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Tag: Delta State

  • Okowa tasks NBA on reforms in Nigeria’s prison system

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday tasked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the exigency of making Nigerian prisons a corrective and reformatory system.

    The governor gave the charge at the Fifth Criminal Justice Reforms Conference organized by the NBA with the theme: “Criminal Justice Reforms in Nigeria, The Journey So Far,” holding in Asaba.

    He said that the participants must objectively, dispassionately and rigorously proffer solutions that would ensure that the prison system only takes away the freedom of offenders and not their lives.

    “It is exigent that we devise a template for the prison system that focuses on correction and reformation as against punishment and stigmatisation.

    “Therefore, we must objectively, dispassionately and rigorously proffer solutions that will ensure the prison system only takes away the freedom of offenders not their lives.”

    He said that the state had enacted the administration of Criminal Justice Law on Sept. 19, 2017, noting that the law had far reaching innovations and had been implemented in the state.

    According to him, though the law is still work in progress, there are strong indications that it will go a long way to enhance speedy trials and prison decongestion.

    “In addition, we have made great efforts to expand and deepen the course of justice by bringing it closer to the people by creating five new judicial divisions in the state.

    “And in March 2017, we established an Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and based on the recommendation of the council, I recently granted pardon to five inmates and commuted the death sentence of 30 others to life imprisonment.”

    The governor said that the world was changing very fast and the growth of technology had altered the way the people live, interact and do businesses.

    “In this year’s conference, it is gratifying to note that you have chosen to asses the progress made so far, with particular reference to the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice Act, a by-product of previous conference.

    “The judiciary must respond to this new paradigm by continually upgrading the skills and knowledge of its officers to meet the needs of the legal profession and ensure that the public continues to be served by competent courts of law,” he said.

    In a goodwill message, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, represented by Justice Roseline Bozimo, Director, National Judicial Institute, said that the theme of the conference was apt.

    He said that energy must be exerted to ensure that justice was done, adding that there were numerous challenges confronting the criminal justice system in the country.

    Onnoghen advised states to designate special courts to handle criminal cases, adding that efforts were on to ensure the reform of the processes of filing cases in the courts.

    The CJN said that by July 16, all court processes would be filed electronically as against the manual system operated in the past.

    Onnoghen, however, noted that lack of financial autonomy of states judiciary, had hindered progress in the Criminal Justice System in the country.

    He called for the financial independence of the judiciary in the states, adding that it would go a long way to address the challenges in the administration of criminal justice.

    He tasked that delegates to make useful contributions to the conference and come up with solutions.

    Earlier, in an address of welcome, the NBA President, Mr Abubakar Mahmodu (SAN), decried the huge number of prison inmates in the country, adding that the reforms had become necessary to decongest the prisons.

    He charged all stakeholders to support the reforms.

    to stem the rising wave of criminality in the country, Mahmodu underscored the need for more radical reforms, adding that the spate of killings in the country had become more worrisome.

    Similarly, the Chairman, NBA Criminal Justice Reform Committee, Mr Arthur Obi-Okafor, had commended Gov. Okowa for his support to the committee.

    Obi-Okafor noted that the conference was important to strengthen the criminal justice system.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, among others, delivered their goodwill messages through various representatives at the conference.

     

  • Court remands Delta Senator, Nwaoboshi, in Ikoyi Prison

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a People’s Democratic Party’s Senator, Peter Nwaoboshi, in Ikoyi Prison pending ruling on his bail application.

    He is to remain behind bars until April 27, the court ruled.

    Nwaoboshi had appeared before the court charged with a N805 millon fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The senator representing Delta North, was arraigned on two counts of money laundering and fraud alongside two companies — Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.

    He had entered a plea of `not guilty’.

    Arguing his bail application before the court, the defence counsel, Dr. V. J. O. Azinge (SAN) , urged the court to grant the accused bail on self-recognizance as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    In the bail application brought pursuant to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act as well as the 1999 Constitution, Azinge told the court: “Where it is not inclined to granting bail on recognizance, then bail should be made on liberal terms.

    Among other grounds for the application, Azinge informed the court that the accused was a cardiac patient, who required constant health checks.

    She also argued that as a Senator and senior citizen, the accused sits at the Upper Legislative Chambers and has a mandatory requirement to represent his constituency.

    According to the defence counsel, the charge against the accused had lingered since 2017, and noted that the accused was granted administrative bail by the commission, he never jumped bail.

    She added that the accused is a qualified lawyer of 28 years experience and described him as an “oracle and a man of integrity”.

    She urged the court to grant the bail application.

    But the EFCC Prosecutor, Mr M. S. Abubakar, opposed the application and urged the court to refuse bail and order the remand of the accused.

    He said it was not the duty of the defence counsel to dictate to the court the manner it will undertake proceedings, adding it is purely the court’s discretion.

    After listening to the arguments of both counsel, Justice Mohammed Idris, adjourned the case until April 27 for ruling on the application.

    Defence counsel urged the court to allow the accused to remain at the EFCC custody where he had been, pending the ruling.

    But in opposition, the prosecutor said: “My Lord, the matter is out of the jurisdiction of the EFCC and now before the court; the defence had argued that the defendants health deteriorated while in our custody, so we do not want his health to further deteriorate.”

    Justice Idris consequently ordered that the accused should be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending the determination of his bail.

    The EFCC alleged that the accused committed the offences between May and June 2014 in Lagos.

    Nwaoboshi was said to have acquired a property described as Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for the sum of N805 million “when he reasonably ought to have known that N322 million out of the purchase sum, formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act”.

    The sum was said to have been transferred to the vendors by order of Suiming Electrical Ltd.

    Suiming Electrical was said to have on May 14, 2014, aided Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch to commit money laundering.

    The offences contravened the provisions of sections 15(2), (d) , 15 (3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 201.

     

  • Gov. Okowa directs demolition of illegal structures in Asaba Airport

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has directed the demolition of all privately-owned houses sited within the perimeter fencing of the Asaba International Airport.

    The governor gave the directive on Tuesday while inspecting the ongoing resurfacing of the airport runway and other ancillary work to ensure the contractors delivered as promised in May.

    He said any building within the perimeter fencing that had relevant documents would be paid compensation, adding that the focus was to ensure safety at the airport.

    “We need to determine the perimeter of the airport to know where our land ends.

    “We need to look at the buildings close to the airport if they have relevant approvals and if they have no relevant approvals, the buildings will go down.

    “I have asked the Commissioner for Lands and Survey to take inventories for us to take necessary actions.

    “If the owners of the buildings have relevant documents, they will be compensated because, what is foremost on our mind is safety,” Okowa said.

    He, however, lauded the level of work done at the airport, adding that the contractor was working hard to beat the five weeks deadline for the reopening of the airport for commercial activities.

    “The contractor is right on course and they will deliver before the deadline.

    “We are concentrating on the runway which must be of international standards, and we are confident that we will get one of the best in the country.

    “I am happy with the pace of work,” he said.

    The Project Manager, Setraco Nigeria Limited, Mr Jihad Yaghi, thanked the governor for encouraging the company to speed up the delivery of the project.

    He said that everybody was committed and working hard to ensure that the job was completed on schedule and according to specifications.

    The Airport Special Project Director, Mr Austin Ayemidejor who took the governor and his team round the project site, assured that the contractor was working round the clock to deliver the project before the deadline and to specifications.

     

  • Delta Govt. requires N11.5bn to complete 3 projects in Asaba – Commissioner

    The Delta Government on Monday said that it would require N11.5 billion to complete three ongoing storm water routing projects in Asaba.

    The State Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, disclosed this on Monday at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the State Ministry of Information.

    He said the state government, in its determination to address flooding in the capital, had engaged experts and undertook the study of the entire Asaba area.

    The commissioner said that at the end of the study, eight storm water channels were outlined with their corresponding costs of which three were identified to be strategic in the interim.

    He expressed optimism that the perennial flooding in the area would be a thing of the past after the completion of the projects.

    He said the government had already started the execution of the three major storm water routing projects in Asaba.

    ‘‘The first is the continuation and completion of the construction of the 2.44-kilometre length storm water control measures in Direct Labour Road (DLA) /Jesus Saves corridor in Asaba awarded on May 15, 2017 to CCECC at the cost of N1.7 billion.

    ‘‘The second is the construction of 4.33-kilometre length the storm water discharge channel along Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS)/ Umejei Adudu Way to Amilimocha River, Asaba, awarded to Setraco at the cost of N5.2 billion.

    ‘‘The third is the construction of 3.5-kilometres network channels storm water drainage along Amb. Ralph Uweche Way to Anwai River, Asaba, awarded to CCECC on Jan. 25 this year at the cost of N4.6 billon.’’

    He said that the projects were at various levels of completion, adding that the DLA/Jesus Saves project was 80 per cent completed, while the other two would be completed in 12 months’ time.

    The commissioner said that on completion of the storm water drainage project, flooding from the DLA, Jesus Saves, DBS Road, Maryam Babangida Way, Okpanam Road and other adjoining streets would be effectively evacuated.

    Augoye, however, said his ministry was facing challenges of funding, difficult terrains and unpredictable weather conditions which had had made road construction difficult in the state.

     

  • Okowa performs ground-breaking for 400MW power plant

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a 400MW combined cycle power plant, expressing joy that Delta State has become hub for investors in the gas sector.

    The Governor who performed the ground-breaking ceremony at Ekrokpe/Ekrejegbe, Ughelli South local government area said, “we are glad as a state that we will be a hub for power generation because of the peaceful nature of our state and huge deposit of gas.”

    “The Nigerian government has continued in her struggle to provide energy for development and for home services in our country but, we know we are faced with challenges and with the private sector becoming more interested in generating energy, there is great hope that the energy need of this country would be catered for in the nearest future,” he said.

    Governor Okowa who expressed excitement for performing the ceremony noted that with the increase in the number of energy generating companies, it was important for the distribution companies to see that Nigerians are satisfied.

    He urged the host communities to maintain their peaceful dispositions and urged then not to demand so much from the company while asking the company, Onose TBEA Energy Limited to meet with its social corporate responsibilities, and ensure that youths from the area are engaged in the construction work of the plant and are also, employed when the company commences its operations.

    Chairman of Onose Tbea, General Alexander Ogomudia (rtd) had in an address, said, “without power we will be wasting our time in terms of development.”

    He stated that though the company was commencing operations by generating 400 MW of electricity, the target is to contribute 2000 MW of electricity to the national grid.

    The Managing Director of the company, Mr Jim Elueni in an address to welcome dignitaries, said, “the Governor of Delta State, Senator Okowa, in appreciating the importance of this project to his state, has wasted no time in granting us all approvals that arrived at his desk in the pursuit of this laudable project.”

     

  • Delta Govt spends N.5billion for programmes accreditation in DELSU

    Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Jude Sinebe, has revealed the State government has spent over half a billion Naira on programmes accreditation at the Delta State University (DELSU).

    The Commissioner, who was speaking on the activities and achievements of his Ministry at the State’s ministerial press briefing held at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information, Asaba, also revealed that a total of N30 million was released for the last convocation ceremony of the Institution.

    The Higher Education Commissioner who was responding to questions, said that DELSU was able to generate N2 billion in 2016, but that the figure had fallen to N1.6 billion in 2017.

    He said no tertiary institution in the State pay a kobo to the government, but that government on a monthly basis provide subvention to higher institutions in the State.

    He revealed that the State government gave permission to higher Institutions to generate revenue and spend part of it on running their daily cost and embarking on infrastructure development.

    Mr. Sinebe assured that the Senate building at the main campus of DELSU, Abraka would be completed as soon as funds were released.

    At the ministerial press briefing, the Commissioner also gave reasons for the recent disengagement of the registrar and bursar of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.

    He said subversion of due process in the employment of staff for the polytechnic by the affected officers was responsible for their disengagement.

    According to the Commissioner, the officers went about an employment process without getting the approval of the State Governor, which he said happened way back in 2013.

    “They did not act alone. Others civil servants were involved, some 11 others,” he said.

    He explained that the affected officers were asked to resign, and that they will forfeit all their retirement entitlements.

    He said the measure was to guide against impunity and deter others from carrying their job without observing due process.

    On why the name of College of Physical Education, Mosogar was changed to College of Education, Mosogar, the commissioner said that it was to make the institution more encompassing and attractive to prospective students.

    He clarified that 70 years remained the retirement age for professors in Universities and 65 years for other academic staff, while academic staff in polytechnics and colleges of education was 65 years and other staff 60 years.

     

  • Delta Govt. accesses N7.8bn UBEC funds

    The Delta Government on Monday said it had accessed N7.8 billion Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) counterpart funds in four years.

    Mr Chiedu Ebie, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, disclosed this in Asaba at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the Ministry of Information.

    He said that the funds were accessed in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, adding that the state government had approved the release of N1.28 billion as counterpart fund to enable it access the 2017 UBEC funds for 2017.

    According to the commissioner, government also accessed the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 UBEC funds, valued at N2.06 billion, N1.90 billion, N1.75 billion and N2.08 billion.

    ‘‘All these were accessed by the present administration, bearing in mind that the state last accessed its grants from UBEC in 2012.

    ‘‘The state executive council recently approved the release of N1.28 billion counterpart fund to enable us access the 2017 UBEC funds which places us as one of the few states in the country to do so.

    ‘‘So far, from UBEC grants and the state counterpart fund, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has received N7.8 billion which has been judiciously utilised in improving basic education institutions in the state,’’ he said.

    Ebie said that the UBEC funds were used for the purchase of 1,779 teachers’ furniture, construction of perimeter fencing and corresponding gatehouses of 81 schools.

    He also said that it was used for the construction of 79 solar powered boreholes, construction of 243 modern toilets and several ongoing projects to facilitate teaching and learning.

    The commissioner said that the state government spent over N2.5 billion on improving infrastructure, refurbishing and supply of equipment to six technical colleges in the state.

    He also said that the technical colleges, through the World Bank/State Employment and Expenditure For Result (SEEFOR), had enjoyed a grant of N45 million annually since 2015.

    Ebie said that the state government was responsible for maintaining the existing 1,124 public primary schools with the population of 319,719 pupils, with 472 post-primary institutions of total population of 350,803 students.

    ‘‘To enhance access to education and in consonance with the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG 4), the UBE Act and New National Policy on Education, this administration has established additional 12 primary and 34 secondary schools across the state.’’

    Ebie also noted that the state government had between 2015 and 2018 executed 341 projects in 253 schools in both primary and secondary schools across the state at a cost of about N17.2 billion.

    According to the commissioner, 341 projects intervention in 253 primary and secondary schools in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 costs N2.4 billion, N3.9 billion, N8.4 billion and N2.5 billion respectively.

    Ebie said that education ministry was partnering with other private agencies to develop sporting activities in both primary and secondary schools in the state.

    He said that the government was committed to providing good education, teacher training and capacity building to meet the current modern education needs of students.

     

  • Delta: 80 physically challenged persons benefit from skills’ training

    No fewer than 80 physically challenged persons have so far benefited from the Delta State organized Skills’ Training and Entrepreneurship (STEP) programme.

    The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Mrs Omatsola Williams, said this on Monday in Asaba.

    Williams was speaking at a one-day orientation programme organised by her ministry in collaboration with the Office of Job Creation for persons with disabilities.

    Williams said that 51 persons with disabilities benefited from the programme in 2016/2017 cycle, while an additional 29 persons had just been enrolled for the 2017/2018 cycle.

    She said that the beneficiaries were selected from the various local government areas of the state on cluster-to- cluster basis.

    The commissioner also said that the beneficiaries would be trained for between three months to six months depending on their chosen enterprise.

    She said that the trainers would be using the community base vocational rehabilitation (CBVR) model approach during the training.

    Williams said that the trainees would be attached to a relevant trainer within their respective communities of residence.
    They would also be provided with an interpreter when necessary to facilitate learning within the stipulated period, she said.

    She advised them to take the training seriously and warned that any trainee who found wanting would be de-listed from the programme.

    Earlier, the Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, said that the state government was committed to the welfare of persons with disabilities in the state.

    Eboh noted that their inclusion in the job- creation programme was aimed at equipping them with relevant skills required to make them self-reliant.

    He assured them that at the end of the training, they would be given starter packs that would enable them establish their own businesses.

    Eboh said that each of the beneficiaries would be paid a monthly stipend of N10,000 within the period of the training.

    Mr Isaac Obruche, who responded on behalf of the other beneficiaries, commended the state government for the gesture.

     

  • Delta Govt generates N51 billion IGR — Finance Commissioner

    The Delta Commissioner for Finance, Chief David Edevbie, on Thursday said that the state government generated N51 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2017.

    Edevbie disclosed this in Asaba at the state’s 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the State Ministry for Information for the various Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to present their reports.

    He said that the monthly IGR of the state in the year under review had hovered between N3 billion and N4 billion.

    The commissioner said the N51 billion represented about 73.2 per cent performance, compared to the budgeted revenue of N70 billion for the period.

    “The amount also represents an increase of 13 per cent when compared to the IGR of N45 billion received in 2016,“he said.

    He said that the state’s revenue board was putting a new and secured system in place to capture all taxable persons and to close up gaps to ensure that the state met its monthly revenue target of N7 billion.

    “The Delta Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) is deploying new strategies and initiatives towards realising a monthly revenue target of about N7 billion.

    “To expand the database of taxpayers, the board is also focusing on capturing more than 70 per cent of taxable persons in the informal sector in the state’s tax net.

    “It has increased its tax agent database from 1,800 to 5, 800,” Edevbie said.

    He noted that the state statutory allocation, value added tax, 13 per cent revenue derivation from Jan. to Dec. 2017 was N179.5 billion, representing about 61 per cent performance, when compared to the state’s estimated revenue of N294.5 billion for the same period.

    Edevbie also said that the state spent a total of N208.9 billion, compared to a budget of N294.5 billion.

    “Of this N208.9 billion, N145.6 billion, representing 92.2 per cent performance was spent on recurrent expenditure, compared to the provision of N158 billion.

    “While the sum of N63.2 billion, representing a budget performance of 46.4 per cent, was spent on capital expenditure, compared to the budgeted N136.4 billion in the period under review,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the state’s debt stock currently stood at N228.3 billion, adding that a new loan was N9.5 billion and that the state debt service principal and interest was N21.9 billion and N3.4 billion, respectively.

    He said that due to lower revenue receipts in the year under review, government released a total sum of N17.3 billion to the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), instead of N28 billion in the budget.

    He also said that his ministry, on behalf of the state government, had paid the N42.3 billion out of the principal component of the N50 billion bond floated in 2011.

    “The outstanding principal balance on the bond is N7.7 billion, as at Dec 2017,” Edevbie said.

    The commissioner said that N4 billion was approved for the ongoing Asaba International Airport resurfacing of the 3.7 kilometre runway, among other ancillary works.

    He said that the state government had released a total sum of N2.5 billion to Setraco, the contracting firm handling the runway project.

    “The airport has temporarily closed for five weeks to enable the resurfacing of the 3.7 kilometer runway,’’ he said.

    The commissioner added that when completed, bigger aircraft would land at the airport and other benefits would start rolling in.

     

  • Delta Economic Team facilitates signing of MoU for 15 projects – Commissioner

    Dr Kingsley Emu, Delta Commissioner for Economic Planning, has said that the state’s economic management team facilitated the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for 15 projects.

    Emu said this at the annual ministerial news briefing organised by the state Ministry of Information on Thursday in Asaba.

    Emu said that the MoUs were signed for various projects, which include the Agro industrial Park, Delta Rest Park, Mechanic village, and Norseworthy agro investment Limited.

    He noted that some of the MoUs had already received approval and that in the next few months there would be ground breaking ceremonies.

    According to the commissioner, the team, which was drawn from the relevant ministries, was able to secure World Bank funding for job creation in the state.

    He added that the state government through collaborative arrangements with donor agencies, especially the EU, World Bank, UNDP and UNICEF had coordinated and overseen the implantation and completion of projects targeted at the rural communities.

    He said that through the collaboration, a total of 66 projects out of the 84 projects earmarked for implementation under the MPP9 were completed.

    Emu said that under the Niger Delta Support programme (NDSP), a total of 23 projects out of the 80 projects earmarked for implantation had been completed.

    He added that under UNICEF, the state had been able to develop a four-year State Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition (SSPAN).

    He said the action plan would ensure that nutrition activities are well articulated and implemented, adding that N100 million had been approved for the action plan.