The National leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has disclosed that the state party chairman in Delta State, Mr. Oke Idawene, was used as a “scape goat’, due to his inability to get a protracted situation in the party in the State under control.

The National body also revealed that some members of the State Executive Committee, played unworthy roles in the matter.

Idawene, was equally accused of blatant anti-party activities, relentless, unneccessary and misguided media campaigns.

The South-south National Vice Chairman of the party, Elder Fred Owotorufa, said: “The press and social media war was launched against the governorship candidate, Gbagi by Idawene and his foot soldiers”.

Similarly, the embattled chairman, Idawene, on 19th April 2023, in a letter of instruction, with reference No. RE: PETITION NO. EPT/EL/GOV/02/2023, tagged GBAGI K. OMEMAVWA & SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. INEC AND 12 ORS, by one E.S Ogbomade, Esq., purportedly called for the withdrawal of petition of the governorship candidate of the party, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, from the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The letter signed by the erstwhile chairman, reads: “We hereby brief you to represent the Social Democratic Party in the above names petition.

“Please, take steps to file the appropriate papers for the withdrawal of the Social Democratic Party and to strike out its name as petitioner in the aforementioned petition”.

According to Elder Owotorufa, “The letter is a blatant violation of Article 19:3(i), (ii) and (iii) of the SDP Constitution 2022, as amended.

“The intent of that letter is to frustrate the election petition filed by Kenneth Gbagi in favor of PDP etc and undermine the interests of our great party, SDP and the Candidate.

“It is abhorrent and should not be condoned under any circumstance” he stressed.

He said the Delta State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party under Idawene is on a dangerous slide, “It has unfortunately become a monster.

“It must be tamed without delay, in the overall interest of the party if we must prevent  imminent disintegration”.

He revealed that Idawene has been State Chairman for more than (8) years, citing Article 18:1 SDP Constitution 2022, as amended relating to tenure of office.

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari who was alleged to have announced the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship candidate, Aishatu Ahmed Binani winner of the April 15 supplementary elections.

His arrest follows public calls after a directive by President Buhari and request for investigation by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on alleged impropriety in the of supplementary Governorship polls in Adamawa State, North-East Nigeria.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspended REC who was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja on Tuesday is currently in custody and is being grilled to ascertain the motives and motivations behind his alleged improper actions during the supplementary election in Adamawa State.

AIT.live gathered that other officials and individuals culpable in the saga are also being interrogated by the police team.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba has given clear assurance that every individual involved or indicted in the matter will be apprehended and investigated in line with the provisions of the law for possible prosecution. He has also assured of the commitment of the Force to ensuring that justice is served in this case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice.

By: Celestine Ukah

The reelected Member Representing Warri Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Chief Dr. Thomas Ereyitomi JP has hailed Nigerian workers as they celebrate this year’s May Day.

Chief Ereyitomi, while congratulating the Nigerian workers noted that their hardwork, sacrifices and contributions to the growth of societies are highly valued and rewarding, adding that Nigerian workers have shown support to the demonstration that the country’s democratic values are sustained.

The Warri Federal Lawmaker urged workers to remain committed to discharge of their various duties as they the workers are entitled to their wages especially with sincerity and honesty in service which shall be well noticed for reward even when it is not immediately but conscientiously it is heart warming serving with good heart.

Chief Ereyitomi who also doubles as the most senior Warri politician at the National Assembly and Deputy Chairman House of Reps Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, commended Workers for their support and dedication to duties and for also using their ballot to elect leaders that will see to their welfare and improved working conditions.

He assured workers of support, stressing that as a public servant he has demonstrated that spirit of workers friendliness over the years to encourage workers , he charged other relevant agencies to sustain and make workers feel comfortable in the discharge of their duties through motivation, both at reward basis as well as competence.

*Beneficiaries hail governor’s commitment to people’s wellbeing

Overwhelmed with joy and full of immense gratitude, 793 residents of Enugu State, who underwent a six-week free training on skill acquisition programme under the sole sponsorship of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration, graduated yesterday, smiling home with a seed money of N150,000.00 each to start up business in their respective areas of training.

The training which was coordinated by the office of the Commissioner for Special Duties and Focal Person, State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Hon. Mrs. Mabel Agbo, was targeted at empowering youths and women in various skills such as solar energy installations, soap making, tailoring, cosmetology, bakery, video editing, among others.

Presenting dummy cheques to some of the beneficiaries symbolically, Hon. Mrs. Agbo disclosed that the trainees will receive their money through banks, adding that the training was held simultaneously in the three senatorial districts of the state.

The commissioner, who stated that the skill acquisition programmes of the SDGs are fundamentally a joint partnership venture between the federal government and Enugu State government, explained that Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration solely sponsored the training of the 793 residents of the state following the inability of the federal government to pay its counterpart funds.

Mrs. Agbo disclosed that Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration at the end of 2017 paid the state’s counterpart fund, waiting for the federal government to make its own payment to no avail till date.

She pointed out that “what we used to organise this training is the counterpart funds from the state alone. So the man, Governor Ugwuanyi is to be appreciated. He always has the feelings of the masses at heart.”

The commissioner maintained that the training was rewarding, result-oriented and knowledge-driven, expressing optimism that it will go a long way to improve the fortunes of the beneficiaries economically and otherwise.

Mrs. Agbo, therefore, implored the elated beneficiaries to utilise the inherent gains to actualise their goals as well as the set objective of the state government towards empowering the youths and women of the state.

In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Dr. David Ugwunta, the Managing Director, Enugu State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (ENRUWASA), Engr. Frank Omeje, representatives of SGDs, Abuja, Mr. Nnamdi Titus Oduzu and Mrs. Tessy Enekwechi, the woman in charge of the training, Mrs. Jacinta Eduzor applauded Governor Ugwuanyi for his steadfastness to the wellbeing of the youths, women and vulnerable groups in spite of the state’s lean resources and nation’s economic challenges.

They enjoined the beneficiaries to work hard in justifying the sacrifice made by the governor and his administration to avail them the training opportunity and the startup grants.

Reacting, the excited beneficiaries thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for his magnanimity in assisting them to be self-reliant, revealing that the skills they acquired and startup funds are major breakthroughs for them.

Mrs. Maureen Okonkwo said that Governor Ugwuanyi has transformed her from being a job seeker to an employer of labour, stating: “We are sincerely thanking our great father, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. We are giving our huge gratitude to him for what he has done for us cannot be quantified.”

Another beneficiary, Mrs. Evangeline Agbo stressed the governor’s interest in the welfare of the vulnerable groups, saying: “I didn’t believe this was true until I came and discovered that the whole gesture was real. Our governor has come to our rescue, he has given us hope and I pledge to uphold this his noble gesture by becoming self-reliant. Today I am a maker of chin-chin.”

Corroborating their statements, their male counterpart, Mr. Kingsley Aneke equally appreciated Governor Ugwuanyi for empowering the youths through various programmes and urged his fellow beneficiaries to utilise the grants and free training offered to them by the governor to transform themselves positively.

The yuan became the most widely-used currency for cross-border transactions in China in March 2023, overtaking the US Dollar for the first time, official data showed, reflecting efforts by Beijing to internationalise use of the yuan.

Cross-border payments and receipts in yuan rose to a record $549.9 billion in March from $434.5 billion a month earlier, according to Reuters calculation based on data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

The yuan was used in 48.4% of all cross-border transactions, Reuters calculated, while the dollar’s share declined to 46.7% from 48.6% a month earlier.

The volume of cross-border transactions covers both the current and capital accounts.

China has long been promoting the use of yuan to settle cross-border trades as part of an efforts to internationalise the use of its currency.

The yuan’s use in global trade finance remains low, though it has shown steady increases.

Data from SWIFT showed that the yuan’s share of global currency transactions for trade finance rose to 4.5% in March, 2023, while the dollar accounted for 83.71%.

By; Celestine Ukah 

Commercial Motor Bikes also known as Okada have returned operations back in Asaba the Delta State Capital Areanewsng.com can authoritatively report.

The commercial bikes/motorcycles were seen carrying passengers at popular Koka junction Asaba built and commissioned some few months back by the Outgoing Government of Dr. Okowa, the riders are transporting passengers to different parts of Asaba and its environs as normal before it was banned during the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration era in the state.

The Delta State Government during the administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in his second term restricted commercial Okada operators in Asaba, Warri, Effurun and other areas in the state in order to have sanity and to check frequent road crashes involving okada riders and its passengers as well as other critical road users.

Outgoing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa however implemented the ban on commercial bikes since 2015 his administration took over governance affairs of the state.

It is however shocking in the latest relaxing of the ban allowing the commercial Okada riders back to Asaba and its environs without any stoppage by the outgoing governor Okowa and his team.

According to some concerned residents who spoke to this medium, Christo Alanah, Emeka Nwobi and Oghenero Diejowoh in Asaba they are however urging outgoing Governor Okowa to restore sanity to the State Capital by enforcing the ban on commercial Motorcycle (Okada) across the state.

Following outcries by many residents of Delta State, especially those who intend to carry out development building projects plans that are always asked to pay money by some hoodlums, the state government has decided to put a stop to the act and others being perpetrated in many parts of the state.

It is very common in the state that before anyone can start a building project, such a person must be forced to pay certain amount of money to some hoodlums and land grabbers which is known as ‘development levy’ or what is commonly called ‘Deve’ in local parlance.

Also, it is very common to sell landed property to more than one person while some hoodlums are in the habit of using firearms or lethal weapons to attack developers and destroy properties at construction sites.

However, following the outcries, the state government has issued a public notice which has prohibited such acts from hoodlums, land grabbers and others in the state.

The notice, issued by the Office of Public and Private Properties Protection in the Governor’s Office Asaba, a copy of which was received by this medium, indicated that punishments await anyone who goes against the notice.

According to the notice, a taskforce has been set up against collection of levies or fees from property developers anywhere in the state while sale of landed property to more than one person is prohibited.

Also, according to the notice, disruption or obstruction of construction works on site is not allowed while use of firearms or lethal weapons to attack developers on properties at construction sites would not be allowed.

It would be recalled that the Delta State House of Assembly some years ago passed a bill prohibiting deve collection and assented by the state governor making it a law in the state prohibiting such incongruous and inconsistent behaviours by miscreants in the state.