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Tag: Delta

  • Delta releases N100m UNICEF counterpart fund

    Delta releases N100m UNICEF counterpart fund

    The Delta State Government has released N100 million counterpart funding for the United Nation’s Children Education Fund (UNICEF) water and sanitation programmes.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa spoke yesterday in Asaba, the state capital, on the release of the fund when he hosted the Head of UNICEF Field Office in the Southsouth, Mr Wilbroad Ngambi.

    The governor noted that despite the nation’s economic challenges, his administration would continue to engage in activities that would make life meaningful for the people.

    He said: “As part of our partnership with UNICEF on the water/sanitation programmes, we have released N100 million as our counterpart fund. Within the next few weeks, we will release another N100 million.

    “The delay in the release of funds was because of the economic situation of the country.

    “We have noted the areas in which you have intervened and is still intervening in the state, especially in issues concerning maternal and child health care. We hope to stay strong in our partnership with you for the development and benefits of our people. We promise to do our best to release funds within our limits.”

    Praising the UNICEF for its programmes, Okowa said: “Delta State has over 400 primary health centres and we will support the local government areas to make the health centres functional and responsive to the health needs of our people…”

    Ngambi said UNICEF would continue to partner the state government to protect the rights of the children, strengthen immunisation, maternal and child health care, including family planning.

     

  • Military has no plan to invade Delta communities- Brutai

    The Nigerian military has said recent fears over likely federal forces offensive in the Niger Delta were unnecessary as there are no such plans.
    Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuff Buratai allayed the fears during a courtesy call on the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ikenwoli, in his palace on Ajamimogha Road, Warri.
    The army chief, who had earlier Saturday morning flagged off the special military drill, codenamed ‘Operation Crocodile’s Tears’ in Sapele, said the exercise would focus on training for military personnel and not aimed at witch-hunting or victimising anyone.
    “The exercise is a training routine and not designed to witch-hunt anyone. To this end, I urge all law abiding citizens to go about their normal daily activities without fears”, he said
    The Olu of Warri, in his reaction, said that Nigeria remained indissoluble, saying his subjects and all Deltas believe in one Nigeria.
    It will be recalled that in its logistics build-up to the commencement of the exercise, the military has embarked on a free medical outreach for Sapele communities in Delta State.
    Medical personnel from the Nigerian Army Medical Corps were deployed to attend to medical needs of people of the communities free of charge.

  • Oil price slide will open other sectors of economy – Soludo

    Oil price slide will open other sectors of economy – Soludo

    A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo, has said that the current slide in oil price was an opportunity for the nation to explore other vital sectors of the economy.

    He said, “every disappointment is a blessing and I see the drop in the price of oil as a great opportunity for the country to discover and harness its rich potential.’’

    Soludo stated this at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Delta on Friday in Asaba.

    He said that though Nigeria was under excruciating pains, there was hope for the citizenry.

    Soludo, who is currently the President of African Heritage Institution, Enugu, warned that “the country cannot have competitive economy when there are political and security challenges.”

    According to him, the rate of poverty is high, militancy and kidnapping is on the increase while the current recession faced by the country is self-inflicting.

    While commending the Federal Government for fixing the exchange rate, he noted that the parallel market rate was over-shooting the market.

    The former apex governor warned that if the exchange rate continued to over-shoot, it would scare investors from coming to invest in the country.

    He advised the government to fight insurgency completely and maintain peace, saying that this would go a long way in reviving the economy of the nation.

    He added that the Federal Government should allow states to have control of their resources and pay some percentage to it.

    According to him, this will also help to stabilize the economy of the nation as well as reduce the challenges of insurgency in the country.

    While commending Delta for its anniversary, Soludo urged the state government to develop its waterways as well as its coastal communities for tourism.

    “Holidays abroad is now becoming too expensive and if Delta takes advantage of its coastal areas and develop it, it will attract tourists to the state,’’ he said.

    Soludo also urged the state government to modernize its seaports and industrial parks, adding that this would go a long way in opening up business activities in the South-South region.

    “Modernising the seaports and the industrial parks will also make Delta state an international state as well as increase trade investment.

    “It will also help to serve as an alternative to Lagos state, which is an economic hub of the nation,’’ he added.

  • Delta community reaffirms ultimatum to Chevron on its demands

    •Ugborodo residents end occupation of oil firm’s facilities

    Residents of Benikrukru community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have said they will not change u last Wednesday’s ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).

    The community, which alluded to a statement by the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) on Friday, asking the company to disregard the deadline, said its demands were beyond the powers of the EGCDF.

    It advised CNL to stop what it called the co0mpany’s divide-and-rule strategy.

    Residents of Benikrukru had issued a seven-day deadline to the oil firm to address its demands, including non-compliance with local content laws, unresolved oil spill issues, employment and other associated benefits.

    In a statement by its Chairman Victor Eseimieghan and Secretary Boan Roland Ojogun, the community warned that the oil multinational would be taking a risk if it ignored the deadline.

    It said EGCDF, led by Michael Johnny and Jude Ukori, should mind its business.

    The statement said: “The leadership of the Benikrukru Community wishes to insist and state that we stand by the ultimatum issued to Chevron Nigeria Limited to shut down Abiteye field, if the grievances of the community are not addressed.

    “We wish to also state that the leadership and people of Benikrukru Community, just like any other community in Chevron operational area, are not answerable to the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation.

    “Michael Johnny and Jude Ukori are not the spokespersons of Benikrukru community and should allow Benikrukru people to speak for themselves. The demands of the Benikrukru people are beyond the powers of the EGCDF. In any case, contrary to Mr. Johnny’s claim, the EGCDF has not carried out any developmental project in Benikrukru community in the past three years under Johnny’s leadership.

    “The agitation of the Benikrukru Community for compliance with local content, dispute over land ownership, unresolved spill issues, employment and other associated benefits are legitimate demands and the security agents have been put on notice of Chevron’s maltreatment of the community.

    “We call on the Michael Johnny led EGCDF to face its business and not interfere in the affairs of Benikrukru Community with Chevron. If Chevron ignores our ultimatum, it would be doing so at its risk.”

    Also, after an 11-day unbroken occupation of the Escravos facilities of multinational oil and gas company, Chevron Nigerian Limited (CNL), the people of Ugborodo community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have suspended their protest.

    The community’s leaders, elders, women and youths protested alleged neglect and refusal of the oil company to work with its representatives.

    It occupied a section of the company’s environs on August 9 till August 19.

    Speaking with our reporter yesterday in Warri on why the community suspended the protest, a former chairman of Ugborodo Community Trust, Pa Sandys Omadeli said the decision was in good faith.

    He said it was meant to give Governor Ifeanyi Okowa the benefit of the doubt on the matter.

    Omadeli said the people left the company’s premises, trusting that Okowa would persuade CNL to respect the community’s right to choose its representatives.

    The community leader noted that collapsing the Interim Management Committee (IMC) into the Export Processing Zone’s (EPZ’s) Interface Committee, which was set up by the state government, was unacceptable.

    Omadeli, who said Okowa asked him to appeal to the protesters to vacate the company’s facilities, noted that the governor’s failure to play his part would send the wrong signals to the people.

    The former chairman said the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ikenwoli, was not happy about the way CNL treated Ugborodo people.

    He said: “The governor got in touch with me and I told him I would go. I went there and I spoke to the people and they left. It’s now left for the governor to keep his part of the deal. One, the governor should speak to the company to meet with the community.

    “Two, the idea that the community’s elected IMC should dissolve into the EPZ committee is not acceptable to the people. The community is insisting that it has its internal administration and that the idea of government setting up a body for it is unacceptable. It said the EPZ committee was not set up to administer the community.

    “If the community waits to see these happening and sees nothing, it will seem as though the government had tricked its leaders to get them out of the place. If the government is sincere indeed, this isn’t difficult to do.

    “The way it looks now, it is like the governor is hiding under the Olu’s advice. But he should realise that though the people are under the Olu’s lordship, they are the people suffering from the adverse effect of the company’s activities.

    “The Olu refused to talk to us at Ugborodo during the protest because he knew that our demands were just. This is because we learnt that when Chevron officials went to the Olu, he rebuked them that Ugborodo people had not been well treated; that they’d destroyed the whole place. That was why he refused.”

  • Suspected ritual killers arrested in Delta

    Suspected ritual killers arrested in Delta

    TWO suspected ritual killers, disguised as mentally challenged person, were yesterday discovered under the Otokutu Bridge in Ughelli South council area of Delta State.

    It was gathered a would-be victim blew the lid on the suspects after managing to escape.

    The latest incident came 12 years after police recovered decomposing corpses under the same bridge in 2004 from a gang of ritual killers.

    The suspects were reportedly handed over to the Jeremi Police Division.

    Attempts by our correspondent to confirm the arrest were unsuccessful.

    Calls placed across to the Police Public Relations Officer Celestina Kalu (SP) were neither received nor returned as at the time of filing the report.

    An eyewitness at the scene of the incident told our correspondent: “Two men looking lunatic attacked a woman who was gathering sharp sand along the road side on the Otokutu end of the bridge.

    “They were struggling with her trying to drag her to their hideout under the bridge. The helpless woman started shouting and alerted passers-by.

    “Concerned drivers and passengers began to stop to see what the problem was. That was when it occurred to the public that ritual killers have come to the bridge again.

    “The crowd was still beating them when police came and took the suspects away.”

    Another witness said: “Unlike in 2004 when the suspects caught were found with human carcasses of victims killed, no body was found under the bridge.

    “But the sight of several school bags belonging to pupils, several clothes and women bags convinced the mob that ritual killers are back in Otokutu Bridge.

     

  • Delta oil communities allege padding of N28bn DESOPADEC budget

    Oil producing communities in Delta State, under the auspices of Delta Oil and Gas Stakeholders Group, have alleged that the government and House of Assembly are hijacking funds accruing to the Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

    The groups warning is against the backdrop of a controversy over the non-passage of DESOPADEC’s N28 billion 2016 budget barely four months to end of year.

    There were allegations that some principal officers of the Assembly demanded N1 billion  ‘allocation’ to facilitate the budget’s passage.

    DOGSG, in a statement by Dr Tagbiretse John, Bro Joseph Ebidenwei, Obakpo Goodluck and Gregory Eze, said they have credible reports that the lawmakers were “padding and balkanising the budget for selfish reasons”.

    They warned that an insurgence more destructive than the havoc by militants could be in the offing, if the government failed to release allocation for the commission to pay contractors and develop their communities.

    “We have watched with growing exasperation the systematic rot that has crept in and overtaken DESOPADEC since the administration took over in 2015. We can no longer sit and do nothing while a colossal conspiracy to cripple the only hope of oil producing communities in the state is unravelling before our eyes.

    “The reason for the comatose state of DESOPADEC is not far-fetched: the non-passage of the 2015 Budget of the commission, with barely four months to the end of the year cannot augur well.

    “If the government is effective and sincere, and the House of Assembly is doing its job, the 2016 budget would be in the implementation stage and the 2017 budget would have been in the final stages of its development.

    “It is a shame that the 2016 DESOPADEC budget is still ‘lost in transit’ and nobody knows what the budget looks like or how much is contained therein. Nobody knows if the N28 billion budget presented to the House in March remains or if it has been changed and how it has been altered.

    “In this era of ‘budget padding’, there are disturbing reports that the Monday Igbuya-led House is performing abracadabra with the budget, while it is also passing like ping-pong from the Government House to the House of Assembly. Nobody is able to account for its whereabouts today.

    “This is a carefully orchestrated plot to deny fund to the commission and the oil producing areas. It is too much of a coincidence that the saga of DESOPADEC ‘Missing Budget’ started after a principal member of the House of Assembly was accused of demanding a N1 billion to facilitate its passage.

    DOGSG warned that “in view of the precarious security challenges in the Niger Delta region, there is need to avoid giving violence-prone elements opportunities to unleash further havoc on oil facilities and our communities because the deliberate decimation of DESOPADEC by the powers that be in the state is an invitation to anarchy.

  • Ex-councillor, 500 PDP members dump PDP in Delta

    A former councillor for Ibru community of Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Legislative Arm of Delta State, Roland Oyibo, yesterday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Oyibo, who joined the progressives with over 500 supporters, said he made the move because it was only in APC he had his leaders and reclaim what he called his 16 wasted years in the PDP.

    The former councillor said with his teeming supporters, he had less work to do during the local government and 2019 general elections.

    He assured that the APC would be victorious in both polls.

    Oyibo pledged to get more members for the APC, saying

    Chief Austin Uloho had given exemplary leadership in the local government area.

    The former councillor also expressed his loyalty to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the member representing Delta Central in the National Assembly as well as other leaders of the party.

    He reassured the people of his readiness to make Agbarha-Otor an APC ward.

    The ceremony was attended by a former Delta State lawmaker, Friday Onodjai; APC ward and local government chairmen, Felix Ekure, Chief Samuel Oteri and Comr. Monday Ojeghe.

    They said Delta State residents were tired of PDP’s impunity.

    According to them, the current hardship in the land is the result of what they called PDP’s years of mismanagement.

    They assured that the challenges would be over soon as the Muhammadu Buhari was restructuring the economy and the country.

  • APC chief to Delta govt: make residents’ welfare your goal

    A stalwart of the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC), Chiedu Paul Onwuadiamu, has admonished the state government to make the welfare of the residents and the provision of basic infrastructure its priorities.

    In a statement, Onwuadiamu said: “I wish to reiterate the call made by our leader, Chief Hyacinth Enuha, that the bulk of civil servants’ salaries remain unpaid in Delta State. We need not remind the government that local government employees have been without salary for the past eight months.

    “If the asphalting of Usonia Street and Cable Road in Asaba amount to massive infrastructural development to Mr Osuoza and his PDP government in 16 months, then Deltans must brace for hard times before 2019.”

    Onwuadiamu noted that it smacked of irresponsibility for a state so richly blessed with human and material resources to wallow in poverty, poor infrastructural development, hunger and quagmire.

    The APC chieftain added that Osuoza and the Ifeanyi Okowa administration were oblivious of the massive infrastructure deficit plaguing Delta State.

    He said the rainy season had exposed the reality of such infrastructural deficit, making Okpanam Road and other streets in Asaba impassable.

    Same decay could be seen in Warri, Sapele and Ugheli, the politician said. Onwuadiamu advised the PDP administration in Delta State to visit less-endowed Anambra, Edo and Rivers to see how they were developing their infrastructure, even with what he called limited resources.

    The APC chieftain noted that it was an open secret that Anambra and Edo states had performed better than Delta State in the payment of civil servants’ salaries, in infrastructural development.

    He said this was because they possessed better development indices than their rich neighbour (Delta State), which boasts “a monthly statutory federal allocation of N6 billion and a grossly under-quoted N3 billion from internally generated revenue (IGR), a situation attributable to the monumental corruption visited on the state treasury by past and present PDP governments”.

    Onwuadiamu said Okowa was vacationing in Europe and America in the celebration of his 57th birthday with an entourage of at least 30 persons while civil servants’ salaries remained unpaid.

  • Delta Assembly seeks relief materials for victims’ of rainstorm

    Delta Assembly seeks relief materials for victims’ of rainstorm

    The Delta House of Assembly has passed a resolution, urging Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to direct the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to send relief materials to victims of rainstorm in Ekwuoma community.

    The resolution followed a motion moved by the Minority Leader, Mr Festus Okoh during the plenary session on Wednesday in Asaba.

    Okoh, who represents Ika South constituency, noted that the rainstorm which occurred at Ekwuma community in Abavo in Ika South Local Government Area destroyed crops and buildings.

    He said apart from buildings and farm crops that were destroyed by the heavy rainstorm, electricity poles were also pulled down as well as schools.

    “As I speak, no fewer than 20 persons who were injured by the rainstorm are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

    “And I want to use this medium to appeal to my colleagues to support this motion because it has to do with lives and properties,’’ he said.

    The motion which was unanimously adopted was seconded by Mr Tonye Timi representing Patani constituency.

    The Delta Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Chika Ossai,  has said the state will collaborate with stakeholders to reduce the impact of flood in the state.

    Ossai told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Wednesday that the government in conjunction with the local government councils and other stakeholders would collaborate to improve on last year’s lapses.

    According to him, following the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency that there would be few cases of flooding across the country, “we are monitoring the state.

    “We have been putting measures in place to control it, especially now that it rains virtually every day.

    “Apart from the existing drainages, the state government is expanding drainages to ensure easy flow of water to the River Niger.

    “Along Okpanam Road in Asaba and other parts of Asaba, we are also collaborating with Oshimili South Local Government Council to improve on the drainage system in the state.

    “The Ministry of Environment has also commenced the clearing of drains and very soon government will start preparing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in some major towns of the state.

    “Already, we have a project going on and it is being constructed by the Federal Government flood committee.

    “By the Grace of God, we are working with the committee to ensure that the project is completed and put into use by our people,’’ he said.

    Ossai also said that the government had started its enlightenment campaigns on the need for those living in riverine areas to relocate to upland areas.

    “Our jingles are on air, we are using both local and social media to enlighten the people, especially those in the riverine areas to relocate to other areas.

    “In spite our warnings, most of the people in these areas, who are mostly fishermen, find it very difficult relocating to other places.

    “This is another major challenge we are facing, they hardly pull out except we apply force and right now, sensitisation is ongoing,’’ he said.

    Ossai said that one of the major challenges faced by the state in combating flooding was building of houses on waterways as well as blockade of drains.

    He said that the state was working towards enacting laws that would prohibit building on waterways.

  • Avengers destroys five oil facilities in Delta

    Avengers destroys five oil facilities in Delta

    The militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (DNA), at the weekend said it launched five attacks on the nation’s oil and gas facilities in the Warri creeks in the last three days.

    NDA, in a series of tweets, claimed to have attacked critical facilities in three locations in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State.

    But the claim has not been independently confirmed.

    Efforts to get security and industry confirmations on the alleged attacks did not yield results, although community sources confirmed the attacks.

    In its tweet, NDA claimed to have destroyed a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) crude pipeline in an unidentified location on Friday night; two major crude oil trunk lines belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), near Batan, on Saturday night and two major oil wells belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) near Abiteye, on Sunday morning.

    It said: “At 9:15p.m on Friday, the @NDAvengers blew up Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) crude oil trunk line to Warri Refinery.

    “At 11:26 p.m on Saturday, @NDAvengers blew up two NPDC major crude trunk lines close to Batan flow station in Delta State.

    “At 1:15 a.m on Sunday, @NDAvengers blew up two major Chevron oil wells – Well 7 and Well 8, close to Abiteye flow station in Delta State.

    “All five operations were carried out by @ndavengers strike team. Well done, soldiers.”

    Confirming the attacks, a community leader at Kokodiagbene in Warri Southwest Local Government Area, who is also an environmental activist, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, said he had confirmed the attacks from community sources.

    The activist said the location of the NNPC trunk line attack had not been confirmed.

    Mulade said: “The one that happened yesterday (Saturday) was at Dibi flow station; that’s not exactly Abiteye, but behind it. It affects the Chevron Dibi flow station and the NNPC trunk line to the Warri Refinery. We have confirmed the one at Dibi, but we are yet to confirm the one at the trunk line. That’s the confirmation we are waiting for.

    “We have not been able to confirm the attack on the NNPC trunk line to Warri Refinery, but it is around the Batan Chanomi Creek axis. We are yet to know the exact area.”

    Also, a police report, which our reporter accessed in Warri last night, confirmed the twin attacks on the Chevron Oil Wells 7 and 8 at Abiteye.

    It reads: “At about 0110 hours (1.10 a.m) and 0115 hours (1.15 am), Chevron Oil Wells 7 and 8 were blown up at Abiteye flow station. Chevron’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), who was on ground at the location, claimed that the twin explosions occurred at about 5 minutes intervals. The bombed oil wells are a little distant from the Abiteye flow station. Chevron has reported a drop in pressure from the crude oil pipeline at Abiteye.”