[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Thursday, asked the State Security Services (DSS) to charge Omoyele Sowore to court if they have anything against him instead of detaining him without trial for 45 days.

The spokesman of the mainstream Yoruba organisation, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the order obtained by the security outfit to detain Sowore without trial runs foul of the Constitution of the country.

According to him, Afenifere viewed with great concern the 45-day detention without trial granted the DSS by a Federal High Court on Omoyele Sowore over his call  for a protest on Monday.

Odumakin said: “The order represents a new phase in the orchestrated conscription of the democratic space in Nigeria. “We are aware of that obnoxious provision in the Terrorism Act, but it can never assume superiority over the Constitution which stipulates that a citizen cannot be detained for more than 48 hours before being charged to court.

“Sowore was arrested before he could commit an offence and the DSS seems to want to go shopping for evidence to prosecute him.

“Having failed to allow him to commit the offence before he was peremptorily arrested, the DSS should free Sowore, or charge him to court, so the judicial process can take its course.

“As it is, he is only being held illegally using the legal process. Our advice to government is that it should understand and act in conformity with the democratic tenets in dealing with the rights of Nigerians.”

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja said he would not want to do anything that contradicts the Nigerian Constitution in trying to mediate the crisis rocking the Bauchi and Edo States Assemblies.

Buhari, who received members of the Bauchi Assembly at the State House today, promised to work with the relevant constitutional bodies to resolve the crises in both state houses.

“I am aware of the problem in Edo and Bauchi states and I try to appreciate my position as the President, the political situation vis a vis the constitution of our country, the role of the commissioners of police and the party. I always like to be on the side of the constitution,” President Buhari said.

He promised to ensure the rights of individuals and the constituencies in both states are protected by liaising with the incoming Minister of Justice and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

The Bauchi Assembly members and stakeholders in the state were led to the State House by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

The delegation briefed President Buhari on the situation that led to the crisis in the State House, where a faction of the House is loyal to Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while the other is said to be loyal to the APC.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has called for greater collaboration between the Federal and State governments to attract positive development to the people at the grassroots. Speaking on Thursday, August 8, 2019, when he commissioned The Goldcoast Memorial Market built in memory of Madam Goldcoast Dickson, late mother of the Governor of Bayelsa State,  Mr Seriake Dickson, Governor Okowa noted that the people at the grassroots will fare better with good collaborative efforts between the Federal and State Government.

The commissioning exercise which took place at Toru-Orua Town, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in the presence of Governor Dickson, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Maryam Uwais, among other dignitaries coincided with the one year remembrance anniversary of Madam Goldcoast Dickson.

“I want to thank God for this project; it is important that when mothers make requests, it should be granted as our mother before her death, requested for the construction of this market, and it is gladdening that the market has been constructed.”

“It is also, heart-warming that the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment is here to give out Trader’s Money; the beneficiaries are our people at the grassroots because, our people at the different communities benefit more when there is collaboration between the Federal and State government to engage in developmental programmes.”

“I know that 95 per cent of those who trade in markets are women and we are aware that when women have money, the family cannot go hungry; I am glad Trader’s Money is coming to the women who are trading in this market and I congratulate my brother for granting the request of his mother to build this market,” Governor Okowa said.

Dickson had said that he was spurred to construct series of projects, especially,  granting his mother’s request to construct the market following his invitation by Governor Okowa to commission projects in Delta State.

He explained that apart from the excitement seen on the faces of the people in areas where roads were commissioned, the ovation that greeted him when he commissioned markets were overwhelming.

Dickson disclosed that though, the mother requested that he construct the market, his experience in Delta was a great inspiration as to how important market is to the women.

As part of the memorial event, a thanksgiving service was held, there was also, fund raising for Seriake Dickson Foundation and a ground breaking ceremony of the Goldcoast Dickson Memorial Cancer Centre.

Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Abdusalami Abubakar; Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, among others were also at the events.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he delegation of Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) going round cities in Nigeria to inspect facilities for the 2020 world female fooball fiesta have inspected the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Addressing the delegation led by Christopher Exley, Delta Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa assured the team that Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, will provide best venue for the tournament which Nigeria is bidding to host in 2020.

Newsbreeze reports that Okowa said that his administration was determined to put in place, any further facility that would be needed for the competition. While recalling that such international events as the 21st Africa Senior Athletics Competition, Super Eagles matches with Seychelles and Egypt, among others had been hosted at the stadium without any hitch, he said that hosting the world cup would be a great event that would be welcomed by football enthusiasts and all Deltans.

“I am glad that you are here to inspect sporting facilities in our state; as a government, we have continued to do the best we can to develop sporting facilities and we have done very well in that area.

“It is good that you are happy with the facilities we have on ground and the compliments from you will help us to continue to do the best that we can; Asaba and our state generally is peaceful and I want to reassure you that we will do what we have to do if there are areas we need to improve on.

“Asaba is the place to be for this kind of championship; we have the crowd to cheer the teams, receptive people and friendly environment.

“As a state government, we will do everything that we can within our reach, to ensure that we have a successful event,” the governor said.

Earlier, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, had said that the FIFA team was impressed with the facilities they met on ground at the stadium and commended Okowa’s administration for its commitment to sports development, especially, football.

He disclosed that the team would meet and appraise its findings for necessary observations and approvals to be made.  Asaba, Uyo, Lagos and Benin City were the cities scheduled for the FIFA delegation to inspect facilities for the 2020 world female fooball fiesta.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]xport quality yellow garri, the pilot product of the Delta State Government’s Foods Export Initiative has hit grocery shops in the United Kingdom.

This is another significant milestone achievement in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s determination to develop the agricultural value chain and to diversify the economy towards a stronger Delta.

The cassava product packaged in 2kg and 10kg bags was produced under the utmost hygiene to meet international export standard by the project committee on Delta Foods Export Initiative, chaired by Prof Eric Eboh, the Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer.

Speaking on behalf of the project implementation committee, Prof Eric Eboh, stated that the Delta Foods Export Initiative is a market-oriented agricultural value chain development intervention, with garri as its pilot product.

According to him, the central goal was not only to create a sustainable assured market for Delta State agricultural products based on fair prices and to breach the gap between farmers and processors, but to create jobs and wealth towards building a stronger Delta.

He said the export quality yellow garri meets all the required international standards of food quality, particularly, the limits to moisture content, hydrogen cyanide and crude fibre as well as being free from microbial contaminants and extraneous materials and organoleptic properties of colour, taste and odour.

Accordingly, the Delta Foods Export Initiative has secured product trademark registration of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments and quality certification by the National Food and Drugs Administration Council (NAFDAC).

It could be recalled that the 2kg and 10kg high quality packaged Delta Yellow Garri was launched by the State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on the 24th of January, 2019 in Asaba.

By : Emeji Noble