[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government has gotten the approval of the Federal Government to intervene on the increasing dilapidation of some of its roads in the state.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Sunday, September 15, 2019 disclosed this at a Thanksgiving Service by the Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, at Christ Embassy, Airport Road, Effurun, informing that the state government got the nod on Thursday, September 12, 2019.
He announced that contractors had immediately been drafted to the roads to carry out rehabilitation, explaining that the measure was to improve intra-state movement.
Okowa said that palliative work had started on the Benin-Sapele road and at the Asaba side of River Niger Bridge on the Asaba-Onitsha highway. He added that the state government would also rehabilitate Agbor- Abraka-Eku road, which had also been in a deplorable state.
“I know that Deltans are unhappy with the deplorable state of federal roads across the state. We may not have the resources to do the road but we can do palliative work on them.
“After applying for permission from the Federal Government to embark on the rehabilitation of these failed roads in the state, we got approval three days ago and we have deployed contractors to commence work on the very bad spots,” the governor said.
He assured deltans that he and his deputy “will continue to humble ourselves before God and Deltans because we have not come to be lord over them. We have indeed come to serve the people”.
The governor stated that there were many reasons for his administration to be thankful to God, pointing out that they were not disappointed during the campaigns and elections in spite of the challenges and intrigues which characterised the exercises.
Earlier in his remarks, Otuaro recalled the events that culminated in their victory at the polls, and said that God gave them victory.
He acknowledged the overwhelming support from the people of the state, including traditional rulers and the clergy and called for intense prayers for the state government and the nation. The deputy governor reaffirmed the determination of the Okowa’s administration to bequeath a “Stronger Delta” to the people.
In his sermon, the Pastor of the church, Eddy Owase, said thanksgiving would only be meaningful when the people established a good relationship with God.
The service was attended by former Governor of the state, Chief James Ibori, who took the first reading; Senator James Manager; Mr Sheriff Oborevwori, Speaker, Delta State House Of Assembly.
Others were members of the National and State Assembly, top government officials and political leaders.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has dispatched three special envoys to seven African countries to deliver messages of pan-African unity and solidarity following xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Presidency said on Sunday.
The special envoys will deliver a message from Ramaphosa regarding the incidents of violence that recently erupted in some parts of South Africa, which have manifested in attacks on foreign nationals and destruction of property, presidential spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said.
The envoys will reassure fellow African countries that South Africa is committed to the ideals of pan-African unity and solidarity, Diko said.
They will also reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to the rule of law.
The envoys will visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, according to Diko.
They will brief governments in the identified African countries about the steps that the South African government is taking to bring a stop to the attacks and to hold the perpetrators to account.
South Africa has been hit by a new spate of violence for the past few weeks.
At least 12 people, including 10 South Africans and two foreigners, have been killed.
South Africa is host to some 274,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from African countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Xenophobia-related attacks are common in South Africa, where foreigners are blamed for taking up employment that should have been taken by locals.
Xinhua
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]irstly, his petition was filled with so many contradictions, that for every claim he made, he made another claim that contradicted the first. For instance, in his petition, Atiku said that the card readers used during the election transmitted results that showed he got over 16 million votes. By this, Atiku relied on the optimum working of card readers across the country to establish his claim – yet the same Atiku in the same petition said at some point, that the same card readers were barely used in 11 Northern states.
Secondly, he based his petition on a non-existent server. Atiku claimed that INEC had a server where votes were allegedly transmitted through card readers. This is the most ridiculous claim yet, why? One, the electoral laws do not provide for electoral transmission of results. Two, because there is no such provision, there was no such transmission by any means. The only means by which results were collated and tabulated were through paper forms at polling units. Atiku then claimed that card readers were used to transmit votes tabulated. This is foolish because nobody votes on card readers. For votes to be transmitted via any device, you would have to have voted the party of your choice on that device. Nobody voted on card readers. The card readers were used before voting to accredit voters. Thus, the card readers can only tell you the number of voters and those who voted, but not who they voted for.
Finally, Atiku believes President Buhari does not have the required certificate to qualify to run for president. Now that is really dumb. How did a man rise to become a General in the Nigerian Army if he did not have a certificate? It simply does not make sense. Yet President Buhari has provided from the records of WAEC and Cambridge, the transcripts of his Senior School Leaving Certificate: that is the West African School Certificate. This is the minimum requirement expected by law.
His classmates have also come forward to affirm that he indeed, was their classmate and that they sat for these exams together. Recall that President Buhari has maintained that his certificates got missing during a raid by some Army officers on his residence during the 1985 coup against him?
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]etween 2006 and now, angry South Africans had targeted Nigerians and other foreigners in the guise of Xenophobia attacks in Johannesburg, the country’s Commercial nerve center, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban and other major Cities and towns in the country, destroying vehicles and looting shops. The Xenophobic attacks , was said to have become pronounced in 2008 and 2015 as many Nigerians were forced to close down their businesses to avoid being looted. Nigerians who fell into the waiting hands of the Xenophobic attackers had their shops looted and vehicles destroyed.
Former Goodluck Jonathan had the opportunity of talking tough to Oliver Thabo Mbeki, who was the country ‘s President as at 2008 and Jacob Zuma, who was President in 2015 to extract a Commitment from them to guarantee the protection and security of Nigerians living in South Africa. Perhaps, his failure to take up the matter at the highest level of government with the two South African former Presidents may have encouraged the Youths to continue the Xenophobic attacks in subsequent years with Nigerians being the major target on alleged Criminality.
Note that about 70 percent of the foreigners living in South Africa were said to have come from the neighbouring Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho. The remaining 30 percent , according to the country Immigration sources were made up of people from Malawi, United Kingdom, UK, Namibia, Swaziland , now Swatini, India and other countries including Nigeria.
Going by the country’s Statistical report, there an estimated 3.6 million immigrants in the country, out of an overall population of well over 50 million. The BBC, in its report revealed that the’’ violence were often triggered by local disputes , with migrants being accused of taking jobs away from South Africans’’. Indeed, the causes , according to Ekambaran, who, runs a the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme for Lawyers and Human Rights Organisations are’’ poverty which had its roots in apartheid’’.
Going by Province to Province break down of the Xenophobic attacks between 1994 and 2018 alone, it was said to have occurred 212 times in Gauteng Province, which includes Johanesburg, Western Cape 111, KwaZulu Natal 67, Limpo 40, Eastern Cape 33, Mpumalanga 22, North West 20, Free State 19 and Northern Cape 5 incidents.The South African Youths may have been attacking foreigners in the past and get away with it but thy got it wrong this time around in attacking Nigerians in Johanesburg and Durban and looting their shops.
The situation was so bad that Yemi Osinbajo , a Professor and Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, described the attacks on Nigerians as unacceptable. ‘’ it is very sad and very unfortunate that the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians living in South Africa are once again being destroyed with such carelessness and recklessness’’.
The worry of Osinbajo, was that Nigerians had invested a great deal in the businesses that had been destroyed and pull down by angry South African Youths. Given that South African Security Operatives, particular the police, had watched while Nigerians were being killed may have prompted the National Association of Nigerian Students , NANS, to take to the streets in Lagos, Ibadan , Kaduna and other major cities in the country to attack South African owned Companies .
Note that South Africa, has three major multi-million dollar investments in Nigeria:MTN, Multi-choice, a digital Television and Shoprite , which is scattered all over the country. The aggrieved Nigerian students may have sent a signal to the South African Xenophobic attackers , that the battle line has been drawn when they shut down Shoprite in Ogun state on Saturday, August 10, 2019. They were said to have also shut down MTN offices in Kaduna ,north west Nigeria.
Last Tuesday, the protesters had set fire to many entrances leading into the busy mall housing the country’s retail store, Shoprite , at Lekki, a high brow area of Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve center allegedly looting the shops. Another outlet belonging to the chain and owned by the Country’s Mobile Company, MTN, were vandalized in Ibadan, a major city in south west Nigeria.
Recall that Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture had appealed to Nigerians not to attack South African Companies operating in the country in anger over the treatment being meted to Nigerians in school and doing business in South Africa. The appeal may have fallen on deaf ears as the protesters still touched some South African businesses in Nigeria.
The minister who could not hide his feelings had said that targeting the South African Companies operating in the country for attack was not in the best interest of Nigerians, noting that ‘’it is a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face’’.
He insists that the South African Investors have nothing to lose as the major Investors in MTN and Shoprite , were Nigerians. Take for instance, Pascal Dozie, a business mogul and Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and National leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC, have been linked to the two prominent South African Companies. Dozie, the Imo state –born investor was said to have invited MTN from South Africa to open an outlet in Nigeria and became one of the major shareholders while Tinubu, allegedly brought in Shoprite and became one its major shareholders.
Mohammed who may have spoken the mind of President Muhammadu Buhari when he urged Nigerians to exercise restraints as majority of the workers in the Companies were Nigerians. He fears that many Nigerians would be thrown into the Labour market if the businesses are closed in Nigeria.
Worried at the backlash effect of Xenophobic attacks, on South African Companies in Nigerian and other African countries, particular Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Management of Shoprite has condemned the violence attacks on Nigerians and other foreigners and their business in South Africa to show that they were not in support of what the irate South Africans had done. The Company has vowed with the Ramaphosa government , Industry and Consumer groups to ensure that decisive action s are taken against those who were involved in the violent Crime Crimes against foreign nationals in South Africa.
Despite the position taken by Shoprite Management against the Xenophobic atackers in Johanesburg and other major Cities in South Africa, the Katsina state –born Nigerian President , has given a matching order Geofrey Onyeama, minister of Foreign Affairs to summon Bobby Moore , the country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria to get a brief on the situation and also express the country’s displeasure over the ill- treatment of Nigerians in their own country and endeavor to extract a commitment from him that Nigerians would no longer be molested.
The President was said to have also dispatched a special envoy to convey to President Ramaphosa, his counterpart in South Africa about his concerns over the Xenophobic attacks and also interact with his South African leader on the situation. The Envoy was expected to have left the country , to Pretoria on the Diplomatic assignment. For the first time since 2008, the government is taking the Xenophobic attack on Nigerians serious that that it has vowed to address it once and for all. ‘’Enough is enough’’, Onyeama said.
President Muhammadu Buhari and President Ramaphosa
Recall that Moore, South African Foreign Affairs minister, had said last Tuesday, August 3, 2019, at a Joint Media briefing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , that the’’ attacks in South Africa were not Xenophobic neither were they targeted at Nigerians. Moore disclosed that ‘’they were only sporadic attacks of violence’’. He noted that businesses belonging to South Africans were also touched in the violence.
Also, Ramaphosa, the South African President had confirmed some months ago that all the Xenophobic violence was between South Africa against Nigerians but most of the times ‘’it was Nigerians against Nigerians ‘’ostensibly to exonerate his country from blame.
But Femi Adesina, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, would not take it. Adesina had told those that cares to listen that the g that there is nothing sporadic about the attack. He assured that the government would continue to ‘’demand for the protection of Nigerians from the South African government’’, noting that failure to do so may force the government to adopt stronger measures to deal with the situation.
Already there have been pressures on the government to withdraw its High Commissioner from South Africa. Ike Ekweremadu, a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, said there is no other better time to do it than now that Nigerians are constantly been subjected to Xenophobic attacks .
Pressures from different quarters may have forced the government to quickly recall Kabiru Bala, the High Commissioner to South Africa for Consultations. The government was said to have also stepped down its participation at the World Economic Forum to be hosted by South Africa.
The President was said to approved Osinbajo, the Vice President to attend the forum but was said to have asked him to withdraw at the last minute following the violent attack on Nigerians. The government was to have made it clear to the Ramaphosa led South African government that that the losses suffered by Nigerians in the aftermath of the recent Xenophobia attack in the country must be fully Compensated.
Meanwhile Buhari and Osibajo, were said to have held a strategic engagement with Onyeama, the minister of Foreign Affairs, following the renewed hostilities against Nigerians in South Africa. There are fears in both official and unofficial circles that the recall of Bala, the High Commissioner, may encourage the south African government to also recall Moore, its High Commissioner in Nigeria , which may trigger a Diplomatic war. Between the two countries.
In apparent reaction to the attack on MTN, Shoprite and Some Multichoice offices in Nigeria by angry youths in retaliation to the Xenophobia – attack on Nigerians in South Africa, Moore , the country’s High Commissioner has shut down its offices and Consulate in Nigeria for fear of attack. The High Commissioner reportedly said the Mission has no option but to suspend operations in Nigeria till further notice.
Diplomatic sources said the closure of the South African Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, was at the instance of President Ramaphosa, the country ‘s President called for the recall of Bala, the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa by the government.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rincipals and School Heads in public schools in the state have been charged to partner with the Parents Teachers Association (PTAs) and Community Development Unions (CDUs) to ensure that students settle down quickly for the new academic session.
The Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Chief Patrick Ukah, gave the charge during the continuation of his monitoring of resumption of schools in Ika South and Ika North East Local Government Areas yesterday.
Chief Ukah expressed surprise that on the second day of resumption, there was still low turnout of students in some schools even when it had been announced that there would be a welcome back test for the students on the first week of resumption.
He therefore charged the School Heads and Principals to make sure that the welcome back test is administered to the students which should form part of their continuous assessment and should not be doctored by them.
The commissioner asked the Chief Inspectors of Education (CIEs), Principals and School Heads to device a means they would use in communicating with the parents of the students through the PTAs and Community Development Unions so that they can employ the services of town criers in their communities to bring to the awareness of the parents while their children should return quickly back to school.
Chief Ukah said his ministry had lined up a lot of programmes for the 2019/2020 academic session which he said would bring about the continuous development of the basic and secondary education sub sector of the state..
The schools visited by the commissioner are Omumu Mixed Secondary School, Omumu Primary School, Ime-Obi Secondary School, Igumbor Otiku Secondary School, Ogbemudien Model Secondary School, Alasi Primary School, Owa Model Secondary School and Owa Model Primary School all in Ika South and Ika North East Local Government Areas.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, says the party is ready for the next round of legal battle with Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Oshiohmole made this known when he responded to questions from State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.
The PDP had on Wednesday vowed to appeal the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, the APC Chairman maintained that the same facts that gave President Buhari victory at the election tribunal would suffice at the Supreme Court.
He said: “We as a party, we are confident, if it is within the Nigerian law, for PDP to go even to the World Court, we will meet them there.
“The Supreme Court is Supreme Court of Nigeria not Supreme Court of APC or PDP.
“We are ready to meet them.
“President Buhari is ready to meet defeated Atiku Abubakar at the Supreme Court and the All Progressives Congress is ready to meet PDP at that court.”
The APC chairman urged Abubakar and the entire members of the opposition party to forget about what happened at the polls and support Buhari to move Nigeria forward.
According to him, the matter has been resolved and it is time to queue behind the winner and move on.
“Afterall, our winner is the best example that losing one election is not tantamount to the end of your political life. He lost three and today he is president,” he added.
The APC chairman thanked the judiciary for doing its job diligently, within the confines of the nation’s electoral act and the laws of the land.
Oshiomhole accused the PDP of blackmailing every institution in the country in its bid to take over power.
[dropcap] N[/dropcap]yesom Ezenwo Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State has explained that he congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal confirmed his election, because it is better to offer public congratulations than visit the President at night.
Governor Wike said that unlike some Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) who visit President Muhammadu Buhari at night, he made his declaration public because it came from the heart.
A statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, issued on Thursday, 12th September, 2019, reveals that Governor made this disclosure when he spoke at the Funeral Service in honour of Late Madam Blessing Awuse, Mother of Onha Sergent Chidi Awuse, at the St Luke’s Anglican Church, Emohua on Thursday.
The Governor said: ” I am sure all of you are surprised that I congratulated Buhari. Is it not good for me to congratulate him, than to go to his house in the night?
“So many PDP Governors go to see him in his house in the night. I have never gone and I will not go. I won’t go.
“We are the only state that the Federal Government refused to pay us our money used to execute Federal projects, because I don’t go to see him in the night and I won’t go. He is not my friend, he is not doing well, but he won in court, should I say that the court did wrong? No.
“President Buhari, congratulations and carry Nigerians along. Unify the country, the country is too divided. I am saying what is right. What I will do, I will do, what I will not do, I will not do”.
Governor Wike said politics is a game of interest, noting that Rivers people in the All Progressives Congress are under obligation to attract Federal benefits to the state.
‘Politics is a game of interest. And my only interest is Rivers State. Anything that is against the interest of Rivers State, I will not agree.
“These people sold us out, thinking that they are doing Governor Wike. It is the State that you are offending, because I am just one person”.
Governor Wike expressed displeasure that Rivers State has key links to President Muhammadu Buhari from the State, yet the East West Road, the seaports and other Federal projects have been completely neglected since 2015.
He said nothing indicates that Rivers State has prominent APC members working with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Rivers State Governor maintained that Rivers State is a Christian state. He said that the facts of Rivers being a Christian State will not be changed by negative propaganda and falsehood targeted at his person, even as he stressed that he never demolished a Mosque as was falsely circulated by some mischief makers.
He said Rivers State is a major oil producing State that deserves major projects from the Federal Government.
“We produce oil. They should not punish Rivers State because of me. I am just one individual. We have not benefited anything from the Federal Government. The only thing we have benefited is the abuse they heap on me.
“They turned the NDDC into a cash cow to sponsor elections against us. Nobody protested that anomaly. Now they want us to protest because someone did not nominate the management of NDDC this time.
“Since 2015, NDDC has not had its governing board, but nobody protested. I will not be dragged into such protests”, he said.
On the passage of Late Mrs Blessing Awuse, Mother of Ohna Sergeant Awuse, Governor Wike said she lived a fulfilled life and raised disciplined and trustworthy children. He said that her burial is a celebration of life.
Chief Mourner, Ohna Sergeant Awuse thanked the Rivers State Governor for his love and friendship. He said the Rivers State Governor always intervenes at the most critical time.
Anglican Bishop of Ikwerre Diocese, Rt Rev Blessing Enyindah praised the Rivers State Governor for his commitment to the development of the state.
He urged the Rivers State Governor to continue with his good works. He said that Governor Wike should focus on the people in all his programmes.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]mugglers patronizing the Nigeria water ways should be prepare for their worst days as officers and men of the Nigeria customs service are battle ready to combat smuggling activities on the Nigeria water ways.The Service has on Thursday launched two gunboats to strengthen its anti smuggling activities on the nation’s waters.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the controller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali disclosed that whenever smugglers face stiff enforcement by Customs anti-smuggling operatives on the land, they turn to the waterways to carry out their illegal trade and Nigeria’s quest for non-oil revenue is largely dependent on the Service to fight smuggling and bring it to the barest minimum. He said that before now the Service has been weak on the waters due to lack of seagoing vessels to effectively checkmate smugglers on the high sea. The situation which has led to the death of nine Customs Marine officers while confronting deadly petrol smugglers on the sea in 2014.
It is in honour of the group of nine gallant officers who died in the Service of their fatherland that one of the seagoing vessels was named ‘Group of Nine’ while the other represents the ‘Customs Pride’ on the sea.
He explained that the commissioning of the two seagoing vessels, well equipped with necessary firepower and other requirements for long time water patrol is in line with the ongoing repositioning of the Service to effectively deliver its mandate to the nation.
Said he: “With these vessels, I hope smugglers will no longer take advantage of NCS vulnerability on water to smuggle in contraband. NCS Marine operatives can now sail to intersect them right on the high sea.”The timing of this commissioning is strategic as it will on the immediate boost the ongoing joint security Ex-Swift Response on the water and henceforth remain symbol of NCS strength on the sea the NCS as a present unbundling of the Service now has four marine Commands, namely Western marine, Eastern Maritime, North western marine and North Eastern marine Command. It is therefore the resolve of management that smugglers find no space to operate either on land, air or sea.”
While appreciating the chief of naval staff and the entire naval officers for their continuous support he however charged his officers to properly manage the vessels as they will be held accountable for what ever go wrong with vessels , reminding them of its procurement cost and also money spent for their training.
Also speaking at the event the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Monguno said that the Federal Government would not bow to any form of blackmail as a result of the closure of its land borders.
The nation’s borders in four region were partially shut down three weeks ago at the commencement of a joint security operations code name “Exercise Swift Response”. The operation which has the Nigeria Customs Service as lead agency also include the Armed Forces, Immigration and Para-Military service.
Mongono said that some neighbouring countries are already talking to the Federal Government on the issue.The NSA who scored the taskforce high, stated that the Federal Government was determine to give support to all security agency that wouod enable them deal ruthlessly with all those involved in smuggling .He explained that government was determined to deal with all problems associated to the State of insecurity, adding that no amount of money nor blackmail can force government to its kneels.“One of the key issues government is concerned with is the security of the country, this is aside economic issues. From where I operate, I see a lot of things concerning insecurity. However, many tend to see the physical aspects which include insurgents, kidnapping, armed robber and a whole lot of others. But there are some that are invisible to the eyes. Smuggling is one major source of insecurity.
” We are determine to deal with the problem, no matter the amount of money being moved around by those involved or blackmail” he added.
The NSA pointed out that so many Nigerians have died as a result of the dangerous drugs and arms being smuggled, adding that the dangerous Items were brought into the country through the land borders.
“If its in the interest of neighbouring countries to allow all these dangerous Items to transit their territories into Nigeria, then it is in our national interest to shut our borders. The ongoing operation swift has been very successful” he added.
In the same event , the zonal coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service Zone ‘A’ , ACG Kaycee Ekekezie in her welcoming speech expressed her relieve for the commissioning of the vessels as it will assist in controlling sea smuggling, morality of officers on the sea, control illicit drugs and small arms movement through the water ways.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is palpable tension in certain circles in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following confirmed information that some party bigwigs hand twisted President Buhari in the recent reconstitution of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), development that is currently sparking off anger at the Aso Rock villa, our correspondent learnt.
Indications have emerged that the announcement of the board, which immediately sparked protests that have refused to die down, was made without the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The announcement, which was made on August 26, 2019 while President Buhari was attending the 7 th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), has been generating mixed reactions with some Delta State and Ijaw groups expressing disappointment with the names of those that emerged as members of the board.
Aso Rock sources disclosed that President Buhari was miffed by the announcement and has vowed to axe some members of his inner circle whom he suspected to have conspired with some high-ranking officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to reward their political acolytes to the detriment of the interests of the President and the party.
The source revealed that the announcement of the NDDC Board was deliberately timed to happen when President Buhari would be away to Japan because those who plotted and executed the “coup” reasoned that, like in previous occasions when similar things happened, the President would find it difficult to reverse the appointments.
One of the sources squealed that, already, moves are been made to by the hawks to convince the President to pacify aggrieved party members who had been promised board positions in NDDC with other equally “juicy” appointments in order not to compromise the party’s unity and the integrity of the President’s office.
“You know that on many occasions, Nigerians have been left with the notion that Mr President is mostly not aware of a lot of things that are going on around him. So these people are working round the clock to convince him not to either fire people or reverse the appointments already made because that will reinforce that negative view of the Commander-in-Chief,” one of the sources revealed.
The President’s anger, it was learned, is strongly against the Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, who was said to have manipulated the party’s hierarchy to install Dr. Pius Odubu, who was Deputy Governor of Edo State during Oshiomole’s tenure as Governor, as Chairman of the NDDC Board, even when it was generally expected that the slot was going to Ondo State.
Further investigations revealed that President Buhari had preferred Delta State to produce the Managing Director of NDDC, especially as compensation to party henchman, Mr. Great Ogboru, who narrowly lost the position of Minister of the Niger Delta to Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Buhari was said to have favoured Mr. Ogboru for the role he played during the last elections, especially his efforts in ensuring that the statutory minimum 25 percent of votes cast during the presidential election went to the APC candidate.
Although the list of the board members has been sent to the Senate for confirmation, one of the sources said that efforts are being made by the desperate Aso Rock hawks to ensure that President Buhari does not recall the list until it is approved.
Correspondents report that the Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Olusegun Adekunle, had in a statement released on August 27, 2019, announced the 16-member NDDC Board as “approved” by President Buhari.
The list, which has Bernard Okumagba from Delta State as Managing Director-designate of the new NDDC Board, features 14 other names, in addition to the Board Chairman. The statement requested the interim management of NDDC to hand over to the most senior director in the Commission pending the confirmation
of the new board members by the Senate.
[dropcap] T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Customs Service has said that 100 illegal migrants and 177 suspects engaging in smuggling activities have been arrested due to the Federal Government shut down of the nation’s borders in a joined security exercise.
According to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), DC Joseph Attah, due to the intensive joint border patrol by the security agencies, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has continued to receive reports of large numbers of seizures and arrests from the 4 sectors of North West, North Central, South West, and South South geopolitical zones.
“As at 10 September 2019, 100 illegal migrants have been arrested while seizures so far include: 8,360-50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 122 bags of fertilizer; 77 vehicles; 781 drums filled with PMS as well as 16, 371 empty 200 litres drums to be used for smuggling PMS; 1,491 packs of assorted drugs; 3 outboard 40HP Engines; 13 cotonu boats; 185 drums of groundnut oil; 6 trucks; 114 motorcycles; among other items with 117 suspects. ”
He sated further that “as part of the efforts to sustain the rigorous patrol along the national borderlines, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandade and the Coordinator of the exercise, Brig Gen Emmanuel Aliyu Ndagi have commenced an on the spot assessment of the implementation and compliance of the ongoing border security drills.
“The exercise, which is being led by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as well as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security and intelligence agencies is intended to better secure our borders, boost national economy and strengthen border security.
Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Attah appealed to the patriotic spirit of all Nigerians, especially members of the business community to see the exercise as an opportunity to further create a conducive environment for local businesses to thrive in the overall interest of national security and development.
We wish to inform the general public to beware of impostors who use the name of grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network to solicit for interviews, adverts or award presentation to always confirm the authenticity of such transaction through the following numbers:
09029375906 | 08149835420
As this body will not be held LIABLE for any unauthorized transaction with anyone. BE WARNED!
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government has gotten the approval of the Federal Government to intervene on the increasing dilapidation of some of its roads in the state.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has dispatched three special envoys to seven African countries to deliver messages of pan-African unity and solidarity following xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Presidency said on Sunday.
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]irstly, his petition was filled with so many contradictions, that for every claim he made, he made another claim that contradicted the first. For instance, in his petition, Atiku said that the card readers used during the election transmitted results that showed he got over 16 million votes. By this, Atiku relied on the optimum working of card readers across the country to establish his claim – yet the same Atiku in the same petition said at some point, that the same card readers were barely used in 11 Northern states.
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]etween 2006 and now, angry South Africans had targeted Nigerians and other foreigners in the guise of Xenophobia attacks in Johannesburg, the country’s Commercial nerve center, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban and other major Cities and towns in the country, destroying vehicles and looting shops. The Xenophobic attacks , was said to have become pronounced in 2008 and 2015 as many Nigerians were forced to close down their businesses to avoid being looted. Nigerians who fell into the waiting hands of the Xenophobic attackers had their shops looted and vehicles destroyed.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rincipals and School Heads in public schools in the state have been charged to partner with the Parents Teachers Association (PTAs) and Community Development Unions (CDUs) to ensure that students settle down quickly for the new academic session.
[dropcap] N[/dropcap]yesom Ezenwo Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State has explained that he congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal confirmed his election, because it is better to offer public congratulations than visit the President at night.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]mugglers patronizing the Nigeria water ways should be prepare for their worst days as officers and men of the Nigeria customs service are battle ready to combat smuggling activities on the Nigeria water ways.The Service has on Thursday launched two gunboats to strengthen its anti smuggling activities on the nation’s waters.
