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Tag: constitution review

  • Constitution review: FCT natives demand Abuja be made a State

    Constitution review: FCT natives demand Abuja be made a State

    The Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) has called for the amendment of section 299 of the 1999 constitution to make Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT) a State.

    Pst. Danladi Jeji, President of OIDA said this in Abuja, on Saturday, at a stakeholder debriefing meeting of the FCT original inhabitants, on key outcomes of the public hearing by Senate and House of Representatives on the review of the 1999 constitution.

    Jeji said that the ancestral land of the people of the territory was not sacrificed by their forefathers, but was rather collected from them by the government.

    He called on the natives of the territory to reclaim their land, through peaceful dialogue, while hoping that Abuja would be made a state.

    “Every state is observing democracy, without FCT observing the day. This is because we are not recognised as a state, though they said this place is a virgin land, as claimed by the government.

    “FCT is larger than eight states and these states have their governors and members representing them at the National Assembly.

    “All we want is that Abuja should be made a state so that we can also have representation at the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”, he said.

    Alhaji Yunusa Karmo, Vice President of the association, also said there was need for the territory to be conferred with a state status, thereby having 37 states in the country.

    Karmo decried a situation where the government appointed ministers for the FCT who, after their tenure, returned to their own states to become governors, while the indigenous people had no such opportunities.

    He said that what was obtainable in other states should also be made to happen in the territory, saying that their unborn children would seek to correct the anomalies, if government failed to respond to the demands of the people.

    Similarly, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), called on the Nigerian state not to undermine or frustrate the demands of the people.

    Zikirullahi said the anomalies of the statelessness of the original inhabitants of the FCT ought to be addressed immediately.

    “CHRICED unequivocally makes the point that amongst all the agitations for state creation, all through the period of the constitution review, the case of FCT remains the most compelling and justifiable.

    “To redress the injustice wherein millions of FCT original inhabitants have been rendered stateless on their own ancestral homelands, the National Assembly urgently needs to tweak section 299 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

    “The section which states that the ‘provision of this constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as if it were one of the states of the federation’ needs to be amended urgently.

    “CHRICED calls for the removal of the ’if’ which has rendered the state status for the original inhabitants of the FCT inchoate for so many years,” he said.

    The executive director further appealed to the FCT minister to take urgent steps to address the economic impact, which had deepened poverty, inequality and the general state of despondency in the FCT communities.

    He solicited the support of all stakeholders to ensure that the original inhabitants of the FCT reclaimed their rights.

  • Remi Tinubu remains adamant after calling woman thug

    Remi Tinubu remains adamant after calling woman thug

    Senator Remi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central has said she never referred to Arinola Oloko, an educationist as a thug in Lagos State, venue of the Constitution Review public hearing for South West.

    Senator Tinubu had vowed she won’t apologize for what she said after the video, in which she was seen involved in a shouting match, surfaced on the Internet on Thursday.

    Tinubu is leading the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution in the South-West and it was reported that residents queued to register before they were allowed into the venue of the event.

    However, when the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, came in through the back door, the front door was shut and the registration closed.

    Those who were yet to register were said to have stayed in the queue, protesting their exclusion from the event.

    Some lawmakers from Oyo State, who passed the queue and were about to be ushered into the programme, were allegedly followed by some residents, causing a commotion.

    Tinubu was said to have shown up at the backdoor to allow the lawmakers in.

    However, Oloko, who reportedly complained about being denied entry, was said to have decried the partial treatment and voiced out her frustration.

    The senator, after beckoning on her and two others, reportedly called the woman a thug for speaking too loud.

    The remark was said to have caused an altercation between Tinubu and those who heard her.

    While expressing their reservation for the tag on the woman, the people demanded an apology from Tinubu.

    “I didn’t call the lady a thug. I could not have called her a thug. I asked a rhetorical question. And you would agree with me that anybody who came and made the kind of brilliant presentation she made before us at the public sitting could not have been a thug,” Tinubu said.

    However, the Lagos Senator regretted her intervention was misinterpreted when she heard of the commotion at the point of entry into the public sitting.

    “I’m sorry, however, if some have misinterpreted my intervention when I heard of the commotion at the point of entry into the public sitting,” the Senator said.

    Earlier, Oloko had explained what actually transpired between herself and Senator Tinubu at the venue of the public hearing.

    Oloko gave the explanation on Friday, while reacting to the matter on a national television program monitored by our reporter.

    The educanist explained, saying: “When we got there [venue of the public hearing], we were told the hall was filled and we demanded for speakers to enable us outside to hear what was happening inside and that is it. The rest is captured in the video”.

    Oloko further stated that the public hearing in the South West was not properly organized and that a new constitution is what is needed, and not an amendment.

    “I am not a criminal ma, was my response; because I can’t be, because I am not a violent person.

    “The whole exercise is not properly organized. How will you use Marriott Hotel in Ikeja after inviting several people and you now claim that the hall can only take 256 people.

    “We want a new constitution because this one has a faulty foundation. Once a foundation is faulty what do you expect. So, we need a new one to accommodate transparency, accountability and autonomy”.

  • Why Remi Tinubu called me a thug – Oloko

    Why Remi Tinubu called me a thug – Oloko

    Arinola Oloko, an educationist that had an altercation with Senator Remi Tinubu at the venue of Lagos State Constitution Review public hearing has explained what actually transpired.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Oloko gave the explanation on Friday, while reacting to the matter on a national television program monitored by our reporter.

    The educanist explained, saying: “When we got there [venue of the public hearing], we were told the hall was filled and we demanded for speakers to enable us outside to hear what was happening inside and that is it. The rest is captured in the video”.

    Oloko further stated that public hearing in the South West was not properly organized and that a new constitution is what is needed, and not an amendment.

    “I am not a criminal ma, was my response; because I can’t be, because I am not a violent person.

    “The whole exercise is not properly organized. How will you use Marriott Hotel in Ikeja after inviting several people and you now claim that the hall can only take 256 people.

    “We want a new constitution because this one has a faulty foundation. Once a foundation is faulty what do you expect. So, we need a new one to accommodate transparency, accountability and autonomy.

    Recall a video, in which Senator Tinubu, representing Lagos Central was seen involved in a shouting match, surfaced on the Internet on Thursday.

    Tinubu is leading the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution in the South-West and it was reported that residents queued to register before they were allowed into the venue of the event.

    However, when the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, came in through the back door, the front door was shut and the registration closed.

    Those who were yet to register were said to have stayed in the queue, protesting their exclusion from the event.

    Some lawmakers from Oyo State, who passed the queue and were about to be ushered into the programme, were allegedly followed by some residents, causing a commotion.

    Tinubu was said to have shown up at the backdoor to allow the lawmakers in.

    However, Oloko, who reportedly complained about being denied entry, was said to have decried the partial treatment and voiced out her frustration.

    The senator, after beckoning on her and two others, reportedly called the woman a thug for speaking too loud.

    The remark was said to have caused an altercation between Tinubu and those who heard her.

    While expressing their reservation for the tag on the woman, the people demanded an apology from Tinubu.

    “I will not apologise for what I said. I saw it and I said it,” she reportedly said.

  • Constitution review, an exercise in futility – Afenifere

    Constitution review, an exercise in futility – Afenifere

    The apex Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, yesterday described the ongoing process of amending the 1999 Constitution as an exercise in futility.

    However, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the South-south geopolitical zone and others demanded devolution of powers, fiscal federalism and state police in the new constitution.

    Reacting to the decision of the group not to submit a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, the Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said amending the constitution would not achieve any result.

    He said: “Afenifere advocates fundamental restructuring of Nigeria for the reinvention of a federal constitution as the agreed principles of governing Nigeria and its diverse ethnic nationalities by our founding fathers, which will ultimately replace the imposed 1999 unitary constitution.

    “Amending the constitution is an exercise in futility and a waste of time and public fund.
    “We cannot claim to be a federal republic and be governed by a unitary constitution. We cannot claim to be in a democracy and be governed by a constitution that does not emanate from the people.
    “Amendment will not cure the anomalies. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.

    “Every session of the two arms of the National Assembly, since 2007, has embarked on the same jamboree of a constitutional amendment, spending public funds on public hearings, without any result.

    “The National Assembly is part of the issue to be determined in the process of restructuring and cannot legitimately be the judge in such exercise.

    “This is evident from the condemnation of the declarations of the Southern governors in support of restructuring by both the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, while the committees, as agents of the National Assembly, were gallivanting around the country. From nothing, nothing comes. Ex nihilo nihil fit.”
    However, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday demanded internal autonomy based on a restructured Nigeria in the proposed new constitution.

    The organisation’s President General, Ambassador George Obiozor, spoke yesterday on the second day of the South-east zonal public hearing of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    He stated that true federalism must be clearly defined reflecting decentralisation and devolution of power among the federating units.
    He said it had become imperative for every part of the country to be given equal treatment in order to effectively address the issue of neglect and marginalisation of some sections of the country.

    According to him, when true federalism is entrenched, it will be difficult for federating units to continue their lamentations.
    The South-south geopolitical zone also demanded decentralisation of power, resource control and creation of additional states in the region.

    Many stakeholders from various ethnic nationalities and organisations, including the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC), trooped to the Port Harcourt venue of the programme yesterday to submit their memoranda.

    The host Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who declared the hearing open, emphasised the need for the amendments to produce a people’s constitution that would guarantee devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, creation of state police and strengthening of the electoral system.

    He said the amendments must allow the states to create and sustain local government councils and ensure the reduction of the cost of governance at both federal and state levels.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Ipalibo Banigo, said a better constitution could only be possible if the ongoing exercise was approached and carried out with sincerity of purpose.

    Wike said: “Although this is the third time the National Assembly is embarking on this exercise without successfully producing a constitution that will satisfy the generally of Nigerians, the Rivers State Government nevertheless welcomes the exercise.

    “A better constitution can only be possible if the exercise is approached and carried out with sincerity of purpose and the commitment to correct the fundamental challenges that have caused deep cracks to the foundation of our country and threatening to tear our dear nation into pieces.

    “It is only the blind that may not see that Nigeria is headed for a dangerous precipice unless something drastic and urgent is done to correct the identified flaws in our constitution and the nature of the federal system that has been foisted on this country.”
    Presenting the state’s position, the Attorney-General of Rivers State and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, condemned what he described as centre-dominated federalism practised in the country.

    He called for the transfer of many matters on the exclusive list to the concurrent list.
    Stakeholders at the Sokoto Zonal centre also advocated state police and devolution of power.
    According to the sub-committee chairman, Senator Adamu Aliero, a total of 58 memoranda were received yesterday from stakeholders from Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

  • No funds for Constitution Review in 2021 budget – Omo-Agege

    No funds for Constitution Review in 2021 budget – Omo-Agege

    Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has said there was no funds allocated for Constitution Review in the 2021 Budget.

    Omo-Agege who doubles as Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution disclosed at a briefing in Abuja, on Monday.

    Omo-Agege the situation notwithstanding, the committee has sufficient funds to carry out the exercise, saying it was still operating its 2020 budget.

    He expressed optimism that funds would be voted for the exercise in the supplementary budget expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly in no distant time.

    The Committee has scheduled zonal public hearing in 12 states across the six geopolitical zones to commence on Wednesday this week.

    He insisted that the Bills to be collated from the public hearings will be voted on and passed by the Senate in July 2021 before the lawmakers embark on their annual vacation.

    On whether paucity of funds has been responsible for the slow pace of work by the Committee and how the situation may likely affect the target of the panel to deliver on its mandate before the July recess for members of the National Assembly, Omo-Agege said the committee does not lack funds.

    “In 2021 budget, we have not received an appropriation yet due to some oversight so we are still working on the 2020 budget and we are hoping that during the supplementary exercise we will be accommodated

    “I can tell you categorically that we have no challenge with paucity of funds. I was actually answering a question as to how much was appropriated (for the review exercise) in 2021. The answer again is that there was no appropriation for 2021.

    “We are still awaiting the supplementary budget. So we are operating the 2020 budget but we have enough for our work.

    “We have not been hampered in any way and we believe we have enough resources to carry out this exercise.

    “Whether or not we are taking a vote this July, as I believe, we will. It is not a function of how much money we have,” Omo-Agege said.

    He added: “You must understand, this is not the only committee in Senate but it is the largest committee.

    “I think the membership spans about 68 members. Taking that into account we have to accommodate the other committees and their assignments as well so as not to pull everybody away.”

    On whether comments recently credited to Senate President Ahmad Lawan on calls for restructuring will not influence the views of the Committee in the aspect of restructuring, Omo-Agege said: “Constitution review is a major plank of the 9th Senate’s Legislative Agenda and I can assure you that Senator Ahmad Lawan is not against anything, he is not against restructuring.

    “Restructuring is just one aspect of several aspects of this Constitution review and it also depends on what you mean by restructuring and who is speaking to that.

    “I can assure you that the Senate President has not taken any position, he is entitled to his views like any of us.

    “He is in support of what I am doing and you can take this to the bank that we will have an exercise that the Nigerian people will be glad.”

    On whether the current review exercise will not end up like past ‘jamborees’, Omo-Agege expressed optimism that President Buhari will assent to the Bills when they are transmitted.

    “The exercise is not a jamboree, it will be incremental. By the time we succeed in this exercise, God willing, it will be the 5th alteration.

    “We borrowed our system from the United states, even the US continues to amend their constitution and I think the last time I checked it was about 27 amendments.

    “What that tells you is that from the outset the framers of our constitution knew they were not giving a perfect document.

    “Nobody ever has a perfect document, that is why they still do incremental amendment and that at some points, they will be near perfection.

    “Section 9 of our Constitution also anticipated that a time will come where there will be several agitations questioning some issues in the constitution and how we should address that.

    “We believe that we have assembled the best brains to do this job and have provided the only mode for the alterations of the Constitution. All they provided for is incremental alterations.”

  • Constitution review: Senate fixes zonal public hearing for May 26, 27

    Constitution review: Senate fixes zonal public hearing for May 26, 27

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has said the much-awaited zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution will hold from May 26 to 27.

    Omo-Agege, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, in Abuja, said the event would simultaneously hold across 12 state capitals, with two public hearings per geopolitical zone.

    He added that a national public hearing is expected to hold in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    According to the statement, Omo-Agege made the remarks when he played host to members of the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEPAD) in his office.

    The group was led by its National Coordinator, Chino Obiagwu (SAN).

    Omo-Agege called on those who have already submitted memoranda to defend their positions at the events.

    The Senate Deputy President noted that Jos and Minna would host the public hearings in the North Central Geopolitical Zone. North East and North West would hold in Bauchi and Gombe as well as Kaduna and Sokoto.

    Similarly, that of South East would hold in Owerri and Enugu, even as South-South and South West would be hosted in Port Harcourt and Asaba as well as Akure and Lagos.

    The Delta Central senator, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, assured that women’s interests in the new constitution review would be protected.

    On the inclusion of Affirmative Action in the constitution, he called on the group to reach out to elected representatives and groups from other geopolitical zones in the country.

    He noted that they were key in determining if such demands could scale through in the ongoing constitution amendment exercise.

    “You will have also observed that on each of the Constitution Review that has been done in the past, Affirmative Action and increased women representations have always been on the agenda. But in the past, we have not been able to muster the numbers required to effect constitutional change.

    “However, in every exercise, we have seen increasing numbers of legislators’ supporting the process. So, the challenge is how to reach the critical threshold during this process.

    “Your work is quite cut out for you. But rest assured that we are partners in this business,” he said.

  • Reps to establish constitution review committee Oct 25

    Reps to establish constitution review committee Oct 25

    The House of Representatives’ Special Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution will be inaugurated on October 25, 2020.

    The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, made the statement at the plenary on Tuesday.

    The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, is to chair the committee.

    Giving details of the inauguration, a statement issued later by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Umar Puma, said the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad; and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, are some of the dignitaries expected to attend the occasion.

    It also stated that Prof Dallas C. J. Dallas of the University of Jos will present the inaugural lecture with the topic, ‘Prospects and challenges before the 9th House of Representatives: Fulfilling citizens’ expectations and the imperatives for the review of the Nigerian Constitution.’

    The statement read in part, “The event, which is coming at a time when we are celebrating our 60th Independence Anniversary, is expected to usher the House into a period of intense national engagement/conversation, where relevant stakeholders and members of the public make their inputs to the Constitution review process, with a view to enacting laws that reflect the moral values and aspirations of the Nigeria people.”

     

  • Constitution review: Senate sets new deadline for submissions of memoranda

    Constitution review: Senate sets new deadline for submissions of memoranda

    The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has extended the submission of memoranda by two weeks.

    A statement from the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, who is the committee’s chairman indicates that memoranda would now continue to be received until Sept. 25.

    The statement was signed by Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Deputy President of the Senate .

    The statement indicated that the earlier slated deadline for submission of memoranda was Sept. 11.

    It, however, noted that the new deadline of Sept. 25 was in response to appeals by stakeholders from various parts of the Federation.

    Giving further explanation, it stated that the extension of a deadline would accommodate those who requested for more time to bring their memoranda forward.

    “The request for an extension of the deadline was approved as part of measures to further strengthen the constitution review process and widen opportunities for more groups and individuals to be involved.

    “As stated earlier, all proposals or memoranda are to be submitted to the Secretariat of the Committee in Room 0.28, Senate New Wing at the National Assembly Complex. Abuja.

    “Submissions can also be made electronically through the Committee Secretariat’s WHATSAPP LINES: 08033109357 / 08097522601, and email: scrc9nass@gmail.com.

    It further clarified that the memoranda being expected should focus on any of the following 13 thematic areas:

    “Gender equality for women and girls; Federal structure and power devolution; local government and its autonomy.

    “Others are: public revenue, fiscal federation and revenue allocation; Nigerian Police and Nigerian security architecture, as well as comprehensive judicial reforms.

    “Electoral reforms; socio-economic and cultural rights as contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution.

    “Strengthening the Independence of oversight institutions and agencies created by the constitution or pursuant to an act of the National Assembly; residency and indigene provisions; immunity; National Assembly and state creation.

  • 1999 Constitution: Key areas in need of review revealed

    1999 Constitution: Key areas in need of review revealed

    The secretariat of the Senate Committee on Constitution review has identified key areas that need review in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who is also the Chairman of the committee, made this known following the inaugural meeting of the committee on Thursday.

    He stressed that though the National Assembly (NASS) was still on recess, holding the meeting underscored the importance placed on the assignment to begin the process of bringing positive changes to the Constitution.

    Recall that the Senate Committee on Constitution review was inaugurated on the 12th of February, 2020 by the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, following which, the committee held two meetings on the 26th of February, 2020 and on the 3rd of June, 2020, respectively, to work out the modalities for carrying out the all-important national assignment.

    Among the major fallouts of the meetings were that the El-Rufai report on restructuring and the 2014 Constitutional Conference report were recommended to be part of the Committee’s working documents.

    These two documents have been obtained by the secretariat of the Committee for duplication and circulation to members, Omo-Agege stated.

    “As we await the full resumption of our activities at the Committee level, compilation of all the Constitution alteration Bills referred to the Committee and gazetted are being collated for the process of the Committee in due course.

    “This assignment is one that must be carried out jointly with the House of Representatives, apart from other stakeholders in the various Houses of Assembly and members of the public.

    “Hence, I am in touch with my counterpart in the House to work out the modalities for a harmonious working relationship.

    “In pursuant of this, our secretariat has obtained all the Bills for the alteration of the Constitution referred so far to our counterparts in the House of Representatives and we have transmitted ours to them for further legislative activities.

    “The secretariat has been working and has identified many areas that need review in the 1999 Constitution from the engagements in the past and they include:

    “The need to make the Constitution more gender-friendly and affirm equal rights to women and girls.

    “The need to strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Federal Character Commission and other oversight agencies.

    “The need to address the challenges of residency and indigeneship.

    “The need to address the federal structure of the country to be in tandem with our history and modern realities.

    “The need to revisit socio-economic and cultural rights as entrenched in Chapter 2 of the Constitution as fundamental principles of state policy.

    “Electoral reforms veto to make our electoral system credible, free and fair.

    “Fiscal federalism and revenue allocation; and Comprehensive Judicial reforms.

    “This is a work plan that has been proposed for input. It is more of a road map of the Committee with the aim of presenting our report to the Senate plenary at the end of the first quarter of 2021.

    “This Constitution review process presents another opportunity for Nigerians to look at these issues again.

    “This review process will therefore be guided by the principle of inclusivity and participation.

    “We conducted a mapping of stakeholders that have been engaging in the Constitution review exercise since 1999.

    “We have collated previous reports such he as the 2014 Constitutional Conference Report and the El-Rufai’s report on restructuring which are being analyzed.

    “We have also designed several outreach programmes including the utilization of social media to receive and collate the views and opinions of Nigerians.

    “At the end of our technical sessions, our team will analyse the contributions and turn them into operations for the relevant sections of the Constitution,” the Senator said.

    He further stated that, “In addition, Distinguished Senators and members of the House of Representatives have initiated Constitution alteration Bills, all of which will be subjected to the relevant legislative process.

    “It is in line with this that the Committee is working on virtual conferencing to facilitate its work in view of the COVID-19 pandemic so as to ensure that our meetings within and outside the National Assembly premises are not unduly interrupted and frustrated from holding”.

    Senator Omo-Agege said that a target of March 2021 has been set to submit the report of the committee.

  • Constitution review: Position of Urhobo nation in process, says UPU P-G

    Constitution review: Position of Urhobo nation in process, says UPU P-G

    The Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has said it was in the process of submitting to the National Assembly (NASS) a paper on the position of the Urhobo nation on the Constitution review before the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) struck.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Olorogun Moses Taiga, President-General of the umbrella body of the Urhobo nation made this known during a press briefing at the weekend.

    He stated that the UPU would continue to work with the federal and the Delta State Governments to ensure that Urhobos receive the Economic Impact of Government policies.

    “Whilst, we as a socio-cultural Institution will remain non-partisan, we will seek to cooperate and work with each government and the institutions of state and federal governments of the day, to ensure that the Urhobo Nation gets its fair share of the resources and opportunities.

    We were in the process of submitting the paper on Urhobo position to Senator-Omo-Agege-led Constitution Review Committee before COVID-19. We shall do so subsequently.

    “The Federal and the Delta State Governments should provide adequate infrastructure to the Urhobo Nation. We need Federal Roads, particularly the East West Road, which has remained uncompleted for over 20 years.

    “The Ughelli/Asaba Road, Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, among others, need completion. The road is in a terrible state of disrepair, which has led to needless loss of lives, properties and productive man-hours. A one-hour journey now takes between three to six hours. For the Urhobo people, and other Nigerians, plying the road, especially from the Ugbenu, Oghara, Adeje, Elume to PTI Junction on Effrun axis of the Benin-Ughelli Expressway, it has been a harrowing experience,” he said.

    He further stated that the UPU requires an urgent attention for the legalization of community policing and solution to the herdsmen menace in Urhobo communities.

    “We seek the return of Uvwie and Okpe lands, acquired for military purposes, in the past, but not so utilised, and are being sold subsequently being sold by the military to private individuals.

    “We, as a Nation, had presented this matter to the President – HE Muhammadu Buhari, in June 2018, and he made a commitment to return these lands. But nothing has been done till now.

    “Our Sapele Port that was given to the Navy, which is currently underutilized, should be restored back as a full operating Port. We also want full business activities at the Warri Port. Government should also develop the Okwagbe/Ganagana Port in Ughelli South Local Government. We generate Gas from Utorogu Plant – Perhaps, the largest Gas Plant in Nigeria – yet electricity in Urhobo land is comatose! This needs to be redressed.

    “Government should bring in Investments to our area, together with provision of adequate SECURITY. Without security, there will be no investment or investors, with consequential zero job opportunities for our teaming youths. Our concern for the security situation for the state and country cannot therefore be over emphasised,” he said.

    He also stated the resolve of the Urhobo nation to continue to cooperate with neighbouring ethnic groups.

    “It is a sine qua non: It is our cardinal policy to co-exist peacefully with our neighbours in: The South, the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko. The North – the Ukwani, Oshimili and Anioma. And further – The Bini, the Igbo, the Igala, the Yoruba and other ethnicities. We will continue to cultivate their friendship and good neighbourliness,” he stated.

    Speaking on the Urhobo Language Education, Olorogun Taiga thanked the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for the approval of the Urhobo Language Curriculum for Primary and Junior Secondary Schools.

    “We, however, need this to be extended to include areas of Patani and Warri South LGAs, which have sizeable population of Urhobos,” adding that for primary health care, these are new times.

    “With the COVID-19 Pandemic, our lives have changed. UPU therefore has added Responsibilities to our people. We intend to play a bigger role in community sensitization, ensuring that we prevent rather than treat Corona Virus. We need to care more for the elderly, poor and infirmed persons,” he said.

    The UPU P-G used the opportunity to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for naming some Railway Stations along the Itakpe/Ajaokuta/Aladja/Warri Corridor after worthy Urhobo Sons.

    “We thank him for naming the Abraka Station after Major-General David Ejoor (Rtd.), and the Okpara Station after Olorogun Michael Ibru. The Urhobo Nation is immensely grateful for this honour done to our departed heroes,” he said.