The death has been announced of Mrs. Grace Omatie Akpomiemie ( nee Okotie), whose sad event took place on September, 19, 2022. According to the funeral arrangement released by the family, the Late Mrs. Omatie Akpomiemie, will be buried in her home town Ikoro, Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State, on the 10th of February, 2023.
In her life time the Late Mrs Grace Omatie Akpomiemie was a beautiful, well crafted, blessed, and love personified mother who was loved and admired by all.
According to the son Barrister Richard Akpomiemie, ” mum was eighteen years old when he got married to my late Dad a very handsome man at the time and both of them travelled to England. Whilst late Dad was schooling and working, mum was working and holding the home front.
Despite her hard work mum still had family time and had four of her six children there in England.
Mum worked in various companies and establishment like the Military Hospital, Lewisham Hospital, Singers amongst others.
Her hard work earned her accolades, promotions and rise in wages.
When late Dad got a job at Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Nigeria, mum had to relocate with her late husband with the children back to Nigeria as a dutiful and respected wife. In Nigeria, mum had the other two children.
Mum whilst in Nigeria started her private business of exporting goods from England to Nigeria in a massive scale. She later set up Food businesses chains as well in Lagos state and Delta State.
This woman was not going to leave her husband to provide for her and the children alone, she supported her beloved late husband nevertheless in her own way regardless of her late husband having all it takes to take care of her and the children. What a woman!
Mum’s Social and Family life was examplanary, she looked after her own children, children from her maternal, paternal lineage and even relatives of her late husband. There are many people alive today that can testify to this.
She was well known in social circle always smiling and wanting to know the latest gists. Mum never discriminated against anyone or felt tied at any time. She loved equally all that came to live with her or asked for her support virtually for anything including sound advises. Mum was later known as “Area Mama or Mummy”
Mum and Dad were partners and an inseparable lovers and friends,
Mum loved all even in sickness and good health. Mum lived a fulfilled life worthy to thank God Almighty for.
Mum will remain in our hearts forever, ” he said in a tribute.
The Delta State PDP Governorship Candidate for the 2023 general elections and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has felicitated with the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olorogun Kingsley Esiso on his birthday.
Rt Hon Oborevwori who is also the National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria in a Press Statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Dennis Otu, while congratulating the state PDP Chairman on his birthday anniversary, described him as a charismatic leader.
“Today, I join others in felicitating with the Chairman of our great party, the PDP, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso on his birthday. I must say that you have devoted a greater part of your robust energy on consolidating on the gains of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Delta State by taking the party to enviable heights with your uncommon wisdom and rare leadership qualities and we are proud of you”.
He added that; “As you celebrate this milestone today, my prayer is that Almighty God will continue to bless you with sound health and divine Wisdom. Wishing you a happy birthday and many happy returns my brother and wonderful friend. Congratulations”.
The families of Pa Joseph Oritseretsolokumi Ayonmike and his wife, Dr. Shirley Chinyere Ayonmike, have issued a cash reward in the search for Chukwunonso Nwogu (Nonso) alias Drey, Kelly, Derek, a man suspected of killing the couple about two years ago.
The families of the two deceased are offering N2m reward for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the driver to the murdered couple.
He is said to be the prime suspect of the heinous crime and the two families have solicited public inputs in solving the “deliberate, intentional and brutal” murder of the Ayonmikes, saying that the gruesome incidence was a nightmare that would not go away easily.
The murdered couple : Pa. Ayonmike & Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Ayonmike
Pa Joseph Ayonmike, 83-year-old man of culture and immense intellect and his wife, Dr. Chinyere Shirley Ayonmike, opera soloist, duetist, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) expert and senior lecturer at the Delta State University Abraka, were on Friday, June 25, 2021, gruesomely murdered in their residence, N0 28, Mabiaku Road (Nana College Road), GRA in Warri.
They were reported to have been shot, stabbed and cut with machetes.
Their driver, Chukwunonso Nwogu (Nonso) alias Drey, Kelly, Derek, was suspected to be the murderer and his whereabout since the incidence is still unknown.
He has been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police since 2021 in connection with the murder.
The prime suspect hails from Isi-Alangwa Local Government Area of Abia State.
The two families are appealing to anyone with credible information that could lead to his arrest to contact: 0807-154-8887 and 0803-830-0921 or the nearest Police station, and have now offered the sum N2m as a reward for his arrest.
His Lordship, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Warri Judicial division has cited the fact that he is from the Niger-Delta region to justify recusing himself from further hearing the matter filed against the composition of the NDDC by the Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh led group.
When the matter came up before the Honourable Court on Tuesday January 31, 2023, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Chief Robinson Ariyo had informed the court that the application to restrain the new Governing Board from assessing the NDDC funds was what was ripe for hearing and he was prepared for argument.
Counsel to the party seeking to join Jude A. Rex-Ogbuku, argued that his application for joinder should take priority over that of the Plaintiff so as to enable the party seeking to join participate in the proceedings.
In reply, Chief Robinson Ariyo argued that since the party sought to be joined was technically not yet a party, he could not participate in the proceedings as such, hence, the application for injunction should be heard first as it seeks to preserve the res for the benefit of all including the party sought to be joined.
At this stage the Honourable Court reasoned that should he give a decision in the circumstances, it may be perceived that it is due to the fact that he is from the region; His Lordship is from the Niger-Delta region.
The Honourable Court then directed that file to be sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to any other court that is not of Niger-elta origin.
It would be recalled that Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, Comrade Ameachi Ogbonna, Tsola Emiko Amoye and Isaac Dorsu acting on behalf of the Indigenes and members of oil and gas producing communities of Itsekiri ethnic extraction in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State of Nigeria had prayed the Federal High Court in Warri for an Order of interlocutory injunction restraining the President and the National Assembly from ’”permitting and/or authorizing the operations and or appropriating the relevant funds or implementing the relevant budgetary allocations by the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the extant nominees, composition and structure of the proposed board Chairman and members as constituted pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”.
With the recent development, the matter has been adjourned to enable a reassignment by the Chief Judge in the circumstances.
Chief (Dr.) Roland Oritsejafor making a presentation of prototype cheque & POS machine to another beneficiaries
In a bid to mitigate the capital deficiencies being faced by small scale business operators as a result of the economic crunch triggered by energy crisis, Warri South Local Government Council in Delta State, on Tuesday January 31, presented Point-of-Sale, PoS Machines and money to 250 micro-entrepreneurs.
Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Michael Tidi, who spoke at the Warri South Council Main Secretariat in Warri, during the event tagged, ‘Warri South Local Government Council Entreprise & Empowernment Programme’, explained that the plan of action, was in: “Response to the observed deficiencies in the capital base of small scale business operators and lack of investment in human capital development at the grassroots, resulting to uneven distribution of resources to the poor and vulnerable”
Dr. Tidi, who admitted that the task of changing the narrative of Warri South, has been challenging and extremely difficult, noted that progress was being made in that direction.
“Having provided the infrastructural platform for the development of Warri and for commerce to thrive in my administration, in line with His Excellency’s (Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa) Youth Empowerment Programme, we decided to focus on human development programmes, wherein some small scale business operators in the Local Government Area, who are at the bottom of economic pyramid have been identified for inclusion to access Micro Credit towards boosting their businesses.
“At the inception of my first tenure, we renovated the Council Secretariat to give it a befitting face look. Thereafter, embarked on the rehabilitation of existing boreholes within the Local Government Area with a view to providing portable water for our people. After the renovations, it was observed that the renovated boreholes were insufficient, the Council then embarked on the construction/ sinking of 21-water scheme across the wards in the Local Government Area and many more water projects are in different stages of completion. Including other infrastructural project that would give our people a new lease of life. This includes provision of solar light, provision of furniture to some schools, renovation of schools, rehabilitation of roads, Construction of a befitting Chairman’s Residential Quarters and many more projects.
“You may recall, also that my administration, being poised towards changing the narrative of the cosmopolitan city of Warri, hosted the first and second Warri Economic Summits wherein captains of industries, were gathered to redesign the road map of Warri.
“The beneficiaries / recipients were drawn from the National Social Register of Delta State through the Community Based Targeting (CBT) identifying the poor and vulnerable in the communities of Warri South Local Government Area. The Council thereafter decided to empower 250 beneficiaries carefully selected across the Local Government Area Fifty (50) of the recipients today would be engaging in Point of Sales (POS) operation. They will in this programme receive their POS machines and direct transfer of Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000) to enable them carry out their businesses, while 200 recipients would receive direct cash transfer of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000) each to support their businesses.
“Permit me to announce to you that more of this empowerment programme would be coming up in no distant time, however; the continuity of this empowerment would be determined by how judicious and efficient the recipients today would put the resources to use. We will be encouraged to do more when we observe that recipients are committed to their business. Remember, the council has the details of all the recipients as such, would be monitoring the extent to which this opportunity will be utilised by the beneficiaries. Possibly, in the subsequent empowerment programme, some of them who will distinguish themselves would be invited for brief recognition. It is hoped that this empowerment programme will rejuvenate the spirit of commerce in the Local Government Area”, the Warri South Council Boss, explained.
He used the occasion to advise eligible voters yet to collect their Permanent Voter card, to take advantage of the extension announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to enable them vote credible leaders in the forthcoming polls.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Chineye Sunday, commended the Dr. Michael Tidi administration for the gesture, assuring that the financial support would be judiciously deployed.
Highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of PoS machines and prototype cheques to some of the micro-entrepreneurs by Dr. Michael Tidi, Vice Chairman of Warri South Local Government, Chief (Mrs.) Divine Iniovosa, Chairperson of Warri South Local Government, Mrs. Juliet Tidi, Chief Omolubi Newuwumi, who represented the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, Chief Francis Ugbejevun, who represented the Ovie of Agharha-Warri, Chief (Dr.) Roland Oritsejafor, Political Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Hon. Omimi Esquire, Rev. Canon David Otofia, Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Warri South Local Government, Mr. Johnson Agbeyegbe, Hon. Griftson Omatsuli, Mr. Amah Agbajoh, as well as representatives of the members representing Warri South Constituencies I and II in Delta State House of Assembly.
An Ijaw leader, Amb Prince Ebi Fetimi has congratulated the new paramount ruler of Egbema Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Amb. Meshack E. A. Ubabiri, Bini Pere IV, Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Fetimi, a notable leader from Egbema kingdom, in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja, commended the Delta State Government for the presentation of Staff of Office to the new Agadagba.
He noted that with the presentation of Staff of Office to the Agadagba, it is necessary for all sons and daughters of Egbema to embrace peace and work in unity for the growth and development of the kingdom.
According to him, ” His Royal Majesty, Amb. Meshack E. A. Ubabiri, Bini Pere IV, Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, has been officially recognized by the Delta State Government and a Staff of Office presented to the new monarch. It is my sincere wish and appeal to every true sons and daughters from Egbema Kingdom, to come together and plan for the future of the kingdom.”.
” I will appeal to all the chiefs, men, women, youths and elderly to support and work with the Agadagba on how to develop the kingdom. It is time to harness the God-given potential and resources of the kingdom to benefit the people, their lives and communities.”
Egbema is an oil rich Ijaw kingdom, partly Delta state and Edo State.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has considered the general public outcry and concern making them the apex bank to finally extend the deadline for the exchange of old naira notes by 10 days.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, January 29, 2023, Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, said the new deadline is February 10, 2023.
This is a developing story expect more details……..
The suit by son of Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, one of the founding fathers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria seeking to restrain the newly constituted Governing Board of the NDDC has been adjourned to January, 31, 2023 for argument.
The presiding judge of the Warri Federal High Court, His Lordship, Honourable Justice Okon Abang on January, 26, 2023 heard parties to the suit including Counsel to the Managing Director of the NDDC, who brought an application for joinder and that for the Plaintiffs, Jolone Ikomi, Esq., ordered all the Defendants to file their processes before the next adjourned date because of the urgent and sensitive nature of the issues involved to enable parties the opportunity of being heard.
The Managing Director of the newly constituted Board of the NDDC had sought to join the suit but the Counsel to the Plaintiffs was stiffly opposed to the joinder contending that in as much as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Principal of the MD was already a party to the suit, the MD being an agent cannot be a necessary party.
Counsel to the MD Rex Ogbuku, Esq., however contended that since the order sought to be made would affect the interest of the party sought to be joined, it is constitutionally mandatory that the MD be joined.
The Honourable Court then consolidated the applications for joinder and that for injunction and adjourned both applications upon consent of Counsel to January, 31, 2023 for arguments.
It would the recalled that the extant suit is one seeking an injunction to restrain the newly inaugurated Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board from accessing funds or implementing the budget of the agency for being unjust, unfair and inequitable to the people of Delta State in general and Itsekiri in particular.
The Plaintiffs are Indigenes and members of oil and gas producing communities of Itsekiri ethnic extraction in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State led by Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh and four others.
Hundreds of pro-Biafra supporters wave flags and chant songs as they march through the streets of Aba, southeastern Nigeria, to call for the release of a key activist on November 18, 2015. The protesters support the creation of a breakaway state of Biafra in the southeast and want the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who is believed to be a major sponsor of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and director of the pirate radio station Radio Biafra. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI
A young Nigerian Lady by name Queen Eze has explained how insecurity and frequent attacks by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB as well as threat to her life and that of her husband and family fearfully pushed her away from Nigeria.
Queen Eze whose house were burnt down during the invasion of the IPOB at Nsukwa, in Delta which also affected razing down of police police station in the area , injuring and damaging so many peoples properties and killing of innocent human lives in the locality.
Queen Eze who is in her 30’s stressed that the IPOB agitation group have also issued threat to the life of her husband, kids and her family which now led to the hiding of her man for fear of possible attack if seen by the unknown gun men in that’ part of Igbo speaking region of Nigeria.
She is crying for help as she awaits to be granted asylum in Canada in order for Queen Eze to start life all over again as all she had has been destroyed by the IPOB attackers that doesn’t apply human rights both at innocent lives, she noted that the traumatic experience is really not bearable in Nigeria as the IPOB civil unrest has brought chaos in the country.
Tantita has been in the news for the amazing progress being made in returning Nigeria to pride of place as the leading oil producer in Africa. However, as we speak, efforts are being made to strangulate Tantita operations.
On the 19th of January 2023, Tantita’s Executive Director Operations and Technical Capt. Warredi Enisuoh was invited by the EFCC and detained. He has been in EFCC custody since. All efforts to ensure his release has proved abortive, as the Commission has insisted that unless he provides a list of names who were his intelligence sources he would not be released.
The EFCC’s invitation came right in the middle of an ongoing operation to unravel one of the biggest oil stealing cartels in this country. Capt Warredi Enisuoh, our ED Operations and Technical flew straight from Port Harcourt (where he was coordinating the operations) to Lagos to heed the EFCC’s invitation and walked right into a trap.
WHAT IS THE GENESIS OF THE EFCC INVITATION?
Sometime in 2015/2016, the EFCC commenced 4 cases against Capt Warredi and several others. Of the four, three have been concluded, all in favour of Capt Warredi. The last one is presently ongoing before Honourable Justice Faji of the Federal High Court Lagos. Before these cases were instituted, the EFCC issued orders to various banks to block all Capt Enisuoh’s bank accounts. He challenged this administrative order in court on the basis that the EFCC has no power to freeze accounts without a court order and the Federal High Court lifted the freeze orders. The banks failed to comply, so he brought contempt proceedings against them, somehow the new judge handling the contempt proceedings froze the accounts again. Capt Warredi appealed to the Court of Appeal who overturned the 2nd judge and restored the orders of the first judge. Based on that judgment of the Court of Appeal in CA/L/1320/2016 delivered on 25/11/2017 the banks allowed Capt Warredi access to his accounts. The EFCC which was the 1st Respondent before the Court of Appeal in that case never appealed the judgment.
Then in September 2022, one month after Tantita began operations, the EFCC invited Capt Warredi and asked him how he gained access to the accounts. He showed them certified true copies of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, they also asked him to make statements, which he did and pointed out that the questions bordered on the ongoing trial before the Federal High Court Lagos, the investigating team led by Mr. Lawal Aminu claimed to be unaware of the case, so he provided a certified true copy of the charge and pointed out that the prosecution was being led by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, a staff of the EFCC. He declined to make further statements on a matter sub judice.
However as the war against oil thieves firmed up many of them have continued to threaten that those trying to stop their nefarious business would pay dearly for it. For the avoidance of doubt, the judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered in 2017, more than 5 years ago. Again, Capt Warredi is undergoing a full trial, would it not be better to let the courts decide who is right and who is wrong?.
Apparently not so for the EFCC investigation team and the legal department being led by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN. The same Rotimi whose wife became a staff of Search and Rescue Clinic of NIMASA at the very time he was leading investigation and prosecution of “criminals” at NIMASA. Maybe it was all coincidence. Just the way it is coincidence that in the middle of the biggest investigation of a ship owning oil stealing cartel, the EFCC is asking Capt Warredi to name his intelligence sources.
Inspite of all the documents earlier provided to EFCC, on Thursday the 19th of January 2023, the EFCC again invited Capt Warredi and detained him. Their position was that Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN had read the judgment of the Court of Appeal and he did not agree with the decision of the Appeal Court. That he believes that the Court was wrong and as such Capt Warredi should refund the money withdrawn from his accounts or he would rot in jail – 5 years after the Court of Appeal settled the issue, without complain from the EFCC.
The most dangerous entity in a democracy is a law enforcement agency that has no regards for the rule of law. Such an organization is open to institutional capture and to being used as a tool in the hands of those seeking to destroy the nation.
According to Mr. Lawal Aminu, in the opinion of Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN Capt Warredi after obtaining judgment at the Court of Appeal should have come to beg the EFCC to permit him to access his accounts and his failure to do so was criminal. According to Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN it is when the EFCC becomes aware of a judgment that it takes effect and since the EFCC was not informed by Capt Warredi before he accessed his accounts he is guilty of interfering with the subject matter of investigation – the charge they intend to prefer on Monday 23rd of January 2023. It is on this trumped up allegation that the EFCC has detained Capt Warredi for more than the 24 hours constitutionally allowed.
Initially the EFCC dangled bail before Capt Warredi on the condition he divulged the names of persons who were paid out of the accounts. Capt Warredi pointed out that in addition to the fact that the matter was presently undergoing trial in court, the persons concerned were intelligence assets who provided valuable intelligence and need to be protected.
Moreover, some of these people are still providing intelligence in our ongoing operations at Tantita. Compromising their details will not only blow their cover but interfere with the ongoing war against oil thieves.
Because Capt Warredi refused to divulge name of intelligence assets the EFCC refused to release him or grant him bail (even though he was already on bail before a Court of law, as well as on administratively before the EFCC since the 6th of September 2022). They have continued to hold him claiming he is being uncooperative.
While Tantita is determined to carry on the fight against the oil thieves regardless, it is our position that the EFCC investigation, if genuine, can be carried out with minimal interference to the war on oil thieves and if not, it is clearly being used by powerful forces to scuttle the war on oil thieves. Let Nigerians be aware of what is being done in their name.
