TheNewsGuru

Tag: Delta State

  • Ex-President Jonathan congratulates Governor Okowa at 59

    Ex-President Jonathan congratulates Governor Okowa at 59

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has felicitated with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State who turns 59 today.

    In a goodwill message, the ex-president described Governor Okowa as a patriot who has made impactful contributions to the nation’s development.

    A statement issued on Saturday by Dr. Jonathan’s media adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, also quoted the former President as noting that Senator Okowa is determined to make a difference in governance by implementing laudable projects in his State.

    The statement read: “I write to most sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your 59th Birthday. “I am pleased that God has blessed you with the strength to make impactful contributions to our dear country.

    “As a Governor, you have continued to strive to make a difference in governance. Your commitment to national development and the task of improving the lives of the people of your State is evident in the quality and spread of the developmental projects being implemented by your administration.

    “I admire the contributions you have made to the nation as a Senator and your contributions to our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party. On this special day, I join your family and other well wishers to rejoice with you and offer prayers for more glorious celebrations.

    “I pray for God’s guidance and protection as you continue in your efforts towards transforming your State and improving the fortunes of our nation.”

     

  • Dankwambo tasks Arewa Community in Delta to imbibe peace

    Dankwambo tasks Arewa Community in Delta to imbibe peace

    Gombe State Governor, Dr Ibrahim Dankwambo on Friday commissioned some projects executed by his Delta State counterpart, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, using the exercise to urge northerners living in the state to obey the culture and norms of the people.

    Dankwambo who commissioned Abavo Circular Road, Abavo phase 1 with a spur to Ogbekile Street in Ika South local government area and Owerre-Olubor/Ekwuoma Road in Ika North-East local government area of Delta State, stated that Nigerians should live in peace and unity.

    According to him, “the Arewa Community should live in peace with the host communities, you (Arewa Community) must not do anything that is against the norms and culture of the communities, they should preach peace and accommodating spirit to their children and the host communities must be their brothers’ keepers, we must live as a peaceful, united people in this country.”

    The Gombe State governor who was accompanied to Delta State by some members of his state esxecutive council, also inspected facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

    He expressed surprise that within three years of Governor Okowa administration, a lot has been achieved in the state, emphasising, “for a new government faced with the challenges of funds to be commissioning series of projects, my brother, Governor Okowa, I commend you.”

    “Road projects open up communities for development, you mean well for the people,” he said, observing at the stadium that, “the facilities we have inspected are of international standards, no wonder Delta State is always emerging as number one in sporting competitions.”

    Governor Okowa disclosed the reason he invited Governor Dankwambo to commission projects executed by his administration, saying, “we need to build bridges of friendship across the country to strenghten our unity as a people.”

    “We are proud as a state government that we are taking road projects to different communities, especially, to our people in the riverine communities, we will continue to work for our people,” he said, adding, “we thank our traditional rulers for ensuring peaceful kingdoms which have helped us to execute projects.”

    Excited Deltans, traditional rulers were among those that witnessed the exercise.

     

  • Navy destroys 1500 illegal refineries in Delta

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta has destroyed about 1500 illegal refineries with swamp buggy in the Delta creeks in the last two months.

    The Commander of the ship, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, disclosed this to newsmen in Warri on Wednesday.

    Swamp buggy is an amphibious vehicle used to traverse a swampy terrain.

    Dewu said the destruction exercise was carried out in the creeks of Otumara, Ogbegugu, Okpuku in the Warri creeks.

    He added that personnel of the command were currently on the Bennett Island in Warri South Local Government Area of the state in continuation of the exercise.

    He said that the perpetrators had devised means of preventing the soldiers and the swamp buggy from gaining access to the sites by blocking the entrances with logs or setting fire around the sites.

    The commander, however, said their antics would not deter the soldiers from carrying out their statutory obligation of completely eradicating illegalities in the maritime domain.

    “It takes us time to remove the logs for our men and the swamp buggy to have access but we are determined,” he said.

    He said the criminals’ activities were also contributing to the degradation of the ecosystem.

    “The antics of the criminal elements will not deter us from eradicating the illegality with the aide of swamp buggy which I believe will bring a lasting solution to economic sabotage.

    ” We decided to apply swamp buggy because it is more environment friendly and difficult for the perpetrators to resuscitate the illicit business since their facilities are also crushed completely in the process.

    “Apart from that, we also do post-monitoring of the various sites we have destroyed to ensure that the criminals do not return to reactivate them.

    “So far, the exercise has been successful and we will not rest on our oars until the illegalities are completely eradicated in our maritime domain,” he said.

    In one of the operations on Bennett Island on June 12, the perpetrators set fire around the vicinity of the illegal refinery to prevent the soldiers from entering.

    The navy personnel then created alternative means for themselves, journalists and the swamp buggy to gain access and therefore, crushed the criminals’ equipment amid thick smoke and rain.

     

  • Police kill 2 robbery suspects in Warri

    Police kill 2 robbery suspects in Warri

    The Delta State Police Command on Tuesday killed two men, who specialised in dispossessing people of their valuables in Warri metropolis.

    The spokesman of the command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Warri.

    Aniamaka said that the suspects met their waterloo when they engaged a patrol team of the “A Division” Warri in a gun duel during a robbery on July 2.

    He said the incident happened along the Odion Road Junction in Warri.

    “At the A Division Warri, following a distress call from a vigilance team that robbers were operating along Odion Road Junction, the crime patrol team rushed to the scene.

    “In the course of a gun duel between the suspects and the patrol team, two of the robbers were fatally wounded and they died before getting to the hospital.

    “Exhibits recovered from the suspects include: Ak47 riffle, Ak47 magazine, Infinix and Nokia phones.

    “The corpses have been deposited at the morgue.’’

    Aniamaka said, however, that some of the robbers escaped with bullet wounds.

     

  • Presidency lists gains of new Niger Delta vision

    Presidency lists gains of new Niger Delta vision

    The presidency on Monday listed some of the successes of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s new vision for the Niger Delta.

    TheNewsGuru reports the presidency listed the successes to include take-off of the Maritime University in Delta State on March 12, 2018, with 338 students across 3 faculties – transport, engineering and environmental management.

    The presidency also listed two private modular refineries, it said have obtained licenses and have since commenced construction work.

    “One of them is in Kwale, Delta State, and has reached about 70% completion, while the other is in Rivers State,” the presidency stated.

    Another success the presidency listed is the legal and regulatory framework for gas commercialization, which the presidency said have been put in place, as well as an upward review of penalty for gas flaring.

    The presidency also said there has been increased in budgetary allocations to key agencies like the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    On the success in Ogoni Cleanup, the presidency said prequalification of contractors who bidded has been completed in line with public procurement laws.

    “Actual remediation and cleaning exercise will start as soon as procurement process concluded,” the presidency stated.

    The presidency also said, “Escrow Agreement to kickstart drawdown of 1st tranche of $170m signed”.

    “The New Vision for the Niger Delta is designed to promote development in the region through a forthright partnership between the Federal and State Governments, private sector, and local communities,” the presidency said.

     

  • Democracy Day: Delta Govt. creates jobs for additional 1450 youths, women

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said on Tuesday that the state government provided jobs for 1,450 youths and women in the 4th circle of his administration’s job creation programme.

    Okowa who stated this at a thanksgiving service marking the Democracy Day in Asaba, said that his administration placed high premium on job creation to ensure economic growth in the state.

    He said that over 500 persons suffering from cataracts in eight Local Government Areas in the state had had their sight restored through his wife’s pet programme, “05 Initiative.”

    “More persons will still be attended to when the “05 Initiative” extends its programme to the remaining 17 local government areas.

    “On June 5, we shall be commissioning the Sapele Market and the completed dualised Jesse road projects which were initiated by the administration of Chief James Ibori,” he said.

    He said that the reconstruction work in the Asaba Airport runway had been completed and could be ranked among the best in the country.

    The governor said that the airport had been reopened to traffic while other ancillary work would be completed in July.

    Okowa also said the state was ready to host 54 African countries in the 21st Senior African Athletics Competition (SAAC) scheduled for August at the reconstructed Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.

    He said further that the ongoing multi-billion naira storm drainage project in Asaba, the state capital, would be completed in 2019, adding that a similar one would commence in Warri and environs.

    Earlier at the exhortation, Rev. Felix Omobude, urged the people of the state, especially the leaders, to live up to their responsibilities.

    Omobude said though the government of the day had recorded some achievements, there was room for more.

    According to him, Delta had contributed greatly to the development of the country and could not afford to go under but remain on the lead.

    The ceremony attracted former governors of the state, James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan and their deputies as well as other dignitaries and clegies.

     

  • Children’s Day: Okowa urges parents to pay more attention to children

    As Children’s Day was celebrated in Nigeria on Sunday, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has called on parents to devote greater time to their children.

    According to the Governor, “parents and caregivers, should devote greater time, and attention to the children, we must not leave the upbringing and character formation of our children to teachers alone; we should take greater responsibility for the sake of their protection, wellbeing and the orderliness of society at large.”

    Governor Okowa at the celebration which featured march past, cultural dance, modelling, among others in Asaba lauded the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Creating Safe Spaces for Children: Our Collective Responsibility,’ stated, “this administration has placed a high premium on the total development and protection of children on which the continuous existence and progress of the State and nation depend.”

    “This year’s theme is meant to sensitize government, stakeholders and other duty bearers on the crucial need to strategize on ways of creating a protective, violence free and safe spaces for every child in Delta State,” the Governor said, adding, “we start the care of the child from when it has not been born through the free maternal care and free medicare from the earliest stage till the child is five years; we do this conscious that it is the most sensitive period of a child’s life.”

    He continued, “this administration through our SMART agenda, has taken various actions aimed at improving the welfare and security of our future generation, we do not want to give them fish, we are teaching them how to fish through the acquisition of skills with the aim of making them entrepreneurs and the results are beginning to bear fruit.“

    The Governor who decried the level of abuses against children “ranging from rape, defilement, sexual exploitation, cultism, child trafficking, child labour, to mention a few,” asserted, “the situation calls for more concerted efforts of all and sundry to take proactive measures and increase the consciousness of providing safe and very secure spaces for our children to grow up in the midst of genuine and selfless love, care and attention.”

    He emphasised, “I wish to appeal to all duty bearers to actively promote the ideals of the Childs Rights Law, bearing in mind that we are accountable to God on how we discharge our obligations to our children, knowing very well that our future as a State and nation, will be defined by the quality of today’s children.”

    High point of the celebration was the feeding of the children by members of the 05 Initiative led by Dame Edith Okowa.

    Earlier in a church service, guest preacher, Master Chibuzor Promise urged parents to create safe spaces for their children, bring them up in the way of the Lord so as they can make good choices in life.

    Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, members of the National Assembly, among other political office holders and cross section of the society attended the event.

     

  • Poisonous gas from SPDC ruptured pipe poses health risks in Delta state

    Poisonous gas purportedly from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) ruptured gas pipeline is presently wreaking havoc in Odimodi, a federated community in Burutu one constituency of Delta state.

    TheNewsGuru gathers Odimodi federated communities have been devastated by oil pollution allegedly occasioned by SPDC pipeline leakage causing emission of poisonous gas into the air.

    Today, at plenary session of the Delta State House of Assembly, the member representing the Burutu one constituency, Daniel Yingi, raised alarm of the development, and moved a motion for the House to address the issues under matters of urgent public importance.

    The lawmaker noted that also affected by the spill were farm lands, fish ponds, rivers which is the source of their drinking water and aquatic lives in the community thereby bringing untold hardship, hunger and starvation.

    Yingi said life had become more difficult for the people as they now depend on water from Warri for drinking purpose as the rivers have been polluted while fishing which is the major occupation can no longer be carried out.

    He said the motion became necessary in order to draw the attention of the State Government to send relief materials and medicals to enable the people have hope.

    Yingi, who is the Chairman House Committee on Environment, Oil and Gas, said it was more worrisome as Shell had not entered talks with the community as the youths were getting agitated.

    Speaking in support of the motion, Oboro Preyor, Kennedy Daubry, Daniel Mayuku, Efe Ofobruku and Johnson Erijo said oil spillage was very dangerous to human and aquatic lives hence the need for the people to get adequate relief materials and medicals in order to enhance their well-being.

    The lawmakers expressed concern at the attitude of Shell since the spillage occurred saying their action could jeopardize the peace in the creeks.

    They argued that Nigeria depended on revenue from crude oil hence government and multinational oil companies ought to give priority attention to such matters in order to ensure peace.

    The lawmakers urged Governor Okowa to prevail on Shell, NOSDRA and other stakeholders to clean up the community as it would be dangerous to have a repeat of the Ogoni situation in the State.

    The motion, seconded by Kennedy Daubry, was adopted by the House when put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori.

    The House, therefore, adopted a resolution urging the State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to as a matter of urgency direct the Commissioner, Bureau for Special Duties to send relief materials to Odimodi federated communities.

    The House also directed the Delta State Ministry of Health to send medical team without further delay to the community to ascertain the health condition of the people as a result of the poisonous gas being emitted into the air space.

    The resolution called on SPDC to immediately clean the environment, remediate and restore it to its original state and also release the report of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with a view to avoiding the breakdown of law and order in Odimodi federated communities.

     

  • Deltans have a lot to celebrate – Gov. Okowa

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, few days to Democracy Day, marking his third anniversary as governor of Delta state, has said the people of the State have a lot to celebrate.

    The Governor who spoke with enthusiasm on Tuesday shortly after inspecting some projects executed by his administration, told journalists that three years after, Deltans have a lot to celebrate and thank God for.

    “From 9 am on Tuesday, May 29, we will gather at the event centre to celebrate peace, to thank God for the peace and progress we have made as a state, the programme will be beamed live for Deltans who may not be able to join us at the event centre to participate in giving praise, dance and dance to the glory of God for His goodness,” the Governor said.

    “We have just inspected the Stephen Keshi Stadium, the Asaba Airport and the storm drainage projects and we are happy with the level of progress made in the execution of the projects, we have adopted regular monitoring of the projects to ensure that the jobs are done to specification and delivered on time,” he added.

    The Governor who was accompanied by all the members of the State executive council as the inspection commenced immediately after their meeting, disclosed that the contractors have been ordered to work day and night to ensure that they deliver the projects before scheduled dates.

    He noted that the runway of the Asaba International Airport will be completed before May 29, observing that the runway was very critical for the effective functioning of the airport.

     

  • Delta Govt. inaugurates committee to monitor tricycle, motorcycle operations

    The Delta State Government has inaugurated a supervisory committee tasked with the responsibility to continuously supervise and monitor the operation of commercial motorcycle (aka okada) and tricycle (aka keke) operators in the State.

    The State Commissioner for Transport, Vincent Uduaghan, disclosed this while briefing the press on the activities and achievements of his Ministry at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information, Asaba.

    He said the supervisory committee will enforce compliance with the wearing of vests and helmets by commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators in the State, and that about 1,041 jobs had been provided for its members and other Deltans.

    “The scheme has also ensured the harmonious relationship between the State Government and the tricycle operators across the State as well as contributing to the internally generated revenue of the State,” Uduaghan stated.

    He revealed that the State Government had approved the construction of a 1,000 capacity tankers/trailers park at Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area, on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

    “When fully operational, the scheme will provide direct and indirect jobs for the teeming youths in Delta State. The essence of the tankers park at Warri is to decongest the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Expressway where petroleum tankers park indiscriminately and in the process poses danger to lives of other road users.

    “It will also address the menace of highway gridlocks and environmental degradation caused by commercial and private petroleum tankers and other high axle trucks that visit Warri and environs.

    “The revenue generated from the park will be used to maintain the existing park as well as boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State. A consultant has been commissioned to collect the fee and a task force for the decongestion of petroleum tankers from the NPA Expressway, Refinery environs and the Ubeji-Ifie axis has been inaugurated,” the Commissioner said.

    Speaking on the privatization of Delta line, the Commissioner said: The present administration deems it fit to privatize the Delta Line Company to divest 60% of the State share under a Private Public Partnership to avoid issues of mismanagement over the years concerning the Company.

    He declared that the process of the privatization was still on-going, saying that the benefits when privatized include, repositioning the Company in a better position to serve Deltans better and that Deltans would have a feel of reaching their desire routes through the new partnership.

    To build an effective drivers pool for the State, Mr Uduaghan disclosed that 200 drivers are currently being trained in the 2017/2018 session while approval had been given for the training of more 250 drivers for 2018/2019 training session had been secured by the Directorate of Transport from the state Government.

    He explained that the issues concerning stagnation of drivers in the State Civil Service would be a thing of the past, even as he said the benefits of the drivers training school include progress in drivers career from Salary Grade Level 07 to 14 in the Works Superintendent Cadre; polish Drivers in terms of character and expression in the discharge of their duties.

    Others include enhancing the general productivity, mentality, psychological and emotional balance of drivers with their bosses and the Public; sharpening the level of road safety as it concerns road signs and symbols as well as their observance of Safety Rules and Regulations; it would help drivers to be mechanically alert in case of any incidence or occurrence in their vehicles, before getting to a Mechanic.