitate its optimal actualisation.

    “To build this great region (Niger Delta) is to build ourselves, our families, our communities and our people. To fulfil the letters and spirit of the mandate before this partnership and the commission is to actualise our collective dreams, long held.”

    Ekere added that when the governing board and management of NDDC took over on November 4, last year, there was the unveiling of the 4-R initiative, whose overarching objective was to deliver high impact social welfare programmes and physical infrastructure projects that would touch the people’s lives and change the prevalent narrative.

    The NDDC chairman said the initiative would restructure the agency’s balance sheet, reform the governance systems, restore its core mandate and reaffirm the agency’s commitment to doing what was right and proper at all times.

    Ekere noted that due to the enormity of the developmental and institutional challenges before the commission and its officials, it was imperative to have clearly-conceived and robustly-articulated partnerships, built on shared vision and responsibility.

    PIND’s Executive Director Dr Dara Akala said the foundation was promoting peace and development in the Niger Delta.