[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa who blatantly told Deltans that his administration would not continue the controversial Independent Power Project, IPP, Oghara, considering the huge sum of money the project has gulped, has finally made a U-turn on the project, just as he has set up committee to come up with a viable means of executing the project. It was alleged that the Oghara Independent Power Project has turned to be a financial scam ritual and it is our duty to let Deltans know the Billions of naira of tax payers our government has invested so far and Gov. Okowa wants to continue with this project scam called Oghara IPP Gate  “Deltans, our mugu don do”

Details on this ritual project will be exposed soonest .

Grassroots Publishers

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]T was a horrifying scene yesterday afternoon in Port Harcourt, as policemen attached to Governor Nyesom Wike and that of the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, clashed.

Amaechi’s escort details were, however, unlucky during the 3p.m. attack, as one of them, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu, was battered, with blood on his face, while the AK-47 rifle of Sgt. Princewill Ubaji was snatched, while being forcibly disarmed, with the rifle taken away by the Rivers governor’s convoy.

Wike, through his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, in his reaction, however, claimed that personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) and soldiers attached to the minister of transportation attacked his convoy, while allegedly attempting to assassinate him.

But Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Media Office in a statement yesterday said, “In a blatant show of naked raw power, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi this (yesterday) afternoon narrowly escaped being shot by security men attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.  His car wasn’t that lucky though. The car was vandalized with a broken side mirror.”

Report of the sad incident was immediately lodged at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Rivers Police Command, headed by Zaki Ahmed, while Ubaji’s rifle had not been recovered, with Ewelu and other injured policemen still receiving treatment in undisclosed hospitals in Port Harcourt, as at press time.

It was exclusively gathered yesterday evening in Port Harcourt through a top security source, who would not want to be named, that the unfortunate incident heightened tension in the area, with passersby, motorists, other road users and persons in the neighbourhood scampering to safety, to avoid being hit by stray bullets in the confusion.

The security source said: “Today, November 11, 2017 (yesterday) at 3 p.m., the Transportation Minister, who was driving from the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, in company with police escorts, got his convoy intercepted by the Rivers governor (Wike) at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout by Nkpogu in Port Harcourt. The security details managed to ferry  Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to safety, after which the Rivers governor led his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Promise Wosu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), and about ten mobile policemen, to attack his predecessor/benefactor’s convoy.

“The Rivers governor and his troops physically assaulted by slapping and bruising the policemen, especially Inspector Johnson Imonikhe, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu and Sgt. Princewill Ubaji, attached to the transportation minister and the governor made away with the AK-47 rifle of Sgt. Princewill Ubaji, one of the policemen attached to the transportation minister.

“The AK-47 rifle was forcibly taken away personally by Governor Wike, who was accompanied by his CSO. The policeman with blood on his face, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu, was hit with an iron by Wosu (Wike’s CSO), in the presence of the Rivers State governor. “The snatched AK-47 rifle is still in the custody of the Rivers governor’s team and the incident has been referred to State CID (SCID) for investigation.”

When contacted for his reaction through the telephone yesterday evening, the Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), stated that he would find out the details, asking our reporter to call back in ten minutes, but when contacted twice, after thirty minutes, he did not picked the calls, and he had not returned the call, as at press time.

Nwakaudu in a statement said: “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Saturday escaped assassination, as Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the motorcade of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, attacked his convoy.

“The governor, who was on project inspection, was attacked at Nwanja Junction on Trans-Amadi Road. The SARs personnel and soldiers in the minister’s convoy hit down the governor’s escort rider and attacked the policemen in the pilot car. Mr Debewari, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the minister of transportation, supervised the attack, which included damage of cameras held by journalists.

“Also part of the attack was the Commander of F-SARS in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede (a Chief Superintendent of Police), who received the minister of transportation at the Port Harcourt International Airport and accompanied him on his trip.” He added that after the attack the governor continued with his inspection of projects, adding that Wike was not harmed.

The minister’s media office said the incident which occurred along Trans-Amadi Road, Nwaja axis involved cars of many of Amaechi’s  supporters while the Minister’s black jeep was intercepted and blocked at the junction by the security motorcycle outrider attached to Wike after two cars had passed through.

The statement added, “One of the two cars had security men assigned to protect the minister in Port Harcourt.  Suddenly, gun-toting security men attached to Wike’s convoy surrounded the Minister’s car, threatening to shoot him. They hit the car, tried to smash the windscreens, back and side windows and broke a side mirror. All through this attack, Amaechi remained calm, inside the fortified Jeep.  While the attack occurred, Wike remained inside his vehicle.”

It added that the minister eventually passed through after the intervention of the security team on ground to protect him in Port Harcourt. It continued, “However, when Governor Wike got to the point where the incident occurred after Amaechi’s vehicle had gone by, his security men blocked the road again, dragged out from a vehicle and thoroughly beat up a police man attached to protect Amaechi in Port Harcourt.  The Policeman’s riffle was also taken from him.”

The Amaechi media office added that Wike came out of his car, and with his security team went from one vehicle to another of Amaechi’s supporters charging at them, harassing and abusing them. It alleged that Wike’s security men were heard loudly insulting Amaechi and calling him derogative names.

In the meantime, Ikwerre youths have condemned what they called the attack on Amaechi and the policemen in his convoy.

The Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) International from the four Rivers Local Government Areas of Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Emohua, described the attack as very unfortunate and least expected.

Amaechi and Wike are both Ikwerre. The transportation minister hails from Ubima in Ikwerre LGA, while the Rivers governor is an indigene of Rumueprikom in Obio/Akpor council.

IYM, through its President-General, Azubuike Nwanjoku, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, representing Ikwerre constituency, in an online statement by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Dike Bekwele, declared that Wike’s action was suicidal and detrimental to the already-charged environment being witnessed in the state and insecurity in Rivers in recent times.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Delta State Government has intervened in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of eight Federal roads of 149.01 kilometres and 25.11 kilometres of drain in different parts of the state.  Speaking to Journalists during the recent inspection of ongoing road projects in the state, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, said that the decision of the government was to safe guard the life and property of Deltans.

Mr. Ukah, who was accompanied by his Works counterpart, Chief James Augoye, emphasized that works on the roads are not in any way affecting the progress of work on the state roads currently going on in various parts of the state. He listed the federal roads to include rehabilitation of Adeola Road/New Ogorode Road Junction (0.30 km) in Sapele, rehabilitation of failed sections of Agbor/Abavo/Umutu/Eku Road from College of Education junction, Agbor, to Eku junction  (74.80 km), rehabilitation of Warri -Sapele Expressway at Ch 6 + 500 and at Ch 1 +100 from Effurun Roundabout (0.41 km) and widening of Warri/Sapele Road, Phase 1, from Effurun Roundabout to Enerhen Junction (5.20 km).

According to Mr. Ukah, others are Dualization of Sapele Road from Amukpe Roundabout by Sapele/Warri Expressway to AT and P Roundabout, Sapele, (7.50 km), Dualization of old Lagos-Asaba road from Emuhu junction to Agbor-Obi junction, (9.40 km), Dualization of Ughelli-Asaba Road (Section A), (48.00 km) and the reconstruction of Ubeji Access Road from NPA Road interchange to Trans-Warri junction, Ubeji, (3.40 km).

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]hanaeze-Ndigbo said the election must hold, pointing out that those calling for the boycott were enemies of the people. IPOB members on solidarity march The police also had strong words for IPOB, saying it had no authority to issue any statement as it remained proscribed. The position of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that those hoping to vote in next Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State will die was yesterday dismissed by the Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze – Ndigbo.

On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would go ahead with the poll. Political parties preparing to participate in the election brushed aside the IPOB call as they intensified their campaigns in different parts of the state. Some members of the proscribed group campaigning for the separation of the Igbo from Nigeria had marched through some streets of Onitsha, on Friday, insisting that no election would hold in the South-East beginning with the Anambra election”, They waved IPOB flags and distributed leaflets to warn residents against participating in the Saturday election.

The group members asked voters to stay indoors on the day of the election. The Chairman of Ohanaeze – Ndigbo in Anambra State, Chief Okeke Ogene, in a response to the threat, yesterday, said those calling for the boycott of the election in the state were enemies of the people. “ Anambra people have agreed that there will be election in the state. If there is any group saying there won’t be election, we want to put it to that group that the election must hold,,”Okeke Ogene said. “Anybody insisting that there won’t be election in Anambra State is an enemy of the people. If such a group succeeds in creating confusion here, it will only be preparing a fertile ground for our enemies to penetrate our territory. And if such a thing happens, the next likely thing to happen is a state of emergency, which will not be in the interest of our people.” The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, on his part, warned that anybody operating as a member of IPOB was testing the might of the law, reminding the people that the governors of the South-East had proscribed the group.

The CP said:”IPOB is a proscribed organization and I had earlier warned the people of Anambra State to desist from associating with the organization and its activities. By circulating leaflets and directing people not to come out for the Anambra governorship election, these people want to sabotage the Federal Government’s efforts to maintain peace in the country. “INEC and the security agencies have been preparing for a successful election on November 18, but this illegal group is determined to continue to cause confusion in the country. Only last week, the police in Onitsha arrested two persons, Elochukwu Okolosi and Udeagha Ebubechukwu, at the printing press where they were allegedly working on IPOB documents meant for circulation. “We wish to urge Anambra people to ignore these saboteurs by coming out to vote as the police is ready to provide adequate security during the election. The two persons will face the consequences of their action because they do not mean well for the people of Anambra State,” the CP said. Umar also urged the people of the state to assist the police in tracking those whose objective was to scuttle the governorship election. INEC assured, yesterday, that the Anambra will go on as scheduled. Speaking with newsmen  in Abuja, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the law is clear on situations that could warrant the postponement of an election, saying once a date has been fixed for an election, the exercise must go on as scheduled. “Yes, INEC is going ahead with the Anambra governorship election. Once a date has been fixed for an election, the law is very clear on the conditions for shifting the date. So, INEC cannot just shift the date unless the conditions stipulated in the law play out, for example, if there is a major natural disaster like massive flooding”, he said. The spokesperson, however, urged aggrieved groups in Anambra to refrain from any activity that could jeopardise the electoral progress of the state. Though officials of political parties warming up to participate in the election declined to comment on the IPOB threat, yesterday, their body language indicated that it was a non-issue.

While some of the governorship candidates were in some radio stations selling their programmes, some communities hosted some of the candidates and attendance at the rallies was heavy. For instance, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, had a political gathering at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, Awka, while the All Progressives Congress, APC, held a mega rally at Alor, the home town of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also had programmes in Awka and Onitsha. Meanwhile, President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, said it would be unfortunate if outsiders were making plans to scuttle the Anambra State governorship election. Ikedife told newsmen , last night, that it was the right of a people to choose who would rule them, adding that the continued threat by IPOB was becoming worrisome. He explained that it was obvious that most Anambra people want to participate in the election, adding that there were strong indications that all the people causing the trouble in the state were not from Anambra State.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] one time member of the National Assembly, Prince Chinedu Mumir Nwoko, has declared that he will defeat incumbent Senator Peter Nwaoboshi to represent the good people of Delta North Senatorial District under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come 2019.
Nwoko stated this when addressing members of Delta Online Publishers Forum, DOPF on Sunday, November 12, 2017, in his Country home in Idumeje-Ugboko.The astute politician and philanthropist, said that his intention to contest is to provide the people of Delta North a capacity representation, as the area presently lacks proper representation.
Prince Nwoko said that he will provide the needed capacity to develop the senatorial district and the entire state.According to him, the state, and the Delta North especially had suffered because of the lack of capacity representation.

Ned Nwoko, as he popularly known, said that just as no one is presently given him the chance, so also people never gave president Buhari and his friends the chance, as it was done to Donald Trump in America.The politician who said he was the architect of the Paris Refund, and had during his time in the house donated his allowances for four years to the welfare of others, said as the election is fast approaching, and like any other politician he is working out the winning strategies to first get the party nomination, when the time comes, which he said is to pick the form, and work on the delegates.

“I am contesting for the senate to represent Delta North, and no one can say there is no Vacancy, there is vacancy for other possible aspirants”, he said.The man, who many for weeks had been speculating may be pitching his tent with the opposition, All Progress Congress, APC, said that he will be running under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as he never had the intention to represent his people under any other political platform.

“I will be contesting the senate under the no other party, but the Peoples Democratic Party”.He appealed to party members from the district that when the lid is opened for election process to begin they should make the right choice. Prince Nwoko, who is very confidence that if the right thing is done said he is a fighter of good things, and he is ready to fight for the state, and the people of Delta North, as he confidently said, adding, “I will be your Senator, come 2019”.

Also speaking on the controversy on the palliative measures to mitigate the pains of travellers who use the Onitcha Ugbo –Idumuje-Ugboko road that take travellers to the northern part of the country from Delta, the East and South South, said that there is a working relationship between the two, to ensure that that road is fixed.According to him, what they had been able to do is to approach the managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to take over the road repair of about 2km distance.

Prince Nwoko pointed that though the commission could not carry out the work in their 2017 budget, they had promise to ensure the 2018 budget will reflect the road project. But to ensure that the pains of users of the road is arrested, they had approached a well know Construction Company in the state, ULO to fix the road, which will begin soon.He pointed though, that for them to get the consent of the company to work on the road, they have to sign an agreement to pursue the payment of the project with NDDC, and if that fails they will take care of the payment.

“We have to approach ULO to repair the bad portion of the road, we have to sign an indemnity agreement to ensure the money will be paid by the commission in the 2018 budget, but if it fails we have to bear the cost.”He however used the occasion to clear the air between him and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Ibe Kachukwu, saying that he was not in any fight with the minister.

While congratulating the members of the Forum for a successful inauguration, and apologising for his absence because of other engagements outside the country assured them of good working relationship, and pleaded that they be focused and report issues in objectively, either politically or otherwise.