TheNewsGuru

Tag: Delta

  • BREAKING: Militants kidnap four Britons in Delta

    Gunmen suspected to be militants on Wednesday kidnapped four British nationals in Delta State.

    When contacted, the spokesman for Delta state police, Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed the abduction of the Britons.

    Aniamaka said the incident happened happened on October 13.

    He added “The victims are mainly of British nationality, two of whom are a couple, and have been rendering humanitarian services in the area for a while.

    “But unfortunately, they didn’t let the authorities know of their presence in the area all this while.

    “There is a militant group that has been operating in the area and we believe they are the ones behind the abduction.

    Details soon…

  • Nigerian Army set to launch operation “Crocodile Smile II” in Edo, Delta, Ondo States

    …Assures residents of safety

    The 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin said it had concluded plans to conduct a training code named, “Crocodile Smile II’’ in Edo and Delta and Ondo states.

    A statement by Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Mohammed Maidawa, in Benin on Tuesday said the exercise was in line with the Nigerian Army Training Directive.

    Mr. Maidawa, a captain, said that the exercise, scheduled to take place from October 7 to October 28, would be in the Brigade area of responsibility in the three states.

    He said that troops of the headquarters of the Brigade and its units in the three states would participate in the exercise.

    The assistant director said that the exercise would afford troops the opportunity to train effectively on various aspects of operational proficiency in land and riverine operations.

    He also said, “Crocodile Smile II’’ was meant to sharpen the combat skills of the troops in the Nigerian Army operational capability.

    The assistant director urged the general public not to panic on sighting movement of troops and heavy equipment.

    According to him, it is a routine exercise undertaken by the Brigade as captured by the Nigerian Army Directive in 2017.

    Mr. Maidawa said that the exercise would commence with some civil-military activities, including medical outreach, environmental sanitation and donation of educational materials to schools.

     

  • One dead, seven missing as boat capsizes in Delta

    One person has been confirmed dead after a boat traveling from Ugborodo community in Warri South-West council area of Delta State capsized on Friday.

    At least seven persons have been declared missing following the accident.

    The incident, which occurred just three days after an intra-community fracas claimed two lives in the oil-rich Itsekiri community of Ugborodo, was however said to be a natural accident.

    The Warri Area Commander of the Delta State Police Command, Mohammed Shaba, told The Nation that Friday’s incident has no link with Tuesday’s communal clash.

    “It was a natural mishap, no attack or anything. Only one person died and nobody mentioned anything about missing persons. It was just a natural accident,” Shaba said.

  • BREAKING: Court unfreezes Delta State’s Paris-Club bank account

    BREAKING: Court unfreezes Delta State’s Paris-Club bank account

    A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wednesday, vacated an earlier ex-parte order freezing the Paris Club Refund Account of Delta State Government over consultancy row with Mauritz Walton Nig. Ltd.

    Before unfreezing the account, Justice Yusuf Halilu, the trial Judge, held that the issue of territorial competence of the court which Alex Izinyon (SAN), counsel for the Delta State Government, had raised on the last adjourned date, must be resolved first, considering that it is fundamental to the case.

    The Judge resolved the issue in favour of the plaintiff, Mauritz Walton Nig. Ltd.

    Justice Halilu added, “For intent and purpose, the job was to be carried in Abuja, the court has jurisdiction over the matter”, he ruled.

    In vacating the court’s earlier order to froze the account domiciled with the Zenith Bank (3rd respondent), the court accepted the submission of Izinyon that there was ‘concealment of fact’ on the part of the plaintiff.

    The Judge said: “I have gone through and read and read again (letter of disengagement of Mauritz Walton). I will not much dwell on that document for now until the main issue comes up.

    “The question is would the court have granted the interim order of freezing the account? Ordinarily, it would not have matter whether the letter was presented before the court or not by the plaintiff.

    “It is more reasonable and fair to vacate the order in view of the fact Izinyon drew my attention to the document which was concealed from the court by the plaintiff. It is fundamental to the matter. I hereby set aside the entry order”, he held.

    Justice Halilu cautioned counsel to always present every fact before the court and leave it to determine the relevance of such documents.

    The court thereafter adjourned till August 28 for the hearing of the substantive matter.

    It could be recalled that an FCT High Court froze the Delta State account on alleged failure of the state government to pay consultancy fees to Mauritz Walton Nig. Ltd.

  • PDP nominates Ibori into convention committee

    Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has been nominated into the National Convention Planning Committee for Friday’s Special Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ibori, is No 41 in the main organising committee list. He was, however, absent at the inaugural meeting of the committee on Wednesday.

    Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa is the chairman of the committee.

    Ibori’s media aide, Mr. Tony Eluemunor‎, said that there was nothing unusual for Ibori to be in the committee.

    “It is a privilege given to every former PDP governor.‎ Ibori is a former governor, and he has not left PDP. So there in nothing unusual in his name being included in the list.

    “He was invited to the last NEC (National Executive Committee) meeting but he did not attend,” Eluemunor added.

    He however, said he was not in position to say if the former governor will be at Eagle Square for Friday’s convention.

    Ibori has not attended any public political meeting since he returned to the country last year after he was released from prison.

  • Pat Utomi fit for councillorship position, not Delta Governor – Uduaghan

    Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has advised Prof. Pat Utomi, to first contest as a councillor in his ward, before aspiring to be Governor of the State.

    Uduaghan who spoke Friday in Asaba, at a stakeholders meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), advised those who were aspiring for political offices not to be blinded by their political ambitions as to resort to peddling falsehood against government but rather should concentrate on facts and issues.

    He debunked the wild allegations of financial mismanagement against the State government by Prof. Utomi, and urged him not sacrifice the truth on the altar of political expediencies.

    According to him, “every man has a right to aspire to any political office in the country, but such person must not tell lies about government to achieve his aspiration. Tell the people what you can do for them, do not spread lies.”

    The former governor urged the Lagos-based Economist to consider actualizing his political ambition by contesting for Councillorship position so as to get basic facts on issues affecting governance in the State.

    He noted that with his experience with Prof. Utomi, he had distinguished himself as someone with great ideas but, did not have the frame of mind for execution.

    Uduaghan disclosed that as then Governor of Delta State, his administration made Prof. Utomi chairman and member of several committees as opportunities for him to contribute to the development of the State but said “if Prof. Utomi attends any of the meetings, he will not spend more than five minutes.”

    “He bragged about his reach internationally, how he was going to bring international investors and we had to partner with him to organize a business forum outside the country with Nigerians in Diaspora for us to get the investors, but he did not spend five minutes before he left us, no investor came to the State through him.

    “You people should ask Prof, ‘where is the Silicon Valley?’ He took us to his home town, Ibusa, for the foundation laying ceremony of Silicon Valley. Till date, there is nothing to show that the project has commenced.

    “He has contested for the Presidency, he now wants to be the Governor. But, I think he should start from his Ward, he should contest for Councillor,” Uduaghan taunted Utomi.

    He said it was not good to condemn what the incumbent governor was doing because of personal ambition, adding; “Governor Okowa has done excellently well and we should join hands with him to develop the State.”

    The former governor, who advised members of the PDP to remain united, urged those in elective or appointive positions to empower Deltans through the spread of democratic dividends.

    In his speech, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, urged members of the PDP to open their doors to any Nigerian wishing to join the party, including members of the All Progressive Congress (APC), while the Chairman of the party in the State, Barr. Kingsley Esiso, said the meeting was necessary for members to be abreast with happenings in the party.

  • Two injured as gunmen open fire on Sen Omo-Agege’s convoy in Delta

    …Says ‘the bullet grazed through my right ear’

    Senator representing Delta Central at the National Assembly, Ovie Omo-Agege and his wife escaped death on Saturday by the whiskers as some gunmen opened fire on his convoy during an empowerment programme in the state.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the senator visited the Effurun Market in company of his supporters and top members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in continuation of his constituency empowerment programme.

    The incident created panic as market women and motorists left their vehicles and scampered for safety when the gunmen opened fire on the senator’s entourage. The incident however left two of the senator’s supporters sustaining different life threatening injuries.

    Recounting details of the incident, Senator Omo-Agege said, “There is Igho Majemite. There is Wilson Oki. These are all known thugs in Uvwie. I don’t know who sent them to assassinate me. But I was lucky because the bullet grazed through my right ear. If I was not lucky I would have been dead. Two bullets were shot at me; one was shot by Ayeye and another bullet was shot at me by Ngozi and also, my brother was shot.

    “Also, we have one of my supporters who was almost killed at Ekpan market all in the presence of police officers who could not even effect any arrest. I have taken a first step by filing a report with the Ekpan Police Division. I have equally spoken with the State Commissioner of Police.

    “I will take it to the highest level. All I seek is that these undesirable elements who are out to assassinate people are removed from the system. And I will go to any extent to see to this. You cannot attempt to kill a sitting Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I refuse to read any political motivation to this. I’m not in any way saying that there is none.

    “For those who were beaten and those who were equally shot at, like me, I can assure them that we will get to the very bottom of it. Everybody who is involved in this attempted assassination, we will bring them to face the wrath of the law.”

    The Police Commissioner, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the attack on Senator Omo-Agege when contacted on Sunday.

    Ibrahim added that preliminary investigation into the incident has commenced.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Omo-Agege recently decamped from the Labour Party to the ruling APC.

     

  • Delta PDP crisis deepens as Court sacks Obro Philomena Asamah

    A Delta High Court in Sapele has sacked Obro Philomena Asamah , Councillor representing Ward 17 in Sapele Local Government and has declared Mr. Ibiuke Monday the winner of the Delta State Local Government Council general election conducted on the 25th day of October 2014.

    “The purported nomination of Asamah as candidate for the local government election held by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission on October 25, 2014 is null and void. She being not the valid lawful candidate at the primaries conducted by the PDP. Mr. Ibiuke Monday is the lawful candidate of the PDP for the general election in ward 17 of the Sapele Local Government Council Area, Delta State” Justice Roli Daibo Harriman said.

    Aside directing the sacked councillor to vacate her seat forthwith, the Court ordered the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Obro Philomena Asamah and issue a certificate of return to Mr. Ibiuke Monday.

    “The Certificate of Return issued by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission in favour of Obro Philomena Asamah is hereby declared null and void”

    It held that Asamah should within 30 days refund all the salaries/allowances and or emoluments she collected while occupying the seat.

    “Obro Philomena Asamah is hereby ordered to refund within 30 days to the appropriate government payer agency be it the Delta State government or the Sapele local government or howsoever called, all financial benefits, salaries and allowances she has received by virtue of her being the councilor representing ward 17 of Sapele Local Government council in the election conducted by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission on October 25, 2014 and all such sums to be paid to Mr. Obiuke Monday within 14 days of receipt”

    The Court’s decision was hinged on the fact that Mr Ibiuke was the lawful candidate at the primaries conducted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).‎

    Ibiuke asked the court to declare him the winner of the poll, alleging that Asamah was not the lawful candidate of the PDP.

    Honourale Justice Roli Daibo Harriman held that Asamah was not validly nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to participate in the councillorship contest, noting that the complainant, Obiuke, was the lawful candidate.

    “It is the claimant’s case that Asamah was not even qualified to contest in the primaries and the local government elections held on 25 October 2014. In as much as I had found that Asamah did not win the primaries, it will purely academic to further investigate whether Asamah was even eligible to contest the primaries”

    “Since votes cast at an election belong to the political party, I find that the votes cast for PDP at the local government elections should be for Mr. Ibiuke K. Monday who I have found to be the lawful candidate”

  • Bayelsa, Kogi, Delta, 23 others owing workers 16 months salary arrears – NULGE

    …Commends Lagos, Anambra, Kano, Cross River, 10 other states for prompt payment of workers’ salaries

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) said that 23 states of the federation currently owed local government workers’ arrears of salary ranging from one to 16 months.

    National President of the union, Ibrahim Khaleel stated this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

    According to Kaheel, Bayelsa state was leading in indebtedness to local council workers with between 10 to 16 months, followed by Kogi between seven to 15 months; Delta State eight to 14 months.

    “Kaduna 12 months; Oyo three to 11 months; Edo 10 months; Abia five to nine months; Kwara two to nine months; Benue nine months and Nasarawa seven months.

    “Ondo, Ekiti, Imo with six months; Zanfara have not implementing minimum wage, Adamawa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Plateau owing four months, Taraba and FCT three months.

    “While Osun state has been paying half salaries for 24 months and few staff were owed few months in Enugu,” he said.

    The union noted that Ekiti has refused to remit union dues for the past nine months and Ogun has not also remitted its deduction for seven months.

    The national president also said that 700 staff members were owed between one to three months in Cross River State.

    He called on the governors of the states to offset the salaries and other allowances of local government workers with the second tranche of the Paris Loan Refund released to them.

    He said that failure to do so, the union would be forced to mobilised and shut down all local government councils in the country.

    Khaleel called on the state governors not to divert or tamper with the second tranche of Paris Club Loan refund but use it to offset the entitlement of the workers.

    He, however, said the union was aware that some state governors were already claiming that the amount released was not in conformity with the published figure.

    “We want to state in strong term that no governor should either divert or tamper with the fund.

    “This should be an avenue where the backlog of arrears of salaries owed the Local Government workers and some other welfare packages should be settled.

    “Such as leave bonus, arrears of promotion benefits, arrears of annual increment and non implementation of minimum wage most especially in Zamfara State are resolved and paid.

    “We, therefore, use this medium to appeal passionately to the State Governors to use this 2nd Tranche of Paris club loan refund to clear the backlog arrears of outstanding salaries.

    “This is in order to ameliorate the untold hardship they are currently passing through due to this ugly situation,” he said.

    He added that the union will not tolerate a situation where any state governor will hide under any guise to deny Local Government workers their legitimate salaries and allowances.

    Khaleed commended the 14 states including Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Cross River, Niger and Anambra that were up to day in the entitlement of local government workers.

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Hausa, Fulani behind most killings, kidnappings in Delta — Okowa

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has said that Hausa/Fulanis resident in the state are responsible for most of the killings and kidnappings the state.

    Okowa revealed this on Wednesday during a Town Hall meeting in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

    Represented by his Special Adviser on Rural Development and Peace building, Chief Edwin Uzor, Okowa said his administration has done a lot to reduce clashes between herdsmen and local indigenes to the barest minimum.

    He said, “There would have been much more killings but for our consultations. Most of the kidnappings in the state are perpetrated by the Hausa/Fulani in connivance with some of our people.”

    The town-hall meeting was put together by a non-governmental organization, LITE-Africa, to flag off the National Initiative for Sustainable Peace Building Architecture, NISPA, action in Delta State, funded by the European Union, EU, and Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.