*Says five Correctional Centres 2,371 inmates in custody , 1, 545 awaiting trial in Delta

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has solicited for the introduction of restorative justice and non-custodial sentences in the Nigerian judicial system in order to help decongest correctional centres across the country.

Gov. Oborevwori made the call Friday July 7, during the inauguration of members of the State Advisory Council on the prerogative of mercy at Government House, Asaba, Delta State capital.

Those inaugurated were Hon. Justice Celestina Ogisi (Rtd) Chairman; Prof. Louis Ikechukwu Ojogwu; Alexander Neyin; Dr. Iris Jewo Ibi; Augustine Ezeagwu Esq.; Festus Onyeaju are Members while Mrs. Uju Monye would serve as Secretary.

Oborevwori said the call had become imperative following the rising number of persons awaiting trial in custodial centres across the country.

According to Oborevwori, “the Prerogative of Mercy, sometimes called clemency or state pardon or amnesty, is a useful tool in the administration of criminal justice because it helps to decongest our prisons.

“Currently, the total number of inmates in the state’s five custodial centres is 2,371, out of which 1,545 are awaiting trial.

“As part of the continuous effort of government to address issues of congestion with awaiting trial inmates, the State Government passed the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.

“The Law is aimed at addressing the several challenges that confronted the administration of criminal justice system over the years.

“The Law modernizes and promotes efficiency, fairness, and accountability in the administration of criminal justice system in the state.

“Part of the innovations of the law is to ensure that the issue of restorative justice and non-custodial sentences are encouraged.

“Hence, rather than send all offenders to custodial centres to congest the already filled up centres, offenders can be made to undergo community service,”

He urged the Advisory Council to devise practical and measurable action plans for the full reintegration of released prisoners into the society.

Responding on behalf of the Advisory Council, the Chairman, Justice Celestina Ogisi (Rtd.) who thanked Governor Oborevwori for finding them worthy to serve the state, pledged to work with the guidelines regulating the activities of the Council.

Justice Ogisi said the issue of congestion in Correctional Centres across the state would be adequately examined with a view to exploring the possibilities of decongesting them.

She promised that the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy would partner with relevant agencies of government in the state in the performance of its duties, even as she appealed to members of the public not to bother the Council with undeserved requests.

The State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, Chief Judge of the State, Justice Theresa Diai; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor; his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo and Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi were among top dignitaries that witnessed the inauguration.

A real estate developer Chief Chinazor Ezeayom has cautioned newsmen in Anamabra state against the promotion of fake news which he said was dangerous to the community and against the ethics of the profession

Chief Ezeayom made this known while addressing newsmen on a publication published by some online media companies and Trinitas Newspaper on the 12th of June 2023

In the publication it was reported that “Chief Ezeayom was a notorious land grabber and was brazenly building a major block of stores on the main road without any approval and authorization from the Anambra state Physical Planning Board or other authorising governmental agencies responsible for approval as it concerns to construction of structures”

He noted that it was quite unfortunate and unprofessional that the reporter went ahead to use such unprintable words to describe his personality and as such defamed and debased him in the eyes of the public.

Clearing the air over the spurious publication which was sponsored by one Mr Ifeanyi Anaeme who he said has been fomenting trouble over the acquistion of a plot of land situated at Otigba Enuovuve Layout Nkwelle-Ezunaka  in Oyi Local Government Area in Anamabra state .

Chief Ezeayom said trouble started after he commenced construction of a block of stores on a plot of land which he bought in 2016 from the Akpuwku family who were the bonafide owners of the plot of land .

Surprisingly Mr Ifeanyi Anaeme attempted to stop the construction using thugs but was resisted and he later went on to invite policemen of the Anti cult unit and also officers of Zone 13 on the ground that the plot of land was being used for cult meetings and encroachment of government land .

But after their investigation it was discovered that his claims were false and was advised to steer clear of the plot of land

Mr Ezeayom said he then continued with the construction only for him to come across a publication captioned “Anambra residents raise alarm over illegal structure,petitions Gov Soludo”
wherein Mr Ifeanyi Aneme used a fictitious name of Mr. John Okafor under the guise of the chairman of Concerned Residence and Landlords Otigba Enuovuve layout made all kind of unsubstantiated claims which was not verified by the reporter and publisher of the fake news.

He noted with disdain that the actions of the reporters and media companies involved in the publication was tantamount to libel and if not retracted a law suit will be instituted against them

When contacted the head of the Akpuwku family confirmed that the family sold the plot of land to Chief Ezeayom who shares a boundary with Ifeanyi Aneme who also had purchased four plots of land from the family but his grouse was that he had plans of buying the plot of land currently owned by Chief Ezeayom and that might suggest why he has embarked on a media trial of Chief Ezeayom who has satisfied all conditions of ownership of the land through outright payment for the land and other levies approved by the relevant authorities.

“

CP Wale Abass, identifying the luxurious sport utility vehicle (SUV), at the command headquarters in Asaba.

By : Our Asaba Correspondent

Kudos have been showered to the Nigeria Police, Delta State Command as they beefed up surveillance to recover the stolen Mecedes Benz SUV, after it was driven away by a suspect at a car stand in Abuja, the federal capital territory.

The Commissioner of Police Wale Abass, made this known at the Command Headquarters in Asaba, during the parade of some suspects and media briefing on the achievements of the police within the past months.

The Commissioner of Police Wale Abass, said the suspect involved in the stealing of a luxury car in Abuja, is still under investigation after he had pretended to be a buyer before absconding with the vehicle at a car stand.

CP Abass explained that “Operatives of the CP-DECOY Squad stormed Ughelli town and recovered the said Mecedes Benz SUV, abandoned in the bush.

“Serious manhunt for the suspect is ongoing.”

CP Abass also briefed the media about the arrest of a 42 year old human trafficking suspect Marvelous Ebangwe, following complaints about the disappearance of two young girls at Effurun in Uvwie, after they went for a church program.

According to Delta CP “the suspect specializes in trafficking young girls to other African countries. The suspect stated that the victims are presently in Senegal.

“Investigation to retrieve those children back is equally ongoing.”

While the human trafficking suspect Marvelous Ebangwe expressed regret over his actions, a member of a fraud syndicate Onyeaka Ani, who had participated in defrauding a lady and had stolen her bank cards, observed that he joined the business to seek revenge, after he fell victim to fraudsters.

[Marvelous Ebangwe]
“To help them to these African country; is it Mali, or Senegal. Getting there they say it is was a prostitution job, that they didn’t want to do, so we ordered them to come back.”

[Onyeaka Ani]
(Translated): “I was duped, so I sought revenge.”

Others paraded at the command Headquarters include the wife of a former local government vice Chairman Gladys Otomiewor, at whose compound the police had discovered several arms and ammunition.

Four Hundred and Eighty Nine ammunition and Four Hundred and Sixty Nine cartridges were discovered within the period, including five AK47 rifles, twenty four locally made guns and four pump action, as well as the recovery of eight stolen vehicles

By: Celestine Ukah 

Former National Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Hilliard Etta says it’s time for the party to call the APC National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu to order, describing his recent utterances as being mischievous.

Etta in his opinion while speaking on Arisetv “Morning Show” Thursday July 6 said the position of Senator Adamu the APC National Chairman on the announcement of principal officers of the National Assembly in the 10th NASS whereby he disown the principal officers as announced by the NASS leadership of the chambers was unfortunate statement coming out of the chairman.

The APC former Acting National urged the party to sanction Adamu or as well let him resign honourably in order to stop further negative projection of the APC.

He noted that before the emergence of President Tinubu in the APC primary, Adamu came up to announce former Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate whereas the party didn’t accept such arrangement.

According to Etta APC Governors and the generality of members are not happy with the National Chairman because he doesn’t have the party’s progress at heart.

He posited further that before the announcement of the principal officers at NASS that both leadership consulted widely including the party National Chairman and wondered why the party Chairman is coming out with such outburst.

He stressed the need for President Tinubu being the National leader of the APC to look into the affairs of the party in order to salvage the situation.

Agbor : A First class Monarch of ancient Agbor kingdom in Delta State, HRM  Obi Keagborekuzi Ikenchuku Gbenoba has stated that he is looking forward to the efficacy of subsidy removal in Nigeria.

According to the monarch, ” I hear we’ve saved over 400bn in just a month of removal of fuel subsidy, if so far we have saved 400bn then I’m looking forward to what we are going to do with it.

” Other countries have various forms of subsidy from health care to education amongst others and its not an issue there because of absence of corruption, but our issue here back home is corruption ”

The erudite monarch, Dein Keagborekuzi I made these statements at his Royal Palace in Agbor Delta state when members of Indigenous Correspondents Chapel (ICC) Asaba of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council paid him a courtesy visit.

He further expressed that “Nigeria is not poor, God has blessed this nation with numerous mineral resources beyond oil and gas, we just need to tackle corruption undivided, i want to know what’s happening with our gold, I want all our resources brought to Federal books.

“We are heavily indebted , but we are rich in minerals, the west knows how important Nigeria is, we should know how important Nigeria is to us and to Africa. Foreigners are not here to teach you their language and their food, but because they know the importance of Nigeria to their world.”

Speaking further on corruption he stated that “we are too used to illegality in this country and that’s our problem. The money belongs to all Nigerians and needs to be shared accordingly.”

” We are at the point where we copy from the rest of the world their harsh penalties to public officials caught stealing, Nigeria as a country consider harsh penalties like death sentence for corrupt public office holders to help reduce below average the unwavering issue of corruption evident in the nation, we need to tackle corruption, we need to tackle it head on.”

While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold step he took on subsidy removal, he posited thus ” I’m hoping that Tinubu would be able to give us ministers and allow them to act and be at the fore front of development, also we have to give the president time and encouragement.

Taxation:
While speaking on taxes, he stated that “we need to pay taxes, all of us need to pay taxes for the country to work, but many won’t want to pay because we don’t know where its going or how it’s being used, also citizens need to know their rights and know how to act decisively, if your representatives are not performing as expected you have the right to a recall, they are our representatives and we are the leaders, we sent them there to do our bidding, if we don’t like any law we can counter it, taking cognizance of the #1000 annual tax on certificate of ownership of a vehicle legally bought and owned, we can recall it, also the increase in electricity tariff without increase in output can be decisively countered.

“We need to change and the change can’t come from outside but from within, what we did in the last election is a prove that we can do it, we need to learn our rights, we have rights to call them back, they are called representatives, not leaders , we are the leaders, they are just there to represent us.”

Developmental Criticism;

while speaking on developmental and constructive criticism he stated that “we need to reduce abuse on social media, Youths need to leave the woke ideology and remember that this is a moral nation, can’t we make feelings known without excessive abuse of fellow Nigerians?”.

“We are richer haven shared everyone’s opinion, we should respect each other and know when to apologize, we owe the rest of Africa a responsibility, Africa is in chaos, black Africa to be precise. I bet Ukraine is doing better than many African Nations at the time while in war and will come out better than many nations after the war.”

The thorough breed monarch, Dein Obi Keagborekuzi I, also spoke on education, wherein he stated that “our kids also need to go back to school, leave fraud and stop calling school scam, yes you see from their point of view that after an elongated school year from strike amongst others, you don’t have a job but that’s not an excuse.”
“We also need to bring back the glory days of our educational standards, before our graduates were sort after all over the world but now you have to right exams, which is a proof that your results are in doubt.”

“Traveling is one of the best forms of education that you can have, i’m happy to have grown up in a different capacities and environs which is what made me who I am today, i’m only worried at our elite who leave the shores of the country and come back even worse that they left, you can’t go out see nice things and not come replicate same here, why don’t we make those things we value there work here?”
I’ve been to niger delta before and the beauty you see in Miami can be brought to the niger delta, and you will see tourism blossom over night and foreigners would be here everyday but they don’t want to get killed of kidnapped at the very least.”

*Says Delta is a state that doesn’t discriminate, calls for more investment as Delta is safe, hospital

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has appreciated Ndigbo for their effort in making him emerge as Delta State governor.

According to Rt. Hon. Oborevwori in his words, while addressing the Igbo Forum, “you worked very hard for my emergence as Governor of Delta State I appreciate you”.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori also assured investors of a peaceful investment climate in the state.

Oborevwori gave the assurance on Tuesday July 4, 2023 when he received on courtesy visit members of the Ndigbo Cultural Forum Asaba chapter at Government House, Asaba.

The Governor thanked the Forum for supporting his gubernatorial ambition and for their various investments in the state.

He urged them to consider investing further by taking advantage of the peaceful environment across the state.

He said: “I welcome you to Delta State Government House. I am very happy to receive all of you this afternoon. I am happy because you have accepted me as your own.

“You worked very hard for my emergence as governor. I remember when I came for consultation prior to my election, you all supported me.

“I have told Deltans that I want to be governor for all and not just for only Deltans but for all who live in Delta State. This is because where you live is where you develop.

“I have had a good relationship with you people even before my intention to be a governor. So this relationship did not start today.

“So I want to sincerely appreciate all of you for your show of love and assure you that we will partner together.

“I encourage you to come and invest more in Delta. Delta state is very safe and you can attest to the peace we are enjoying here today.

“Delta state is a state that do not discriminate. We live together here and I know that some of you gave birth to your children here in Delta; which invariably makes them citizens of Delta state.

“This state is accommodative and we will make sure that we develop this state together even as we urge you all to bring more of your investments down to Delta,” Governor Oborevwori said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Forum, Chief Chinedu Obodo, said they were in the state to congratulate Oborevwori on his victory and successful inauguration as Governor of Delta State.

He said they invested so much in the state because of the peace that pervades the city, assuring that they would do more to support the government with massive investments across the state.

Obodo assured that the group and Ndigbos would further bring their investments to all parts of the state.

By: Our Correspondent

*Says it wasn’t DTSG  that borrowed

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Delta State chapter, on Monday, clarified reports published in a section of the media as regards the N40 billion borrowed to pay accrued rights owed primary school and local government pensioners in the State.

The State ALGON Chairman, Hon. Victor Ebonka, who gave the clarification after a meeting of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Asaba, said it was not the State Government that was borrowing the funds.

Flanked by his colleagues, Ebonka said it was the statutory duty of Local Governments to pay pensions to its retirees as well as Local Education Authority (primary school retirees).

He said the problem arose due to error in the enrollment of the workers into the contributory pension scheme.

According to Ebonka, “in this Country constitutionally, we have three tiers of government; the Federal, the State and the Local Governments. We all have separate responsibilities.

“It is our constitutional responsibility to pay the Local Government staff and primary school teachers salaries.

“And we are not unmindful of the lingering problems that we have with regards to the pension benefits of the Local Government staff and that of the primary school teachers.

“This problem was inherited from the two previous administrations and it has to do with an error in the enrollment into the contributory pension scheme.

“And for this short comings, we have found ourselves owing their accrued rights from 2016 to date. The past administration set a machinery in motion and has tried to ensure that the debt is liquidated by giving several grants totaling about N5 billion and increased statutory contribution from N200 million a month to N500 million.

“Despite all these grants from the State Government, we have not been able to clear the outstanding arrears and this made the immediate past administration to set up a Committee comprising of myself the ALGON Chairman, the Head of Service and other stakeholders.

“The Committee went to the bond market to get a facility but was not successful because the cost of funds was quite expensive. So we approached the commercial bank to get the facility and we can say that Zenith Bank has agreed to afford us N40 billion out of the N51 billion indebted to the pensioners”.

He said the State Government did not borrow N40 billion as reported in some quarters, adding that the only role played by the State Government was to give approval and forward same to the State Assembly for ratification.

“So it is exclusively the Local Government Councils that are borrowing this money. You know that by law, we need the approval of the State Government and the ratification of the State Assembly and that was sort for and it was granted by the Governor and approved by the State House of Assembly.

“So any moment from now, the pensioners will smile home. We also want to state that no penny from the N40 billion is going to the coffers of the Local Governments.

“We are going to cover about ninety percent of the accrued rights from this money, all of the monies will be paid directly to the pensioners,” he said.

On environmental sanitation across the Council areas, the ALGON boss appealed to residents to abide by relevant laws, adding that mobile courts would soon be set up to try offenders.

More than 50 names of military officers across the three services of the Nigerian Armed Forces – Army, Navy and the Air Force have been penciled down for promotion following the deadline given to top generals to exit the service, Daily Trust reliably learnt yesterday.

The officers, who are on the rank of brigadier generals and colonels respectively in the Nigerian Army and its equivalent in the Navy and the Air force, are expected to fill the vacant positions at various formations of the armed forces in the country.

Although the Military Council Board saddled with the responsibility of promotion approval is yet to sit, it was learnt that those to be considered for the promotion are of Regular Course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Apart from the CDS who is a member of Regular Course 38, the three service chiefs – Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff are members of 39 RC of the NDA.

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Daily Trust reports that the new development on promotion came following the July 3 (today) deadline given to the senior military officers by the Military High Command to voluntarily tender their resignations and exit the service.

The order, which was contained in a memo dated June 26 and signed by Maj.-Gen. Y. Yahaya on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, was directed to generals, brigadier generals, air vice marshals, and rear admirals in the three services, who are seniors to the new service chiefs.

A memo by the Defence Headquarters with reference number DHQ/I5/PLANS/801/13 explained that it was meant to preserve and uphold the tenets of the military profession which values hierarchy and service discipline.

The memo, copied to the army, navy and air force headquarters, directed all officers with seniority on commission above that of Regular Course 39 of the NDA to submit their applications for voluntary retirement from service with immediate effect.

Findings by Daily Trust revealed on Sunday that all members of 38 Regular Course of the NDA had submitted their voluntary retirement applications before the close of work on Friday as directed by the Defence Headquarters.

A senior military officer, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said some members of 39 Regular Course of the NDA submitted their applications except those redeployed newly by the new service chiefs.

The source also explained that recommendations are already being made on those to be considered for the promotion in the three services, adding that the approval will come after the Military Council Board will have interviewed and ratified the names of those recommended.

In the same vein, a member of RC 43 who spoke anonymously also told Daily Trust that some members of RC 40, 41 and 42 have reached the rank of major generals, rear admirals and AVM, and they are currently filling the vacant positions in the latest shake-up.

He said, “Those positions that were left vacant have already been occupied or are in the process of being occupied, and the officers that are occupying those positions are already in the rank cadre. I mean they are already wearing the rank they require to occupy them.”

Tinubu to decorate new service chiefs

Speaking further, he said, “When the service chiefs are promoted, except they want to change the old order, their course mates cannot be promoted because we cannot have two captains in a boat. When the service chiefs are promoted to lieutenant generals, their course mates will remain major generals while they are still in service.”

Several calls to the telephone lines of army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu; the acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau and the NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa, went unanswered.

The trio were yet to reply to separate text messages sent to them.

But the spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said, “I don’t know, I’m not aware. The promotion that normally comes at this time, except you’re talking about another one, is the service chiefs that have just resumed.

“Normally, when they resume office like this, and the National Assembly confirms them, then, the Chief of Defence Staff will be promoted to the four-star general (full general) while the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Lagbaja will be promoted to Lt.-Gen.

“Rear Admiral Ogalla will be promoted to vice admiral, while Air Vice Marshal Abubakar will be promoted to air marshal. That’s the only one we anticipate. I don’t know of any other one because promotion in the services comes at about this time when middle cadre officers are considered by the promotion board.

“Around the last quarter of the year, the senior officers or cadre are considered for 1-star and 2-star generals. That’s the only one I know and the timetable has not changed over the years. It cannot just change now.”

Army chief retains course mates

Meanwhile, the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has retained some of his course mates to work closely with at the headquarters in order to achieve the mandate of containing insecurity challenges.

Checks by Daily Trust showed that Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, the course mate of COAS, has now been appointed as the Chief of Administration at Army Headquarters, Abuja.

In a statement on Saturday by the army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the deployment of Akpor and other officers will take effect today.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Sir Festus Ahon says the Governor is taking his time to pick suitable and competent hands to be appointed into the State Executive Council.

Ahon, who was reacting to reports in a section of the media, said the Governor is not under pressure from anyone, not even his predecessor, on choice of cabinet members as was wrongly reported.

He described the publication as a figment of the imagination of the writer and appealed to Journalists to avoid speculations that could heat up the polity.

Ahon said: “First, the State House of Assembly was constituted on June 13 and thereafter went on recess for two weeks and only recovened on Tuesday June 27.

“The Governor will pick credible and capable persons devoid of sentiments that will help him deliver on his M.O.R.E Agenda for Deltans.

“The report is therefore wrong in its entirety and borne out of mischief. Former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa does not interfere with appointments.”

He enjoined Deltans to be patient with the State Government as it was poised to deliver more for the people.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, has congratulated his Edo counterpart, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on his 66th birth anniversary on July 1.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, lauded Obaseki for his outstanding accomplishments in Edo.

He said that Obaseki had through his ingenuity made appreciable progress in the governance of the state, adding that posterity would judge him kindly for his sterling legacies and accomplishments over the years.

Oborevwori said that the Edo governor had continued to demonstrate patriotism and unrelenting service to his state and the nation, and prayed to God to grant him long life, good health and wisdom as he continued to serve his people and Nigeria.

He commended the Governor for his efforts toward rejuvenating education in his state with the successful implementation of “EDOBEST”, noting that the people of the State and Nigerians are watching his achievements with keen interest.

“I must commend you, my dear brother Governor, for your sterling accomplishments in the development of your State, which I believe will enable you finish strong and influence the people of the state to return our party, the PDP back to Government House at the end of your tenure.

“Your Excellency, it is worthy of note that you are delivering on your star project ‘EDOBEST’ and improving educational facilities for the people of Edo.

“I must also commend you for the numerous infrastructural projects and job creation programmes which has seen many Edo youths empowered with grants to become successful entrepreneurs.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta, I heartily rejoice with my brother governor, an outstanding professional and seasoned administrator, Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, on his 66th birth anniversary.

“It is my prayer and that of the government and people of Delta State that God will continue to bless you with robust health and wisdom to serve God and humanity,” Oborevwori said.