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Tag: Emmanuel Uduaghan

  • End all hostilities, says Uduaghan

    End all hostilities, says Uduaghan

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has called for the cessation of hostilities by Boko Haram in the interest of the nation’s educational and health sectors.

    Uduaghan said the activities of Boko Haram have not only affected the growth of education, but made some parts of the country unreachable for immunisation and other healthcare activities.

    The governor, who spoke in Asaba, yesterday appealed to members of Boko Haram to release the Chibok girls and cease hostilities in the interest of the nation.

    He said Nigeria was still grouped among countries with polio, stressing that with insurgency, eradicating polio remains a tall dream.

    His words: “I want to assure you that Nigeria will soon overcome its security challenges. “The kidnap of those girls is not only affecting the education sector but, also, the health sector because it is affecting the health workers going round on their routine duties.

    “Nigeria ranks among the few countries with polio; this crisis is affecting the eradication of polio and other communicable diseases, the crisis does not help anybody. I want to plead with sponsors and members of Boko Haram to stop hostilities and release these girls.”

    The governor said industrial disharmony will be greatly reduced when States are involved in the negotiation between government and organised labour.

    “If things are properly done and the right decisions reached, there will be no strike in the country.

    He described industrial actions in the health sector as having adverse effects on people’s lives asserting, “Every minute that there is strike in the health sector, a life is lost and such life cannot be brought back.”

     

  • Delta State govt welcomes film village

    Delta State govt welcomes film village

    Plans are currently underway to build a multimillion naira film village in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

    According to information, the construction will be undertaken before the end of the year by a United States-based Nigerian company, Califco Corp Nigeria.

    The film village, according to plans, will include hotels, guest houses, golf course, swimming pools, holiday resort and about six sound studios.

    Ace filmmaker Chief Eddie Ugommah, who is facilitating the project, reportedly said the investors were in Nigeria a few months ago for about 90 days.

    “Initially, they were considering three states: Lagos, Abuja and Bayelsa. But when other states were not ready to welcome the idea, I quickly approached Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan who welcomed the idea with open arms.”

     

  • NAWOJ award for Uduaghan

    NAWOJ award for Uduaghan

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has received the Governor of the Year award from the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).

    A statement by the Chairman, NAWOJ, Lagos State chapter,  Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu, and Secretary Uchechukwu Akinobi, said the award was for Uduaghan’s outstanding accomplishment in tackling the problems of development in Delta State.

    “After a painstaking and critical appraisal of all the governors and their programmes, we are happy to inform the public that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has been selected as NAWOJ Governor of the Year,” the statement said.

    The association praised Uduaghan for the infrastructural development in the state and the diversification of the economy through the Delta Beyond Oil initiative.

    “His accomplishments, since he came to power, have given succour to the ordinary people and hope to millions,” the statement said.

    The award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.

    This is the latest in the series of recognitions and awards for the governor.

    He has received awards from the Sun Group of newspapers, Leadership, Vanguard, Nigerian Pilot and Metro Eireann, Republic of Ireland’s leading and only multicultural newspaper.

  • Fed Govt earmarks N15b to combat oil theft

    Fed Govt earmarks N15b to combat oil theft

    • Oil firms, others in alleged complicity

    The Federal Government has set aside an initial N15 billion to deal with oil theft, the Chairman, National Economic Council on crude oil theft, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said.

    Uduaghan, also Delta State Governor, who chaired a special session at the just-concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference, said the amount is for the take off of the programme, meant especially for security agents and legal services.

    He said the Federal, State, Local Governments and oil firms agreed to pull the money together, noting that the committee had not received the money.

    Although he stated that he was being careful in choosing his words during his comments because issues that border on oil theft are risky, he accused oil firms, security personnel, communities and international communities of complicity in the crime, which he said is crumbling the economy.

    He advised the oil firms not to exonerate themselves, but look inward into the operations of their workforce to understand the situations.

    On the security agencies, he pointed out the need not keep a particular group of joint task force in an area for a long time as there would be the tendency of conniving with the oil thieves. “When people stay at a place for so long, there is temptation to be involved,” he said.

    He also noted that there is international collaboration in crude oil theft as over 80 per cent of the stolen crude is sold to international buyers.

    He said: “Dealing with crude oil theft is a very risky business because of the nature of the problem. But I have to raise some posers to enable us understand what we dealing with. Some of the posers are: Why crude oil and product theft? How is it carried out? What is done with the stolen crude? Who are those involved? What can we do to be able to stop it?”

    Explaining some of the posers, he said breaking into the pipeline or removing the valve or wellhead from a pipeline is not what can be done by a lay person.

    According to him, initially, the breaking of pipeline was very crude because the thieves use axe, take fuel, and leave the pipeline spilling oil all over the place.

    “But today, the thieves have become more technical, in the sense, that they carefully insert their own valve and when they want to take the fuel, they remove the valve, put their own pipe or hose, which sometimes run several kilometres. Sometimes, their pipes and hoses run from the pipeline to the high sea where their vessels are.

    “The technology of breaking that pipeline is not known by the community people or by any lay man; it involves somebody who has expertise in pipeline operation. This crude theft business is about collaboration,” he added.

     

  • Uduaghan signs N451b Appropriation Bill

    Uduaghan signs N451b Appropriation Bill

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday signed the N451 billion Appropriation Bill into law.

    Uduaghan said N161.74 billion or 36 per cent was for recurrent expenditure and N289.2 billion or 64 per cent for capital expenditure.

    The governor also signed the Local Government Bill, 2013; State Security Fund Bill, 2013 and Renumeration, Salaries, Gratuities and Allowances of other Public Officers Bill, 2013.

    The governor said the bills would assist the government in ensuring sound financial management, good governance and increased infrastructural development.

    “Capital expenditure was higher than recurrent in this year’s budget as the government tried to control recurrent expenditure to have more funds for capital projects.

    On the Security Trust Fund Bill, Uduaghan said: “The bill will enable government synergise with the private sector and corporate individuals on logistics to meet security challenges in the state.”

    He said the two other bills would reduce the confusion associated with previous amendments and consolidate amendments into one single law.

    The governor said local government administration was important in the development of the state, stressing that a strong local government structure would help reduce the burden on the state and Federal Government in the provision of infrastructure and services.

    He praised the House of Assembly for the passage of the bills and promised to partner them for the development of the state.

     

  • N35b IPP ‘fraud’: Delta Speaker exonerates self

    N35b IPP ‘fraud’: Delta Speaker exonerates self

    Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly Victor Ochei has exonerated himself from the allegation of fraud rocking the state’s Independent Power Plant (IPP) project.

    About N27 billion was alleged to be missing from the money earmarked for the project and the Speaker was fingered.

    Ochei, who spoke to The Nation in Asaba yesterday, said he would be vindicated.

    Ochei explained that although he was no longer involved in the project , he was sure that the project had reached an advance stage.

    He decried the speculation that the project site was overgrown with weeds.

    According to him, the speculation was to discredit the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, whose blueprint for the development of the state had impacted positively on the people.

    He said: “I challenge members of the fourth estate of the realm to visit the project site and then come back to ask me questions.

    “This is a governor who is doing selfless services for the state.

    ”His three-point agenda and ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ policy has taken the state to the next level .

    “Yet, some disgrunted people, who are blind to what is good, are dissipating their energy on campaign of calumny against Uduaghan.”

    He said time would vindicate him in the allegation that he embezzled IPP funds.

    “People should not expect a project of such magnitude to be completed within a short time.

    “Such projects should not be politicised. It takes time, resources and energy to complete. By the time the project comes on, facts will speak for themselves.”

  • Army, community bicker over land

    Army, community bicker over land

    There is tension in Uvwie following a land dispute between the community and the 3 Battalion in Effurun, Delta State.

    The 3 Battalion in Effurun has threatened to demolish houses and graves on the land it alleged belongs to the Army.

    Counsel to the communty Victor E. Otomiewo alleged that soldiers from the Effurun Barracks were harassing indigenes of Ohorhe 1, Ohorhe 11 and Oku-Irero communities.

    Otomiewo called for the withdrawal of the Army from lands belonging to Uvwie.

    He said: “ We draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and others to the illegality and reckless impunity by men and officers of the 3 Battalion in Effurun.”

    But the Operations Officer, 3 Battalion, Capt Mohammed Abdulahi, said the land belongs to the Army.

    He advised the people of Ohorhe to comply with the ultimatum given to them by quitting.

     

     

  • Appraising Uduaghan’s Delta beyond Oil

    Appraising Uduaghan’s Delta beyond Oil

    SIR: As the global search for shale gas and other forms of energy intensifies, global demand for crude, as we know it, keeps dropping. The effects on our economies–at macro and micro levels—are expected to be negative. It is on this premise that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s drive to grow Delta state’s economy, in a way that there will be minimal disruption to its revenue sources when oil finishes or loses its global relevance, can be fully appreciated.

    Critics who saw the policy as mere sloganeering, had a field day when it was unfolded. Today, thanks to Uduaghan’s clear vision and the tenacity that propelled it, the idea is increasingly catching on across the Niger Delta and at the national level.

    In building a Delta that will prosper beyond oil, Uduaghan reckoned with the need for certain critical infrastructure-both human and physical-that will support diversification of the economy. Among the physical infrastructure he embarked upon that are in different stages of realisation are the Oghareki power plant, the Asaba International Airport, upgrade of Osubi Airport to international standards and the establishment of industrial clusters like the Koko Industrial Park, the Warri Industrial and Business Park as well as the Asaba ICT Park.

    His administration has also substantially harnessed the people’s entrepreneurial skills through the highly successful micro credit scheme. Not only has this scheme nurtured small and medium enterprises with over 100,000 beneficiaries, it has also won for Uduaghan’s government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) awards, three times consecutively.

    The administration’s determination to change the landscape of the riverine and oil producing areas is, perhaps, the singular reason it has kept faith in heavily funding the Delta State Oil Mineral Development Commission (DESOPADEC) with 50 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation it receives from the federal government. It may yet be the only state with this level of commitment.

    Its investment in massive infrastructure renewal has resulted in the dualisation of major roads that include the 148 km Asaba-Ughelli road, the 33 km Ugbenu-Koko road, the Effurun-Osubi-Eku road, the 7.2 km Ughelli Artery, the PTI/Jakpa road and the Old Lagos/Asaba road, among others.

    New public schools and health-care facilities are being constructed or upgraded, but equally significantly is the progress of Oghara Teaching Hospital as a centre of excellence.

    However, easily the most profound outcome from the policy is the redirection of the youth who are growing up in expectation of an easy life from oil. Though oil has brought so much wealth to the multinational oil companies and the Nigerian state whose economy functions on 85% earnings from crude sales, it has over time become like nemesis for many Niger Deltans who are fixated on oil money. This attitude is gradually changing as the policy has succeeded in orientating them towards hard work.

    The picture of Delta State that is emerging is one that gives hope for the future and belief in the drive towards a new economy.

     

    • Sufuyan Ojeifo

    Abuja

     

  • I’ve nothing against Utuama, says ex-minister

    Former Minister of State for Education and Delta State governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has denied having anything against Delta State Deputy Governor Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN).

    He said he was not against his ambition in next year’s elections, adding that he was only interested in protecting the interest of the indigenes.

    Gbagi said in Lagos that it was lamentable that people were blowing out of proportion, his advice that a septuagenarian should allow youths to aspire for the Delta governorship.

    He said it was sad that people were alleging that he said he had Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in his pocket.

    Disclosing that Utuama was his Law teacher at the University of Lagos after reading Criminology and managing companies, he said: “I don’t have any problem with Prof. Utuama. I only said I know him to be between 71 and 73. The Utuama I know will not say he wants to contest for governorship at 71. They are taking the matter out of proportion. Utuama told me he won’t contest. As my benefactor, I did not expect him to lie to me. As my Law teacher, I did not expect him to lie to me. It is sad that people are fabricating stories that I said Governor Uduaghan is in my pocket.

    “I can’t say my last son, who is eight years old, is in my pocket, let alone a man, who has ruled a complex state like Delta for eight years.”

  • Orode Okpu- Uduaghan’s latest move

    Orode Okpu- Uduaghan’s latest move

    ORODE Okpu-Uduaghan, the 24-year-old daughter of Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has produced a Nollywood movie titled ‘Living Funeral’ which features renowned actors, Liz Benson-Ameye and Nobert Young.

    The movie is a project under the auspices of Orode’s Pink Pearl Breast Cancer Foundation and has been nominated in eight categories at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) slated for March 2014.

    A successful entrepreneur, Orode, a mother of one, has passion for community service. She founded Pink Pearl Foundation, a non governmental organisation for the sole purpose of raising awareness about breast cancer in Nigeria.