Alhaji  Chief Tairu Saliu, aka Ogbegbe, The Kasaiki of Agbede Land

Sapele: A Charismatic Muslim Cleric and a People’s Democratic Party, PDP, stalwart in Sapele local government area of Delta State, Alhaji Chief Tairu Saliu, aka Ogbegbe, has stated that the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, General Felix Mujakperuo,JP, is a Godly inspired monarch who was enthroned by God as the Orodje ( the traditional ruler of Okpe Kingdom) for continuous service to humanity, after his retirement from the Nigerian Army whom he served meritoriously.

Areanewsng.com reports that Alhaji Tairu, was speaking on the occasion of his 73 years birthday anniversary at the Sapele Central Musque, also described one of the newly installed Chiefs of Okpe Kingdom, Chief Hon. Austine Opubor, as a great and compationate personality whose legacies as the People’s politician will remain indellible in the anal of Sapele history.

The cleric maintained that the Orodje of Okpe inspired him by his humility when he followed his friend to the palace during the installment of his chietaincy tittle, and noted that like the biblical king David, God enthroned the Okpe King because of his good nature and Godly desire to do good for his subjects.

He prayed for God to bless the Orodje with long life and prosperity, peace and development of the Okpe Kingdom.

Alhaji Saliu, aka Ogbegbe, who prayed for Chief Opubor, to attain the desire heights in politics, described the Okpe people as kind hearted and receptive to visitors, remarking that it was this element in them that pushed him to befriend the Okpe people and eventually married from them.

By: Chris  Emoghene

*Market women welcomes party with excitement

Omo-Agege/Osanebi APC convoy passing through Jeddo 

Massive turn out for the campaign train of the Delta Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and his Deputy Rt. Friday Ossai Osanebi as APC campaigns in Jeddo Ughoton and Ugbokodo communities in Okpe LGA, Delta State.

The APC Governorship campaign team of the Deputy Senate President, DSP Omo-Agege were received Friday January 13 at the ward to ward campaign with excitement at Jeddo where Sen. Omo-Agege came out of his car and received direct salute and handshake from the people in the area , which according to them such never happened in the area since the country transit back to democracy in 1999 till date.

Delta APC Guber candidate DSP Omo-Agege during the campaign said Deltans will punish Okowa and his party PDP at the polls with their votes for his poor performance as a governor of the oil-rich state.

Some APC enthusiast were seen sweeping what they term as ‘bad governance away’ at Jeddo market axis , describing the APC and Omo-Agege as the EDGE and real rescue of Delta state and Nigeria at the Presidential level in the forthcoming February 25 and March 11, 2023 elections.

The mammoth crowd at Ughoton the headquarters of the ward where the campaign rally were held, supporters expressed delight on the kind of support they are having from the grassroot in Okpe LGA.

Jeddo Ughoton and Ugbokodo residents however assured the APC and DSP Omo-Agege of their votes at the poll.

By: Ella  Ochang

A group led by Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, Comrade Amaechi Ogbonna, Tsola Emiko Amoye and Isaac Dorsu acting on behalf of the 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, Delta State, have dragged the new NDDC Board to court , praying the Court to restrain the new Board from accessing funds and implementing budget pending the determination of the suit filled.

The group noted that their ethnic group (Itsekiri) are of the major oil and gas producing communities in Nigeria, hence they approached the Federal High Court Warri to restrain the newly constituted NDDC Board from accessing funds of the Commission pending determination of the issues surrounding the constitution of the board which the group alleges does violence to the Constitution as well as the NDDC Act.

The case filled with the suit No: FHC/WR/CS/131/2022 brought by PRINCE EMMANUEL OKOTIE-EBOH AND 4ORS VS THE PRESIDENT F.R.N AND 7 ORS, the Group contends that the screening, clearing, inauguration and constitution of the Board constitutes a threat to the unity and oneness of Nigeria.

Counsel to the Group Jolone Ikomi, Esq., Chief Robinson Ariyo, Esq and Brenda Modupe Alabi (Nee Saliu) argued that the combined reading of the provisions of sections 2, 5 (2) of the Niger-Delta Development Commission (establishment, etc.) Act Cap N86 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria; section 14 (1), (2) & (3); paragraphs 7 & 8 (1) (a), (b) & (2) of the third schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) can only lead to one conclusion; the constitution of the NDDC Board was unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and should be set aside.

The group by its Originating Summons dated and filed on the 29th day of December, 2022 submitted the following questions to the court for determination:

“1. Whether Madam Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, the 8th Defendant qualifies as an indigene of an oil producing area.

“2. Whether quantum of oil production/contribution is not a mandatory qualification for determining priority of appointment into the NDDC Board.

“3. Whether it is not mandatory that a person to be nominated to fill the slot of Delta State as either the Chairman or Managing Director or the Delta State Representative on the Governing Board of the Niger-Delta Development Commission must be an indigene of an oil producing community in the circumstances.

“4. Whether it is not illegal, unlawful and repugnant to equity and good conscience for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to nominate Madam Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, the 8th Defendant and for the National Assembly to screen her notwithstanding her obvious non-qualification.

“5. Whether it is not illegal, unlawful and repugnant to equity and good conscience for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to exclude Delta State of Nigeria, a prime oil producing state from its due of the slots of a State Representative and Managing Director of the Commission in the circumstances”.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Okon Abang ordered that in view of the sensitive nature of the subject matter of the suit, that the Defendants should be served the processes and be given the opportunity of being heard. He noted that the suit is too sensitive for an Order of Interim injunction.

The Learned Judge, Justice Abang however ordered that the Defendants be served immediately and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2023 for the Motion on Notice.

By: Celestine Ukah

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah has declared that governance in Nigeria is a criminalised enterprise due to the way and structure it is being operated .

Bishop Kukah made this disclose known Wednesday January 11, 2023 during a live interview on ChannelsTv, he took a swipe on some politicians in the country describing them as major problem to Nigeria.

Bishop Kukah is also the Coordinator National Peace Committee, he noted that the political reward system in Nigeria causes and encourages violence thereby making violence inevitable in most parts of Africa.

The revered clergy who spoke on the nations politics and the voters in 2023 election, advised youths to take advantage of their number and work together to vote  the right persons in 2023 at Presidential, Governorship, Senate, House of Reps, Houses of Assembly and other subsequent polls.

By: Celestine Ukah

*Solicits for vote for all PDP candidates

The Member Representing Warri Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives and Deputy Chairman House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Hon. Chief Dr. Thomas Ereyitomi, JP has urged residents of Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West LGAs who registered in the last concluded Continuous voters exercise to go collect their Permanent Voters Card, PVCs in their various wards and point of registration.

Chief Ereyitomi made the appeal to his Warri Federal constituents recently as the Independent  National Electoral Commission, INEC began distribution of PVCs from ward level January 6-15, 2023 across the three Warri LGAs and all parts of the state and country respectively.

He described the PVC distribution as a clear way to build confidence and add more people to exercise their franchise by  voting PDP candidates as Warri LGAs and Delta are for PDP all the time, noting that PDP has all it takes to rescue Nigeria at the federal level and add more sustenance to the development strides recorded under the Okowa administration in the state growth.

Rep Ereyitomi who is also seeking return to the House of Representatives solicited for votes for all PDP candidates from presidential, Atiku-Okowa, Governorship – Sheriff Oborevwori/Onyeme, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly in the 2023 polls.

Dr. Ereyitomi stressed the need for INEC to make the PVC collection to be done in an easy and stress free process in order to encourage eligible voters not to be disenfranchised by not accessing their PVCs on time.

Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Charles Aniagwu on Friday said ultimate power to elect leaders lies with the people and not the decision of any leader.

Aniagwu who was reacting to the chants of “Atiku, Atiku, Atiku” at Ibadan during the flag-off campaign for the re-election of Governor Oluseyi Makinde said at a news conference in Asaba that the era of leaders deciding who to be voted for was over as sovereignty lies with the people.

He stated that the reaction of majority of the people at the Ibadan rally was an indication that Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Dr Ifeanyi Okowa were the preferred ticket to rescue and rebuild Nigeria from the ruins of the APC-led Federal Government.

“You saw what happened in Oyo State yesterday, when one man tried to ascribe to himself the powers to decide who the people will vote for but the people expressed their democratic right which is  very clear that Atiku Abubakar is their choice.

“We have said severally that our train has left the station but because we have very quality breaks we can always stop to carry hesitant passengers.

“So we will continue to appeal to our leaders, the G-5 governors to sheath their sword and return back to the main fold of the party and join hands with the party to actualize the mission of recovering and rebuilding Nigeria.

“Those who mobilised them did not foresee what they saw and it goes to show that no one man can boast of deciding how the people will cast their votes.

“As we speak I am sure you have seen the level of inflow of people, in this case notable Nigerians from other political parties to the PDP

“We must commend our party faithful in Oyo State for demonstrating that Atiku Abubakar is the right choice for Nigerians.

“We still have time for any of the Presidential candidates who wish to step down for Atiku Abubakar and because we have promised an all-inclusive government they will not be left out as their ideas will be harnessed to achieve our mission of rebuilding this country,” he said.

On the endorsement of Labour Party Presidential candidate by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark, Aniagwu said that the party was not worried as the ultimate power to endorse candidates lies on the people who have already endorsed the Atiku-Okowa ticket across the country.

“As a Presidential Campaign Council we do not begrudge the Labour Party candidate nor the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on the position taken by the former president.

“Our presidential candidate and his running mate are very much aware from the onset that we were going into a contest with other contestants.

“But we are confident of victory because we have the competitive edge to be able to win because Atiku Abubakar and his running mate tower above other contestants in terms of their experience and antecedents.

“All the candidates have their qualities but like you know in any examination some will score C and some A, both of them have passed the examination but one scored better, Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa are in the A region as far as this election is concerned.

“So if there is an endorsement coming from our former President and Chief Edwin Clark, we recognise that democracy offers freedom of expression as guaranteed in our constitution and if that be the case we do not begrudge anybody endorsing anyone.

“We have already received a whole lot of endorsements from numerous Nigerians who, the ultimate power to endorse resides.

“And because we have continued to interface with the people across the country, most Nigerians understand that Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa tower above other candidates in the contest,” he stated.

Aniagwu stressed that the party would not join issues with anybody castigating the former President or any other person for that matter for speaking out as to their preference.

“What we are interested in is that most Nigerians understand that Atiku Abubakar is in the A region of the endorsement box to be able to bring  us out of the woods

“One thing is that  every Nigerian irrespective of political parties understand the very parlous state of our country whether in the area of the economy, insecurity or our unity.

“Since we all agree that we have these challenges, the only issue we are yet to agree on is how we intend to address them but when you begin to tick the candidates experience and manifestos, Atiku and Okowa have what it takes to take us from our current situation,” Aniagwu added.