Home Blog Page 214

Buhari Lauds Re-Election Of Rev. Samson Ayokunle As CAN President

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Buhari Lauds Re-Election Of Rev. Samson Ayokunle As CAN President
CAN President, Dr. Samson Supo-Ayokunle

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle on his re-election as President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The President commended church leaders and Christendom in general for the successful election, even as he gave assurance to CAN that his government will continue to strengthen the cordial relationship that has existed, especially in tackling the challenges facing Nigeria.

He recalled his meetings with Rev. Ayokunle, who is also the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, and expressed his belief that the cleric’s maturity, humility and wise counsels to governments will go a long way in healing and putting the country on the right track for development.

President Buhari prayed to God to grant the leadership of CAN more wisdom and strength in running the affairs of the association.

Meanwhile, the World Bishops’ Council (WBC), Africa has advised the new CAN President to work with all stakeholders in securing all Christians in the country.

In a statement issued today, June 18, the WBC Directorate of Information further advised Johnson Ayokunle to ensure that there is peace, unity and harmony among the five blocks that formed CAN.

“By securing your reelection, it shows that your leadership fared well during your first term in spite of several controversies ranging from allegations of financial impropriety, bickering with Christian elders and politicization of CAN among others.

“We urge you to put all these negative issues behind you, focus your attention on how to expand and defend the Christian community in Nigeria, put up good programmes that will uplift the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and above all settle all matters with individuals and groups who differed from your views.

“It is certain that these are trying periods for Christians in Nigeria but be assured of the support of WBC, World Federation of Churches (WFC) and World Clergies Congress (WCC) at all time.”

Compt. Uba lauds CGC Ali on Nigeria- Benin trade connectivity

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Compt. Uba lauds CGC Ali on Nigeria- Benin trade connectivity
Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba
CAC, Seme Customs Command

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Customs Area Controller, CAC, Seme Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Comptroller Mohammed Uba has commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Ali Hameed on the successful sensitisation programme carried out on inter-connectivity of trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic.

Giving his assessment of the programme just concluded at the Joint Border Post, JBP, Comptroller Uba, said CGC Ali is focused in re-positioning the Service to enhance economic growth through trade facilitation within Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

He said, “You witnessed how the sensitisation exercise was successfully carried out and the deliberations made by delegates from Nigeria and Benin Republic. This is a good initiative and a strategic plan to promote trade facilitation and more revenue generation for both countries.”

Comptroller Uba went on, “I sincerely commend the Federal Government of Nigeria,  CGC Ali  and Benin Republic for this laudable achievement. “This new platform will enhance greater economic prosperity for both countries now and in the long-run. All of us at Seme Customs are going to work hard and in line with the new directive to ensure full compliance at all times”.

Comptroller Uba also commended the Customs authority of Benin Republic for its effort and tremendous support in making the sensitisation programme a huge success.

Also speaking during the stakeholders sensitisation workshop at the JBP, Seme,  CGC Ali, represented by Assistant Comptroller- General of Customs in charge of ICT, ACG Benjamin Aber, explained that the new initiative will bring about integration  of importers and exporters declarations at  border stations to fast track trade processes.

According to him, the new platform will curtail revenue leakages in the system and it is part of ECOWAS mandates to ensure trade facilitation within the sub-region.

ACG Aber further explained that declarations for imports within Nigeria and Benin Republic will be distributed and shared electronically to both units of Customs.

He enthused, “We can assure you on the efficiency of the system because it will be well protected from any form of hacking and disruption”.

In the same vein, the Director General, Benin Republic Customs, Sacca Boco Innousa Charles stressed that the initiative will reduce smuggling and facilitate trade within the two countries.

He revealed that the plan to achieve the new trade platform started about 15 years back when leaders of both countries initiated the inter connectivity system.

He pointed out, “The new initiative is a model that will draw attention to Krake/Seme borders. This will also serve as example for other Customs administrations to replicate in other countries.

“This new mechanism is a fall out of previous meetings between the Nigerian President and Benin Republic. Our Presidents held a meeting 15years ago in Badagry,  I was there and today the efforts of both countries is about yielding positive results.”

Secondary School teacher involved in a Examination Malpractice in Lagos

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Secondary School teacher involved in a Examination Malpractice in Lagos

[dropcap]A [/dropcap]teacher identified as Oluwaseun Adegoke, who allegedly sent West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) answer booklet on the internet to a student, on Monday appeared in Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

It was Learnt that the teacher scanned a WAEC answer booklet of a student while the examination was still on and sent it on Whatsapp to assist some students.

Inspector Innocent Odugbo(The prosecutor), told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 17 at a private school in Agege, Lagos. Odugbo said that WAEC got information that the answer booklet of a student was on the internet.

“On getting to trace the school, it was discovered that the defendant posted it. “The case was reported and the defendant was arrested,” the prosecutor said.

Following his plea of not guilty, Magistrate Mrs Emeka Opara, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Opara ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidences of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government(LASG).

She adjourned the case until June 26

Nigeria Customs generates N5.5BN Revenue daily– CGC Ali

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Nigeria Customs generates N5.5BN Revenue daily– CGC Ali
Col. Hameed Ali (rtd)

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said on Thursday in Lagos that, its revenue generation has increased to the region of N5.5 billion daily. The Comptroller-General (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) made this known during a working visit to the headquarters of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Lagos.The CGC, who was represented at the event by the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) and Customs Coordinator in-charge of Zone A, Mr Kaycee Ekekezie, said that the feat was made possible as a result of the automation of customs operations at the ports.

According to the customs boss, the increase in revenue generation has helped in the prompt payment of salaries of workers of the NCS and made the organisation a critical contributor to the nation’s treasury in terms of revenue generation.

“The automation of the customs system at ports and borders has made it easy for the service to block revenue leakages and meet targets.
.
“The system has made transaction in ports user friendly while eliminating human contact and its attendant frictions in the cargo transaction business,’’ Ali said.

The customs helmsman, who charged the freight forwarders on trade compliance, said that sincere declaration and truthful documentation would aid both the customs and the forwarders to achieve a common goal of trade facilitation devoid of cargo delays.

The NAGAFF Founder, Dr Boniface Aniebona, who hosted the occasion in his remarks at the event, asked port users to help the NCS by adhering to trade compliance. He said that such drive would foster good relationship with the customs personnel.

Aniebona aid that as an association they would begin the sanitation from within, by exposing and sanctioning erring members in order to maintain the good relationship with the customs.

Shocking: Obasanjo one of the architects of June 12 annulment

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Shocking: Obasanjo one of the architects of June 12 annulment

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]KO Abiola’s running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe has sensationally revealed that former president Olusegun Obasanjo, was a party to the annulment of June 12 election, Nigeria’s freest and fairest election. It was the first time that the former president would be frontally accused about the cancelled election by the Babangida administration on June 23, 1993.

Kingibe, who later became Secretary to the Government of the Federation said Obasanjo was one of the architects of the annulment during an interview on NTA Wednesday night. Although he did not give details of the roles Obasanjo played to annul the presidential poll, it was on record that Obasanjo once said in 1993, that Abiola was not the Messiah Nigeria needed.

Ambassador Babagana Kingibe: accuses Obasanjo on June 12

Kingibe recalled that Obasanjo attempted to convene a meeting of statesmen to address the aftermath of the June 12 crisis, President Muhammadu Buhari only attended the inaugural meeting and stopped because of the direction of the session.

Kingibe said Buhari’s position was very clear over the years that the annulment was unjustified. He, however, parried questions on whether or not he betrayed the late Abiola, who died in his bid to reclaim his mandate.

He said the celebration of June 12 as a Democracy Day should not be an occasion for recriminations or for talking on who betrayed who and who abandoned what.

He justified why Buhari opted to honour Abiola.

“In the aftermath of the annulment, one of the architects of the annulment, former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to get some elder statesmen (former presidents and so on); I think at the African Leadership Forum to see how the aftermath of the annulment could be addressed or to see how the problems arising from the annulment could be addressed.

“And I think President Muhammadu Buhari did attend the meeting once, the inaugural meeting. I understood that when he (Buhari) saw the direction of the meeting, he decided not to attend again.

“Every time the issue of the annulment came up over the years, his position was very clear; it was very firm that the election was free, fair and there was a clear winner. And that the annulment was unjustified.

“So, having had the opportunity, perhaps, to right the wrong, I won’t be surprised he did so because it is in his character to try and do justice, however, belated and under whatever the circumstances.”

Asked if he was surprised by the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day, Kingibe said: “In a way, yes. I was surprised more by the timing of it than that it happened.

“I was actually on lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia when the announcement was made. I was not surprised that it was made because I knew President Buhari felt strongly about June 12.”

He paid glowing tributes to Abiola for being the arrowhead of the campaign for the actualisation of the June 12, 1993 mandate.

“You know, June 12 was the creation of all Nigerians. All Nigerians were the architects of June 12.

“The facts of June 12, the elections that took place on that day, were unique. We have held many elections but the elections of June 12 were unique.

“The annulment of the elections was unique in the life of all Nigerians and being unique and novel, I think everybody reacted accordingly to their understanding of what reaction was required.
*Originally reported by The Nation

DELTA NURTW CONGRATULATES OMO-AGEGE, SAYS ELEVATION IS GOD AT WORK

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
DELTA NURTW CONGRATULATES OMO-AGEGE, SAYS ELEVATION IS GOD AT WORK
Comrade (Chief) Ifeanyi Obi, Delta State Chairman & Comrade Anthony Okocha

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW)Delta State chapter, has described the election of the Senator representing Delta Central, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as a divine manifestation of the will of God in the affairs of men. The NURTW, in a statement issued in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said that God had ways of confounding the wisdom of men’s calculations and expectations, saying that the elevation of Omo-Agege in the face of suffocating opposition to a senator and now the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a demonstration of the will of God at work.

In the statement endorsed by the Delta Chairman,Chief ( Comrade ) Ifeanyi Obi , the union admonished Nigerians to take a cue from Omo-Agege’s elevation and remain steadfast in believing the Lord for a greater, prosperous and united Nigeria, adding that nothing was too difficult for God to turnaround.

While congratulating Senator Omo-Agege on his elevation, the union stated that the victory represented a solid voice for the people of Delta Central and Delta State in particular and the South-South geopolitical zone in general.

The union called on Senator Omo-Agege to use his new office to institutionalized legislations that would advance developmental efforts and deepen democratic experience in the country. The council wished Senator Omo-Agege a successful tenure as Deputy Senate President and expressed the belief that he would bring pride and progress to his district, state and zone at the end.

 

Powered by: Comrade Anthony Okocha a.k.a . Ezendigbo

 

Obasanjo had the opportunity to right the wrongs of June 12, but he blew it

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Obasanjo had the opportunity to right the wrongs of June 12, but he blew it

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerians are furious that Obasanjo who rode to power on the waves of the June 12 annulment saga, never acknowledged the historic election and the winner, Chief MKO Abiola, at public functions throughout his tenure as Nigeria President.

THE struggle for the actualisation of June 12, 1993 presidential election started immediately the former Military President Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election won by Chief MKO Abiola and his running mate Ambassador Babagana Kingibe. Following the advent of the Fourth Republic and the election of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, Nigerians were optimistic that recognition would be given to June 12 as the authentic ‘Democracy Day’. That didn’t happen. Obasanjo who came to power on the crest waves of the June 12 annulment saga disdained the symbolic date and questioned its relevance of the date in the polity of the nation.

Obasanjo ruled for eight years, but he never acknowledged the role Abiola and June 12 played in his emergence as a democratically-elected president. Abiola sacrificed his life for democracy to thrive in Nigeria, but that did not mean anything to Obasanjo who chose May 29 as ‘Democracy Day’ against the popular demand that it should be June 12.

At the peak of the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12, 1993 elections, Obasanjo told the world that the acclaimed winner of that election, MKO Abiola was not the messiah that Nigeria needed. The comment was a reflection of Obasanjo’s perception of himself as the country’s ultimate saviour.

Afenifere chieftain, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, berated Obasanjo for saying Abiola was not the messiah Nigeria needed.  He asked: “Is Obasanjo the messiah now? He is not the messiah we are looking up to. As far as I am concerned, Obasanjo has become a spent force. He wants to be recognised as the one directing the affairs of the nation at every stage from the time he was military Head of State, civilian president, through the late President Umaru Yar’Adua time to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s period. He has the feeling that he knows it all.

“We should be careful about Obasanjo. I have my reservations about him. Yoruba must come together but not behind Obasanjo. Obasanjo can’t lead us. I can’t recognise any invitation from Obasanjo.

“The honour that was conferred on Abiola by President Buhari should have been done by Obasanjo. He didn’t do it. We thank President Buhari  for doing this. We should support him and not Obasanjo’s agenda. Obasanjo should go into retirement. He only wants to be seen and heard.”

The spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr Joe Igbokwe, said: “Obasanjo did what he did apparently to mock and get at the late Abiola and the family he left behind. He did not want the name of Chief MKO Abiola to be remembered or to be associated with anything he is doing. He pretended as if June 12 never existed. He must have reasoned that he got to power in 1999 through his personal efforts.

“But Obasanjo was being economical with the truth. Without June 12 there would not have been 1999. For eight years that Obasanjo was in power he deliberately pretended that June 12, 1993 never existed. At public functions, he never for one day mentioned Chief MKO Abiola or acknowledged the obvious and painful truth that it was Chief Abiola that paid the supreme price for his rise to power again.”

On his part, Senator Shehu Sani said Obasanjo’s failure to honour the late Abiola reflected the effort of the political class to suppress the sacrifice of those who went to jail and those who paid the supreme price for the democracy that Nigeria has today.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central at the just dissolved eighth Senate, said: “It is not simply about Chief MKO Abiola not being recognised by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, it is about an institutional decision of the political class who continues to suppress the role played by the free press bringing about democracy. Hardly will you see any of those that were on the streets of Lagos protesting for democracy ever being recognised with even an award of OON, which is the lowest. As they share oil blocs to themselves, share positions to themselves, so they share national honour to themselves.”

He said the June 12, 1993 presidential election that the late businessman won, but which the military junta of General Ibrahim Babagida annulled, laid the foundation for the current democratic rule in the country. Without the struggle of June 12, there could not have been democracy in Nigeria today. The change and the experience in the 2015 election was part of the seed of June 12. It was the same forces that forced the military out of power that rallied Nigerians to reject the PDP out of power.”

June12 activist, Comrade Jude Egbas knocked Obasanjo for failing to address the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election. He noted that “Obasnjo had eight years to recognise Abiola as the winner of the June 12 election and tender apology to the MKO family and Nigerians for the injustice. But his ego wouldn’t let him be great.

“Obasanjo was the military choice after the 1993 robbery of MKO and Nigerians. Obasanjo was the one the power elite settled for to placate the Southwest after the injustice done Abiola. Ironically, from 1999 to 2007, Obasanjo refused to mention Abiola’s name and refused to acknowledge the significance of June 12. Obasanjo had the opportunity to right the wrongs of June 12, but he blew it. Hopefully, someday, he will publicly tender unreserved apologies for his ignominious roles in the June 12 debacle.”

Former General Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Mr Ayo Opadokun, was sad over the inability of Obasanjo to recognise the election mandate of Abiola, believed by many to have emerged winner in the polls, adjudged to be free and fair. NADECO spearheaded the movement for the restoration of election mandate of the late politician, business mogul and philanthropist.

He said: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who the military foisted on Nigeria for eight years ignored all pleas to close the chapter of military’s disrespect to the popular will of the Nigerian people as expressed on June 12, 1993 which results have been officially announced at all the wards, local government areas, and state levels of collations confirming Abiola’s victory.”  He was disappointed that Obasanjo being a beneficiary of Abiola’s martyrdom ought to have recognised him.

The son of late MKO and Kudirat Abiola, Jamiu, disclosed that Obasanjo ignored several pleas which he made to him to honour his father. He said: “When Obasanjo was the President, I visited him several times and called him several times.  There was a time I sent him a text message when he was President telling him that people’s impression about his failure to honour Abiola was because he did not like him.”

However, Jamiu was happy that his father’s sacrifice has been recognised. “I am the happiest man because for so long I felt that my parents died for nothing because there is nothing worse than somebody making a sacrifice and the sacrifice not recognised. He said it was recognised by Nigerians but those that got power after June 12, 1993 found it convenient to sweep it under the carpet for reasons best known to them.

 

By  :Emeji Noble

 

 

Why I contested against Omo -Agege -Ekweremadu

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Why I contested against Omo -Agege -Ekweremadu

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has cleared the air on his last minute decision to put himself forward for the position again, in the 9th Senate Session, insisting that he contested to protest the brazen Senate Invasion and subsequent theft of the Mace on the same day he was presiding over plenary in the Senate Chambers.

Addressing media men after the inauguration of the 9th Senate on Tuesday, June 11, and speaking on his loss to Senator Omo-Agege for the seat of Deputy Senate President
Deputy Senate Presidency, Senator Ekweremadu said: “I didn’t contest to win. The decision to contest for Deputy Senate President was in protest of the 2018 invasion of the Senate.”

Ekweremadu, who was reelected by the people of Enugu West Senatorial zone said it was ’embarrassing’ for the Senate to have as it’s Deputy Senate President a lawmaker who led thugs to the chamber and this was what informed his decision to contest for the position.

The former Deputy Senate President, who had been sporadically heckled noisily by some antagonists, as he started protesting the Senate invasion and Mace theft, while delivering his acceptance of nomination speech, during the inauguration formalities, reiterated the point of his protest against the APC Candidate’s nomination, while addressing journalist after inauguration of the 9th Senate had been concluded, stressing that his failure to clinch the deputy senate president position again does not matter.

“I believe there must be a referendum. Look at what happened on a day I was presiding and chambers invaded. It is embarrassing that someone who led that operation will take a bow and is endorsed and we all walk home like it doesn’t matter. I wanted a situation where we could present a referendum in respect of what transpired.” he said in a clear tone.

Shedding more light on his decision, Sen. Ekweremadu said: “Early this morning, we were not minded to run for any office, we thought that our friends in APC had agreed on a consensus candidate that we can all be proud of, we don’t want a situation where we will say what happened here and you came and endorsed same person as Deputy President of the Senate.”

Senator Ekweremadu had neither indicated interest nor campaigned for the position of Deputy Senate President, until few hours to the election of principal officers at the National Assembly, when it became obvious that former governor of Abia state and Senator-Elect representing Abia North Senatorial zone, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu, had unceremoniously opted out of the race and was even reported as campaigning for the man he was supposed to be running against, having earlier raised all kinds of propaganda, including zonal marginalization of the South East, in presenting himself as the preferred alternative to Omo-Agege.

Though realizing it was late to pitch in, Ekweremadu, mindful of the political baggage his decision would attract and despite the fact that the situation on ground was totally different from the 2015 scenario, when he had also heroically stood in the gap to bridge what would have resulted in a fatal political hemorrhaging of the national Assembly, sufficiently convinced some of his colleagues on the need to have a referendum on the Senate Invasion and Mace theft.

Senators-elect Godfrey Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) and Rose Ako (Cross Rivers North), nominated and seconded him for the position and it is instructive that in losing to Omo-Agege with a 68 – 37 votes count, Senator Ekweremadu scored more votes than Senator Ali Ndume, who contested the Senate Presidency against Senator Ahmed Lawan and lost.

“We needed to exonerate ourselves. It was not a contest to win or lose, I wanted to make a statement,.” the ranking Senator said.

Assembly watchers will recall that on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, the Senate plenary Presided over by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, was disrupted after suspected thugs invaded the chamber and made away with the mace.

Senator Ekweremadu had taken the Chair in the absence of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who had been surreptitiously lured out of Chambers by a police invitation over the Offa robbery case. Speculations had been rife at that time that the Senate was going to commence impeachment proceedings against President Buhari and the police invitation had been translated in some quarters as a ploy to destabilize the Senate.

The invasion incident happened few seconds after the then suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, entered the chamber, with about 10 suspected thugs who allegedly came to the venue with the senator and forced their entrance into the chamber.

The thugs then made straight for the Mace, which is the symbol of authority of the Senate and ran out of the chamber with it causing pandemonium in the Senate and escaping into an unknown destination.

One of the security personnel at the entrance of the National Assembly said the thugs told him and other officers that they were with the senator, when they tried to stop them

The Mace was later found under an Abuja bridge towards the gateway out of the capital, by a team of police men on reconnaissance duty, thus creating the impression that the Mace thieves had headed out of town.

A National Assembly joint ad hoc committee in July 2018 recommended the suspension Omo-Agege for 180 legislative days over the theft of the Senate mace.

The committee also recommended that Omo-Agege be prosecuted for treasonable felony, assault on National Assembly members of staff, conspiracy to steal and eventual theft of the Senate Mace.

Despite being indicted by the Senate committee that investigated the incident, the APC lawmaker was not prosecuted and many had speculated that a supposed close relationship with the President had emboldened Omo-Agege to defy the Senate and continue attending plenary even when he had been suspended.

This same alleged close relationship with the President was also invoked boldly in the choice to pick him over Orji Uzor Kalu, who also reportedly enjoys some considerable affinity with President Buhari, but may have been compelled to step down from the Deputy Senate race, considering the corruption allegations over which he’s still embroiled in some serious legal battle with the EFCC.

Addressing his colleagues after his nomination and secondment, for the Deputy Senate Presidency, which had undoubtedly taken many Senators-elect and Senate watchers, including some of his own party members by surprise, and invoking echoes of 2015 in the same chamber, Ekweremadu told his colleagues not to vote for mace snatchers.

Though he did not mention any names, many knew Ekweremadu was making a veiled reference to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, his main challenger, ,as he recalled that particular day in April 2018, when he was presiding over the Senate, one of their colleagues led people to snatch the mace, the symbol of authority of the National Assembly.

He asked his colleagues not to encourage injustice and illegality and vote their conscience.

The 9th Parliamentary session of the Senate was however inaugurated without any rancour or upheaval, and Senators Ahmed Lawan and Ovie Omo-Agege, took their oaths as Senate President and Deputy President respectively, after which they administered the oath to the other members.

However, there was an uproar at the beginning of proceedings, when a decision to adopt the secret ballot system for the election of presiding officers, was met with loud protests by some Senators-elect.

The noisy protests had started after the Clerk of the Senate, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, announced that the elections would be conducted using the 2015 standing order, which favours secret ballot.

But his decision was greeted with a spontaneos outbursts by some Senators-elect who had threatened to scuttle the process, citing an Abuja High Court judgment delivered a day before (Monday) which directed that the election should be by open ballot in tandem with provisions of the 2011 standing order.

Mr. Omolori was however firm in handling the situation. “Our sole business here today is conduct the elections to usher in a new leadership for the Senate as stipulated in the constitution.. We are not here to raise motions or entertain questions, but out of respect to all of you Senators-elect, I have allowed the question and answered you.

“No more question shall be entertained and no motion shall emerge. We are following the procedure as laid down in the provisions of your own standing order. You asked if I have received any Court order on the matter and my answer is NO.

“I have not been served and none of the national Assembly staff has been served with any Court judgment and you don’t expect me act on something I have not seen.

“Once again my answer is No, I have not been served with any court. We have serious business to do here today, So I plead with you to allow us, let’s get back to what we came here to do today. Thank you. Clerk of the Senate, please commence with the process,” Mr. Omolori declared with a firm finality that brooked no further challenge, till the process ended peacefully.

Okowa Congratulates Lawan, Omo-Agege, Gbajabiamila, Wase

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Okowa Congratulates Lawan, Omo-Agege, Gbajabiamila, Wase

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]enator Ifeanyi Okowa,Governor of Delta State has congratulated the newly elected Presiding Officers and members of the 9th National Assembly on their successful inauguration.The Governor congratulated Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege on their election as President of the Senate and Deputy President of the Senate respectively.

He also congratulated Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Idris Ahmed Wase on their emergence as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In a statement in Asaba on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, Governor Okowa lauded the resilience and political sagacity of the newly elected Presiding Officers of the 9th National Assembly.Governor Okowa commended members of both chambers for their choice of leaders, noting that Nigerians are eagerly waiting for a vibrant and independent National Assembly to make good laws for the good governance, security and welfare of the people.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I congratulate you all on your emergence as leaders of the National Assembly.,
“It is my prayer and that of all Nigerians that God grant you all the knowledge and wisdom to pilot the affairs of the 9th National Assembly to the admiration and satisfaction of Nigerians.” the statement added.

Okowa Promise to develop Riverine Communities …Honoured by Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria(ACNPN)

Grassroots Newspapers Publishers Network
-
0
Okowa Promise to develop Riverine Communities …Honoured by Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria(ACNPN)

[dropcap] S[/dropcap]enator  Ifeanyi Okowa, the executive governor of Delta State  has said that his administration will give more attention to the development of coastal communities in the state. Okowa gave the promise on Thursday at a “Media Chat” in Asaba. He said that the riverside communities were strategic to the state and country in terms of generation of resources. “The riverside areas need development and special attention will be focused on the areas.

“This is so because of its importance to the nation and Delta in terms of resources generation,” he said.

The governor also said his administration would link the upland with the hinterland to boost economic development of all areas in the state.He assured the people that the Ughelli/Asaba road project awarded by his predecessor, but abandoned in some sections, would be delivered in two years.

He disclosed that plan was underway to establish 19 technical colleges to complement the existing six, explaining that vocational colleges were key to addressing unemployment challenges.On the security challenges, Okowa said that a strong statement from the Presidency would help to address the issues.

According to him, the presidency has arranged a meeting with the state governors on Friday “and I hope that the issue of insecurity will be at the front burner”.

“It is unfortunate where we have found ourselves as a nation in terms of insecurity but I hope that a strong decision from the presidency will help to address the menace.

“The security agencies have little to do but I am hopeful that at the end of Friday meeting, the president will make strong statement that will cause the security agencies to work with state governments to achieve the desired result,” he said.

Okowa, however, said that his administration would also partner with local vigilance groups to boost security across the state. In a related development, the governor has sworn in Chief Funkekeme Solomon as his Senior Political Adviser (SPA), saying the position is not for a ”neophyte”.The governor, who performed the function at the Government House, Asaba, said that Solomon remained the most qualified for the position.

He, however, charged Solomon to bring his wealth of experience to bear while ensuring fairness, equity and justice in the execution of his duties.
During the Thursday  “Media Chat” in Asaba ,Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was presented with a gift by Association Of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, Delta State Council (ACNPN)for his outstanding performance in his first tenure and urge him to do better in his second term.

The governor thanked the Association Of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, Delta State Council (ACNPN) for their support and sacrifice in the past four years and promised to partners with them in the next four years.

1...213214215...344Page 214 of 344