Delta State 2015 governorship aspirant, Dr. Festus Okubor, has called for a change of attitude among politicians in the country, ahead of next year’s elections in order to. give credibility to the polls. . Okubor spoke in Asaba while reacting to a keynote address by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, at a seminar on Building Confidence in the Electoral System, for electoral stakeholders organised by Delta State Independent Electoral commission, DSIEC, in collaboration with INEC. . He said his call became necessary because of the negative attitude of contestants to election results, saying, “as…
Author: David Folami
IJAW communities at Agge, along River Ramos, between Ekeremo in Bayelsa State and Bururtu in Delta State, have issued a seven –day ultimatum to a Delta State-based oil servicing firm, within which to send relief materials, medications and pay adequate compensation to victims of oil spill that occurred last December. . The spill occurred when a barge allegedly carrying about 4,000 litres of crude oil sand in the river, polluting the environment, damaging fishing gears and causing death of aquatic lives and posing health hazard to the communities. . The barge is said to belong to Sterling Oil Exploration and…
The Supreme Igbo Security Council, a group committed to peace on Thursday said it would support President Goodluck Jonathan for second term if he indicated his interest. . The President of the council, Mr Bobby Ukadike, made the declaration while addressing journalists in Abuja. . He said that the North and South had had a fair share of the office of the president, saying that other parts of the country should be given a chance to lead as well. . Ukadike said that in spite of many challenges ravaging the polity, President Goodluck Jonathan had delivered dividends of democracy to…
The NNPC has decried what it termed as an orchestrated campaign of calumny to tarnish its reputation by some unscrupulous elements. . This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Dr Omar Ibrahim, Acting Group General Manager, NNPC Group Public Affairs Division. . The statement cited the deliberate misrepresentation of the presentation made by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) before the Joint House Committee probing the Berne Declaration Report. . It stated that the report was an example of the well-choreographed negative campaign against the corporation. . “Some of the reports had sensational headlines…
SUPERVISING Minister of Police Affairs, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, yesterday, disclosed that poor budgetary allocation was hindering the smooth operation of the Nigeria Police Force. . The minister equally said consideration for recruiting additional police men and women to raise the current staff strength of 370,000 was on but regretted that it was being hindered by meager allocation to the ministry. . Speaking when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to defend her ministry’s 2014 budget, Ms Akinjide, told the committee that already her ministry has led a delegation to the Minister of Finance to complain about the…
The Kwara Government on Wednesday said it would disburse N214 million loan to farmers to boost agricultural activities in the state. . The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Anthony Towoju, said the disbursement of the loan to 172 farmers, through a commercial bank, had been concluded. . Towoju said the money would assist the farmers to cultivate 2,580 hectares of rice, maize, soya beans and cassava in the state. . The commissioner reiterated the determination of the government to transform the agricultural sector. . He said the state government would continue to provide enabling environment for farmers to…
Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State said on Tuesday night that the state government had not jettisoned its plan to build an international airport in Lekki area of the state. . Fashola told State House correspondents in Lagos that the delay in actual take-off of the project did not mean it had been abandoned. . He said that the state government had already done all the preparatory work on the project and was engaging the right investors to translate it to fruition. . According to him, what the government plans to build is an international airport that will live to…
Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam with Speaker Yobe House of Assembly, Adamu Dala Dogo (below left) inspecting the damage in the school, yesterday. . The All Progressives Congress, APC, has unreservedly condemned Monday night’s horrific attack on the Federal Government College in Yobe State, in which over 40 students were reported to have been brutally murdered by blood-thirsty insurgents. . In a statement, Wednesday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the attacks, which were extremely gory even by the scorched-earth tactics of the terrorists, plumbs the depth of horror. . ”What a sad day for Nigeria…
An Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Wednesday sentenced a man, Abiodun Akintunde, to 18 months imprisonment for obtaining N860, 000 under false pretences. . The accused, 36, whose address is unknown, had pleaded guilty to the three count charge of breach of peace, obtaining money under false pretences and threat to life. . The Magistrate, Mr B.A. Sonuga, said the prosecutor had proved his case beyond reasonable doubts. . “The accused was found guilty and convicted on the three-count charge. . “You are hereby sentenced to six months imprisonment on each count (18 months imprisonment) for the offences.’’…
Suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s bid to return to office suffered a setback,Wednesday as the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, dismissed an ex parte motion that sought for his immediate reinstatement. . In a ruling, Wednesday, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, said it would not be in the interest of justice for him to grant such application without hearing from those that were dragged before the high court by the embattled CBN governor. . Consequently, Sanusi, was ordered to go and serve the relevant court processes on President Goodluck Jonathan, the Attorney General…
The National Chairman Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu`azu, has called for the cooperation and prayers of party members to enable him and the party leadership to succeed. . He made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, when Gov. Sa’idu Dakingari of Kebbi led a delegation of the party stakeholders in the state on a courtesy call on him. . Mu`azu said that although the task ahead was not an easy one, it could be surmounted with prayers and cooperation of party members. . “Beyond paying homage to me, I will like to beg you to come on board…
The people of Nembe in Bayelsa East senatorial district, Bayelsa State, have warned prospective investors and buyers of oil wells and facilities owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company to investigate the non-payment of over $1bllion demanded from the company for damages inflicted on their communities by its over 50 years oil exploration activities. . The chairman, Nembe Kingdom Oil and Gas Committee, Chief Nengi James, gave the warning in Yenagoa following alleged planned sale of oil fields and other assets owned by Shell in Nembe. . He said that host communities of Nembe Kingdom were not against the proposed sale…
MEMBER representing Ethiope East and Ughelli North Local Government Areas on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi, has described the 2015 race for the Presidency as the collective aspiration of the people of the South-South, noting that President Goodluck Jonathan was just the symbol. . Obiuwevbi, shortly after a meeting with various groups and leaders from the council, said that “any attempt to say that Jonathan should not contest the presidency will show that our democracy was under threat.” . He advised Northerners to give their total support to the president to…
COALITION of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, yesterday, threatened to mobilise the masses against re-election of members of the National Assembly should they fail to pass the Petroleum Industrial Bill, PIB, before the 2015 elections. . The CSOs, comprising Environmental Rights Watch/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA FoEN, Green Alliance Nigeria, GAN, the Host Communities Network of Nigeria, HOCON, and Students Environmental Assembly Nigeria, SEAN, had, on Tuesday staged a rally at the National Assembly for the final push of PIB. . Addressing journalists in Abuja, Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Ojo, said the essence of the briefing was to…
Pedestrians on Monday urged the Lagos State Government (LASG) to strengthen its enforcement on the adherence of motorists to `pedestrian crossings’ or `zebra crossings’, in busy areas of the Lagos metropolis. . The pedestrians made the plea in interviews in Lagos. . They advised the state government to come up with stiff penalties for motorists that failed to observe the road signs. . According to the pedestrians, motorists must be enlightened regularly on the benefits of adhering to the signs. . A sportsman, Toheeb Ariyo, said that most motorists plying the National Stadium road always violated the law. . “I…
Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia said on Tuesday said that the Southern Leaders Forum was designed to foster greater unity among the ethnic nationalities in the region. . A statement issued by Orji’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Ajunwa, said the governor made the remark in Umuahia after his return from the two-day forum, which took place in Calabar. . The governor noted that “hitherto, the South was polarised, but this singular meeting we held has brought all the southern leaders together so that we can discuss our differences, strengths and weaknesses. . “At the end, we harmonise and take…
The National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Mr Rafiu Salau, has urged politicians to always consider the ideology and manifesto of any political party before joining it. . Salau made the call in Abuja on Tuesday in an interview in Abuja. . He said that defection was a normal trend, but politicians should allow ideologies to be their guiding principle when considering to defect. . “Defection is normal in a democratic setting, especially a multi-party state like ours, but party ideology should be considered by politicians in deciding to leave or stay in a political party,” he said. .…
The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, NPDC, has distanced itself from publications alleging that denied receiving the sum of US$6 billion from its parent company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation being proceeds from NPDC’s oil and gas operations. . In a press statement by Mr. Victor Briggs, Managing Director of NPDC; the company stated that “the reports are misleading and do not reflect the contents of what was submitted to the Senate Committee on Finance” . Mr. Briggs posited that “For the avoidance of doubt, NPDC in its submission stated that the funding relationship between NNPC and NPDC provides for proceeds…
The Ogun Comptroller of Prisons, Mr Adams Babatunde-Lawal, on Tuesday said that no fewer than 24, 207 inmates lived in prisons across the state in 2013. . Babatunde-Lawal in Abeokuta said that the figure represented inmates in all the five prisons in the state. . According to him, the inmates were made up of 23,794 males and 413 females. . “We take good care of the inmates in all our prisons in line with the directives of our Comptroller General and we exhibit a high level of professionalism in handling them to prevent jail break. . “We have vehicles that…
The Police in Sokoto State on Tuesday confirmed the murder of a 56-year old man, Mallami Aliyu, by his 25-year-old son on Sunday. . The Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, DSP El-Mustapha Sani, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Sokoto. . Sani said that the incident happened about 2a.m on Sunday. . “The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the Kofar Marke area of Sokoto city in Sokoto North Local Government Area. . “The 25-year-old … allegedly killed and buried his 56-year-old father, Mallami Aliyu,’’ he said. . Sani said the suspect had been…