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Tag: Ifeanyi Okowa

  • Okowa hails Buhari Presidency over peace in Niger Delta

    Okowa hails Buhari Presidency over peace in Niger Delta

    Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa on Friday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s government for the current peace in the Niger Delta region.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said “If you find out in the past few months there has been peace in Delta state so I wanted to appreciate his visit to Delta state because that definitely helped us in the peace process.”

    Speaking further on the Niger Delta, he said “Definitely it’s very peaceful and we will continue to consolidate on the peace.”

    He also commended the Senate for the Maritime university Okerenkoko bill that passed third reading in the Upper legislative chamber.

    “Just Friday the bill for the Maritime University Okerenkoko passed third reading at the Senate that is definitely a very strong plus for us.

    “We are also aware that a committee has been set up led by the Minister of Education, my Deputy Governor is part of the committee to work out the processes to enable the Maritime university take off in October. It’s a step in the right direction so I came to appreciate him and to discuss some other issues with him.” he said

    On the progress on the Modular refineries, he said “I think the process are being put in place, you realise that the President has talked a lot about it and I believe the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the NNPC have been working in that direction.

    “You know it’s not something that you can just bring up all in one day or in one month, I believe that the processes are being put in place to ensure that we have some of them in some of our communities in the creeks and in the Niger Delta generally,” he said.

  • FG can’t instruct states on how to spend Paris Club refund – Okowa

    FG can’t instruct states on how to spend Paris Club refund – Okowa

    The Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has described Federal Government’s instructions to state governments on how to appropriate their Paris/London Club refund as unconstitutional and undemocratic.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Charles Aniagu, while responding to an inquiry into how Delta State government appropriated its share of the refund, noted that the money is neither a bailout nor a gift from the federal government, hence the state owed no explanations to the federal government on how it appropriated its funds.

    The governor’s aide, who said the Delta State government had justifiably used the refund to meet critical needs of people of the state, as directed by the 1999 Constitution, added that the priorities of the state and the administration are different from other states.

    The federal government had instructed states to devote their shares of the Paris/London Club refund to payment of accumulated salaries and pensions, a directive that many states have reportedly ignored just as some governors had been placed under the radar of anti-graft agencies for alleged misappropriation of the refund.

    While citing some of the areas the state had committed the refund, the governor charged the media to do its duty by educating the populace on the constitutional roles of the different arms of government and set the records straight.

    He said, “The Paris refund, I hope you know that the money belongs to the states, it wasn’t a dash and not a bail out. It wasn’t a gift, it was what rightfully belongs to the states and the local governments and I know you know that we are running a tier of government that is independent and whose powers and responsibilities are guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended. This idea of media houses helping some persons to spread ignorance that somebody can be in Abuja and tell you how to spend your money is not how democracy works.

    “If you are giving me a bailout, you can set the conditions that these are the conditions on which I’ll give you this bailout; you must use this money this way, in which way you can set the rules because you are the one giving. But when you are allocating my money to me, our priorities are different. Let us assume in Delta State we are not owing anybody salaries, are you going to say we keep the money until we begin to owe so that we can use it?

    “What we have done is to make very judicious and transparent use of the monies that were refunded to us. We addressed, in part, the plight of pensioners, assisted the local governments too to be able to solve some problems, in addition to giving them part of their money, to reduce the wage burden.

    “We did not also lose sight of the promises we have made to make life better for Deltans, after all, Section 14, subsection 2, paragraph B of the 1999 Constitution states clearly that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people. So the availability of that fund enabled us to give vent to that particular provision of the Constitution.’

     

     

  • Okowa signs 2017 Delta budget

    Okowa signs 2017 Delta budget

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Tuesday signed the 2017 Delta Appropriation bill of N294.4billion into law after it was passed by the State House of Assembly in February.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okowa had in November 2016 sent a budget proposal of N270.9billion to the State House of Assembly, but the lawmakers, however, amended the budget with an increment of N23.5billion.

    At a ceremony held at the Executive Chambers, Government House, Asaba, Okowa expressed hope that the 2017 appropriation law would help position the state on the part of economic recovery.

    He said his administration would continue to do its best in promoting transparency and good governance, adding that priority attention would be given to construction and reconstruction of roads in the state.

    “I must commend members of the state legislature for doing a thorough job in the passage of the 2017 Delta Appropriation bill.

    “We are committed to transforming the state for the betterment of our people.

    “It is also our hope that finances coming from various sector would improve this year so that we will be able to meet our obligation to the people of the state.

    “We will continue to do our best in bringing good governance to our people. We will give priority attention to the construction and reconstruction of roads in the state to open up our rural areas,” Okowa said.

    The governor, however, expressed optimism that the state lawmakers would equally give prompt attention to other executive bills before the House.

    He said the state government was poised to empower the people of the state through job creation and urged youths in the state to be patient and peaceful.

    Okowa said his administration would continue to do its best to impact on the lives of the people of the state, despite the realities of the current economic recession in the country.

    He further disclosed that the state government was committed to developing the rural areas of the state, especially the riverine communities to enhance the living condition of the people.

    Okowa said: “As a government, we are committed to developing the riverine areas, because the more we have been able to do that, the more we make the areas economic viable for the dwellers.

    “So, I want to urge the youths in the riverine areas to be patient and remain peaceful. We are working and will continue to work towards actualizing our our goal for a prosperous Delta state for all.”

    Earlier, the Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, Mr Monday Igbuya, had narrated the contributions of the lawmakers in the successful passage of the 2017 appropriation bill.

    He said the House worked tirelessly and collaboratively in the discharge of their legislative obligations.

    “When the bill was received in the House in November 2016, we took the first and second reading the same day, before sending it to the committees of the House for their considerations,” Igbuya said.

    The speaker, however, pledged the support and cooperation of members of the State House of Assembly in the task of building a prosperous state for all Deltans.

  • Delta declares three-day mourning for Ogbemudia

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has declared a three-day mourning in the state in honour of retired late Brig.-Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the state Director of Information, Mr Paul Osaho, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Asaba.

    He said that the three-day mourning period commenced from Monday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

    The Governor directed that flags would be flown at half-mast across the state throughout the period.

    According to Okowa, the declaration is to honour the late elder statesman, who was the governor of the old Mid-West Region and later Bendel State, now Edo and Delta states.

     

  • Michael Ibru buried in Delta

    The late industrialist, Olorogun Michael Onajirevbe Ibru, was on Wednesday buried in his Agbara-Otor country home, Ughelli North council area of Delta State.

    Speaking at the funeral service at the All Saints’ Cathedral Church, Anglican Communion in Ughelli, the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, charged all Delta people to allow development spread round the state.

    While commiserating with the Ibru family, Okowa appealed to them to stay united and live as one family.

    The governor noted that their living together will bring honour and respect to the late Ibru.

    He described the deceased as a man who touched the lives of so many people in the state, country and the world at large.

    He urged all well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Ibru’s exemplary life.

    Okowa said, “I want to plead with each and every one of us, no matter what might have gone wrong that it is time for us to unite and truly forget the past. It is only then that we can say that we have done that which our father, Olorogun Michael Ibru, has asked us to do.

    “There is no doubt that he has impacted the lives of people in Delta State and the world.  I am glad that a lot of good things have been said about him. He was a great man and still a great man even in death.”

     

  • Ensure peace in your domains, Jonathan task rulers

    Ensure peace in your domains, Jonathan task rulers

    Former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan has tasked traditional rulers to ensure peace in their domains.

    Jonathan gave the advice on Tuesday during the official presentation of Staff of Office to the monarch of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oboro Gbaraun 11 Aketekpe, Agadagba, Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

    The ceremony was performed in Oporoza, the administrative headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

    The king who is the 26th Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom ascended the Royal Stool on March 15, 2016.

    The former president said that no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour.

    ”There cannot be development without peace so it is the duty of the traditional rulers to ensure that peace reigns in their communities,” he said.

    Jonathan said that he was quite impressed with the level of peace in Gbaramatu despite the perception outside that the kingdom is volatile and unsafe.

    ”Today we are all happy, the way we hear of Niger Delta and indeed Gbaramatu, you may think that people cannot gather together here peacefully,” he said.

    Jonathan urged the people to support the new monarch to enable him to have a successful reign.

    Also speaking the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa said there was no alternative to peace.

    He expressed joy at the different ethnic nationalities present at the ceremony saying that his government was committed to entrenching unity among the diverse ethnicities.

    The governor also urged the people to only agitate in a constructive manner by way of embracing dialogue.

    He said that his administration was committed to developing the riverine communities.

    ”It is time to start embracing peace. We need to stay together to move forward as a state and as a people.

    ”We need to start showing our presence in the creek and the only way we can do that is for people to create the right atmosphere to generate resources.

    ”If after two years you do not begin to see changes, you can hold us responsible,” he said.

    The monarch, Oboro Gbaraun 11 said he would build bridges of understanding with all the neighbouring ethnic nationalities to engender oneness.

    The highlight of the event was the presentation of staff of office to the king as well as a boat regatta by various Ijaw communities in the kingdom.

    Mr Kingsley Otuaro, Delta Deputy Governor, Mr Monday Igbuya Speaker, Delta House of Assembly attended the ceremony.

    Others were: traditional rulers from Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw nations, members of the National and Delta House of Assembly, Commissioners, Clergymen and representatives of US Consulate among others.

  • Group lambasts Wike, Okowa over Edo poll

    Group lambasts Wike, Okowa over Edo poll

    A sociology-political group, the Niger-Delta Alliance for Good Governance (NDAFGG) has vowed not to resist alleged plots by Governors Nyesome Wike and Ifeanyi Okowa of Rivers and Delta states to rig the September 28 governorship election in Edo state.

    It said Edo would not return to the days of People’s Democratic Party where the state was rule from Okada Avenue and the state wealth shared among cronies.

    The group noted that it was disheartening that both Governors Wike and Okowa could not pay workers’ salaries but doled out  N2bn to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to bribe voters.

    President of the Group, Mr. Nosa Omorogie, in a press statement said the NDAFGG has received reports about plans to rig the Edo state governorship election in favour of the PDP candidate.

    Omorogie stated that it was painful that rather than for Wike and Okowa to face their state’s businesses, they have resorted to fighting Edo people by making Edo election do or die just as they did in their states.

    “We know that they are yet to get over their failed plans as a result of postponement of the election which they had already perfected to rig with the importation of militants.

    “We also received reports that there are plans by the PDP to disrupt with heavy armed men polling units where the All Progressives Congress, APC have strongholds across the state and create chaos.

    “Edo people must reject them. Edo is not like Delta or River state where the governors have refused to pay workers even with the huge resources they receive from both internally Generated Revenues and the Federal allocation.

    “Edo is working, the people can attest to it. Any attempt by people in guise of governors to cause mayhem in a state they know nothing of will be opposed.

    “We urge all Edo citizens to be wise as the likes of Governor Wike and Okowa mean no well for the development of the state at large and its people”.

  • Wike, Okowa, Makarfi storm Edo for governorship poll

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, arrived Edo State on Tuesday in readiness for the September 10 governorship election in the state.

    Also in the state are Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa; Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin and the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), amongst others.

    Wike, who spoke at a meeting of PDP leaders, said the party’s candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, will win Saturday’s election but cautioned that “the battle will not be an easy one.”

    The governor urged PDP members to be united and committed in order to win the election.

    He said Saturday’s election is a battle to liberate Edo and urged party supporters to be wise in their relationship with security operatives and endeavor to do the right thing at every polling unit so that the true results will come out.

    He said, “PDP is on ground in Edo and therefore we should not be intimidated. We have come to give you the moral support so that you will emerge victorious. But you must be united and work as a team because this is your last opportunity.

    “Freedom is not easy to get. When you want to get freedom, you must make sacrifice. The election in Edo requires sacrifice and commitment. You will be intimidated, therefore prepare yourself.”

    Wike asked PDP party agents at all polling units to be alert and attentive throughout period of the election.

     

  • I will defeat Okowa in Delta – Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday said he will defeat Governor Ifeanyi Okowa if both of them contest election in Delta State.

    Oshiomhole chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the South- south for promising to win Edo for the party.

    He said the PDP governors should be allowed to wallow in their dreams.

    Oshiomhole said workers in the state who received their salaries regularly will chase the PDP governors away.

    He said, “I will defeat Okowa in Delta State. My pedigree speaks for me. My power is not money but my oratory and pedigree.”

    “Those who cannot pay salaries want to come and take Edo. We pay salaries before the end of the month. The workers are already kicking against them. We will not allow them take Edo back to Egypt.”

     

  • Wike, Mimiko, others bid late mother of Gov Umahi farewell

    Wike, Mimiko, others bid late mother of Gov Umahi farewell

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike was among eminent personalities that attended the wake-keep of late Mother-General Margaret Umahi, mother of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi at Agu-Ugwu, Umunaga Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    Other dignitaries at the programme which took place on Thursday 31 March, 2016 include the Governors of Bayelsa, Henry Seriake Dickson, Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ondo, Olusegun Mimiko and the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

    Speaking at the programme, The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi noted that his mother lived a good life while, describing her as a mediator between God and man.

    He lauded his fellow governors and political associates for their sacrifices, love and honor shown him, his family and the people of Ebonyi State by attending the burial programme of his mother to commiserate with them.

    He expressed happiness over the love that exists between the present crop of governors which he noted is beyond party affiliation.

    Governor Umahi particularly thanked the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for accommodating good number of Ebonyi indigenes who lived and do business in the state.

    Speaking on behalf of the Governors at the occasion, Governor Henry Sariake Dickson of Bayelsa State said they were in the state to solidarize with their colleague and the people of Ebonyi state on the death of their mother as well as honor her for a life well lived.

    He noted that the worthy legacies of late Margaret Umahi will always be remembered and assured members of the Umahi’s family of their support.

    Governor Sariake Dickson prayed God to grant members of the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and for the soul of the deceased to rest in peace.