*Gives seven days ultimatum to retract offensive publication

The Federal House of Representatives member representing Warri Federal Constituency of Delta state , Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi has demanded the sum of N2Billion from the publisher of Pilot Newspaper, Mr. Denis Sami for libel and defamation of his character .

In addition, Chief Ereyitomi is demanding the immediate retraction of the offensive publication with an unreserved apology within one week forthwith.

The pilot newspaper had in their news report on Monday alleged that Chief Ereyitomi among other things parades a fake certificate with which he secured his seat in the National Assembly.

But Ereyitomi in a letter through his Lawyer, Chief Robinson Ariyo Esq to Pilot newspaper distanced himself from fake certificates insisting that all his credentials are authentic obtained from appropriate institutions.

He lamented that the publication has damaged his reputation and has brought his business and political interests to ridicule.

The Federal Lawmaker said the publication is malicious with the result that he has been exposed to public opprobrium and insecurity, not to mention the loss of patronage and concomitant income arising therein .

Part of the letter by Ereyitomi’s lawyer reads: “That the defamatory publication was brought to the attention of our client by his colleagues, friends and family members who were utterly dismayed at the publication as our client has never been known in the respective lights painted of him .

“That the said publication in the circumstances is not justifiable but laced with imputation that our client has either committed or is in preparation of the commission of the crimes referred to which he said is capable of eroding the hard earned integrity of our client “.

“That Should the publisher fail to remedy the situation within one week, We might be constrained to explore alternative legal remedies available to our client in the circumstances”.

The Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Delta Governor, Mr Olise Ifeajika, has charged journalists on the need to rebrand themselves and remove quacks in their midst.

In an interactive session with the new executives of the Indigenous Correspondents Chapel (ICC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta state council, on Monday, May 22, 2923, at his office, Ifeajika tasked journalists to take time in building long-term relationships in the line of duty rather than hang around for peanuts and looking for brown envelopes.

He urged journalists to take advantage of the developmental journalism tide and point out to government, areas with evident lags in governance and also desist from propagating falsehood and poorly verified facts; clinging on the catch phrase that “if you are not sure of it; don’t write it”.

Ifeajika added that, journalists should also ensure to cover other public beats like the courtroom amongst others irrespective of who is involved or if it attracts monetary value.

The CPS further enjoined male practicing journalists to take their dressing into cognizance or risk being addressed as they dress.

Speaking earlier, Chairman, Indigenous Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Kenneth Orusi appreciated the CPS for sparing time to meet with them despite the busy schedule of the transition programmes for the incoming government.

Comrade Orusi commended the governor’s spokesman for the good work he has been doing, noting that, even with the challenges which comes with the job, he has beautifully managed it.

*As Delta Councils heads to bankruptcy may not be able to pay council workers salaries, Primary School teachers

The governor said the loan would enable them to offset the backlog of debts owed retired primary schools teachers and local government workers in the state.

Barely a week to the end of his second term in office, the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has reportedly compelled the 25 local government council chairmen under the umbrella of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON), to take N40billion loans from a bank, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The governor said the loan would enable them to offset the backlog of debts owed retired primary schools teachers and local government workers in the state.

In the last four years, thousands of Delta State retirees drawn from across the 25 local government areas of the state had stormed the state government House, Asaba to protest against the state governor and disrupted official activities with placards over the nonpayment of their pension, gratuities and other entitlements running into several billions of naira.

Sometime in March 2022, Governor Okowa was smuggled out a programme by the operatives of the Department of Security Service, (DSS) and other security details attached to the governor following a protest by the state retirees who blocked the entrance of the event centre in Asaba..

The N40 billion loan, SaharaReporters reliably gathered, may be sourced from one of the new generation banks, Premium Trust Bank, Asaba, which the governor allegedly has interest, though he had denied such interest.

SaharaReporters reliably learnt that the loan which some local government council chairmen of the state are currently grumbling about over its timing, is being carried out in secrecy.

Some of the councils chairmen who are not comfortable with the loan and pleaded not to be mentioned for security reasons, confided in SaharaReporters that everything concerning the loan was been done in secret with an “executive” instructions to all the councillors in the 25 local government to given a legislative nod to the loan in each of their various council.

“We were also mandated as council chairmen in our various Exco meetings to give the loan a nod. Some of us are not really happy and comfortable with the way and manner this N40 billion loan is came. Why now, that’s the question some of us are asking, though it’s a good thing, the intention behind it is an avenue for some individuals to be richer in billions of naira to the detriment of Deltans. At the end of the day, billions of naira will be going straight to some individual private pockets.

“Merely looking at the whole thing, especially the timing, you need no prophet to tell you, some individuals are going to be richer in billions of naira at the end of the day. Just few days to end of your tenure, you came up with this kind of idea of N40 billion loan. And why the Premium Trust Bank, Asaba,

because, for some time now, that is the bank governor Okowa always runs to for loan facility and it’s been rumoured that he has interest in that bank. Some of us see this loan as a conduit pipes for some individuals, no matter how they try hard to defend it and applaud the moves.”, One of the council chairmen lamented.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that though the idea did not go down well with some council chairmen, the decision for the loan was reached on May, 2, 2023 during a meeting at the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee, (JAAC) and attended by the 25 council chairmen.

It was said that the loan would be paid back within the period of eighty months.
It was learnt that within six days after the JAAC meeting, a letter was written from the state pension bureau, signed by its secretary, Frank Atube, dated May, 8, 2023 was addressed to the state chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON), Victor Ebonka, who also doubles as the Ika North East council chairman.

Accordingly, in the letter sighted by SaharaReporters, the N40 billion loan is spread across the 25 local government councils as follows: Aniocha North N1.406 billion, Aniocha South N1.182 billion, Bomadi N903.8 million, Burutu N1.402 billion, Ethiope East N2.250 billion, Ethiope West N2.165 billion, Ika North East N1.715 billion, Ika South N1.602 billion, Isoko North N1.388 billion, Isoko South N2.178 billion, Okpe N1.706 billion, Oshimili North N1.141 billion, Oshimili South N1.524, Patani N1.141 billion, Sapele N1.473 billion, Udu N1.896 billion, Ughelli North N2.656 billion, Ughelli South N2.300 billion, Ukwuani N1.254 billion, Uvwie N1.166 billion, Warri North 1.189 billion, Warri South N1.506 billion and Warri South West N1.305 billion.

When contacted on the issue, secretary, Delta State Pension Bureau, Frank Atube, who was surprised over the leakage of the letter, declined to speak on the issue, saying “You know I cannot answer you. I am just seeing your number, you have not come officially to the office, I don’t know you. Please I cannot, please.”
Also contacted on the issue, chairman of Ika North East council and state chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON), Victor Ebonka, initially declined to speak but on a second thought, confirmed the N40 billion loan which he said would not even be enough to offset the pensioners backlog of debts.

According to Ebonka, “There’s nothing hidden about the whole thing. It is the exclusive duty and responsibility, statutorily of the local government councils to pay its workers and its pensioners, independent of the state. In actual sense, it’s not the responsibility of the state government to pay these pensioners but it’s the responsibility of the local government and the governor in his magnanimity doled out N5 billion from state fund to argument payment.”

*Say allegations aimed at intimidation, extortion

Two Delta State House of Representatives members; Hon Nicholas Mutu and his colleague, Thomas Ereyitomi have raised the alarm over acts suggestive of blackmail and extortion by the Editor-in-Chief of Nigeria Pilot Newspaper, one Mr. Dennis Sami.

They dismissed a series of fabricated allegations being levelled by the Publisher and his co-travellers against them as a ruse and cheap blackmail.

A statement signed by Boma Akpotutari, Senior Special Assistant to Hon. Mutu said Sami has been sending series of messages and making several telephone calls to the two Federal lawmakers in the past one month, threatening to publish some unsubstiated and frivolous allegations against them, if they could not meet his monetary request.

Specifically, he accused Mutu of parading fake school certificates, with which he has been in the House since 1999. The lawmakers, however, stated that the allegations are baseless , unfounded and a failed attempt to bring them to disrepute . Sami and his Editor, one Emmanuel Ibeleme have been inundating Mutu and Ereyitomi with text messages and letters threatening to go to press with the allegations.

In one of the letters titled, “ ALLEGATIONS OF FAKE CERFITICATES AGAINST YOU”, to Mutu , they alleged : “ We have it on good authority that the certificates you have been parading which you also used to obtain a seat in the hallowed chamber of Nigeria’s House of Representatives where you have been sitting for the past 20 years are fake.

In another text to Mutu by Sami, he said, “It’s urgent, in your interest, regarding, key documents and publication, thanks, Editor in Chief, Nig. Pilot Newspaper.” In the text message to Ereyitomi, they threatened, ” my name is Dennis Sami , Editor in Chief , Nigerian Pilot Newspaper. It’s urgent and in your interest speak very brief, thanks, accept my highest regards.

The choice of words in the various messages, no doubt, was “unjournalitic.” Such a choice of words can easily be traced to notorious blackmailers.

But unperturbed Mutu and Ereyitomi said they have nothing to worry about, insisting that all their certificates and documents are genuine and authentic and obtained from relevant institutions they attended.

They told their accusers to think otherwise and stop dissipating their energies, spreading unfounded allegations and falsehood aimed at intimidating and extorting money from them.

They maintained an unrepentant stand not to offer bribes to stop the publication of the spurious allegations.

The lawmakers disclosed that they have explained their side of the stories to Sami, adding he was free to do his job instead of bothering them with endless telephone calls and text messages in the past one month.

The persistent calls and text messages by the Publisher and other operators of Nigeria Pilot to us in the past one month on the same subject matter have established their real intention- To intimidate and extort money from us.”

We expected them to have published whatever they have on us, long before now, and damn the consequences of their action.”

The lawmakers hinted that their Lawyers have been briefed on the development and are ready to take legal action “because, this is pure blackmail with a sole motive for extortion.

Specifically, in a letter dated May 19th, 2023, signed and forwarded to Sami by Mutu’s Lawyer, M. J. Numa, SAN, he presented all facts concerning the allegations.

Numa in the letter captioned, “RE- ALLEGATIONS OF FAKE CERFITICATES AGAINST YOU”, asked Sami to exercise caution as all the allegations being peddled have been adjudicated upon and resolved by courts of competent jurisdiction, including the election petitions tribunal and Federal High Court.

Numa said all the issuing authorities of Mutu’s certificates and other relevant authorities and stakeholders, including the National Assembly, have authenticated and confirmed them to be genuine, adding that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has also thoroughly investigated and vindicated his client.

Copies of Nigeria Pilot Newspaper’s letter to Mutu and the Lawyer’s response are hereby attached.

We are, however, alarmed that despite having provided enough information to enable Sami and his Newspaper to draw reasonable conclusions for the kangaroo publication, Sami continues to saturate the lawmaker with calls and text messages, apparently to intimidate him to meet his monetary demand.

”This so- called Sami have been pestering us , threatening to publish, we are ready for him. We will not tolerate this anymore”.

The fear of being kidnapped or robbed in Warri, Warri-South Local Government Area, and the neighbouring Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, both twin cities in the oil-rich Delta State, has become the beginning of wisdom.

The nightmare has also spread to the adjoining Udu Local Government Area, while nightlife is fast disappearing from the rich oil cities as residents hurry away from the streets as early as 6 pm daily. Despite the ugly situation, however, youths still hang out until 10 pm.

At the Ovie Palace Junction on the Warri -Sapele Road axis, some operators of drinking bars, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said though patronage had dropped, business was not so bad.

“We still sell, our busiest time is Friday and Saturday nights. I am aware the crime rate has gone up but it is not new. And it is not only in Warri. So, people should not blow it over, “a fish vendor, Ovo, said.

Residents identified some of the black spots as Angle Park area, off Airport Road, Refinery, Jakpa, Ekpan, Esisi roads, and Effurun Roundabout.

“From 7 pm, you have to be very vigilant when you are around these areas; they rob victims in commercial tricycles (Keke). But not all Keke operators are robbers, “Timeyin, a resident of Ugbuwangwe, said.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that, usually, the hoodlums target phones and cash. “They are after phones and cash. Some can be violent if their victims are stubborn”, Mary, another resident of Jakpa Road area, said.

Locals disclosed that some of the hoodlums lurk around ATM machines at night from 7 pm waiting for targets, particularly on Airport Road.

Kidnapping for ransom has been a reoccurring scenario. Within a space of 48 hours, they whisked away two priests, Rev Father Chochos Kunav and Raphael Ogigba, and a human rights lawyer, Dr. Akpor Mudiaga Odje, at different locations between Warri and Agbara-Otor about two weeks ago. They have since been released by their abductors.

Governor-elect and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, was lucky on the Warri-Sapele Road when his convoy ran into some hoodlums at night a few months ago. According to reports, gunfire from his security aides made the hoodlums flee.

Locals said there was a surge in kidnapping inside Warri, particularly around the Ekpan axis. They blamed the ugly situation on the crash in the country’s economy and unemployment.

“Street has failed, that is why many boys are into crime now, and you mistake them for Yahoo Boys,” Onoriode, a resident of Udu, said.

“Many of these Yahoo Boys spend so much on drugs and since the Yahoo economy is gradually phasing out, they are using crime to sustain their passion.

“Some of these boys spend as much as N4 million monthly on drugs. They call it highness. To keep this up they indulge in crime.

“If the boys offer you a bottle of opened Coca-Cola, do not drink because it may not be only Coca-Cola that is in the bottle. Even when you go to parties organized by these boys, mind how you eat cake because they have ‘highness’ cake.

“To keep this lifestyle, they go for street crimes”.

Asked to explain what he meant by highness cake, Onoriode said, “They are event cakes made with hard drugs.”

A security operative, who wanted to be simply identified as Philip, however, said: “When you compare it with places like Auchi, it is not so bad here. Do not forget that Warri and Uvwie put together is not a very big place. We know ourselves. “Kidnappers in our midst can be easily fished out. I think more of the kidnappings are done on the highways like Sapele-Warri Road, Agbarho-Ughelli Road and all that. But kidnapping still happens inside Warri.

“The boys want quick cash and phones they can quickly sell for money. And they are getting it easy because very few people bother to track their missing phones.

“The police too are not helping matters. They charge too much to help track phones. And very few people can show proof that they own their phones because they have misplaced their receipts and phone packs”.

Safety rules

One of the safety rules in Warri, Ughelli, and environs is that people should avoid night movements in and outside Warriors, Philip said.

The police are yet to release the record of crime in Delta in the last three months. However, security watchers believe the immediate past Police Commissioner, Ari Muhammed, recorded some good success in the fight against crime in Warri and environs and expressed the hope that the new police boss, Wale Abass, will surpass the record.

In a bid to rid the areas of crime, the police took the war to red-light districts. Recently, they arrested 94 commercial sex workers and 59 male suspects for various crimes ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery, and other sundry crimes in Ughelli North local government area and environs.

The state police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this, said locally made guns, three suspected stolen vehicles, and hard drugs were among items recovered from the suspects, adding that some of them had been charged to court and others moved to the Command Headquarters in Asaba.

According to him, the police had stepped up efforts to flush out criminal elements from Warri and its surroundings.

“Operatives were drawn from the Command’s Operations Department, SIB, Dragon Patrol, Safer Highway, Raiders, CP, D-Coy Squad, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and led by the Commander, Dragon Patrol, CSP Graham Imade, and deployed in the affected areas”, Edafe said.

“They embarked on an intensive confidence-building patrol, stop and search, and show of force while acting on credible intelligence report.

“The Commander led raids on some identified illicit rendezvous at Evwreni, East-West Road, and other black spots all in the Ughelli North area. During the operation, 59 male suspects and 94 female suspected commercial sex workers were arrested.

“The following exhibits were recovered from them; three pump action guns, one locally made cut-to-size gun, one dagger,10 live cartridges, one suspected stolen unregistered Toyota Venza, one unregistered Mercedes Benz, one Peugeot car, nine cups of loud, codeine syrup, 20 capsules of Tramadol and 31 wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp.

“The 94 commercial sex workers have been charged to court alongside some of the male suspects, while others have been transferred to the Command Headquarters for further investigation.”

The Delta State Police Command is obviously not sleeping. Dafe appealed for timely information from residents on suspected criminals and criminal activities in their hood.

The Campaign for Good Governance group, has come out in support of Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha, for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The group which is based in Kano in a statement over the weekend, said it was proper for the women to occupy one of the four major positions of the 10th National Assembly namely, president of the senate, deputy senate president, speaker of the house of representatives and deputy speaker.

The group which is an All Progressives Congress, APC network group while appealing to the newly elected and returning members of the House of Representatives said it was “only rational that one of the six top leadership offices in Nigeria, should accommodate a woman.”

They argued that “since Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha was the only woman among the seven contenders for the seat of the Speaker, “common sense dictates that the women should be carried along by our great party.

“We appreciate the fact that our great party has zoned these seats in the wisdom of our leaders. Fortunately, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha comes from the zone given the Deputy speakership. We are saying that we have enough men there already and the women deserve the deputy speaker slot”.

Alhaji Bello Abdulkadir, the convener of the group, who signed the statement released on Saturday said “Nigeria deserves balancing in every department so as to carry every one along in both gender and religious issues.

Meanwhile, insiders in the national Assembly also informed, that several stakeholders of the party from Imo State, have also weighed in on Hon. Princess Onuoha’s ambition. According to our source, the stakeholders have reached out to President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the matter.

One of the stakeholders who is a close associate to the Governor of the state said the stakeholders have also put in words in support of Hon. Onuoha with the party leadership.

For those who do not know her, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities and Special Needs.

Onuoha who represents Okigwe North/ Onuimo/Isiala Mbano federal constituency of Imo State is the only returning female lawmaker from the South East geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Hon. Princess Onuoha, is a graduate of Estate Management from the University of Lagos. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning and Protection (MEPP) from the University of Abuja.

Before her election into the federal parliament, she had served as a Senior Special Assistant to a former Governor of Bayelsa State on International Development Cooperation amongst other previous political engagements.

She was also a board member of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

The Chairman, Ugborodo Community Trust, Barrister Augustine Oborogbeyi has blamed JAD Group of Companies over the crisis in the oil-rich community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said on Sunday, May 21st, 2023, in a press release that the JAD Group has been regularly awarded Contracts since 2008 but never carried out any development at all in the Community.

According to him, all Communities in Warri Kingdom are autonomous administratively under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, adding that a Supreme Court consent judgment in 1972 put an end to some Ugborodo people assertion of autonomy from Warri Kingdom.

“Ugborodo Community as an integral part of Warri Kingdom anchored the Palace Watch, (Ghigho – Aghofen) between 17th December 2022 and 27th April 2023 and His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse lll was in Ugborodo Community on 15th April 2023”., he said.

He stated that; “The PIA as stated by Perry Atete is Community based and after the Setlors series of meetings with the stakeholders from the oil bearing Communities, which these characters participated in, the sub Communities of Ode-Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho and Ijaghala submitted nominees for the PIA Board of Trustees which has since been registered. Ugborodo Community is not the property of these agitators no matter how highly placed they think of themselves, including the persons in the positions of the Eghare-Aja and Olajori”.

“These same persons have been frustrating the Ugborodo Community Trust Executive under the Chairmanship of Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi for no other reason but for not being in charge of Ugborodo Community affairs, as they are used to. Their modus operandi is propagating violence and frustration of the development of the Community”, he added.

He disclosed that; “Since 2008 they recommended the Lebanese JAD Group of Companies as Ugborodo Community Contractors for Contracts in NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture and SPDC to provide from the proceeds of Contracts funds for the development of Ugborodo Community. The JAD Group has been regularly awarded Contracts since 2008 but carries out no development at all in the Community. That is not of concern or interest of these characters but theirs is to fleece the Community and thus the frustration by all means, of the Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi Trust Executive championing the cause that the JAD Group should pay all entitlements
due Ugborodo Community from the proceeds of Contracts being awarded to the JAD Group on behalf of Ugborodo Community since 2009. Can these people show us the benefits to Ugborodo Community on the execution of the Chevron multi billion Dollars EGTL Project”.

“The gain of a new Ugborodo Town during acquisition of the land for the EGTL Project was by the Sandys Omadeli Uvwoh led Trust in which Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi was Secretary. Furthermore, where are the hundreds of housing units for the Ugborodo new Town that Delta State Government contracted and budgeted Billions of Naira for. What of the Billion Naira shore protection Contract awarded to one of these agitators? As usual, the JAD Group is behind the current agitation which is a smoke screen to divert attention from several Investigations on its fraudulent activities”, he said.

Our Correspondent reports that there is an ongoing protest in which Ugborodo youths have occupied the Escravos Crude oil tank farm and loading terminal of Chevron. It started almost one week ago, with logistic supplies to the facility stalled.

A South West women group-Women Leadership Forum, WLF, has condemned the constitution of the leadership table in Nigeria as presently constituted.

In a communique issued after a meeting of the Group in Abuja on Thursday, the women said the All Progressives Congress, APC leadership has reneged on the 35 percent affirmative on gender equality with no woman found in the first six of the country’s leadership table.

According to the group, it was “outrageous that women in Nigeria are not considered for any of the too first six positions in the country.”

The communique signed by chairperson of the forum, Chief Mrs. Funke Ariyo reads in part, “We are surprised that a personality like the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will preside over the marginalization of women in this dispensation. The President-elect, vice President-elect are men. The President-elect is right now supporting an all male senate president and deputy. He is also supporting an all male speaker and deputy of the House of Representatives. This is absurd to say the least”.

“We are particularly worried that President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu whose wife, Senator Oluremi, is a distinguished senator of the federal Republic, will allow this marginalization,” the statement concluded.