By: Celestine Ukah

The member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Deputy Chairman House Committee on Niger Delta Development, NDDC, Hon. Chief Dr. Thomas Ereyitomi has congratulated the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as he marks his 63 birthday.

Chief Ereyitomi in his congratulatory message to the Executive Governor of Delta Friday July 8, hails his consistency in championing development of the state through his administration’s SMART agenda spreading even development across Delta State, lifting numerous Deltans and its residents out of poverty through various skills acquisition programs.

Dr. Ereyitomi described the celebration of Dr. Okowa as triple, noting that as Governor of Delta State, PDP Vice Presidential Candidate and Chairman South South Governors Forum it is divinely arranged by God for better successes to come ahead, he appreciated God for the feat granted the Governor for Delta progress.

The Warri Federal lawmaker on behalf of his Warri federal constituents congratulated Governor Okowa, saying they are proud of him, he wished him well as he celebrates his born day.

following the confirmation of the assignation of Shinzo Abe, 67, former Prime minister of Japan World leaders have expressed their pains over the incident describing it as bad news.

The former US President of United States of America, USA, Donald Trump has posted on his own social media platform to say that the death of Shinzo Abe was “really bad news for the world”. Trump added:

He was assassinated. His killer was captured and will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind. He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan. Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him.

Also paying tribute has been Trump’s former secretary of state, and possible future presidential candidate in the UK, Mike Pompeo. Pompeo tweeted:

PM Shinzo Abe was a dear friend, true patriot, and great ally to the American people. Susan [Pompeo’s wife] and I are so saddened to hear of his death. We stand with the people of Japan in mourning his passing and celebrating his tremendous legacy.

PM Shinzo Abe was a dear friend, true patriot, and great ally to the American people. Susan and I are so saddened to hear of his death. We stand with the people of Japan in mourning his passing and celebrating his tremendous legacy.

— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) July 8, 2022

Reuters reports that the police in Nara will be holding a press briefing at 9.30pm local time (12.30pm GMT and 1.30pm BST in UK), in just under an hour.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has sent his condolences to Japan on behalf of the nation, tweeting:

On behalf of the French people, I send my condolences to the Japanese authorities and people after the assassination of Shinzo Abe. Japan has lost a great prime minister, who dedicated his life to his country and worked to bring balance to the world.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council congratulates the Governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as he celebrates his 63rd birth anniversary.

We feel proud to identify with His Excellency the Governor on a day like this, being a day that God brought him as a bundle of joy into this world to impact humanity with his sterling leadership qualities.

It is on record that the Governor has had excellent lifestyle from his formative stages of life to this present day where his popularity speaks volume as the cynosure of all eyes.

We are indeed very proud of the Governor for the huge gains he has brought into leadership as an astute administrator, thereby maximising the potentials of managing resources for the benefit of all.

We in the media constituency are particularly proud of him for the cordial relationship we have continued to enjoy with him in his journey of leadership and we hope to sustain that for the overall benefit of practitioners in the State.

Once again, we wish our dear amiable Governor a resounding happy birthday, while praying God to grant him the enablement to finish strong in office.

Congratulations Your Excellency.

Comrade Michael Ikeogwu,
NUJ Chairman,
Delta State Council.

Comrade Patrick Ochei,
NUJ Secretary,
Delta State Council.

By: Celestine Ukah

*Promises  to upgrade infrastructures at Alma-Mater in Delta

The Deputy President of the Senate Federal Republic of Nigeria, DSP, Ovie Omo-Agege has flagged-off the construction of 200 bed space hostels, a storey building block to contain 12 classrooms  as well as rehabilitation of the existing dining Hall at St. George’s Grammar school Obinomba., Ukwuani LGA, Delta State.

This much was done Tuesday July 5, 2022 by the Senator Representing Delta Central at the Senate, His Excellency Senator Omo-Agege at his Alma Mater, he also performed the foundation laying block for the construction and equipping of an E-Library as well as an Administrative Block for the college through a federal government intervention.

While performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the five projects, Senator Omo-Agege noted that the projects will significantly improve the infrastructure and and as well enhance teaching and learning in St. George’s Grammar School, Obinomba, Delta State.

According to the Deputy Senate President, he said thus ” Our children deserve to study and learn in comfortable classrooms and live in a safe, secure and conducive environment across Delta State. This is what we owe our children and we shall replicate same across the State when, by the grace of God, I become your Governor in 2023.”

How ever the projects being constructed by Senator Omo-Agege was in fulfilment of his promise made to his Alma-Mater, St. George’s Grammar School Obinomba, on 20th November 2021, where he promised to facilitate five projects to the school which includes, the construction and equipping of an E-Library, Administrative Block for the college through a federal government intervention, a storey building containing 12 classrooms block, Rehabilitation of the Existing Dinning Hall/Reflector, 100 bed space for Male Hostel and 100 bed space for Female hostel respectively.

Obarisi Omo-Agege praised God for helping him to realised the promise to his Alma Mater, he charged contractors handling the various projects to complete them on time and according to specification, he implored the contractors to use high quality materials and use the opportunity given them to engage the people in the area.

Senator Omo-Agege was accompanied by the site engineer, Principal of the college, Reverend Fathers, some Ukwuani notable personalities, they described the projects as important milestone by the efforts of the old boys and girls to provide a conducive atmosphere for learning in the school.

The Large turn out of people who witnessed the event commended the Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege for the human development projects going on in the school, they assured him of mobilising support for him in his ambition going forward.

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has boasted that his party will defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as well as other political parties in the forth coming 2023 presidential poll.

Sen. Kwankwaso made the declaration Sunday July 3, 2022 during a live TV programme Politics Today, Area News Nigeria can authoritatively report.

He opined that the two major dominant political parties have failed the country and its citizens with lack of unifying the people and bad policies.

The NNPP Presidential candidate and former two term governor of Kano State, added out that if he emerges as president, he will apply intelligence and rally support from other close ally countries in solving the insecurity bedevilling the country.

He assured that with his party winning onboard in 2023 he will make sure there’s unity, fairness good governance in order to reduce the intolerance affecting the country with so much tensions .

Kwankwaso reiterated his strong political will in uniting Nigeria with good governance respect for all irrespective of tribe religion and ethnic group in making Nigeria work again.

*Says No Project Worth N10 Billion In Main Oil/Gas communities

Chief Comrade Sheriff Mulade has condemned the use of Delta State’s oil facilities located in the Ijaw and the Itsekiri areas of the State as collateral on the N150 billion loan by the Delta State Government.

Chief Mulade made this known on Friday, 1st July, 2022, in a statement issued in Asaba, after his congratulations to the Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on his emergence as the vice presidential running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, while he further admonished the governor to judiciously use the billions of naira borrowed to execute people-oriented development projects for the benefit of Deltans, devoid of politics.

According to the Delta-born advocate and environmental right activist, the Delta State Governor obtained a N150bn loan, part of which he (Okowa) said was meant for the construction of an International Conference Centre in Asaba, as well as other development infrastructure in the State, using the State’s assets, especially the State’s oil facilities, as collateral.

Chief Mulade who is the custodian of the Ibe-Sorimowei title of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West LGA, Delta State, pointed out that the information was part of the findings of an independent investigation carried out on the alleged contract agreement used to acquire the said loan.

He noted, as alleged, that oil facilities in Delta State were used as collateral for the N150bn loan. If this is correct, the move will be subjecting the entire Delta Ijaw and Itsekiri nations to perpetual indebtedness and financial bondage, despite the established fact that both ethnic nationalities have not derived any significant benefit from the administration of Okowa in his over seven years of governance.

According to the statement, the facilities allegedly used as collateral include those operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, NPDC, Shell, Exxon Mobile, Agip, Pan Ocean, Seplat, Neconde, etc, covering Escravos oil facilities, Forcados oil facilities, and others located mainly in Ijaw and Itsekiri areas of the State.

Comrade Sheriff Mulade recalled that the Delta State House of Assembly, in May 2022, approved a request from Governor Okowa to borrow the sum of N150bn in favour of the State Government, with Dr. Okowa claiming that the loan was principally meant to settle the arrears of unpaid job certificates earned by contractors with respect to the completion of some ongoing legacy projects awarded by past and present administrations, and that part of the loan would be used to take care of outstanding pension commitments to the State and Local Government pensions in the contributory pension scheme.

Chief Mulade also recalled that earlier in February 2022, the Delta State House of Assembly approved Governor Okowa’s request for N12bn bridging finance facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the State to cushion the effects of the repayment of Federal Government’s intervention facilities, on the expiration of the forbearance period.

The statement also added that in December 2021, the Delta State House of Assembly approved another request by Governor Okowa for a N20bn loan facility from Fidelity Bank Plc to finance the State Government’s five per cent equity in the UTM Offshore Limited Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG) Project.

Chief Mulade alleged that the above loans, borrowed by the State Governor, and other funds accruing to the State from the 13% derivation fund, as well as the State IGR, were recklessly mismanaged by the state government, while Deltans are suffering and wallowing in abject poverty, with no meaningful infrastructural and civil benefits to the people, especially in the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities areas of the State.

While lamenting further, the development advocate said despite the contributions of the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities to the State revenue, no project worth of N5bn was executed in the area to give credence to the Okowa legacy project; rather, the road master administrator will gladly for political reasons refer to concrete walkways in the riverine communities as ROADS that are not linked to any community, a development he said is worrisome and a big shame on Governor Okowa and his road master administration.

Chief Mulade, swdstressed that the poor state of infrastructural, social and economic development of the riverine areas of the State, Chief Mulade said there are no access roads and bridges connecting the various communities in the riverine areas, as construction works in the areas were deliberately abandoned by Governor Okowa, including the most famous Escravors road known as the Amadino-Okerenkoko-Pepe-Ama and Kokodiagbene road project; Burutu and Ayakoromor bridge projects which have great economic values and should have contributed to the regions development; there are no health centres, schools and clean portable water, while the level of human capital development is low as the people are still wallowing in abject poverty.

Chief Mulade, therefore, called on Governor Okowa to focus on the development of the State, and use the borrowed funds to develop the State, especially the riverine areas whose over 80 per cent of its assets are being used as collateral for the N150bn and the recent 25bn loan, now that he has emerged the PDP vice presidential candidate, to win the hearts, trust and confident of Deltans before Nigerians in general.