Gov. Peter Mbah says his government has rolled out palliatives to mitigate the economic hardship fuelled by President Bola Tinubu’s petrol subsidy removal.

The governor disclosed this on Monday in Enugu while inaugurating a committee for procuring, storing and distributing relief items to Enugu residents.

He charged committee members, chaired by Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, to handle the palliatives with transparency while ensuring the speedy distribution of the items to those in dire need.

Also, committee members include the chairman of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) in Enugu, the chairman of Nkanu East council area, Okechukwu Edeh. ALGON deputy chairman and chairman of Uzo Uwani LGA, Chukwudi Nnadozie, chairman of Awgu LGA, Pedro Nwankwo and Enugu East LGA chair Livinus Anike.

Others are the special adviser to the governor on agriculture, Mike Ogbuekwe, programme manager of Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Ogbonna Onyeisi, and the head of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Chinasa Mbah.

Mr Mbah, who acknowledged the harsh impact of the fuel subsidy on the people, further said that the subsidy removal would immensely benefit Nigerians in the long run.

While maintaining that he shared Nigerians’ pains, Mr Mbah hoped the palliatives would help alleviate their hardships. He also urged the committee to spare no time in ensuring that the palliatives were sent to “homes of those that need them the most in the state.”

The Enugu governor said, “You recall that a few months ago, the federal government of Nigeria removed the fuel subsidy. And as you know, that came with pains, shared pains, even though we believe in the long run, it will be beneficial to the country. The question for us now as leaders is, how do we mitigate those shared pains that our people are going to be exposed to?”

He added, “It is part of what we are doing to see how we can begin to cushion the effects of some of these pains. So, what we are doing now is to see how to fix the pains people are going through, and there are also plans for short and medium-term solutions, and that we are going to do in due course.”

The governor further charged the committee to ensure that the palliatives got to the people who deserved it and that it was distributed quickly and transparently.

(NAN)

The Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and his Edo State counterpart, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Sunday, felicitated Archbishop Margaret Idahosa as she clocked 80 years.

They spoke at a thanksgiving service held in her honour at the Church of God Mission convention ground, the Balm of Gilead, Benin City, Edo State.

Oborevwori said that he was happy to celebrate with Idahosa on her 80th birthday.

The governor who was represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, prophetically declared that Idahosa would live up to 150 years so that the Christian family and humanity would continue to tap from the grace of God upon her.

“Greetings from the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori; he has sent me to specially come and congratulate you on your 80th birthday anniversary celebration.

“The Arch-Bishop, my Governor, our Governor wishes you many more years, good health and prosperity, and may you live up to 150 years,” Oborevwori said.

He prayed that she would live long for the coming generation to continue to tap from the grace of God upon her life.

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki in his remarks corroborated the Delta State Governor, saying that from her look, Archbishop Margaret Idahosa would live up to 150 years.

Governor Obaseki who said he was happy to be present at the ceremony, described Idahosa as a mother who has passion for the work of God.

Archbishop Margaret Idahosa in a brief statement commended the Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori and the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme for finding time to celebrate with her, praying that they would also live long in good health.

An ultra modern Hall built by the church was inaugurated to cap the celebration.

The President of Nigeria and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured his Nigerien counterpart of full support in preserving and protecting duly elected Democratic president and other institutions in that country.

According to President Tinubu in a State House Press release noted thus:

“Information filtering in from the Republic of Niger indicates some unpleasant developments around the country’s highest political leadership.

“It should be quite clear to all players in the Republic of Niger that the leadership of the ECOWAS Region and all lovers of democracy around the world will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically-elected government of the country.

“The ECOWAS leadership will not accept any action that impedes the smooth functioning of legitimate authority in Niger or any part of West Africa.

“I wish to say that we are closely monitoring the situation and developments in Niger and we will do everything within our powers to ensure democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted and thrives in our region.

“I am in close consultation with other leaders in our region, and we shall protect our hard-earned democracy in line with the universally acceptable principle of constitutionalism.

“As the Chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I state without equivocation that Nigeria stands firmly with the elected government in Niger and equally conveys the absolute resolve of leaders in our sub-region that we shall not waiver or flinch on our stand to defend and preserve constitutional order”. He stressed.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government

July 26, 2023

Our attention have been drawn to a report by one Fidelis Egugbo, dismissing a forgery matter before a court of competent jurisdiction, in this case, the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Asaba, the State capital.

The report with the headline: “Delta Guber: Egugbo Punctures Lies Of Gbagi”, is very laughable, as it did not come to us by surprise.

But what is amusing is that, Egugbo, who ordinarily is not an authority could claim to dismiss what lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Onyeme and Sheriff Oborevwori who are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents, fruitlessly tried to stop but failed woefully.

Documents and other admissible evidence have been tendered and admitted at the tribunal by the three-man Justices, headed by Justice H.C Ahuchaogu.

A statement on Monday July 24th 2023, by Kenneth Orusi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, FNIM, OON, in the March 18th 2023 Election, noted that Gbagi was the Minister of State for Education while Onyeme served as Bursar to NOUN at a point in his life as a civil servant.

Gbagi, a renowned Criminologist, has records of integrity, impeccable character and unbeatable achievements with a midas touch, would not stoop so low to the likes of Onyeme, to cause disaffection and incite Deltans against anybody as the administration of Sheriff Oborevwori, was already built on faulty foundation of multiple forgeries which is before the tribunal.

It should be noted that at the time Gbagi chaired the Panel of Enquiry, which dismissed Onyeme, Gbagi, has no plans of contesting the governorship election in the State at a time like this.

Gbagi had told the tribunal that the election that produced Oborevwori and Onyeme was marred with irregularities, electoral malpractices and non-compliance to the electoral Act 202, for which he has approached the tribunal for justice, a move that falls within his fundamental rights.

It is again, laughable that a man dismissed from the services of NOUN, for forgery, could be described to have “unblemished record”, it is laughable indeed.

To put the records straight, within the nine years, 2006 and 2015, Onyeme, worked at NOUN, he was under Gbagi, at the time he was Minister of State for Education which made it possible for the Panel he chaired to investigate and found Onyeme, wanting of forgery which led to his dismissal.

Egugbo’s writeup, shows that he didn’t do any fact-check to truly know the antecedents of the largest private investor in the State.

Egugbo, a journalist who worked under the State owned print media, The Pointer, and was subsequently appointed Special Adviser, was expected to have carried out a thorough investigation on the unbroken records of Gbagi but hurriedly went to press with wishy-washy report.

At this juncture, may I bring my friend and colleague to speed, it is on record that during his time as education minister, Gbagi created 13 Universities, including Federal University of Lafia and Federal University of Petroleum (FUPRE) here in Delta State.

Others include but not limited to eight Federal Government Colleges,16 Colleges of Education and 14 Polytechnic.

Gbagi rebuilt and equipped the ICT center in Urhobo College, donated N10 million to Government College, Ughelli and as minister of state for Education, rebuilt Federal Government College, Warri.

Though, these schools are not in Olorogun Gbagi’s schedule, he showed commitment aimed at ensuring that they exist and function.

He fought against the relocation of PTI from Warri to Kaduna State.

Recall that there is a gentle minister for Petroleum called Rilwanu Lukman, said the College that was related to petroleum should be relocated

Thirty-two days after Gbagi became a minister, he founded FUPRE, Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Ugbomro.

Obasanjo gave them N1 billion to them to go and setup a College because they have created the state but there were no document. That was why Rilwanu Lukman was making that statement to say they should relocate the school.

But thank God, 32 days later Gbagi took a memo to council, where he got approval for the Petroleum University to be established.

Speaking on how memos are tagged at the Federal Executive Council, Gbagi said: “If you check the record that created that university, you will not see Kenneth Gbagi, as the owner or person who founded the University including the other 12. In memo to council, you do not put your full names but what you will see there is KOG”, he explained.

These records since he left office as Minister of State for Education, no minister appointed into the ministry have broken Gbagi’s records till date.

It would be recall that Gbagi had told the tribunal that Onyeme, was dismissed after a Panel of Enquiry set up by him found Onyeme wanting of ‘forgery’.

Gbagi, a sole witness and Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the March 18th governorship election in the State told the tribunal during cross examination.

Onyeme, is the 4th Respondent in Gbagi’s petition before the three-man Justices presided over by Justice H C. Ahuchaogu at the loo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the State capital.

Gbagi, a renowned Criminologist, who was cross examined by the counsels to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents, told the tribunal that as a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he presided over the Panel that dismissed Onyeme.

According to him, “I was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the 4th Respondent, was my staff at best.

“I was never a staff of the registry, the 4th Respondent was a staff under me.

“I can tell that for forgery and records that are being kept, I presided over the Panel as the minister of the federal Republic of Nigeria, in his dismissal.

“I constituted the panel. The 4th Respondent appeared before my panel.

“The 4th Respondent has several incursions into our lives as a people.

“After he left the National Open University, he came here as a tax collector of our IGR.

“Apart from the dismissal, there is an administrative Enquiry that enquired into his finances and the dismissal, is part of it.

“We terminated his engagement, the reason for him to have abruptly left the University services”.

Gbagi, told the tribunal that he relied on all documents at his disposal, “Whatever I have in evidence, I rely on them”, he insisted.

It would be recall that in Gbagi’s 79 page petition, the Petitioner averred that the “4th Respondent, was dismissed from the employment of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

“The 4th Respondent failed to disclose the fact of his dismissal in his Affidavit Form EC9 deposed to on 29th day of July 2022.

“That the 4th Respondent failed to declare the primary school he attended, neither did he exhibit a certificate to that effect.

“His failure to exhibit the certificate is because of the challenge that, if exhibited, it will not be favorable to him”.

The former Chairman, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, is seeking the tribunal to disqualify Onyeme.

After Gun fire battle between hordes of unknown gunmen and operatives of the Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) has led to the neutralisation of at least six of the criminal elements in Umuem Anam in Anambra East Local Government Area.

Acting on intelligence, officers and men of the NHFSS led by CSO Ojukwu of Umuoba Anam, working with some men of the state vigilante group had, between Friday night through Saturday, laid siege to a camp located at a forest in Umuem Anam which was identified as belonging to the unknown gunmen.

In the battle that ensued on Sunday, many of the gunmen were neutralised while two others were captured alive.

According to CSO Ojukwu who led the operation, although some of the NHFSS operatives sustained injuries, none of them died during the fight.

He said that after the gun battle, a search was conducted around the camp of the unknown gunmen which was constructed to look like a shrine.

Items found at the camp include human heads and other human parts Lexus 350 and 2 AK-47 rifles. They also demolished and set the camp ablaze. All recovered items were handed over to the Police for further action.

Ojukwu thanked the TC Chairman, Anambra East Local Government Dr. Anselem Onuorah, for his support for the NHFSS in the area which has continued to motivate them for exploits.

He also praised the Deputy Commander General, NHFSS in charge of Technical Services, Ambassador John Metchie for his role, adding that it was the Sienna Car he donated to them that was used for the operation against the gunmen.

Vanguard reports that t the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Otuocha Police Station was commended for his support which led to the success of the operation.