By: Tega David

By: Celestine Ukah

Fuel scarcity bites hard in Warri and its environs Tuesday November 8, 2022 as both independent and Major petroleum marketers refused dispensing products to customers willing to buy the PMS product.

Commuters groan over the situation as commercial bus drivers hiked transport fares due to the artificial scarcity of the product in the Delta Delta State commercial city centre, bus drivers that ply the popular NPA Expressway said the marketers have connived with each other not to be selling at the approved pump price as at this afternoon, while filling this report fuel product is being sold at N230 to N240 at the fuel petrol stations dispensing to customers buying .

Further investigation carried out revealed that the major importer of PMS to the country NNPC Limited recently brought product it was allegedly diverted more to the Northern part of Nigeria in order to mitigate the scarcity experienced there during the flood lockdown of kogi to access the North, other investigation show that WRPC Depot of the NNPC in Warri is said to have some petroleum products, trucks lined up set to load to flood the state and other areas where artificial scarcity is observed .

Areanewsng.com  can authoritatively report that prices of goods and domestic consumption is being threatened due to the fuel scarcity if not addressed urgently things to skyrocket as the economy of the city is not in boom after the major oil and gas company shell and its services company pull out of the city.

As part of measures to win all elective positions in Benue state, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has flagged off its 2023 governorship and parliamentary campaigns.

But the National Chairman of the Party, Iyorchia Ayu who hails from the State was conspicuously absent.

The flag-off campaigns which was held at the IBB Square, Makurdi, was graced by the PDP aggrieved governors of Rivers, Abia, Oyo, and Enugu States; Nyesom Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi respectively.

G5 Governors commissioned roads and other projects within the Makurdi metropolis.

Thereafter, they proceed to the IBB square for the official flag-off of campaigns for the People’s democratic party in the State.

Although Senators representing the 3 senatorial districts in the State acknowledged that there were internal differences that need to be addressed, the G5 Governor feel otherwise.

By: Celestine Ukah

A grassroot PDP Chieftain and a seasoned public administrator, Amb. Evang. Dr. Toyin Agbolayah JP mourns tbe transition to higher glory of the mother in-law late Mrs. Helen Amorighoye Oghanrandukun who passed on in Warri, Friday November 4, 2022 @ the ripe age of 88.

According to Dr. Agbolayah JP,, late Mrs. Ogharandukun was a devoted Christian, ,an educationist, per excellence, a loving mother, a wonderful home builders and a conflict manager.

Late Mrs. Helen Amorighoye Oghanrandukun (Nee Uduaghan) until her death was a member of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church situated at Mission Road, Warri, Delta State.

Areanewsng.com  reports that the Octogenarian was an aunty to two Delta State former governors,, Chief James Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Dr. Agbolayah in a statement made available Sunday , said “I lost my mother in-law a Devoted Christian with good heart of a mother, Rest in God’s Bosom”. He stated.

An alleged political dissident and Secretary of PDP Ward 5, who hails from Issele-Azagba in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Paul Ukwamedua has assaulted a married woman, named Mrs. Maureen Isichei for refusing to join him to engage in anti party activities in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

According to our source who pleaded anonymity, the said PDP leader flogged the woman mercilessly for accosting him to clarify an alleged gossip allegedly credited to her.

The source said the beating through the use of belt was something unheard of in the community, hence it attracted so much concern in the town of Issele-Azagba.

Even the husband of the woman who came for her rescue was equally engaged in a fight by the said suspect and some of his family members.

Information within our reach indicated that the well known Ukwamedua family in Issele-Azagba had engaged in anti party by supporting an Accord Party candidate who lost woefully during the PDP primary election for the House of Assembly race and defected to Accord Party.The said Paul Ukwamedua is said to have been gifted a car by the Accord Candidate to support his campaign despite his position as the PDP secretary of Ward 5, Issele-Azagba/Issele-Mkpitime.

The source said he celebrated the gift even as a PDP chieftain, only to later start threatening to beat up her victim for allegedly telling people that the Accord Party candidate bought him a car.

Surprised at such allegation, the woman had accosted him to tell her how she told people about the gift to him, only to be so beaten up with belt.

We can authoritatively report that based on information at our disposal, the woman had often been threatened to face the Ukwamedua’s family’s wrath if she does not stop working for the PDP House of Assembly candidate, Hon. Nwaobi and start working for the Accord Party candidate. But the woman had bluntly refused, insisting that she can never be involved in anti party activities, not for any other party’s candidate nor for money.

This didn’t augur well with the political monopolistic family who felt that the woman was a threat to their heinous political dynasty, hence the public assault was intentionally meted out on her.

Further investigation revealed that the victim had petitioned the alleged wifeless man who could not be so ashamed to beat up a married woman with children who are already in the university.

Meanwhile, all efforts to reach out to Mr. Paul Ukwamedua for his own side of the story proved abortive before filing this report.

However, investigation is ongoing to unravel the rationale behind beating up another man’s wife whose husband had earlier been chased out of PDP because of the Ukwamedua’s family’s alleged violent nature.

Spokesman of the Delta State All Progressives Congress, APC, campaign council, Olorogun Ima Niboro, has advised the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to stop chasing shadows and pay senior citizens their pensions and gratuities after serving the oil-rich state meritoriously.

Niboro who expressed regret at the ill-treatment meted to pensioners by the Okowa government, promised them that the administration of APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, will give them a better deal, and place high premium on clearing outstanding pensions and gratuities.

Responding to an allegation by the Delta State Commissioner of Information, Charles Aniagwu, who accused Senator Omo-Agege of sponsoring women to protest non-payment of pensions of primary school retirees, Niboro said the allegation is baseless, unfounded and deserves no serious attention.

According to the former Presidential Spokesman, the government should stop the blame game and pay senior citizens who have served the state meritoriously their deserved entitlements.

“Was it Omo-Agege that made them not pay pensions? Is it Omo-Agege that is making them take loans in billions to prosecute PDP Presidential Election, while pensioners who gave their entire lives in the service of the state remain unpaid? Some have died or are dying in abject penury. Do you need anyone to sponsor hungry people to pour out on the streets?

“Okowa keeps chasing shadows, always leaving the real issues and blaming everyone but his incompetence and insensitivity to the plight of our people.

“Omo-Agege doesn’t need to sponsor anyone. Anger, bitterness and sheer suffering is sending people into the streets.

“We advise Okowa to change his ways. Delta State has never had it this bad,” Niboro stated.

The former Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also dismissed allegation by PDP Governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori that Omo-Agege’s reign as Secretary to the State Government was characterized by ‘parochialism and abuse of power’.

The campaign spokesperson pointed out that Omo-Agege distinguished himself in all his appointments.

He emphasised that the Delta Central lawmaker not only invented ways to uncomplicate governance but also instituted the process of ease and transparency in state parastatals and institutions during his reign as SSG.

A pan-Anioma pressure group, Concerned Anioma Patriots has called upon the Attorney-General and Chief Law Officer of the federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to disclose the whereabouts of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

In a statement by Iwebelua Fred Nwaokolo, the group said this call has become expedient in view of the fact that “Of the three Senatorial Districts in Delta State, it is only Delta North (Anioma) electorate is presently devoid of a functional incumbent representation quotient at the upper chamber of the National Assembly”.

He posited that though this blankness is the manifest impact of the Lagos Appeal Court’s ruling on the 1st July, 2022, whereby Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, was handed a seven year jail term.

He further asserted that the Senator was neither the first nor will be the last to walk this torturous path as the exact abode of his contemporaries, such as the Senate Chief whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and of course Senator Joshua Dariye were not hidden.

Nwaokolo also submitted that “the eerie silence on Senator Nwaoboshi’s exact abode will invariably engender a plethora of speculative versions”.

The Coordinator
averred that various suppositional versions making the rounds, opined that the Senator is either at a custodial centre, or at a secret health facility, while yet others say he currently enjoys convoy backed unfettered movement.

“It is a curious paradox that a Senatorial Zone with highest number of local government areas in the state and endowed with eminently accomplished personalities has been without a representative for upward of ninety-two days”.

He admonished Malami to reveal Senator Nwaoboshi’s dwelling place, as it will avail Delta North the deserved representation at the Senate, while equally dispelling the notion that he (Malami) believes in the Orwellian assertion “That all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

The Delta South Senatorial Candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, Commodore Omatseye Nesiama Rtd today called on members of the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs to be very careful on the persons they select to represent them both at the National and State House of Assemblies.

He warned that if they make mistakes in their choice of candidates to carry out legislation functions, they’re doomed.

He stressed that recalling such a candidate whom he christened as docile is pretty difficult.

Commodore Nesiama made the call when he went he with Mr. Hossanah Jalogho Williams and Engr. Tsola Olueh, house of Assembly candidates of Warri South Constituency I as well as the Warri South-West Constituency visited the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs to present themselves before them as the NNPP Candidates in the area.

He said the call became important because the position is “critical” to the people of Delta South Senatorial District and various Constituencies in Warri.

The former Deputy Director,Naval Intelligence also sought the supports, prayers and blessings of the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs for their political ambitions in the forthcoming elections.

He also said he will step down if the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs to provide any candidate better than himself and the two others. He promised to give such candidates supports and step aside.

Commodore Nesiama however said,”We should be carried as the Itsekiri representatives”if the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs are unable to provide better candidates than us.

While noting that the Itsekiri Nation is known to have “strategic thinkers,Commodore Nesiama said,”Let’s not drop the ball.”

He boasted that they are capable of winning the election in their constituencies respectively saying they have the qualification, knowledge, exposure and wherewithall.

While noting that they had earlier met with the reverred Warri monarch, Commodore Nesiama said, they’re ambition are still intact saying,”We are fully ready to commence our campaigns”under the platform of the NNPP.

On why they visited the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs, Commodore Nesiama said”Our mission is to respectfully present ourselves before our home”.

He explained that the he chososed to contest the election on the platform of the NNPP because both the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC may not be able to take the people to ballot.

According to Commodore Nesiama, they decided to go for the legislative positions because the positions have been taken for granted many times.

The Chairman of the Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs, Chief Yaya Pessu congratulated Commodore Omatseye Nesiama for the bold steps he had taken to lead the people of Delta South Senatorial District.

Former Minister of Defense,Chief(Dr.) Rolland Oritsejafor, spoke on behalf of Chief Yaya Pessu who was present at the brief event.

Chief Oritsejafor who described Commodore Nesiama as a man with principles and integrity expressed hopes that he would lead right.

According to him,”What you want for Itsekiri is what we want.”

Chief Pessu thereafter offered prayers for Commodore Omatseye Nesiama and the two others.

Present at the meeting were, Chief Yaya Pessu, Chief(Dr.) Rolland Oritsejafor, Chief (Engr.) T.J. Mele Unuaje, Chief Clement .A. Maleghemi, Chief (Madam) Roli Yemi Oritsejafor and Chief(Dr.) Eugene Ikomi.

*As Delta NAWOJ Chairperson Unobunjo advocates for development of women Journalists

Journalists have been urged to practice responsible journalism and help to stop the trend of proliferation and dissemination of fake news using new media platforms.

Dr. Festus Olise of Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin, Edo State gave the advice in Effurun at a one-day Capacity Building Workshop of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Delta State Chapter.

The one-day capacity building workshop of Delta State chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, was in commemoration of Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2022 with the theme: “Nurturing Trust: A Media and Information Literacy Imperative.”

Guest speaker and Lecturer at Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin, Dr. Festus Olise while presenting his paper titled “Fake News Proliferation on New Media Platforms and Threats to Responsible Journalism Practice in Nigeria”, emphasized on the need for journalists to shun the transmission and dissemination of fake news using new media platforms such as the internet, Twitter, YouTube Facebook, amongst others.

Dr. Olise, who noted that the use of new media platforms to spread fake news is a major challenge to journalism practice in the country, advised professionals to practice responsible journalism and new media platforms to propagate accurate, timely and factual news to meet with global best practices.

The guest lecturer also urged the women journalists to adopt fact checking techniques to verify news sources, timely counter fake news report, use new media platforms to propagate positive and responsible journalism, as well as avoid being caught in the web of spreading or promoting fake news.

Chairperson of Delta State Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Comrade Sonia Unobunjo, commended the guest speaker for his lecture which is very timely at this political season in Nigeria.

Comrade Unobunjo reiterated her advocacy for the development of Women Journalists in order to enhance their capacity. She called on practicing Journalists, particularly women journalists, to take advantage of the workshop to improve themselves as no man is an Island of knowledge.

The Delta State Chairperson of NAWOJ also urged practicing women journalists to always work towards fostering the growth of the Association, love for one another and unity of it’s members.

Some participants at the workshop, including veteran journalist, Mrs Itse Igbodje of Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS, Warri expressed satisfaction at the knowledge gathered in the workshop, Mrs. Igbodje encouraged colleagues in the journalism profession to leave up to their responsibilities.

They commended the State NAWOJ leadership for the enlightenment program and want it sustained.

Highpoints of the event were question and answer session, and congress of NAWOJ where issues towards the growth and development of the body, and other matters of concerns for women and children in the society were discussed.

NAWOJ Delta also used the opportunity to advice mother to checkmate their children in the areas of the kinds of friends they keep as well caution them against indecent dressing, use of illicit drugs, cultism and other social vices.

A new professional association of lawyers called to the Nigeria Bar has been established. Called Law Society of Nigeria, (LSN), its promoters say it was founded and registered as a national organization of lawyers admitted to practice law in Nigeria.

A copy of its certificate of registration shows that the Association was registered as far back as Dec 1994.

A statement issued on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of LSN, Mr Douglas Ogbankwa described the association as a “new sheriff in town”.

Ogbankwa says legal practitioners in Nigeria had been regulated solely under the umbrella of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) founded in 1933 but the LSN emerged in a bid to redefine the ideas of the founding fathers of the legal profession.

“This is in keeping with International best practices, which allow for an alternative, to ensure that lawyers thrive within the realm of those they have shared values with”.

“The Law Society of Nigeria promises to up the ante, in matters that have been ignored in the legal profession, prominent of which are premium on members’ welfare and an open and transparent system in choosing leaders of the legal profession at the National Level,” he said.

On its Twitter page @LawSocietyof Nig, the association describes itself as an alternative for change.

According to Channelstv, It has a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Ogunba as its President, Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack as its Vice President and Abdulquadir Alhaji Sani as its Secretary.

Other members of the new association are, Olasupo Ojo as its Welfare Secretary, Chioma Ferguson as Treasurer, and Douglas Ogbankwa as Publicity Secretary.

Channels Television’s Judiciary Correspondent, Shola Soyele, obtained a copy of a letter dated Oct. 24, 2022, and signed by its President, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Ogunba.

In the letter, the LSN wrote to the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun to notify the BOB of its existence and to introduce its pro tem National Officers.

The letter reads as follows: The Chairman, The Body of Benchers, Plot 688 Institute & Research District FCC, Phase 111, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Attention: Mr. Daniel Tela (Secretary, Body of Benchers) Dear Sir, LAW SOCIETY OF NIGERIA: NOTICE OF EXISTENCE AND NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The pro tem National Executive Committee of the Law Society of Nigeria presents its compliments to the Chairman and distinguished members of the Body of Benchers as we write to formally notify our revered Body of Benchers of the existence of the Law Society of Nigeria, and its pro tem National Officers.

The Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) was founded and registered as a national organization of Lawyers admitted to practice law in Nigeria. The LSN, with membership, spread all over Nigeria, exists to empower the legal profession with quality member services (high standards of learning, competence, and professional conduct); facilitate access to justice; maintain and advance the cause of justice; and promote the rule of law, through advocacy and good governance.

The following are protem National Officers of the Law Society of Nigeria:

a. Kunle Ogunba, SAN – President

b. Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack – Vice President

c. Abdulqadir Alhaji Sani – Secretary d. Olasupo Ojo – Welfare Secretary e. Chioma Ferguson – Treasurer

f. Douglas Ogbankwa – Publicity Secretary

g. Zara Umar Yakub – Financial Secretary

h. Alice Ogaku Awonugba – Assistant Secretary

i. Hassan Sherif – Assistant Publicity Secretary