UGHELLI – A five man gang of suspected assassins on Wednesday night shot dead a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in cold blood at Ughelli, Delta State.
PDP
The victim, Chief Owei Brinimugha who hails from Bomadi council area of the state, was accosted by the hoodlums by Kess College junction along Iwhrekpokpor road, Ughelli at about 8:30pm.
According to eye witnesses at the scene of the incident, the gunmen shot the victim who is in his early 40s thrice on the head, chest and leg after shooting twice into the air to scare away passersby.
Giving further details on the incident, one of the witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity, hinted that four of the gunmen alighted from their car while a fifth gang member waited by the steering of their car.
The source also hinted that the hoodlums after confirming the death of their victim, made away with his Toyota car in company of their own car.
Efforts to speak with the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu was fruitless as at the time of this report.
However, a senior police officer attached to the Ughelli ‘B’ Division confirmed the incident, adding that the police is on the trail of the suspected assassins.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has found over N675.1m in the bank accounts of different Independent National Electoral Commission officials in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states.
EFCC
According to the anti-graft agency, the money was received and shared by the officials during the last governorship elections.
Our correspondents gathered that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the 2015 election in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other officials of INEC are already in EFCC custody. Khan was quizzed by the Department of State Services in July last year but was never charged.
However, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that Khan and four others were arrested on Thursday, by the zonal office of the EFCC in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The residences of all the suspects were subsequently searched and incriminating documents were said to have been recovered by the commission.
According to impeccable sources at the EFCC, Khan, who is now the REC in Cross River State, allegedly received N185.8m ahead of the March 28 and April 11, 2015 election.
A source at the EFCC, who did not want his name in print, said Khan had made confessional statements and was cooperating with the commission.
He alleged that Khan received money through a special bank account and the commission had received overwhelming evidence.
He said, “Khan was the REC in Rivers State in 2015 election before she was transferred to Cross River early this year. She was said to have received N185.8m. She has made confessional statements.”
The anti-graft agency also arrested one Edem Okon Essanga, who is a retired INEC official. Essanga was arrested alongside his alleged accomplice, Immaculata Asuquo, who is the Head, Voter Education, INEC, Akwa Ibom State.
Essanga was alleged to have received over N240m which he shared among INEC ad hoc workers during the last election.
“Essanga received N241.1m during the general election. He admitted receiving the money and confirmed sharing it with different ad hoc workers during the election. His accomplice Asuquo has also been arrested,” the source added.
The source also disclosed that the EFCC had arrested one Fidelia Omoile who was the INEC electoral officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area, Delta State.
Apart from tracing over N112m to her, the commission also recovered some sensitive electoral materials during a search of her apartments in Edo and Delta states.
“She received N112.4m during the 2015 general election. A search warrant was executed at her residences in Asaba and Benin. Sensitive materials used in the 2015 elections were recovered, including evidence of the suspicious bank transaction and land documents that will assist us in our investigations,” the source said.
The commission also arrested one Oluchi Obi Brown who was the INEC administrative secretary in Delta State. She allegedly received over N111m.
Further investigations by detectives revealed that Brown had about $75,000 in an account in the United States.
“Oluchi received N111.5m during the general election. Investigations showed that she operates a foreign account with the Bank of America. As of February this year, the account balance was $75,857, (N24, 274,240),” the source added.
The sum total of the money found in the bank accounts of the INEC officials is N675.1m.
When asked if the anti-graft agency had recovered any funds, the source said efforts were being made to recover the funds in Nigeria and abroad.
He said the commission was banking on using the confessional statements of the suspects to catch the ‘big fish.’
But the INEC has claimed ignorance of the development, saying it is not sure of the story.
The Deputy Director of Publicity and Voters Education of the commission, Mr. Nick Danzang, told our correspondent that he was unable to either confirm or deny the story.
“I’m not in town, but I have made calls. Nobody seems to know what is happening,” he said.
All attempts to get the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umana, to react to the matter proved abortive as he turned down calls from our correspondent. He did not also respond to text message sent to his phone.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Ekerette Udo, who responded to the call, declined any comment on the issue.
But the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Paul Ekpo, who responded to the call from our correspondent, said he was unaware of such development and he didn’t know either Efanga or Immaculata.
Reacting, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the investigation or arrest of Gesila Khan had nothing to do with Governor Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State Government or the state Peoples Democratic Party.
Tam-George explained that security agencies, including the EFCC, appeared to be conducting politically-targeted arrests since the beginning of the current political dispensation.
“We believe there is now a universal consensus that the security agencies, including the EFCC, appear to be conducting politically-targeted arrests since the beginning of this political dispensation.
“Mrs. Khan has particularly been viciously castigated by the All Progressives Congress for her steadfastness and incorruptible stance during the general election in Rivers State in April 2015.
“The fact that the governorship election she supervised in Rivers was ultimately validated by the Supreme Court speaks of her integrity. The world will watch closely to see if Mrs. Khan is being persecuted for her lofty principles and belief in popular democracy in Nigeria.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the Delta State Governor, Charles Aniagwu, while responding, said the government agencies should do their work diligently.
“Let the INEC (and EFCC) find out where the person got the money from. We cannot begin to talk about what we do not know anything about. I do not know about the person. We are not involved. The person accused of having N100m in his or her account should be able to explain the source of the money. We do not need to bribe people to get votes. We do not buy a crowd. We have the crowd behind us already. It is those who do not have the crowd behind them that can buy people with money. We do not buy people with money. We do not engage in bribery and corruption. The governor is a grass roots person,” Aniagwu said.
However, the Ijaw Youth Council. Worldwide has demanded the immediate release of the arrested officials, insisting that they are innocent.
Eric Omare, the group’s spokesman, said in a statement that Khan, who is also an Ijaw, was a victim of witch-hunt.
He said. “Mrs. Khan, had gone to the office of the EFCC to honour an invitation and having met with the EFCC team, they demanded for a first class traditional ruler or holder of the national honour of Commander of the Niger (CON) to stand surety to bail her. However, when the surety was made available on Thursday, the 14th of April, 2016, the EFCC at Port Harcourt claimed that they no longer knew her whereabouts.”
“This is an illegal conduct and flagrant abuse of power by the EFCC in the guise of fighting corruption. While all well-meaning Nigerians and organisations, including the IYC have over the years supported efforts at stamping out corruption from Nigeria, we insist that such a fight must be done within the ambit of the law.”
Much as activities of pipeline vandals have hampered electricity and petroleum product supply across the country, recent statement by President Muhammadu Buhari on how he plans to solve the problem might not be the best approach.
President Buhari
Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, has said Buhari’s statement is extreme; besides, it is pregnant and worrisome when seen in a historical perspective.
He noted that there has been a general criminalisation of the Niger Delta communities and this has led to the destruction of communities such as, Umuechen (1990), Odi (1999), Odioma (2005), Oporoza and others.
In Beijing for a working visit, last week, Buhari had told members of the Nigerian community: “The government is still being dared, but those who are sensible should have learnt a lesson. Those who are mad, let them continue in their madness. I am aware that in the last two weeks, the national grid collapsed a number of times. I hope this message will reach the vandals and saboteurs who are blowing up pipelines and installations. We will deal with them the way we dealt with Boko Haram.”
Having initially performed dismally in the war against Boko Haram, the Nigerian military, following new impetus by the Federal Government, has been able to reclaim 14 council areas earlier held by the terrorists.
The president of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Udengs Eradiri, criticised Buhari for showing a lack of understanding of the precarious nature of problems facing the country, especially, the Niger Delta issue.
He said: “It will do him good if he sits down, looks at the Niger Delta situation, engages stakeholders and understands the true situation. He must also understand that there are different dimension to oil theft.
“We have people sitting with the President in Abuja, who are the kingpins in the business of illegal oil bunkering and other forms of oil theft.
“If he thinks that it is to come and bombard our communities and get peace, it is not going to be possible. The thieves are with him there in Abuja. So, he should look inwards if he wants to find solution to the Niger Delta problem.”
Bassey said the comparison is extreme and could lead to the escalation of militarisation and occupation of the region. “That would neither secure the pipelines nor protect the environment,” he remarked.
The environmental activist stated that isolated individuals, who could be stemmed through joint policing by communities and security forces, cause pipeline vandalisation. “Some of the so-called vandals, especially the technically savvy ones, are possibly embedded in the petroleum sector, rather than in the communities.”
According to him, “criminalising an already harassed populations will not end the crises in the oil fields. We need holistic solutions. We need positive change. The gun will not solve the crises. The solution will include the clean up of the Niger Delta and restoration of livelihoods, as well as, a careful plan to ensure that economic incentives directly reach the communities.”
At the weekend, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo had also echoed Buhari’s stance, saying: “All of us must agree with the President that the vandals must be treated in the most severe manner and should not be tolerated at all.”
Speaking after he inspected bombed pipelines at Forcados Terminal in Burutu Local Council of Delta State, Osinbajo said vandals are “as bad as any type of terrorists or saboteurs” and “should not be tolerated under any circumstance.”
He added: “We would have to deploy even sophisticated weapons to ensure we contain the vandalism, overhaul security and permanent pipeline security force might also be an option to look at.”
But Mr. Tonye Timi (Patani), a member of the Delta State House of Assembly, described Buhari’s declaration as unfair and an attempt to lay foundation for a calculated emasculation of Niger Delta people.
An ethnic Ijaw, Timi said it is totally off the mark for anyone to equate Boko Haram’s bloody activities with the Niger Delta’s legitimate struggles against marginalisation and a determination to have a say on their God-given resources.
He said: “It is trite that the Niger Delta struggle is focused on development, while Boko Haram is a meaningless struggle targeted at destruction.”
Timi said Niger Delta people would resist any attempt to visit them with presidential might, which should rather be directed towards driving Boko Haram out of Nigeria.
He advised the Federal Government not to dissipate energy and scarce resources in a futile effort to militarise the Niger Delta, but rather focus on taming the sect in the Northeast.
Former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, said without justifying pipeline vandalism, it would be absurd to place offenders at par with those who are actually involved in armed insurrection against the state.
Mitee, who is the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and chairman of the sub-committee of the National Economic Council on Pipeline Vandalisation and Oil Theft, said instead of awarding pipeline protection contracts indiscriminately, the government should award them to communities in the Niger Delta, because they have local solution to the problem.
He regretted, “all the time, we play into the hands of security agents who want to make money when there is a threat to security. Now, they will claim oil vandals are destroying the economy, ‘Give us so, so billion naira and we will stamp out oil vandalism’.”
On his part, the director, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate why after more than 20 years, the special security Joint Task Force that has been operating in Niger Delta has not been able to end pipeline vandalism.
The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sapele Chapter, Dr. David Oghenekevwe on Wednesday lent his voice against the moves of the chairman of Sapele Local Government Council, Hon. Ejaife Odebala and his associates to kill the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
He also blamed Odebala for instigating and perpetuating nasty discord in the party.
In a statement in Sapele, Oghenekevwe accused Odebala and others of foisting blatant lies to malign the speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya.
“Odebala is clearly in the picture of all meetings and consultations in preparation for the upcoming congresses. Because of his sinister motive, he has most times dishonoured invitations extended to him and where he manages to attend such meetings, it is to insult the leadership of the party and to conspire with blind, egocentric and embattled individuals whose known antecedence is coming and going out of the party. Chief Margaret Unukegwo is a strong supporter of Labour Party governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru. She signed an Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) document endorsing Ogboru in 2015 as published in one of the national newspapers. Chief Lucky Ayomanor is not a member of PDP. He contested House of Assembly election in Sapele State Constituency in 2011 and 2015 under the platform of Labour Party”.
Oghenekevwe who frowned at defectors who like to destroy the party advised such people to desist from such tendency.
“Odebala and his associates are always blowing their ego beyond their actual relevance, rushing to the state capital to shop for sympathy and attention while abandoning constituted channels of resolving their issues if any in Sapele”
The party chairman while calling for decisive action against those with conflicting affinities and divided loyalties, alerted the nation to desperate measures being planned by Odebala and others to discredit Igbuya.
“The anti-Igbuya move is choreographed by the chairman of Sapele Local Government Council. Odebala participated in the consultation and preparation for the upcoming congresses. The date, time and mode of the congresses are clearly stated. Odebala even submitted a list to the state chairman, Chief Edwin Uzor. To lead such a protest and also submit a list to the chairman, amount to total disrespect for the PDP leadership and the party guidelines. He wants to disrupt the party’s congresses” the statement said.
Describing the language of Odebala, Titus Ezewuze, Onome Akpokhere, Umukoro Perkins, Edokpolor Joseph, Gabriel Gabinson Oyovwhaire, Jenkins Igogori, James Edeyan, Kenneth Ekwejunor Etchie, Margaret Unukegwo, Omasan Mabiaku, Lucky Ayomanor and others as unguided, he said “Violence has no place in Sapele politics.
“The allegation that Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya is sidelining the leaders is preposterous. Appointments were made strictly on merit. He did not nominate miscreants and thugs to party offices. When you have a council chairman that disrespects the leaders, that encourages violence and is ready to destroy the party, you should expect anything” he said.
He advised Odebala and his co-travelers to return to Sapele and think of ways of developing the local government area.
“Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya is not working against the interest of other stakeholders in Sapele Local Government Area. He will continue to articulate, defend and espouse the interests of the Sapele people” he added.
Police detectives attached to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, have arrested four persons, including two native doctors over alleged human parts sale in Asaba, Issele-Azagba and its environs.
Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase
The arrest of the suspects last Monday, the command’s image maker in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, said, was made possible when the security operatives acted on a tip-off via a petition forwarded to the command.
It was reliably gathered that the suspected human parts dealers were arrested with the hand of a man allegedly cut off from his body by unknown persons.
The human part was found inside the boot of the suspects’ vehicle on their way to the eastern part of the country
But the State Police PRO, (Kalu) said security operatives were on a stop-and-search on the suspects when they found the human hand in their boot in a sack of bag, adding that the suspects were currently undergoing interrogation.
Explaining that other suspects within the area fled on sighting the police, Kalu said, “It is true that we arrested four persons and two native doctors with human parts, but we are interrogating them with the exhibit we recovered from them in the vehicle. They were travelling to the eastern part.”
The state police spokespersons said the leader of the gang identified as Samson (surname withheld), upon interrogation, confessed that they sold human parts to native doctors, who often lodged into a hotel behind the stadium in Asaba (name withheld).
She said investigations had revealed that the alleged sale of human parts were made possible with mortuary workers and dare devil armed robbers, who in turn allegedly sold to native doctors in Ondo State and some parts of the eastern states.
Meanwhile, an Ogwashi-Uku-based journalist, Innocent Osakwe, was last Thursday attacked by a gang of suspected armed robbers, who reportedly made away with N250,000 and his property.
Osakwe told Southern City News that the robbers came into his house in the community in the wee hours and at gun point, ordered him to surrender his money and property.
I write this with a mixture of a heavy heart and compelling sense of pride. Even as I mourn, I find comfort in the love, admiration, reverence and even veneration that have gushed out for you from all parts of Bayelsa, the entire Ijaw nation, and beyond, despite the political persecution and orchestrated disinformation that culminated in the public hysteria against you.
James Ibori
You can imagine the mixture of emotions running through me as I write this. How can I possibly tell your story? Where should I start? It seemed like yesterday when we took over the reins of power from the military administrators in our respective states; Delta and Bayelsa. How can I ever forget the role you played in resolving the chaos and disorder in both states in 1999?
Youth militancy, occasioned by deep resentment of the Federal Government’s political manipulation and interference in the Niger Delta, troubled both states. Unemployment, neglect, degradation of our ecosystem, oil pollution and poverty pushed our youths to convene a conference which gave birth to the Kaiama Declaration. Delta State was overwhelmed by the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis. How can I forget what you did to sensitize the Chiefs, Press and Agadagbas to intervene positively? You secured the peace that was essential for us to settle into governance.
I can recall my first visit to Bayelsa State after the inception of democratic rule; it was a forgotten state with one road from the East-West Highway to Yenegoa and no more. We went everywhere by boat. Fast forward to two years later; you had transformed the state capital and the neighbouring towns and had by then started your fast-tracked development; establishing schools, notably the Niger-Delta University, sending Balyesans to universities and vocational schools abroad on scholarship, etc. You provided stable power supply as Bayelsa was not on the National Grid. You actually integrated Baleysa into the Nigerian State and made it part of the modern world. How can we ever forget that?
You rose like a phoenix from the ashes of political discontent and discord to bestride Bayelsa’s politics like a colossus. Your people’s love for you was displayed on your return from London in November 2005. The entire state was agog with joy not because every Bayelsan agreed with your politics but because most Bayelsans believed your travails were triggered by your commitment to their cause. Naturally, you had your ardent supporters as well as adversaries; yet, you rode into Yenegoa triumphantly. That was a memorable day in Bayelsa’s history. Your enraged traducers sent a heavy deployment of troops to Government House, Yenegoa on a “kidnap or kill mission”. The rest is now history. How can we ever forget that part of our national history?
You languished in jail having been slammed with spurious charges which you vehemently denied till you drew your last breath. As your health deteriorated, concerns were expressed at the highest level of Nigeria’s political administration. Emissaries were sent to plead with you to see reason and end the ‘torture’ by pleading guilty; an overture you resisted until one of our illustrious sons was dispatched to you in Lagos to assure you of the government’s intention to pardon you after your guilty plea. DSP, you know I have the credentials to testify to this fact.
Oh, how can we forget your address in court on the fateful day you pleaded guilty?
I have recalled your travails to remind your family that you died in action, and to reassure the Ijaws that you more than earned your title; Ijaw nation’s Governor-General. You also earned your epaulets as “General”. You led the battle from the front like Kings of Medieval Europe. You died from injuries sustained in battle. You are our martyr!
Your spirit stoutly opposed injustice and tyranny. And in 2005 when Nigeria was under the grip of a budding tyrant, you felt that injustice must be confronted and that a society that cowers before tyrants is unworthy of freedom. How can we forget how furious you were when Odi was demolished – with youth militancy as a justification? And when a state of emergency was imposed in Plateau State, you publicly condemned it as an unconstitutional act of rascality.
DSP, the events that led to your death climaxed well before your orchestrated arrest. The year was 2005 and the event was the National Constitutional Conference. The Federal Government convened a ruse in the name of a conference and appointed one of our illustrious sons, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, as its chairman. Unbeknown to the man, the confab’s outcome had already been predetermined in a document containing the final resolutions – though the confab was just starting. The document was handed over to the jurist; he rejected it and threatened to resign. When he emerged from Aso Rock, he immediately called on you for debriefing, after which he came over to see me.
As was usual of you, you immediately summoned a meeting of the Niger-Delta delegates at Oghara, after they staged a walk-out from that confab. You articulated the position of the Niger Delta; to insist on derivation principle of not less than 25% graduated to 50% in five years. You also advised them to coordinate the southern states in opposing any attempt to ride on the back of our demand for true fiscal federalism to impose a six-year single tenure as contained in that rogue report. The Niger Delta delegates led the assault against the single tenure proposal; the real agenda of the conference conveners.
DSP, you had promised to release your memoirs, but could not do so before you were killed. We shall work with your family to ensure its timely publication in order to do justice to your contributions to the Niger-Delta/Nigerian debate. Unfortunately, many Nigerians who joined the public hysteria against you were victims of media manipulation. I’ll only remind them and their manipulators, of the French writer, Emile Zola’s words: “It is a crime to lie to the public, to twist public opinion to insane lengths in the service of the vilest death-dealing machinations.”
To the Ijaw people, I say thanks for the immense honour poured out for our leader, who fell in battle. Such apotheosis is given only to the truly great. DSP, the Ijaws and Niger Deltans salute you. We will honour you forever because we affirm you as our true leader who became a victim of a political “witch-hunt”. In 17th century medieval England, one Mr. Mathew Hopkins styled himself as “witch-finder General”. What an irony; the biblical Mathew was an ardent and devoted Christ-follower. Just like in 21st century Nigeria when political foes were victims of a witch-hunt, Mathew Hopkins hounded the innocent, the weak, the clergy and political opponents, exploiting the fear of naïve Englishmen and dispatched his victims to the gallows under the guise of cleansing England of witches. He earned notoriety in the process but earned money as well. Suspected witches (and several social, political and even religious opponents too) were so maliciously charged and tortured until they were either forced to confess or they died.
Either way a person had no way of proving his innocence. One unfailing method then was the floating test: a suspect was tied to a chair and set afloat on water. If the person floated, he or she would be burnt as a witch, if the suspect sank and drowned, too bad. In the Nigerian witch-hunt at the turn of the millennium, a politician would be held in custody until a guilty plea is secured or he died in custody. DSP, you were a double victim; they forced you to plead guilty, yet, the medical complications arising from the years of physical, psychological and mental torture killed you.
Even as I carry my own cross, I can never forget what you stood for. Those who knew the real you and the reason for your “death” will strive to wipe the dust of unsubstantiated blame off your gravestone and leave your name free from the undeserved dirt thrown by mudslingers, even as we wait in the unfailing hope that one day the truth about your travails would emerge. As Zola said in that newspaper article (J’Accuse) of Thursday, Jan. 13, 1898, “As for myself, I have not despaired in the least, of the triumph of right. I repeat with the most vehement conviction: truth is on the march, and nothing will stop it.
Today … the positions have become clear: on one side, those who are guilty, who do not want the light to shine forth; on the other, those who seek justice and who will give their lives to attain it. I said it before and I repeat it now; when truth is buried underground, it grows and it builds up so much force that the day it explodes it blasts everything with it.”
DSP, time, the acid test of values, will affirm you a true leader who made invaluable sacrifices, including the supreme sacrifice, on behalf of your people. Time too will expose those who ganged up against you, framed and hounded you to death. A few weeks before your death, we had our last earthly conversation. Despite your travails and failing health, you were only concerned about the South-South. You said “Odidigboigbo, I eagerly await your return so that we can begin the great task of re-uniting our people so they could speak with one voice”. DSP, when I return, Nigeria will never be the same for me without you. Enemies of our people, enemies of true democracy which accommodates strong, courageous, vibrant and viable voices have actually done their worst; they have “murdered” you. My condolences go to your wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Margaret Alamieyeseigha, and your children; Ayibatonye Gideon, Enetombra, Ebipadei, Emebelakpo, Saleaka and Oyinkari “Bayo-o”, DSP, “Mala’muke on parade”. Bayo-o, fellow bearer of the Niger-Deltan cross, and victim of political witch-hunt. “Bayo-o”, great navigator in the stormy waters of Nigerian politics – you broke the waves, paid with your life but found devotion in the crew you left behind. Our people will surely find the shores for your life will be their guiding compass. This is not the end, my friend.
The prize we sought will still be won. Rest in Peace; great “General”.
Signed: Chief James Onanefe Ibori. (Confirmed by Tony Eluemunor, Chief James O. Ibori’s Media Assistant. 08023125569)
The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya has joined in mourning the passing of Mr. Shedrack Amagada, father of the member, representing Isoko South Constituency 1, Hon Orezi Esievo.
Mr. Amagada died on Monday, March 28, 2016. He was 80.
The speaker in a condolence message described Mr. Amagada as “a cherished character, widely admired for his boldness, kindness and affection for his children and the community”.
“Mr. Shedrack Amagada was a wonderful man. He did well for his family and for the Isoko ethnic nation” he said.
While praying for the peaceful repose of his soul, Igbuya urged Hon Esievo and the good people of Isoko nation to take solace in the fact that Amagada had gone to a better place to rest.
“The late Amagada lived an inspired and fulfilled life” he added
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, appeared before the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) on Tuesday to give reasons for the acute fuel scarcity across the country and the efforts being made by his ministry to resolve the embarrassing situation.
Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu
He regretted the situation and apologised to Nigerians, who he said were really going through difficult moments, and promised that the scarcity would end on or before April 7.
Kachikwu said he would not resign from his position as minister and instead asked those who were threatening to stage a protest in Abuja to save their money because he took the appointment to work for his fatherland.
The minister stated, “I will not resign. I am here to do my job. Those who are planning to stage a protest against me in Abuja should save their fuel money because I have a job to do, and I am committed to doing it well.
“I share the pains of Nigerians. I feel that pain every day. I walk the streets and those who are following my trajectories since I resumed office would see that even on Christmas day, I was at the refineries. On Easter Day, I was in Lagos monitoring fuel distribution at the depots.
“I have given 24/7 attention to the problems in this industry, which are unbelievable. I have continued to work with one sole purpose in mind, which is that every problem will have a solution.”
Kachikwu added, “I do apologise if a comment I make jocularly with my friends in the press about not being a magician offends some Nigerians; it wasn’t meant to be. It is a side jocular issue and I did go ahead to explain what needed to be done. I didn’t intend to create this kind of hyperbole that it did.
“Let me admit that I am not a typically experienced politician. I am a technocrat. Some of the phraseologies that I may use, while being acceptable in the arena in which I play, obviously will not be acceptable in the public political arena. If anybody’s sensitivities were offended by that, I totally apologise.”
He attributed the current petrol scarcity to the refusal by the major oil marketers to import, diversion of the product by marketers, pipeline vandalism, panic buying and non-computerisation of the distribution network to monitor trucks.
The minister lamented that since the payment of N600bn subsidy arrears, which the current administration inherited from the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, oil marketers had stopped fuel importation.
The development, he said, had forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to overstretch its capacity, human resources and facilities in order to bridge the gap, but that the corporation lacked the immediate capacity to handle the task.
Kachikwu said, “Let me put the reasons for the scarcity in three categories. First, when we came in August, this country had arrears of unpaid subsidy claims that were in excess of N600bn, which were not paid for over a year.
“Progressively, over a period of eight months, prior to my coming on board, people had been staying away from importation not at a heavy level, but by about 10 to 15 per cent of allocations were not being met.
“There was hope that ultimately, if the subsidy regime continued, they would get paid; so, some people continued to import, but by the time we came in, people had reached a breaking point and most of the companies didn’t have the liquidity even to go to the banks and open letters of credit, and that became a major issue.”
He said it was obvious that having cleared the N600bn subsidy claims, the country could no longer continue with the subsidy regime owing to dwindling oil revenue and the fact that monumental frauds were being uncovered in the system.
As of January 1 this year, the minister stated that the country was no longer paying subsidy, saving a cumulative amount of over N1tn in a one year period.
Kachikwu noted, “The second major issue was that once the N600bn subsidy money was paid, the ability of the marketers to import the product became a challenge, because they could not raise letters of credit, and up to this point, that still remains a major issue.
“So, even if they wanted to import, they needed letters of credit and adequate foreign exchange cover. Some of them were owing arrears of liabilities as a result of the commitment I had made on petroleum importation.”
As part of efforts to ensure a lasting solution to the problem, he stated that the nation was setting up for the first time strategic reserves of about two million tonnes to provide products always.
He said these would be operational as from May and would contain between five and seven cargos of fuel per reserve.
Kachikwu said, “Once we do that, we should be away from the incessant fuel crisis that we have.
We expect that between now and about the 6th to the 7th of April, the fuel queues will disappear, the DSDP will begin and the foreign exchange allocation will see us smoothly through the track.
“The refineries will be working and the volumes they will be producing will be sent to the strategic reserves to address difficult times. In April, we are expected to get 150 per cent of the volumes that will be needed. A lot of that will go to storage tanks. Hopefully, that should sort out the problem.”
He said privatisation of the refineries remained the best solution to end the fuel crisis in the country.
The Delta State House of Assembly has again refuted allegation in certain quarters of witch-hunting anyone as a result of the oversight function on the Independent Power Project (IPP).
In a statement issued on Sunday in Asaba by the House Leader, Hon. Tim Owhefere, the House expressed strict reliance on the Rule of Law and most importantly the Right to Fair Hearing.
According to the statement, what the House did was merely an oversight function in line with a constitutional provision.
“It was never intended as a probe initiative against any individual” Owhefere who doubles as the Chairman, House Committee on Information said.
The statement went further to reaffirm the commitment and resolve of the House to be fair and just in all matters of concern to Deltans.
The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly; Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya said it was “absurd” to suggest he was working against Senator Ighoyota Amori but he is loyal to him and his leadership. I will
forever be grateful to him for his immense contributions to the success of my political career” he said.
Igbuya said his statement on the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State Chapter was misunderstood by some individuals in the state. “I’ll continue to support my leader, Chief Ighoyota Amori” he said
The speaker, who spoke to journalists in Asaba on Monday, praised Amori for his efforts at providing strong leadership in Delta Central.
He explained the need to give younger politicians in the area an opportunity.
“I think it is absurd for anybody to suggest that I am fighting my leader, Chief Ighoyota Amori” Igbuya said.
He urged political enemies to change the lens through which they view issues. “If there is something to be done at the national level, Amori is the person to do it” he said.
Igbuya, a thoughtful politician, described as harsh the language and words employed by Annabel Ogheneganre of Urhobo Voice in a recent article on Olorogun Felix Ibru, Urhobo and 2019.
He said it was intended to pitch him against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the good people of the Urhobo nation.
The speaker who reiterated Amori’s commitment to the overall well-being of the Urhobo people, appealed to those generating rumours to join hands with Governor Okowa in the onerous task of moving the state forward.
The Chairman of the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Hon. Dennis Omovie has said the State House of Assembly is not aware of the existence of DESOPADEC budget for 2016.
Ifeanyi Okowa
He also described as laughable reports that the speaker has already signed the purported 2016 DESOPADEC budget into law.
“The speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya does not have as part of his duties the signing of budget to law. It is strictly the responsibility of the governor to sign budget
into law. It is also a statement of fact that the speaker is not privy to the formulation of budgetary allocation to various agencies of government until the state governor forwards same to the House. It is
most laughable for anybody or institution to ascribe to the speaker the responsibility of signing DESOPADEC budget into law.”
Hon Omovie, the member representing Warri South Constituency 11 in the Delta State House of Assembly, therefore advised journalists not to overheat the polity.
“There is a level of responsibility from members of the public especially the fourth estate of the realm. The fact that there is paucity of fund should not make certain people to throw caution to the
wind. The process of budgeting should be known to the press. These processes are well laid out in the laws governing the day to day running of the state. Members of the press and the public are
therefore advised to always verify and authenticate their sources of information before going to the press.”
He urged Deltans at home and abroad to ignore the sensational reports by a section of the press.
“Deltans can be rest assured that there is no cause for alarm and that when the DESOPADEC budget comes to the House of Assembly, it will not be a secret affair.”
“We want to apologize to Deltans for any inconveniences” Hon Omovie added.
The Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya, on Friday said contrary to speculation, Senator Ighoyota Amori will not contest the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship election.
“Senator Ighoyota Amori is not contesting the post of PDP chairman in Delta State. He is not offering himself for the chairmanship election. Contesting as chairman will mean taking a step backward. He is bigger than that. His mates are national officers of the party. He should think about becoming a national officer of the party. If he decides to contest, I will not support him” he said.
Igbuya who spoke to journalists in Asaba also described as an act of mischief, media reports that he is planning to run for the governorship position in 2023.
“I did not say I will be governor in 2023. I don’t have the finance” he said.
He urged Deltans at home and abroad to treat the rumour as baseless and false.
Igbuya praised Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his patience, proper management of state funds and provision of meaningful developmental projects across the state.
He said his blanket endorsement of the state governor for the 2019 governorship election was in line with the principles of equity, justice and fairness.
Preaching unity and peace in the state, Igbuya said Okowa should be given the opportunity in 2019.
He called on Urhobo leaders at home and abroad to close ranks and work in one accord to reposition Delta Central for greater political relevance.
“I am committed to the interest of the Urhobo nation” he added.
EKU—THE Nigerian Army Unit Commander stationed at Ovre-Eku community, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, Lt. E. D. Oworobo, has told a police source that the reason he ordered his men to flog the women who had embarked on a peaceful protest over a disputed land claimed by PRESCO Oil Company, was because they attempted to disarm his men.
Oworobo and his men of the 4th Brigade Command, Benin-City, Edo State, had last Wednesday, flogged and kicked hundreds of women protesting at Ovre-Eku (Iwevbo) community over a land which had been in dispute for years between Edo and Delta states.
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Oworobo had contacted the District Officer, DO, of Eku Police station, Mr. Andrew Efejedia, in an attempt to exonerate himself and his men of any wrong doing in the incident, where he claimed that he had no option than to order his men to use minimal force to disperse the protesters who had tried to disarm his men.
According to the source, Oworobo had asked the DO, “Don’t you know it is a crime to carry a charm according to the Criminal Code of Nigeria?”
Meanwhile, Lt. Oworobo has also threatened to deal with the Warri correspondents of The Authority and The Nation newspapers, Theophilus Onojeghen and Bolaji Ogundele, both of whom had contacted him to know what actually transpired between his men and the protesting women.
The offence of the journalists was their temerity to contact him for the military’s side of the incident.
In separate reactions to the journalists, an angry Lt Oworobo had described them as idiots and madmen, allegedly saying: “You’re an idiot. You’re a mad man. Why are you calling me? So I should report to you abi? Who are you to call me? If you ever call me in your life, I’ll deal mercilessly with you.”
No fewer than 27 suspected cultists were on Wednesday arrested by Policemen attached to the Delta State police command for their alleged cult related activities.
Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase
The State Police Commissioner, Alkali Baba, Usman, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to journalists in Asaba on Thursday, disclosed that the suspects were arrested on a tip-off and subsequent raid of their “black spots” in Asaba and its environs.
While saying that five tricycle riders were also arrested for alleged breach of agreement, the police boss said, “The tricycle riders were arrested for contravening the laws of working beyond 10pm.
“We met with their union and agreed that tricycle riders should work and stop at 10pm, instead the suspects work beyond 10pm to help robbery suspects accomplish their evil mission.”
He said that the suspects would be charged to court after investigations would have been concluded.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Henry Ebireri, on Friday urged journalists in the state to stop encouraging misinformation, rumors, lies and appealed to them to pay attention to facts and veracity.
“The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) did not seal up the Delta State House of Assembly. Members were never chased out by anybody. Nobody scuttled Tuesday’s sitting” he said.
Ebireri, who in a statement issued in Asaba, described the story as false, said, “Mister Speaker is a responsible leader.”
“If some journalists in Nigeria and abroad choose to go into the gutter, we will not do the same” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya on Tuesday criticized the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter for presenting incorrect information to the House.
He also advised members of PASAN to get their facts right on the special duty allowance.
“I got the information from the Clerk of the House that the workers are agitated over the removal of SDA. I called the Head of Service and commissioner of finance. They assured me that the Special Duty Allowance (SDA) has not been removed but just suspended for the purpose of verification exercise. They want to authenticate those that are entitled to it genuinely. SDA is backed by law and the only way it can be removed is when the law is amended” he said.
Speaking to workers of the assembly on Tuesday, Igbuya reminded the workers that there is only one head of service in the state.
“To say that Parliamentary workers are not under the head of service is not correct. There is only one head of service in the state. The law clearly states that the Clerk of the House is by appointment rated like the head of service. It does not remove her completely from the head of service. Secondly, you are responsible to the clerk of the house. The clerk is the administrative head of the assembly. The clerk must be respected. I urge you to channel your grievances to the clerk. It does not make administrative sense to be side tracking the clerk and rushing to the office of the speaker at every given opportunity”.
Igbuya told the workers that he understood the sentiment driving the expression of protest.
“It’s very important to strengthen conditions of service but we must have in mind the dwindling financial resources of the country, particularly Delta State.
The speaker noted that the state is experiencing financial difficulties.
Igbuya who took the opportunity to remind the workers of the fundamental purpose of the government, said it was incomprehensible that the workers could replace suspension with removal, asked for patience and understanding.
He also called on the workers to respect the clerk.
On workers outfit, the speaker queried the separation of staff of the assembly and the commission, stressing that the unnecessary division was not caused by him.
He urged the House Committee on establishment to look into the agitations of the workers and make recommendations.
He equally advised PASAN to verify their facts before acting on them.
The workers commended the speaker for the audience given them and thanked him for their Christmas gift.
In another development, prominent Urhobo political leaders under the aegis of Delta Central Good Governance Forum (DCGGF) Friday described as laughable, the story that some Urhobo sons in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are interested in the governorship seat in 2019, saying the matter should not even be discussed as it shows how petty those behind the story have become.
Rising from an emergency meeting in Sapele, the leaders advised critics of the government and paid writers to contextualize their statements before rushing to the press.
“These writers and those behind them are either ignorant of the cordial relationship existing between the top PDP leaders or have chosen to play to the gallery for pecuniary gains” the leaders said.
In a statement issued by the Spokesperson of DCGGF, Chief Maxwell Agofure, the leaders said detractors were bent on creating crisis in the state.
“It is obvious that some individuals in the state intend to expose top government functionaries to ridicule, hatred and contempt” the leaders said.
The leaders praised the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker for using his knowledge acquired through experience and education for the advancement of the state.
They also applauded Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the rapid improvement in the state’s economic fortunes. .
”We will like to inform Deltans at home and abroad that contrary to what the spoilers are saying, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Chief Igbuya are working together to deliver the dividends of democracy to the good people of Delta State.”
Caring about the principles of fairness, justice and equity, the leaders vowed to rally round Governor Okowa and ensure his victory in 2019.
” Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is a born leader, a good listener, an achiever and a go-getter. We enjoin all the good people of Delta State to shun any act or ploy to deceive them”
“Given the present reality and projections from that reality, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will be governor for eight years “the leaders added.
Support for the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya mounted on Sunday as member representing Ethiope East Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Evance Ivwurie lauded his leadership qualities, describing him as “an inspiring and magnetic political figure.”
“I will describe Igbuya as a democrat in our hallowed Chamber and in leadership. He is a team player. He is a very energetic, hard-working, disciplined, committed and very effective law-maker. Rather than deny any member of his or her right, he fights for and protects the rights of every member daily” he said.
In a statement issued in Asaba, Ivwurie, a Labour Party (LP) member, described his relationship with Igbuya as “beautiful”.
“My relationship with Speaker Igbuya as someone elected from a different political party from that the Speaker is bipartisan, friendly, mutually respectable and cordial. Mr. Speaker finds common ground through compromise in legislation with opposing political parties. He does not adhere only to his political party interest. He does not advance his own political party agenda unduly in the exercise of his duty as Speaker at the expense of the other political party because of conflicting ideologies. Speaker Igbuya especially, and every member of the Delta State House of Assembly has not left anyone in doubt that he and we all have the interest of a united, indivisible and strong Delta State at heart, in ways that the interest of the State has overriding effect over and above Mr. Speaker and all members personal interests and considerations” he said.
In a statement titled: “My Perspectives on Mister Speaker”, Ivwurie listed patience and persistence as two most useful character traits of Igbuya.
“Mr. Speaker is completely bipartisan and this has reflected in all of the bills, acts, resolutions and policies we have dealt with in the House in which the Speaker and all members have agreed about all or many parts of the choices by finding a common ground in bipartisanship and that is why there is no cynicism and gridlock in Delta State political and economic system. It has been a strong spirit of Delta State first, bipartisanship and hard-work. I can assure you that Speaker Igbuya is always looking out for the best interests of Delta State”.
Emphasizing that the speaker is an honest politician who has a clear vision for the House and the State, Ivwurie accused critics of Igbuya of pursuing selfish agenda.
“My Assessment of his performance will start with his weakness. First thing I will like to talk about is the general weakness of Mr. Speaker which is well known to so many people because it continues to cause him problems regularly. He is considered highly and overtly too prudent, frugal and inexpensive, even journalists and those seeking services have this quarrel with him all the time. He always wants to make sure Delta State does not waste or spend money that she does not have. He is also considered by many members to be too open and transparent especially on finance and funding. He has no reservation as to correcting his colleagues behind as he is unable to compromise or accept unethical conducts no matter who is involved”.
The Labour Party member also offered some genuine insights on how the Delta State House of Assembly functions.
“Mr. Speaker is quite spiritual. He possesses a vision of a strong, strengthened and united Delta State. He is not temperamental but very decisive. He is very unflappable. His actions toward law making are matched with a political savvy that often includes a measure of expediency. Although he is consensus-seeking, he has always led the House by the House Rules as they exist, not as he would like them to exist. He is internet and Facebook friendly and has strong capacity to endure negative criticism. He believes that many criticisms are meant to keep him continuously on his toes.
He thanked Mister Speaker for his service to the state.
“Rt. Hon Igbuya is a leader who understands that our Country and State is in a total mess. He knows the depth and enormity of the predicaments and task that lies ahead of the State and he is seriously working with the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to surmount the challenges. He has self-discipline and he is very persuasive. He taps into the authentic need of his colleagues and members easily. So far, Mr. Speaker has shown clearly that he is neither a dealer nor a transactional leader. The interest of the State has always superseded his personal interests”.
He also heaped praise on Igbuya for cherishing the mood of his colleagues, saying, “The perspectives that I have shared above has resulted to many accomplishments and achievements of the Delta State House of Assembly under one year of Mr. Speaker’s passionate leadership and strong ability to mobilize members to attain goals as reflected in the speed of work in the several pro-development debates, considerations, confirmations, policies, acts, resolutions and bills that the House has dealt with and passed.”
No fewer than 222 cultists have publicly renounced cultism in Edo and Delta State.
While 43 were reported to have renounced at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Epkoma, while 179 others renounced at Ozoro Polytechnic, Ogwashi Uku, Asaba, Delta State
Two suspected cultists were also on Thursday arrested by the police at the University town Ekpoma for allegedly recruiting some students into their cult group.
A senior police officer attached to Ekpoma police division who did not want his name in the print, confirmed that the suspects were arrested after a tip off and with the help of a vigilante group. He added that they would be charged to court on completion of investigation.
Speaking to our correspondent on telephone, the dean of students affairs of the University, Prof. Isaac Aigbedion, said that the renunciation marks the beginning of a new dawn in the University.
“The Devil has been put to shame and good things will continue in their lives,” he said.
In Delta, Investigation revealed that the repentant cultists were members of the dreaded cult group, Vikings Confraternity where members are allegedly subjected to drinking human blood.
Nigeria’s crude oil export operation has suffered a serious setback following a major crack-up of a giant underwater pipeline at the Forcados export terminal.
Following the incident, crude oil lifting has now been suspended at that platform, officials said.
The pipeline, described as a big artery in the nation’s oil production was said to have suffered a huge rupture under circumstances that are at the moment still hazy.
Nigeria is already bleeding from the impact of low oil prices, with revenue dipping month after month.
”With export now cut as a result of the incident, oil revenue will descend even lower until the pipeline is fixed,” an insider at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation told PREMIUM TIMES.
Industry experts say repairing the pipeline might cost the country as much as 100 million dollars.
Sabotage by Niger Delta militants is completely ruled out but the same cannot be said at the moment of rogue elements within the system who are known to have in the past orchestrated similar damages in the hope of benefitting from the repairs and clean-up contracts that must follow.
Forcados terminal in Delta State is one of Nigeria’s biggest terminals with capacity to export about 400,000 barrels of oil a day.
Illegal interference with pipelines, with attendant leaks, has always dwindled crude oil receipts into Forcados, a terminal operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
Oil majors most hit by disasters at this terminal include Shell and Septlat.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the latest incident at Forcados occurred about 10.55pm last Saturday but it wasn’t until Sunday that Shell discovered a spill.
Forcados is made up of two parts: namely the Tank Farm which receives crude oil produced from oil wells in Delta, Ondo, Edo and parts of Bayelsa States, and the Crude Oil Loading Platform where ships must come to lift crude.
The affected pipeline links the tank farm and the platform. Insiders say it is a very mighty pipe on the waterbed going to the sea. The ruptured section of this key pipeline is located at Tokebeleu, near Ojulagha, an Ijaw village in Delta State.
In a written response to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry, Precious Okolobo, Media Relations Manager of Shell, said his company was already investigating the source of a crude oil spill observed on water around Forcados Terminal on Sunday February 14.
He said the initial investigation would enable the company to quickly determine what suitable response was further needed.
According to Mr. Okolobo, Shell’s joint venture and third party production into the terminal has been suspended as a precautionary measure while the company’s Emergency Response and Oil Response teams have been activated to manage the incident.
In what appears as a large-scale disaster management, Shell said booms and other oil containment resources were being deployed to the area to try to stop the spread of spilled oil.
“The support of industry group, Clean Nigeria Associates (CNA), has been enlisted for a comprehensive response to the spill,” Mr Okolobo said.
”The relevant authorities including security agencies have been informed of the incident, preparatory to a joint investigation visit which will determine the cause and volume of oil spilled.”
The spokesperson for the NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, declined to comment for this story.
Prominent leaders in Sapele Local Government Area on Friday condemned the unprovoked attack on the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker,Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya, describing him as a politician with a conscience.
They also identified the speaker’s rising profile, particularly his emergence as a major figure in the state, his dogged commitment to principles in the practice of politics, the rule of law and the best democratic tradition of fairness and justice as attributes that brought him into collision with the enemies of democracy and
development in Sapele Local Government Area.
“Chief Monday Igbuya has done Okpe kingdom proud. He has respect for the Almighty God and passion for the people. He is against forms of behaviors that are alien to or subversive of the rule of law” the leaders said in Amukpe.
In a meeting on how Sapele could be re-engineered to greater heights, the leaders not only accused some non-indigenes of putting personal interest above those of the people and the local government area but
refuted some of the distractions spewing from unguarded quarters in Okirighwe, saying those behind them do not wish Okpe kingdom well.
“Our detractors are already at work” they said.
The leaders in a statement by the Chairman of Sapele Development Forum (SDF), Dr. Michael Asaboro berated those blackmailing the speaker.
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“Mister Speaker should not be a subject of undue attack. He should be supported and applauded in his quest to bring about economic and social development in Delta State, particularly Sapele-Okpe community.
We ask blackmailers to look for cheap targets elsewhere” the statement said.
The leaders who also condemned some misleading stories sponsored by the enemies of the area to push their selfish agenda and justify unrealistic conclusions about Igbuya and Sapele people praised the Delta State Speaker for providing through private and public initiatives the necessary environment for the development of the
youths
“Sapele has never had it so good in terms of provision of amenities and infrastructure” the leaders said.
They also praised the astute politician for making Delta State, particularly Okpe kingdom proud by his achievements in politics.
They leaders advised non indigenes in Sapele to define the objectives and strategies of their political struggles more clearly than degenerating to thuggery, abuses, lies and wild allegations.
“Leaders at whatever level must demonstrate a certain degree of decency and exemplary conduct. Desperate politicians, those without ideas and popular goodwill are running away from real issues and resorting to character assassination and personal abuse. These people are not united by the common desire to move Sapele forward but to bring down Igbuya and his unprecedented record of performance” the leaders said.
They appealed to those generating rumours and spreading lies at home and abroad to join hands with Igbuya in the onerous task of moving the area forward.
The leaders called on the youths to emulate the virtues of Igbuya by pursuing peace, progress and development.
“Chief Igbuya will continue to incur envy, malice and hatred from those who see perfidy as a virtue in politics” the leaders said”
By Emma Amaize & Egufe Yafugborhi WARRI—FOUR days to the February 19 date given by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to the nation’s security agencies to produce the former ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, there is no clue on his whereabouts.
Also, his Ijaw relatives are not ready to give up the former militant leader, who the people of Gbaramatu-Ijaw in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, regard in very high esteem.
A royal father, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “No Gbaramatu man will reveal the hideout of Tompolo to any security man even if he knows, unless that person does not have a true Ijaw blood flowing in him.
“Tompolo is an institution, not only in Ijawland, but in the whole of Niger Delta. He has touched many lives and is the current symbol of the struggle. Therefore, it is not easy for any full-blooded Ijaw man to betray him. From what I can see, the whole thing is about business transaction, the Federal Government should settle the matter and let peace reign.”
Oworobo and his men of the 4th Brigade Command, Benin-City, Edo State, had last Wednesday, flogged and kicked hundreds of women protesting at Ovre-Eku (Iwevbo) community over a land which had been in dispute for years between Edo and Delta states.
Following the incident, crude oil lifting has now been suspended at that platform, officials said.