[dropcap]S[/dropcap]enator Peter Nwaoboshi, has lauded the good people of Ibusa and Oshimili North local government Area, for turning out enmase to vote for candidates of their choice in the Saturday’s local government election.This was even as he described the conduct of the elections in Delta as very peaceful and commendable.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi on Saturday said the era of conducting elections that are not credible were over in the country, saying Delta State government had put measures in place to ensure that the Local Government election held on Saturday in the state was peaceful, free and fair. The Senator, who spoke shortly after casting his vote in the local government elections at his polling unit at Isieke in Ibusa pointed out that it was only through such credible electoral process that Nigeria can make meaningful progress and deepen its democratic values.Senator Peter Nwaoboshi who arrived at his polling unit by 12:00 am and casted his vote at exactly 12:45am, urged Deltans to come out en-masse and vote for credible candidates.

He said adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure that voters cast their votes in a peaceful atmosphere and also forestall any breakdown of law and order, saying that what was left was for people to come out and perform their civic responsibility. “So far so good, from the reports I have received from all the other parts of Delta State, we are pleased with what is going on. Voting has commenced in every part of Delta; the whole thing has been very peaceful thus far and I believe strongly that it would be peaceful throughout. “We have done so much to ensure that the security is good and so I just urge people to come out and exercise their franchise. What is important to us is to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

Senator Nwaoboshi appreciated the voters for the large turnout, saying such civil obligation would go a long way to bring development to the grassroots.
He was particularly impressed by the peaceful atmosphere under which the election was conducted.

Source : Ike Abiagom

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network(GNPN) has commended the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DESIEC) for organizing peaceful Local Government Elections in Delta State, in spite of attempt to derail the exercise.

Speaking after monitoring the elections in Ibusa , the National President of GNPN, Dr Dan Awana, told journalists that he and his colleagues were pleased with the conduct of the elections, applauding Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for providing an enabling environment, which he said gave the electorate the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

Dr Awana explained that despite complaints by the opposition over alleged late arrival of election materials, which his team’s observations from the polling units visited showed that the exercise was successful, peaceful and in accordance with the commission’s guidelines.

“We are so glad for the peaceful conduct of this Local Government Elections in Delta State and we thank the governor for this feat, at least the people are voting and the process is ongoing and we will continue our independent monitoring to enable us give a comprehensive report,” the GNPN President said.

The DESIEC had organized Local Government elections across the 25 Local Government Areas and electoral wards in the state to elect those who will be at the helm of the council areas as chairmen and councilors.

The results of the elections are being awaited.

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ov Nyesom Wike of Rivers said on Friday that there was an orchestrated plan to create the impression that Rivers was not safe through the promotion of targeted cult-related killings.  Wike made the allegation when the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (Rtd) paid him a courtesy call in Port Harcourt.

The governor said that the state government was ready to partner with the Federal Government to tackle the security challenges in the state. He stated that the security agencies in the state had knowledge of the cult kingpins terrorizing flashpoints in the state.

“The security agencies have the profiles of all cult kingpins in different parts of the state and they know their locations, there is no wisdom in the politicization of security. “Insecurity can affect anybody, you can never know the next victim of insecurity,’’ the governor stated.

Wike called on the security agencies and the Federal Government to deploy personnel to cult flashpoints in the state to stop repeated attacks by cultists.

“In every system, the security agencies know the flashpoints, here we requested for the strengthening of security around these flashpoints, especially areas with high prevalence of cultists.

“I expect that security would be beefed up in these places, I ask this question, Is there an orchestrated plan to tag Rivers State unsafe?

“Is the situation above the security agencies, despite the information we have made available to them?” the governor asked.

He accused oil multinationals for the escalation of cultism in some communities, adding that the multinationals had encouraged cultism through the award of surveillance contracts to cultists.

Wike lamented that having been funded by multinationals, cultists were able to purchase sophisticated weapons with which they caused mayhem on communities and law-abiding citizens.

He disclosed that the State Government had made several requests to the Inspector-General of Police to deploy special squads to tackle cultism and kidnapping in Rivers.

The governor stated that the Inspector-General of Police had failed to deploy special squads to the state, despite several requests by the State government.

“The peculiar nature of Rivers State requires peculiar intervention, before now, I have been shouting that we need support to fight crime, I have made this complaint severally,” he said.

Wike berated politicians who had wanted to adopt cult-related killings to play politics by making false allegations against the state.

Earlier, the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Danbazzau noted that he was in the State at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari to assess the security situation.

The Minister on behalf of the President condoled the government and the people of the State over the killings at Omoku.“Rivers State is important to the country, particularly when it comes to the issue of the nation’s economy.

“It is very important that the Federal Government collaborates with the state to see how any security gap can be closed for adequate protection of lives and property, ” the Minister added.

…Seeking Cover For His Fraudulent Tendencies

The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State Chapter, has been drawn to the vociferous attacks on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, by a one time Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei.

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have dignified him with any response, but in the interest of the general public who may have taken him seriously as someone who has enjoyed the priviledge of serving as a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, this statement becomes, appropriate and inevitable.

1. In setting the records straight, it is important to state that, Hon Ochei is obviously suffering from the effects of multiple electoral defeats, ocassioned by his ill-fated gubernatorial ambition which he lost woefully at the PDP Primaries. Because of his desperation for power, he left the PDP and pitched tent with the Accord Party where he failed again to win the Delta North Senatorial District Seat.

2. We had assumed that, three years after these defeats, Hon Ochei would have recovered from his electoral misfortune, but his recent rantings have shown that he has not learnt any political lessons from his defeats.

3. In denigrating Governor Okowa’s well chronicled and verifyable achievements, Hon. Ochei exposed his double standards, when he exonerated the APC led federal Government from abysmal performance ocassioned by the fall in crude oil prices.

Hon. Ochei forgot the fact that if a fall in oil prices could affect the APC’s performance at the Federal level, it could also limit the performance of any other tier of government, since crude oil accounts form the major chunk of government revenue.

Let us also place on record that during the attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers on oil installation in the Niger Delta region, Delta State was worst hit and for upwards of 16 months, crude oil was not exported from our Forcadoes Terminal, yet Governor Okowa recorded appreciable milestones in the initiation and rebuilding of critical infrastructure across the length and breadth of Delta state.

4. Hon. Ochei forgot the fact that the massive empowerment of Deltans to become job and wealth creators rather than job seekers, is a star project that has attracted the attention of even Governors of his new found political party, APC and even the endorsement of very Credible international bodies.

5. Despite all the challenges encountered, the Okowa led administration has embarked on the construction of 149 roads that span about 764.39 kilometres and over 225.59 kilometres of drains across the three senatorial districts of the state and commissioned over 95 per cent projects, despite the economic recession which Ochei’s party, the APC, inflicted on the country.

ALSO READ: Okowa’s Performance Is Abysmal, Worst Administration So Far—Ochei

6. Hon. Ochei lacks the moral pedigree to speak on corruption as it is an open secret that his defection to the APC was to seek cover for his corrupt tendencies. Hon. Ochei should tell the world the source of his wealth as a billionaire that he still flaunts till date.

He talked about star projects, perhaps he needs to explain to the world the role he played in scuttling the Independent Power Plant Project, IPP, at Oghara and the Asaba Township Stadium project, awarded to his companies.

7. We also read with hilarious disposition, how he boasted of what he intends to do when he becomes a Governor. Perhaps he needs to tell the world what he did as Speaker to ensure the completion of work on the Okpanam road which houses the legislative quarters where he held sway for many years as a Speaker and member of the House of Assembly.

8. Perhaps again, Victor Ochei doesn’t know that the Dualization of Cable Point Road and Streetlights completed by Governor Okowa and recently commissioned by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is a star project to the people living in Asaba and the cable point axis.

9. Hon. Ochei should also account for his twelve years in the House of Assembly and tell the people of Aniocha North Local Government Area, the projects he attracted to his constituency when he represented them. In the last two years and seven months alone, Governor Okowa has completed the construction and rehabilitation of several roads and schools including the Issele-Uku township roads, Issele-Uku/Onicha-Ugbo Road, Issele-Uku/Issele-Mkpitime/Olona Road, Idumogo/Obomkpa/ Ukwu-Nzu Road, rehabilitation and upgrade of facilities at Issele-Uku Technical College, Issele-Uku and other school projects executed in his local government area.

10. On the local government council elections, the PDP has campaigned throughout the local government areas and wards in the State, Hon. Ochie is yet to come from his Abuja abode to campaign for his party’s candidates yet he expects to win election from Abuja without campaigning to the people.

11. We therefore call on Deltans to ignore the rantings of Victor Ochei as the PDP and Governor Okowa are committed to the overall development of the Delta State.

God Bless Delta State.

Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza
State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Delta State.
January 4, 2018.