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Tag: Delta

  • Flood sweeps away two siblings in Delta

    Two siblings from Alibioba Community, Agbor, in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Testimony Okwuokenye (15) and Godwin Okwuokenye (11), were swept away last Thursday by flood.

    According to reports, the heavy downpour which started at about 3:45 pm swept away Testimony, a JSS 1 student of Agbor Technical College and his brother, Godwin, a primary five pupil of Alibioba Primary School in the area.

    Eye witness said that the brothers were returning home from an outing when the rain started, adding that they stepped into a gutter few metres away from their home.

    Speaking in an interview, father of the deceased teenagers and a pastor in one of the Pentecostal churches in the area, Godday Okwuokenye, said at about 4:30 pm on that fateful day, he received a distress call by a teenager in the area who informed him that flood had swept away the two brothers.

    His words, “That day, Thursday, I went to our garden with my children, Testimony and Godwin. When we discovered that the weather was changing, threatening to rain, we rushed home. When we got home, it was already drizzling and, both of them carried some basins to gather water.

    “Then, I went into my room and decided to lie down on the bed. That was how I slept off. Few minute later, I heard some knock on the door and when I opened, the boy who was knocking said to me, “Sir, are you the father of Testimony, I said yes. Then, he said to me that flood carried both of them.

    “He said that Godwin, my younger son, fell into the gutter and Testimony, the elder one, in a bid to rescue the younger brother, was swept away with Godwin.

    “When I heard this, I quickly rushed out to the scene. But at Uromi Junction axis, I found a crowd of rescue team who had rescued one of them, whom I quickly rushed to the hospital where doctors at the Central Hospital, Agbor, confirmed that he was already dead.

    “The second boy was discovered the following morning and he was also already dead,” the father said while sobbing.

    Reacting to the development, residents in the area who included the chairman, Landlords/Landladies Association, Mr. Chukwuyem Odia; a retired civil servant, Mr. Daniel Osunde; a 56-year-old housewife, Mrs Patience Edwin, as well as a 60-year-old housewife, Mrs Juliana Ehiosu, called on the state government to come to their aid in addressing the gully erosion challenge in the area.

    According to the respondents, the gully erosion has continued to pose dangerous threat to lives and properties in the area, particularly the lives of pupils of Alibioba Primary School in the area as well as students of Agbor Technical College.

    They explained that due to the nature of the road and the gully, several pupils and students of the school had in the past been rescued from the gully, adding that a lot of them have had broken limbs just as several buildings are at the verge of collapse.

  • Oborevwori emerges Speaker of Delta 7th Assembly

    Oborevwori emerges Speaker of Delta 7th Assembly

    Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, the immediate past Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly was on Monday re-elected at the inauguration of the 7th Assembly of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that Oborevwori (PDP-Okpe) was first elected on May 11, 2017 following the impeachment of Chief Monday Igbuya(PDP-Sapele) over alleged misconduct.

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa had earlier inaugurated the 7th Assembly through a letter read by the Clerk, Mrs Lyna Ochulor on Monday in Asaba.

    The re-election of the speaker followed his nomination by the immediate past Majority Leader of the House, Mr Tim Owhefere, (PDP-Isoko North).

    The motion for nomination of the speaker which was unanimously adopted when put to a voice vote by the clerk was seconded by Mr Festus Okoh (PDP-Ika South).

    Oborevwori, a second timer was elected alongside his Deputy, Mr Christopher Ochor, (PDP-Ukwuani).

    Ochor’s election followed his nomination by Mr Anthony Elekeokurie (PDP- Ika North East).

    The motion for his election which was unanimously adopted when put to a voice vote by the Clerk, was second by Mr Reuben Izeze-Ughelli South).

    In his acceptance speech, Oborevwori, who commended the lawmakers for giving him the opportunity to serve for a second term, assured them that they would not be taken for granted.

    “I am aware of the various challenges of law making, but be rest assured that I will not take you for granted. I will always draw from your advise as colleagues to improve on our deliberations,”he said.

    Oborevwori also stressed the need for the lawmakers to improve on their legislation, especially through adequate representation of their various constituents.

    “Everyone of us is here today because of the mandate of our constituents and we must ensure that we deliver to our various constituents,”he said.

  • I will celebrate my 60th birthday with the physically challenged – Okowa

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has said that he will mark his 60th birthday with the physically challenged persons in the state.

    The governor stated this on Saturday while inaugurating the Sickle Cell referral centre in Asaba.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sickle cell centre is a pet project of the wife of the governor, Mrs Edith Okowa, and her “05′ Initiative” a Non- Governmental Organisation.

    The referral centre in the General Hospital Asaba is the 13th centre in Central and General Hospitals spread across the state which were fully equipped by the initiative.

    According to the governor, the inauguration is to celebrate the first lady’s birthday with those suffering from sickle cell disease.

    He called on Nigerians to impact the lives of the poor and the less privileged in the society in line with the motto of the initiative, “Impact the world by helping one person at a time”.

    The governor said that his wife had touched many lives with pet projects, adding that with the referral centre, there was hope for victims.

    “The facility, which is well equipped, is donated to the state by the 05 Initiative, a non-governmental organisation founded by the wife of the Governor of Delta State, Dame Edith Okowa.

    “I am glad that the 05 Initiative was founded and committed to helping one individual at a time.

    “As Nigerians, if we impact on the life of one person positively, that person will go ahead to impact on the life of another person, and within a short period, we will have a country where the people will be willing at all times to help one another.

    “This commissioning exercise is coinciding with the birthday celebration of my wife. While I say, happy birthday to her, I am glad that every year she celebrates her birthday touching the lives of other people.

    “I will be celebrating my 60th birthday which will be coming up in the month of July with the physically challenged and the less privileged,” he said.

    He thanked his wife for having the vision to assist people with sickle cell disorder and assist the hopeless in the society.

    The governor also thanked all who supported the initiative, particularly private individuals.

    He thanked them for touching lives and for giving hope to those suffering from sickle cell that the disease was no longer a death sentence.

    The chairman of the occasion, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, in an opening remark, scored 05 Initiative high in meeting up with its vision.

    “Activities of 05 initiative have blossomed tremendously; the scorecard is impressive; 05 Initiative is giving hope to the hopeless.

    “This Sickle Cell Centre is the second of its kind in Nigeria and I congratulate and commend the founder of 05 initiative, Dame Okowa for her commitment to leaving a legacy that will endure for all time.

    ” This will reduce high mortality rate in persons dealing with sickle cell disorder and I urge every good- spirited individual and agency to sponsor the programme,” he said.

    NAN also reports that Mrs Betsy Obaseki and Mrs Martha Udom, wives of Governors of Edo State and Akwa Ibom States respectively, were among dignitaries who attended the ceremony

  • Finally, Omo-Agege speaks on impact of plethora of Delta APC court cases on his election

    Finally, Omo-Agege speaks on impact of plethora of Delta APC court cases on his election

    The All Progressives Congress member representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege, has finally laid to rest the report that a Federal High Court in Asaba nullified his emergence as the party’s candidate for the National Assembly elections.

    The senator told TheNewsGuru in an interview session that the court lacks the power to nullify his candidature because he was not a party to most of the plethora of lawsuits cited by the media on the APC crisis in Delta.

    His words, “Well, people need to understand that truly there are barrage of court cases, but in all of these cases (and I think there are about 17 or thereabout), I and my major opponent, Otega Emerhor are not a party to any of them except one. And what that implies is that in all of these cases where Otega and l are not parties, we are not bound by whatever decision taken in those cases. Not only are we not bound, he cannot as a non party seek to enforce the provisions of that judgement and neither can they be enforced against me since I’m not a party.

    “The only case that Otega Emerhor himself is a party, where my name was brought in came through the Warri Federal High Court, seeking a declaration as the plaintiff that he is the one who won the primary for the Delta Central senatorial election in 2019. That is the only case where Otega himself is a party and I’m made a party myself. Of course we went in there, we joined issues, we filed and adopted our brief and the court adjourned for judgement. Five days before the court was to deliver it’s judgement, Otega Emerhor (knowing full well that he was going to lose) tried to arrest the judgement by filing a notice of discontinuance but we say no. The laws are very clear, the moment issues are joined you can no longer seek to discontinue on your own volition. You require our consent and we are not giving that consent. Both section 293 and 285 of the constitution are very clear as to when a judgement in both electoral and non-electoral matters must be delivered. We stood against the arrest and sought to have the court deliver it’s judgement. And when if finally did, the court ruled that as regards the primaries for Delta Central senatorial district held on October 3rd 2018, the only primary that was conducted by the National Working Committee, the only committee recognized by law (both the constitution and electoral act) to conduct primaries, that the only primary they conducted which was supervised and monitored by INEC in accordance with section 85 of the electoral act produced a winner and that winner is not Otega Emerhor but Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege.

    “So between Otega and I, our issues are settled. That is the only litigation that has himself and I dealing with who the authentic winner of the Delta Central senatorial APC primary winner is. Every other court case that has gone or is ongoing has nothing to do with me and him. The case at the Federal High Court of Asaba whose judgement most media houses misconstrued was instituted by the factional chairman of the APC in the state, Cyril Ogodo and a few of his factional ward/local government chairmen. They sued the authentic chairman of the party in the state, Prophet Jones Erue, the national chairman of the party; they sued the APC as a party and also sued INEC. Those are the defendants. I am not there. There is nobody who contested for elections in Delta State that was joined in that case including Otega Emerhor. So when the court eventually made the decision, we told the court that we are not a party in the case before it and that the judgement cannot be binding on us. You can’t shave my hair in my absence. You must make me a party to the case to have its judgement binding on me. Let me also state that because I needed to protect the excos of the party, I went to the Court of Appeal seeking leave (permission) to be joined with the case and the Court of Appeal rejected saying I should have been joined from the Federal High Court where the case originated. That was the only issue that went before the Appeal Court. But the media went awash saying the Court of Appeal upheld the nullification of my election; an issue that was never before the court in the first place.

    “Anyway, that has become academic because after that the Federal High Court in Warri now delivered its judgement in a matter that pitted me directly with Otega Emerhor where the issue between him and I as to who won the primary was settled. Having explained this, I can tell you that as far as the litigation is concerned we are on a very strong footing and we hope that at some point there could be a way to reconcile everybody.”

  • Suspected herdsmen kill four in Delta

    Not less than four persons have been reported killed between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning by suspected herdsmen, who invaded some parts of Abraka community, Ethiope East council area of Delta state.

    The Nation gathered that the killer- herdsmen also barred farmers and labourers from gaining access into farmlands.

    They further took over parts of the community with their herds of cow, leaving many injured.

    According to community sources, among the four persons who had lost their lives to the invading herdsmen, was one Kennedy Ukuanovwe.

    Ukuanovwe, a father of seven and native of Urhuovie Quarters of Abraka, was reportedly attacked by the invaders along the Abraka-Benin Road while riding his motorcycle around the area.

    He was reportedly shot and cut into pieces.

    The other three casualties, who could not be identified yet as at the time of filing this report, included a woman, a soldier and one other male.

    All of them were reportedly killed by the rampaging herdsmen at different locations in the community on Wednesday morning.

    A community source, who spoke to The Nation on the development, said: “It was only Kennedy (Ukuanovwe), who was killed on Tuesday night that has been identified.

    “The other three dead people have not been identified in person yet. The other three were killed by herdsmen this morning (Wednesday)”.

    Policemen and other security operatives were seen patrolling the town, which is host to the main campus of the Delta State University (DELSU) and hometown of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last month’s elections, Chief Great Ogboru.

    Contacted, the Delta state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyinka Adeleke, said: “The problem is it is not only one person that died. We saw corpses.

    “Other persons also died but we don’t know who actually killed them. Our men are still in the bush. When they come out, they will be able to give details.”

  • 2019: Last days of Delta PDP and their propaganda

    2019: Last days of Delta PDP and their propaganda

    By Zik Zulu Okafor

    Time ticks for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta state. The tone is ominous. It signifies endtime. And the exit gate at Osadebe House, the Delta sit of power, now seems to be widening for the hasty exit of the governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the March 9 date for the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections beckons.

    Not surprising therefore that the party with the now seemingly punctured umbrella symbol appears to be suffering acute delusion. Or how else do I explain away the feverish rumpus that characterize every statement that emanates from their heat-oppressed minds.

    Take the case of the Press Release of Tuesday, March 5, 2019, dubiously titled ” APC PLANNING TO USE EX-MILITANTS DRESSED IN MILITARY UNIFORM TO CAUSE MAYHEM, DISRUPT MARCH 9 ELECTIONS. Written in crass pedestrian language with a tone from the abyss of crudity, PDP embarked on an odyssey of lies and shame in a brazen quest to deceive the good people of Delta state. The whole object of their foul epistle and propaganda was to shake the solidity of APC in Delta State, to smear its credibility and so extract some sympathy and support.

    But Deltans know better. They know that the PDP are buccaneers, economic and barbaric outlaws who have exploited them and left them in dire poverty since 1999. They know that apart from that of 1999, PDP, has never truly carried out campaigns in Delta state. Their calling is rigging while vocation is violence. They are robust and formidable in the evil and eerie histrionics of writing election results.

    But I must quickly confess that PDP has actually campaigned this time. Yet the spur is simple. They had to campaign because the federal might has deserted them. That was their barbarous instrument for mindless rigging and atrocious violence. And this then explains their present awful but laughable deja vu. In their nightmares, as defeat stares them in the face, they conjure lamentable pictures of APC’s violence.

    But Deltans know the truth. They were witnesses to the recent Presidential and National Assembly elections in our dear state. Even though the APC occupies the seat of power in Aso Rock, it was PDP that compromised and ruthlessly used the police and soldiers to rig the elections. They roamed the nooks and crannies of the state with over 30 Hilux buses filled with soldiers and police officers, chasing away APC agents and carting away ballot boxes, unleashing savage and hard-hearted violence where there was little resistance by APC’s vulnerable agents.

    The stark truth is that the youth in particular and the long exploited people of Delta State in general now feel that APC’s resolve to play by the rule has become a cross. They live with the mortal fear that APC could lose the elections if they continue their politics and policy of abhorrence for violence and rigging.

    It is therefore a ludicrous irony that the same mendacious PDP is now calling the international community to hear their spurious and equivocating claims. Yet there are iron-cast evidence to show that the PDP is indeed the fraud. Take for instance, the cases in Delta South, in the riverine areas of Burutu, Bomadi and Patani Local Government Areas, LGAs. In these places, the PDP, using the military and compromised INEC officials seized the ballot boxes and result sheets. They thumb-printed these papers and wrote the results. And then accompanied by buses filled with faithless, unpatriotic soldiers, they walked into the collation centres with despicable and monstrous pride and compelled the Collation Officers to announce the very results they wrote with vicious intimidation. This was how Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, a former governor of the state and APC’s Senatorial Candidate lost his election. But Deltans’s of Delta South Senatorial District know too well that this diabolic result cannot stand. There are impeccable video evidence that will expose PDP’s deceit, glibness and bad faith before the election tribunal.

    The hard truth, in the words of John Wooden is that failure isn’t exactly fatal, but failure to change is. PDP in its 20 years has failed to change from its obnoxious resolve to hold Deltans down. They ruled like emperors, too blinded to recognize the solemn fact that power belongs to the people. And it is understandable. They didn’t need the people’s votes to win. They had perfected the art of rigging. They are undertakers, morticians so numb with looting the state that the welfare of the people means nothing to them.

    But Saturday, March 9, will be judgement day. On that day, in those finest hours, Deltans will tell PDP without any ambiguity that their time is up. PDP will not see the soldiers or policemen to manipulate. They will see patriotic officers who will enforce the law. The PVCs of the people of Delta will speak. Their votes will count. And they will show PDP the exit door into the trash-can of political history.

  • Elections: Buhari pledges adequate security in Delta

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured voters in Delta of adequate security in Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at a town hall meeting in Warri on Monday, said that the issue of security was fundamental to the electoral process.

    The president said that special attention would be focused on security to enable the electorate exercise their franchise and check any form of intimidation.

    “What happened at the Presidential and National Assembly elections was a great victory, but the completion of the victory will come on Saturday when Great Ogboru will become the governor of Delta.

    “Delta cannot be the same again. Delta was our focus of attention, we wanted to see what will happen.

    “Delta has proved a very important point that it is ready for a change to the next level.

    ” Security is a fundamental issue and we will pay special attention to it,” he said.

    The president also urged leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unite, saying “when we work together, we will emerge victorious on Saturday.’’

    Also speaking, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomohole, commended the people for voting massively for the APC in the recent poll.

    He urged the voters to be courageous and vote overwhelmingly for Ogboru in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

    ” You have substantially weakened the rigging machine of the PDP.

    “No one will provide unlawful security. Security operatives should ensure that votes are counted because President Buhari wants to have a cleaner election,” he said.

    Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister for State for Petroleum Resources, described the occasion as “ a unifying day for us to come and work together.’’

    Ogboru, in his opening remarks, had urged the government to provide adequate security to avoid a repeat of the violence witnessed in the state during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    ” Security issues should be looked into seriously, if there is adequate security, the electorate will turnout en masse to cast their votes, ” he said.

    Participants, who spoke at the interactive session, all stressed the need for adequate security during Saturday’s elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state, religious and opinion leaders as well as market women and youths.

  • Election: Police confirm death of 2 persons in Delta

    The Commissioner of Police in Delta, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, has confirmed the death of two person in Amukpe, near Sapele, during the Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Edekeke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Delta Police Command had received the report of the killing of the two young men during the exercise.

    A source who pledged anonymity told NAN that gunmen stormed the polling unit at about 12:55 pm while voting was ongoing and shot the victims who died on the spot.

    “They opened fire in a manner with a perceived intent to snatch election materials and some persons who sustained bullet wounds were rushed to the hospital.
    “The voters and the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) officials who were around ran for their safety,” he said.

    He said that the bodies had been deposited in a mortuary in the area and added that it was not clear whether the hoodlums made away with the ballot boxes.

    Similarly, a military officer who also craved anonymity said, “I hear it and we moved to the scene of the crisis immediately to forestall breakdown of law and order.”

  • Police uncover bomb on election eve in Delta

    Police uncover bomb on election eve in Delta

    The Delta State Police Command on Friday night confirmed uncovering substances suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along the Ughelli/Patani road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

    The Commissioner of Police, Adeyinka Adeleke, on Friday, called on residents to remain calm and vote peacefully in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    TNG reports that the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections holds tomorrow (Saturday)

    Adeleke said the bomb was discovered by men of the Anti Robbery Squad led by its Commander, SP Masoyi Dadi on Thursday night.

    The command in a statement signed by its Acting Spokesman, Chuks Oresewezie, noted that IED was intercepted in an unregistered white Toyota Hilux Van which refused to stop.

    The police commissioner, who assuaged the fears of Deltans, stated that there was no cause to be apprehensive over the matter as the command had launched an investigation into it.

    More details later…

     

  • How Gov Okowa’s Special Assistant was shot dead in Delta [Graphic photos]

    The Special Adviser on Youth Development to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Mr Lawrence Ngozi Akpomiemie was on Friday night murdered in cold blood.

    Akpomiemie, popularly known as Ngozi was reportedly shot dead by gunmen in the volatile Ekpan community in Uvwie Local Government Area of state. Before his untimely death, Ngozi had been busy attending various political meetings.

    Relieving details of his last momemts and movements, a source close to the late Ngozi said: “We were together in a meeting in Honourable Evelyn’s place, later in Honourable Solomon Ighrakpata’s place and lastly in Honourable Efe Ofobruku’s place.”

    As if the late Ngozi had an inkling of danger ahead “he objected to the meeting at Efe’s place, he wasn’t comfortable going to Efe’s place but, every other person that was to be in the meeting agreed we should go to Efe’s place and so he couldn’t help it. He joined us. While there, he made mention to us that he was a security target. And after the meeting, we all left for our different destinations.

    “Meanwhile, while in the meeting, he had an uproar with one of us there which was immediately settled. He had an issue with one other person that was with us in that meeting inside Ekpan town last night. Though l was not there but i was told. I am still trying to get full details,” the source said.

    However, further findings by TNG revealed that the deceased was ambushed by arms wielding youths while returning from an outing with a lady suspected to be his girlfriend.

    It will be recalled that before his appointment by Okowa in 2016, Ngozi was allegedly standing trial for sundry crimes, including murder, but was controversially released from prison before being appointed SA on Community and Youth Affairs to the governor.

    His murder last night was the latest in a bloody chapter which has seen a spike in insecurity in Ekpan and Jakpa Road areas of Uvwie LGA.

    It would be recalled that at least six persons were killed in the area in the last couple of weeks in the latest upsurge of violence before the botched February 16 general elections.

    The Delta State Government is yet to officially react to Ngozi’s gruesome death as at the time of filing this report.