The suit by son of Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, one of the founding fathers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria seeking to restrain the newly constituted Governing Board of the NDDC has been adjourned to January, 31, 2023 for argument.

The presiding judge of the Warri Federal High Court, His Lordship, Honourable Justice Okon Abang on January, 26, 2023 heard parties to the suit including Counsel to the Managing Director of the NDDC, who brought an application for joinder and that for the Plaintiffs, Jolone Ikomi, Esq., ordered all the Defendants to file their processes before the next adjourned date because of the urgent and sensitive nature of the issues involved to enable parties the opportunity of being heard.

The Managing Director of the newly constituted Board of the NDDC had sought to join the suit but the Counsel to the Plaintiffs was stiffly opposed to the joinder contending that in as much as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Principal of the MD was already a party to the suit, the MD being an agent cannot be a necessary party.

Counsel to the MD Rex Ogbuku, Esq., however contended that since the order sought to be made would affect the interest of the party sought to be joined, it is constitutionally mandatory that the MD be joined.

The Honourable Court then consolidated the applications for joinder and that for injunction and adjourned both applications upon consent of Counsel to January, 31, 2023 for arguments.

It would the recalled that the extant suit is one seeking an injunction to restrain the newly inaugurated Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board from accessing funds or implementing the budget of the agency for being unjust, unfair and inequitable to the people of Delta State in general and Itsekiri in particular.

The Plaintiffs are Indigenes and members of oil and gas producing communities of Itsekiri ethnic extraction in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State led by Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh and four others.

A young Nigerian Lady by name Queen Eze has explained how insecurity and frequent attacks by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB as well as threat to her life and that of her husband and family fearfully pushed her away from Nigeria.

Queen Eze whose house were burnt down during the invasion of the IPOB at Nsukwa, in Delta which also affected razing down of police police station in the area , injuring and damaging so many peoples properties and killing of innocent human lives in the locality.

Queen Eze who is in her 30’s stressed that the IPOB agitation group have also issued threat to the life of her husband, kids and her family which now led to the hiding of her man for fear of possible attack if seen by the unknown gun men in that’ part of Igbo speaking region of Nigeria.

She is crying for help as she awaits to be granted asylum in Canada in order for Queen Eze to start life all over again as all she had has been destroyed by the IPOB attackers that doesn’t apply human rights both at innocent lives, she noted that the traumatic experience is really not bearable in Nigeria as the IPOB civil unrest has brought chaos in the country.

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has given the Management and Editorial board of the Tribune Newspaper 24hrs to retract the fake news published against him or get ready to face legal action.

Governor Bello made this declaration Sunday January 22, 2023 during an interview on Sunday Politics on ChannelsTv, he described the action of Tribune newspaper as unprofessional display of journalism, noting that he has a lot of respect for the newspaper and wonder why such malicious report by them.

The report by Tribune Newspaper which was slugged as “Kogi Governor Withdraws Support For Tinubu Over Faleke” the Kogi Governor noted that it was a surprise for him when he woke up to see and read the report by the media , according to him the report is ,,”fake ” and not acceptable by him.

Governor Bello said he has directed security agents to investigate the report, while he await the public apology from the newspaper, he vowed to continue to lead Kogi State with courage, determination and will not allow anyone to distract him.

He reaffirm his continued support for APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu for the 2023 election even as he is optimistic of APC victory at the poll.

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has ruled that the 12 Electoral Ward structure being used in conducting elections by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, in Warri Constituency 1& 2 in Delta State are illegal, null and void.

Hon. Justice Okon Abang made this declaration while delivering his ruling on a 12 wards illegal structure case created by the Delta State electoral body against the original 10 wards created by INEC, saying that the High Court ruling against the 12 illegal wards structure still subsist.

Justice Abang stated that it’s only the 10 original wards created by INEC remain the legally recognized wards in Warri Constituency 1& 2 and also covering the up coming 2023 general elections, adding that INEC are not permitted to disobey the subsisting order of Court nullifying the 12 Wards in Warri South.

The 10 legal Wards in Warri State Constituency 1are: Esisi, Okere, Bowen, and Pessu while Warri State Constituency 2 are: Igbudu, Avenue, Ekurede, Ubeji, Obodo, and Ode-Itsekiri Wards respectively.

INEC conducted the 2019 elections with the illegal 12 wards structure in disobedience of the Court judgment and has again listed candidates for the 2023 elections on the same illegal 12 wards structure prompting the plaintiffs to drag INEC to the Court to prevent further illegalities.

The trial Justice Abang said it’s only by process of comital to prison that would compel INEC to obey the Court order and desist from conducting election using the annulled 12 Wards.

*Says no political oxygen for opposition parties, candidates.

Overall Development of Delta State will be the prime focus of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rt Hon Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, if voted into power on March 11, this year.

Campaign spokesperson, Barr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, gave the assurance on Monday while speaking as a guest of Quest Radio and Television in Ughelli, Delta Central Senatorial District, saying that Oborevwori is the only governorship candidate with the required experience, competence and political willpower to govern a multiethnic state like Delta.

He noted that PDP developed the state from scratch to her present enviable status through the efforts of past governors and the incumbent, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, adding that other political parties are aliens in the socioeconomic and political affairs of the state.

Oghenesivbe who is the Assistant Deputy Director, Media and Publicity of Delta PDP Campaign Council, further asserted that the M.O.R.E agenda of the incoming governor, Oborevwori, is such that will advance Delta State from where Okowa administration will stop in May 29, with priority attention on the productive sectors, especially in the area of public-private partnership to accelerate industralization, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Agricultural sector reforms, human capital development to enhance sustainable economic growth.

He said Delta under the incumbent governor and Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, has been rated by national and multinational agencies as one of the best states in Nigeria, and second to none in poverty reduction through multifaceted entrepreneural skills acquisition and human capacity development which Oborevwori administration will sustain and improve upon to take out thousands of employable and unskilled job seekers from the labour market.

And on why PDP camapigns have been very peaceful despite the unprecedented mammoth crowd following, Oghenesivbe, a Distinguished Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management, Dfcism, revealed that the low level of poverty in Delta, rated as the second least poor state in Nigeria, as well as the good governance strides of governor Okowa, is largely responsible for the conducive environment for a peaceful and robust campaigns.

Another salient reason Oghenesivbe gave for peaceful and successful campaigns in Delta is the enviable personality, competence, integrity and humility of the governorship candidate, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, noting that he is greatly loved as a unifier, a philanthropist, a visionary leader and a Pan Deltan, who has been a key player in the affairs of Delta State since he became Speaker of the State House of Assembly in nearly six years and counting.

“Our party’s candidate, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori is doing fantastically well in his campaign as can be seen from the Mammoth crowd in all our rallies. He is the real deal in the governorship election.

“Deltans have adopted his M.O.R.E agenda and the political drum beats transcends the three senstorial districts, to the extent that the candidates of opposition parties are crashing out and gasping for political oxygen.

“PDP and Oborevwori will continue to ensure that no oxygen is available for opposition parties and their candidates to survive at the polls on February 25 and March 11, this year,” Oghenesivbe assured.

BURUTU:: The people of Delta State Riverine Communities has called on Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State and vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly and Delta State PDP Governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to consider the establishment of the proposed Coastal Areas Development Agency, CADA, to enable them get block votes from the riverine areas of the State.

The people who spoke under the auspices of Coastal Communities for Development, (CCD) gave the charge in Burutu, headquarters of Burutu LGA of the State on Monday January 16, 2023, while speaking with newsmen on the importance of infrastructural development of riverine/coastal communities ahead of the 2023 general elections, with special focus on Delta State.

The group noted that the Bill for establishment of CADA is not new to both the Delta State Governor and the Speaker, because the Bill had been submitted and re-submitted before Dr. Okowa and Hon. Oborevwori by a renowned Delta born development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, National Coordinator, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, a foremost Non- Governmental Organization, NGO, in a letter addressed to them personally, and to the State House of Assembly on several occasions.

Whilst  buttressing the role and importance of the Bill to coastal communities in the state, CCD said CADA, when established, would bring real expansion, infrastructural, economic, human capital, educational, health and mental development to riverine dwellers in Delta State, irrespective of their ethnic differences.

The group urged Dr. Okowa to direct the Honourable Speaker, Hon. Oborevwori and other members as a matter of urgency, to considered and give speedy passage to the establishment of the Delta State Coastal Areas Development Agency, CADA. This gesture would give us sense of belonging under the current administration development strides ahead of the general elections slated for Saturday, February 25, and subsequent elections in 2023, if they wish to get block votes from the riverine communities of the State.

He further noted that CADA, when established, has the capacity for addressing environmental, ecological, human capital, infrastructural, educational and health needs of the coastal communities of Delta State.

CCD, asserted that about 50% of Delta State voters live in the riverine areas of the State, and their mandate is for only the candidate who is ready to establish CADA and or will sign concrete social contract for the establishment of CADA for riverine development. The group also called on all Riverine communities in the state especially the Ijaws and Itsekiris not to be carried-away by political deceit of politicians claiming to bring development to the area and yet to do the needful in establishing a development agency for the sustainable development of this critical areas

The Spokesperson of group, Hon Friday Egberike in his remarks said if CADA is established before the 2023 general elections, it would give the riverine people a real sense of belonging and that will stimulate support and votes for any political party that include the establishment of CADA in their manifesto in the forthcoming elections both at the State and National levels.

Warri South Local Government Council in Delta State, has announced the appointment of a 5-man interim youth executive committee to pilot youth affairs in Okere Community, Warri, for the next three months, shattering the interests of the two factions, whose tussle for power, led to disturbances in the community last week.

Second-term Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Michael E. Tidi, who made the announcement, during an emergency security meeting held at his office in Warri South Council Main Secretariat, Monday January 16, averred that the decision was taken after due consultations with the Delta state government, The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III and the Olare-Aja of Okere, Ogieboro E. F. Esisi.

The 5-man interim committee, whose mandate takes immediate effect, has a former Youth Chairman of the Okere Community and serving Councilor in Warri South Local Government Council, Hon. Solomon Temile as Chairman, while one Martins Edema, will serve as Vice Chairman.

Other members of the short-term committee are: Temisan Oki; Secretary, Philip David; Treasurer and Alero Akuruli; Women Leader.

Whilst noting that he promised to protect lives and property of people in Warri South Local Government Area while subscribing to the Oath of Office, Dr. Tidi, declared: “We already had a working model for resolving intra community and inter community conflicts. The Council, is suspending the youth election, until after the general elections. The interim committee, will put modalities in place for a proper election of new exco, after the forthcoming February and March general elections to be held across the country. Their nominations, came from each of the quarter in Okere Community. Persons in Okere, who closed their shops, should immediately reopen the shops and go about their legitimate businesses”.

The Warri South Local Government Chief Security Officer, added: “Previous factional committee inaugurated, stands dissolved”.

The emergency security meeting was attended by Secretary to Warri South Local Government, Mr. Joseph Oribioye, Major ST Kauru of 3 Battalion Effurun, Enamudu Emmanuel O of the DSS, SP Inyere Elias C from the Police ‘A’ Division, Warri, representative of the Police Area Command in Warri, SP Ukoba S. and Warri South Council Supervisor for Youths, Information, Sports and Community Development, Mr. Eboh Okpako Elvis.