[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says from Monday, protests and strike action will commence across the country over the federal government’s refusal to reverse prices of petrol and electricity tariff.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, broke the news after the national executive council of the congress met in Abuja on Tuesday.
The pump price of petrol was increased earlier in the month while a new electricity tariff was implemented around the same period.
While marketers are currently selling petrol between N158 and N162 per litre, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) increased electricity tariff from N30.23 to N62.33 per kwh.
The NLC had earlier issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government to reverse the increase in the price of petrol and electricity tariff.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Wabba said the decision to implement the strike action was unanimously taken by the chairmen of the NLC in the 36 states and federal capital territory.
Some persons had earlier protested against increase in petrol price and electricity tariffs, charging the NLC to mobilise a nationwide protest over the hike.
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]edical doctors in Cross River State on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the office of the state governor during a protest against the kidnap of their colleague who was abducted last weekend in Calabar.
Dr Vivien Out, a pediatrician with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, was reportedly abducted by gunmen on Friday night and was yet to be released.
The protesting doctors, who demanded the immediate release of their colleague who they claimed was kidnapped around the Marian Area of the state capital, lamented that doctors in the state had suffer so much in the hands of kidnappers who constantly harass their members.
The protesters who had earlier marched through the streets of the city, ended their peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office after they had earlier stopover at the State House of Assembly where they were received by the speaker, Eteng Williams.
Speaking for the medical doctors, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Innocent Abang, complained that their members had become endangered species in the state in spite of their contribution to society.
Abang said, “We have come to present our grievances to the governor because of the incessant kidnap of our colleagues and how we have become endangered species in Cross River State.
“We pay tax in this state and we are protecting lives and saving lives. So, we want to tell the government to please protect our land and give us the privilege to save lives.”
They demanded for the immediate release of Dr. Out and more protection for their colleagues in the state.
“The State Security Adviser, who is standing in for the Governor who is not around, should brief us how far they have gone, to assure us that our colleague is safe and will be released to us today.
“We don’t want it beyond today. We want Cross River State to be safe from kidnapping. Other states are doing well now. We can also do well”, the NMA chairman further demanded.
While receiving the protesters, Cross River House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Williams, promised to work with the executive arm to ensure speedy release of the kidnapped doctor.
He also assured doctors and other residents of the state of improved security.
Also speaking, while receiving the protesters on behalf of Governor Ben Ayade, State Security Adviser (South), Ani Esin, disclosed that the state government was working with security agencies for the safe return of their abducted colleagues.
Esin added, “We have been working round the clock since this happened and right now I can say that we are on top of this situation. The governor is also aware of it and has given us the marching mandate that nobody sleeps until Mrs Otu is returned to her colleagues.
[dropcap]A [/dropcap]former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday escaped death by the whisker in a convoy accident.
It was learnt the incident occurred around 12noon at Benin-Lagos bypass before Oluku junction when Oshiomhole was on his way to Usen in Ovia local government of Edo for campaign.
Two policemen attached to the convoy died while two others sustained serious injuries during the incident and are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
His media aide, Victor Oshioke, who narrated the incident, however alleged it was an assassination attempt.
Oshioke, in a statement, said: ‘’The convoy was heading for Usen, where Comrade Oshiomhole was expected to appear at a campaign rally, along with Pastor Ize-Iyamu, when a trailer driving in the same direction veered off its course, hit the back-up Toyota Hilux carrying seven policemen, forcing it off the road into the bush and rammed into the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) carrying Comrade Oshiomhole, causing substantial damage.
“Comrade Oshiomhole and other persons in the convoy, apart from those indicated above, did not sustain any injury.
“It is pertinent to state, without fear of contradiction, that the convoy of Comrade Oshiomhole was maintaining legal speed limit when the incident occurred.
‘’This explains why the trailer, travelling in the same direction overran the Toyota Hilux vehicle off the road and still hit the SUV carrying Comrade Oshiomhole, causing substantial damage.’’
Alleging the accident was not ordinary, the media aide added: “Without prejudice to police investigations, eyewitnesses account of the incident suggest, and we believe rightly too, that this was an assassination attempt targeting Comrade Oshiomhole.”
“While we pray for the quick recovery of the injured policemen, we extend our condolences to the families of the departed.
“Comrade Oshiomhole has visited the injured policemen in the hospital and he deployed some of his aides to be on standby at the hospital to ensure that the wounded policemen are given the best medical attention possible.
“The case was immediately reported at the Ekiadolor Police Station and investigations are ongoing.
“We call on the security agencies to do everything possible to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, especially because of the threat to the life of Comrade Oshiomhole and the violence which has been directed towards him and the people around him in recent times.”
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]rrangements have been concluded for all retired public primary school teachers and their counterparts in the local government service to stage a peaceful demonstration in protest of the Delta State Government delay and epileptic payment of their gratuities and pensions.
A signed statement addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command and made available to Grassroots Publishers online informed that the planned demonstration is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, September 8 in Asaba.
According to the statement signed by Mode Augustine, Chief Mrs Ejieh H.C, Sir Henry Tukpe and Prince Etuwede G.U (Chairman local government retirees, Chairman public primary school teachers retirees, Secretary local government retirees and Secretary public primary school teachers retirees respectively), the retirees in Delta State served meritoriously for 35 years but the Delta State government refused to pay their gratuities and pensions since 2014 till date.
The statement stressed that the planned demonstration had become inevitable after all negotiations with the Delta State government failed.
“Our members have suffered untold hardship, humiliation and we have lost several of our members to death due to ill health and disease, lack of care and money to purchase basic medication; and several others are on the verge of dying. This is in addition to the fact that our members still have family members who are dependent on them for their education and upkeep.
“We also wish to emphasize that this demonstration shall be a monthly exercise until government pays us” the statement said and assured the Commissioner of Police that the demonstration would be peaceful and that they would adhere to NCDC COVID-19 protocol while the protest last and hence, sought the cooperation of the Commissioner of Police in that regard.
Among various government agencies notified of the planned protest were: The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Dept of State Services (DSS), Head of Service of the Delta State Government, Chairman Bureau of local government pensions and the SA to the governor on labour matters.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n its determination to eradicate criminality in the state, the Delta State Government has commenced the removal of illegal structures in Old Secretariat Complex along Summit Road, Asaba.
According to the Director of Delta State Taskforce on Environment, who refused to identify her name, there was an issue in the Secretariat Complex wherein an administrative staff (name withheld) attached to the Ministry of Housing was murdered by one of the said illegal occupant.
She stated that as a result of this, the Delta State Taskforce on Environment investigated and realised that so many illegal occupants were living in the complex.
“This is an office complex not a residential quarter; some of the political appointees do not have office till date yet people are illegally occupying the space meant for government use.” she added.
According to the director, it was also discovered that people sell alcohol, Indian hemp and even bring in call girls at night into the premises, adding that if this were curtailed from the onset the murder case would have been averted.
She stated that it was based on this that the government ordered the immediate evacuation of all the illegal occupants and anybody selling alcohol in the premises saying that the illegal structures did not depict what the premises was meant for.
The director said that there was no plan to raise another structure except government decides to build offices there saying that the idea is to restore sanity in the premises.
“This will cut across all the secretariats in Delta State. Only those who sell soft drink, food and computer centres will be allowed to own shop in the secretariats, she further added.”
One of the shop owners, who pleaded anonymity, lamented at the short notice given to the traders by government stating that if they had informed them earlier it would have given them the opportunity to look for alternative means.
The traders pleaded to the State Government to provide places for them to do their usual trades, saying that such gesture would enable them survive in this difficult economy that the whole world was passing through as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Lagos State, Mrs Yinka Adeyemi, has identified inadvertent destruction of evidences as major setback in the prosecution of rapists.
As such, she advised that parents and victims of rape must ensure that all traces and evidences were kept intact to aid the prosecution of sexual offenders.
Adeyemi, at a Lagos held virtual workshop on the, “The crime of defilement: Roles of parents, teachers and caregivers in ending the scourge,”
The DPP spoke alongside Lagos Attorney General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN); the state’s Solicitor-General, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey; the Dean, Faculty of Law, Unilag, Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa; Director, Directorate of Citizens’ Rights, Mrs Oluwatoyin Odusanya; as well as family life therapist and social activist, Mr Praise Fowowe and Ms Kikelomo Solomon-Ayeni, respectively.
In her presentation, titled, ‘The crime of defilement from the prosecutor’s angle,” Adeyemi stressed the need for evidence preservation as the bedrock of successful prosecution in cases of rape.
She said, “When issues of rape occur, timing is critical. Evidence should be collected within 72 hours; photographs of injuries sustained or the scene of the rape crime should be taken.
“Victims should not take a bath or use the bathroom before undergoing medical examination. Clothes worn should be preserved and put in a box or bag. Also, the victim’s statement must be recorded.”
Atsenuwa, lead speaker, identified lack of parental care, peer pressure and poor reporting as some of the factors fuelling the spike in sexual offences in the country in recent times.
She said, “Government should disseminate mandatory reporting rules and make the reporting process user-friendly.
“Measures to protect teachers and others who report sexual crimes should also be adopted.”
Onigbanjo urged members of the public to stop condemning rape victims, stressing that what they need was support to ensure punishment for sexual offenders
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he President, Power House College of Theology, Port-Harcourt, Bishop Peter Abiagom has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to revoke the controversial clauses in the newly signed Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
Bishop Abiagom, said the controversial sections which are aimed to muscle the church should be immediately be expunge in the interest of national peace and stability.
Abiagom, who is also the presiding Bishop of Abiagom Outreach Ministry in Eleme, spoke on Sunday in Port- Harcourt, Rivers State. He said the Christian community in Nigeria will not sit and allow anyone regulate the activities of the church from the back door.
The PHCT President said the uproar that greeted the signing of the law should alert President Buhari that he has stoked another unnecessary wildfire that is capable of ravaging the entire nation if the needful is not immediately done by the federal government.
Abiagom said those who smuggled the controversial sub section 838 , 1 & 2 are enemies of the nation and they know the repercussions because the Church will not sit back and watch anyone violate its rights.
As a widely traveled preacher , I understand the regulations in place in Western nations like the U S and Britain. It is basically to protect government Investment in the churches , since as NGOs , they receive grants from the government and the pastors have to account for the funds”, he explained.
Bishop Abiagom, however, explained that over here in Nigeria, “government has no investment whatsoever in churches and so has no moral right to regulate what it has no inputs in.”
He said the church has kept the law by paying taxes and subjecting to all regulations any of its businesses like schools and hospitals which are profit oriented .
The renowned cleric specifically frowned at a section of the new law which gives the Federal Government the power to remove trustees and foist a leadership on a religious organisation as that would amount to denial of religious freedom which is against the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution.
He called on the National Assembly to immediately revoke that section of the law to save Nigeria from a looming religious crisis .He urged all well meaning Nigerians , Muslims and Christians alike , to speak out and condemn the controversial law .
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government and organised labour unions in the state have agreed to temporally suspend the payment of N30,000 minimum wage for civil servants of grade level 7 to 17 and to revert to the N18,000 old minimum wage.
The agreement was reached at the end of a meeting between the government representatives, Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, Trade Union Congress TUC and witnessed by Joint Negotiating Council (JNC).
Part of the resolutions on the part of government, elected and political appointees including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his deputy, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori are to fo¬rfeit between 20 and 25 per cent of their salaries.
It was however learnt that the state government would return to the status quo if the state revenue record improves even before the agreed six months reached with the labour leaders.
It was further gathered that a delegation of the state government acting on the directive of the state governor, Senator Okowa, told representatives of the NLC and other unions that government can no longer sustain the payment with the current economic reality globally.
The commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, had told newsmen before the agreement was reached, that the state government and organized labour unions in the state were already working out modalities on percentage of salary cut across board, citing the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy.
According to Aniagwu, the salary cut will enable the state government have funds to tackle other developmental projects, saying the salary cut will be a temporary measure as the sta¬te will not hesitate to pay the backlog when the economy imp¬roves.
The options, accordi¬ng to a statement relea¬sed by NLC after the tripartite agreement were, firstly, “th¬at Cooperative and other deductions will not be remitted for the next six (6) mo¬nths in order to meet the payment of the net salary and to enable the state gove¬rnment focus on key projects of the Ok¬owa administration.”
Other conditions were that, “grade levels 1 to 6 are to rece¬ive new minimum wage, while grade level 7 to 17 are to revert to the old wage and the difference to be paid when the eco¬nomy improves. In ot¬her words, they are to sacrifice their percentage increase for the period.”
The third option pr¬oposed by the govern¬ment was retrenchment in the state civil service, especially department that were currently redundant and not effective.
It was however learnt that after series of negotiation meeti¬ngs, the union leade¬rs led by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, settled for the sal¬ary cut option which is the suspension of the payment of the new minimum wage for civil servants of grade level 7 to 17.
Also to ensure fairn¬ess, the union leade¬rs at the meetings recommended 20 and 25 per cent pay cut for elected and politi¬cal appointees inclu¬ding the governor and members of the Sta¬te Executive Council (SEC), which Govern¬or Okowa was said to have approved.
Opposition Kicks
However, the main op¬position party, the APC has criticised vehemently this plan by the government and organized labour describing the move as unconscionable, anti-people and a cal-culated attempt to further subject civil servants to dehuman¬ization.
According to a state¬ment endorsed by the State Publicity Sec¬retary of the party, Sylvester Oghenelue¬mu Imonina, the APC frowned at the leade¬rship of the Nigerian Labour Congress (N-LC), for betraying the trust of workers.
“Some days ago, a purported statement emanating from Nigerian Labour Congress, Delta State Chapter, a body that was supposed to be the mouth¬piece of workers in the state, informed Deltans that the government of the state had concluded plans to reduce or revert the salary structure of civil servants of levels 7 to 17 to the old minimum wage as against the present nationally agreed minimum wage of N30, 000. 00.
“Unfortunately, few members of the state NLC, without comprehensive consultation and for ulterior motives, acquiesced to this plan of the state government not minding the adverse effect same would have on workers.”
The party said, “APC Delta State is aware that Delta State got the highest monthly allocation from the federation account between January 20¬20 to June 2020. Further findings also show that in the South South and South Ea¬st of Nigeria, Delta State gets the high¬est internally generated revenue besides other sources of in¬come from the Federal Government.
“Presently, it is on¬ly Delta State Gover¬nment that has conce¬ived and made public the idea of salary reduction of civil servants in the South South despite the fact that the state is more financially viable than other sta¬¬tes in the region.
“We therefore state without any air of equivocation that if some states in Niger¬ia are towing the li¬ne of salary reducti¬on for its civil ser¬vants, Delta should not be among, in view of what comes into the state coffers on a monthly basis whi¬ch is about four tim¬es what some other states get.
Opposition Party Sho¬uld Leave Alone – NLC
Meanwhile, the state chairman of the NL¬C, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku who threw more lights on the ra¬tionale behind the tripartite agreement called on the APC to leave workers alone saying, “the worke¬rs wore the shoe and they know where it pinches.”
Ofobruku said the mo¬ve is to enable the government have funds to meet other obli¬gations saying, “as at today the state government is spending N1.2 billion on pe¬nsion alone – there is also the contribu¬tory health scheme where the workers con¬tribute 1.5 percent of their salaries and the state governme¬nt also contributes 1.75 percent to the scheme – to enable workers get free trea-tments when they fall sick.
“After looking at the scenarios, it was obvious that governme¬nt cannot pay the mi¬nimum wage because there is significant drop from what used to come from federati¬on account, as well as drop in the IGR. So after consultation and considerations we resolved that go¬vernment should stop the implementation of the new minimum wage for officers on salary grade 7 to 17. We must make it cl¬ear that it is not only civil servants that are sacrificing for this six months in the first instance.”
He said political of¬fice holders in the state will equally sacrifice 20 percent of their gross salar¬ies, adding that what was added to the workers salary for the implementation of the new minimum wage was very small – some people got 4 per¬cent, 5, 6, 8, 10 pe¬rcent addition from their salaries depen¬ding on level.
“So the suspension of these percentages is what we have agre¬ed for the senior wo¬rkers, to enable gove¬rnment also pay the pensioners, and cont¬inue the health sche¬me. The minimum wage will continue for the officers in salary grade 1 to 6. Howe¬ver, we equally agre¬ed that if before the 6 months period and things improve the government will automat¬ically reverse to the new minimum wage.
“We must not forget that more than 70 pe¬rcent of the work fo¬rce have been at home since March this year, and the governm¬ent is paying them, so we don’t want a situation where the state government says we won’t pay – we have over 33, 000 pri¬mary and secondary school teachers and they have been at home since March, but th¬ey have been getting their salaries.
“Our tertiary instit¬utions, the universi¬ty, three polytechni¬cs, three colleges of education, three schools of nursing, two schools of midwif¬ery, so all these ins¬titutions both acade¬mic and non academic have been at home and they are receiving salaries. So asking us to sacrifice 3, 4, 5 percents that was added last few months ago is not too much for the workers because if the gov-ernment say they won¬’t pay workers salar¬ies because there is no money what happe¬ns?
“So we also compare Delta and other stat¬es, Delta is among the first states to implement the minimum wage, the moment the COVID-19 pandemic started most state governments stopped nego¬tiation on the minim¬um wage – the entire South East have not implemented the min¬imum wage, the entire South West save for Lagos State, have not implemented the new wage. In the South South only Edo and Delta are paying the new minimum wage whereas Edo has about 11, 000 work force Delta has 49, 000 pl¬us work force – so when we looked at all the parameters we found out that Delta go¬vernment is doing ve¬ry well.”
According to him, “as the chairman of NLC I will not want to preside over a work force that will not receive their salar¬ies – if your salary is N220, 000 and N2¬0, 000 is deducted it is not bad! After the agreement with the government the st¬ate executive council of NLC met to rati¬fy the resolution. It is just a tempor¬al suspension the state government has not cancelled the min¬imum wage.
He appealed to the opposition party to leave them alone, since the civil servants are not answerable to them. “Workers in the state are happy with the decision. We are the workers, we wore the shoe and know where it pinches – so we know where to make the ne¬cessary sacrifices in this case. We have to make sacrifices to enable our people who have not been to work since March co¬ntinue to get their salaries,” he pointe¬d out.
2020, A Year Of Surv¬ival – SDP
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), was of the view that salari¬es should not be cut as year 2020 has gr¬eat challenges for citizens globally. He appealed to the Del¬ta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to reconsider the government plans to suspend the payment of the new minimum wa¬ge for civil servants grade 7 to 17 owing to the fall in rev¬enues of the state occasioned by COVID-19.
The chairman of the party in Delta State, Amb Oke Idawene JP, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that year 2020 due to the effect of COVID-¬19 on the lives of citizens, it has beco¬me a year of surviva¬l, hence Okowa should not contemplate cu¬tting down salary of any worker in the state.”
He added that the ma¬jority of the civil servants were not ha¬ppy with the develop¬ment saying year 2020 has become a year of ‘survival and not a year to carry out massive projects’. “If salaries are cut what happens to th¬eir needs?” He queri¬ed.
LEADERSHIP Sunday however gathered that the sta¬te wage bill before the implementation of the new minimum wa¬ge in February this year was N7.7 billion, while the new mini¬mum wage was additional N750 mil¬lion. The planned suspe¬nsion of the additio¬nal N750 million to the wage, the stakeh¬olders say is uncal¬led-for.
The Governor Should Prune Down Numbers of Appointees – GLAFA
The president, Good Leadership Advocacy for Africa (GLAFA), Dr O’Diakpo Obire condemned, in strong terms, the planned sus¬pension of the new minimum wage by the state government, des¬cribing it as “callo¬us, reprehensible, wicked, anti-people, and a loud evidence of poor and myopic governance.”
Dr Obire in a stat¬ement he made availa¬ble to news men stat¬ed that, “It is most shameful for a state that receives one of the highest month¬ly allocations from the Federal Governme¬nt , to reduce the sal¬aries of civil serva¬nts thereby subjecti¬ng them to further dehumanisation. It is a loud evidence of poor governance that borders on reckless¬ness while resources of the state is be-ing squandered on th¬ousands of political appointees to the detriment of career civil servants who ma¬ke things work in the state.
“It is as inconceiva¬ble as it is ludicro¬us for the state gov¬ernor to be comforta¬ble paying the salar-ies of thousands of redundant and unprod¬uctive Special Advis¬ers, Special Assista¬nts, Senior Special Assistants, Executive Assistants, etc, but has no qualms in chopping off huge pa¬rts of the little sa¬laries of poor civil servants who toil night and day in serv¬ice to motherland. I doubt if there is any civil servant in Delta State who is not disgusted by this action.
“When some state gov¬ernments in Nigeria proactively took ste¬ps to diversify their economies by estab¬lishing industries that create hundreds of thousands of jobs and generate income, Delta State govern¬ment was busy reckle¬ssly appointing thou¬sands of SAs, SSAs, EAs and others. Now that the ‘chickens have come home to roo¬st’, civil servants salaries must not be cut.
“The governor should instead drastically prune down the number of his bloated and redundant appointees and reduce official vehicles. These are drain pipes. Civil servants shouldn’t bear the brunt of the Government’s lack of foresight and fin¬ancial recklessness,” the statement conc¬luded.
Okowa Should Resign – Right Activist
However, a right act¬ivist, Comrade Christ¬ian Moses Abeh, coo¬dinator, Deltan Liv¬es Matter, called for the outright resig¬nation of the govern¬or for contemplating the suspension of the payment of the new minimum wage, argui¬ng that the governor was ruling the state with lies and dece¬it despite the love the citizens had for him.
“While we are praying for the quick reco¬very of the governor and his family who have been in isolati¬on for testing posit¬ive to COVID-19, the same day he came out from isolation was the same day the sta¬te government announ¬ced the implementati¬on of property tax law, and the next day the NLC leadership released a document indicating the tripar¬tite agreement on the suspension of the payment of the new minimum wage. How can the citizens believe the governor was infected with COVID-1¬9?
“He couldn’t fumigate public places and made no provision for the unemployed pop¬ulace against hunger, but quick to look for avenue to make mo¬ney for the state. Governor Okowa should give account of what he has spent on the issue of COVID-19 and also account for his stewardship from 2015 till date.
“How can the governor be ruling us as if we are slaves and nobody is talking, includi¬ng the rubber-stamp House of Assembly me¬mbers we have. The current State Assembly cannot speak out for the citizens but are quick to approve loans for the state.
“Go to Ebonyi, Cross River or Rivers States and see what the¬ir governors are doi¬ng for the well-being of their people, yet Delta governor is looking for means to enrich himself and kinsmen. Governor Okowa is a monumental failure and should resign for his incom¬petency immediately. He has nothing to offer than hardship and deceit, he is tel¬ling Deltans that hi¬mself, his deputy and speaker will cut their salaries as if they are living on salaries, and the com¬promised labour lead¬ers in the state acc¬epted such rubbish against their own peo¬ple because of crumbs and unnecessary fe¬ar.
Despite Delta receiv¬ing the highest mont¬hly allocation and generating money more than Cross River, Ebonyi, Oyo, Adamawa and so many states in the country the go¬vernor is slamming us with hardship, yet no meaningful develo¬pmental project or policy that will bett¬er the lives of Delt¬ans for these monies he has received.”
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government through the Ministry of Lands and Surveys will commence the registration of all lands and property in the state.
A statement signed by the State Director of Information, Mr Dona Obuseh, indicated that the approval for the registration was granted by the State Government following repeated issues of land grabbing, property disputes and to put Delta State on the global satellite map.
The statement further indicated that the first phase of the exercise would commence on Wednesday, August 28, 2020, in Asaba, Ibusa, Okpanam, Akwukwu-Igbo, Warri, Effurun, Aladja, Ekpan, Otor-Udu, Ogwashi-Uku, Issele-Uku, Ubulu-Uku, Agbor, Owa-Oyibu and Umunede.
Other towns and cities where the exercise would commence include Kwale, Aboh, Ozoro, Obiaruku, Oleh, Ughelli, Orogun, Isiokolo, Otu-Jeremi, Agbarho, Owhelogbo, Sapele, Oghara, Amukpe, Abraka, Koko, Bomadi and Burutu.
The statement said other phases would be communicated with dates in due course, even as it urged the general public, particularly land and property owners to give full cooperation to the enumerators by providing the correct information to avoid mix up in the registration of land and property to appropriate owners.
Members of the public, land and property owners, who if for any reason their property was left out during the enumeration or for further enquiry, are advised to call 07031779216 or 07031779255.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he political battle between these brothers can be compared to that of biblical Goliath and David. The three Uba brothers – Ugochukwu, Andy and Chris from Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. Ugochukwu is the eldest while Chris is the youngest. Of the same parents, the brothers are Politicians and each accomplished in his own right. They are very rich, two of them, Andy and Chris are Billionaires, they have limitless contacts.
In 1999, When Nigeria returned to Civil Democracy, the Uba family which was little known suddenly emerged, not only an important family in the political circle but perhaps one of the most powerful in the South east zone. In 2003, the eldest of the trio, Ugochukwu Uba was elected as Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), In the same vein, Andy Uba who just returned from the United States (US) was appointed as the Special Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs to Former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The youngest of the trio, Chris is a businessman and a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he is the self acclaimed godfather of Anambra Politics, Chris never held any political office but he directed the system to deliver a Governor, All National Assembly seats in the Senate and House of Representatives as well as all members of the State House of Assembly.
Senator Andy Uba.
Shortly before the 2007 elections, the Uba brothers allegedly reached an agreement to leave the elder brother (Ugochukwu) at the Senate, while Andy occupied the Governorship seat. As planned, Andy contested and won the 2007 Gubernatorial Election in the State and was sworn-in as Governor. However, his main opponent, Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged his victory at the Tribunal, after much deliberation, the Supreme Court sacked Andy as Governor. The sack earned him the crown of the Nigeria’s shortest serving Governor, he was a Governor for only 16days (May 29, 2007 – June 14, 2007). Andy, after being sacked as Governor, he set his eyes on his brother (Ugochukwu) Senatorial Seat. Apparently, being richer, more powerful and more influential than his brother, it was easy for Andy to sweep him out of office.
Chris Uba.
In 2011, Andy became the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but in doing that, he allegedly breached a family agreement. This angered his younger brother, Chris Uba who wields plenty of influence in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a political godfather. However, in 2014, the Uba family unanimously agreed that Andy should vacate the Senate seat for his younger brother (Chris) while he (Andy) should contest for the Governorship election. But after losing out at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Primaries, Andy breached the family agreement and insisted on vying for the Senate seat in 2015. Chris Uba made a number of efforts to replace his brother (Andy) with other people, but he failed, he bad-mouthed his brother at any given opportunity. In 2015, he pitched tent with Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, the Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who came second in the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). At last, Andy won. In 2017, Andy dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) where he made another unsuccessful attempt to become the number one citizen of the state, he lost to Dr. Tony Nwoye at the 2017 All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primaries.
Chris Uba, a prominent kingmaker decided to be the king in 2019, he became the Anambra South Senatorial Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in a related development, Andy won the Anambra South Senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). There were other challengers, notably the Capital Oil Boss, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah (who is the Incumbent Senator) of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), both money men, but not in the class of Andy and Chris Uba.
Eventually, Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) polled 87,081 votes to defeat the two brothers, Andy and Chris Uba who scored 13,245 and 52,462 votes respectively.
The incumbent Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, compared to Andy and Chris Uba is a political novice but he is a smart and street wise Businesman. He undoubtedly enjoys the goodwill of the people due to his philanthropic activities.
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