By: Celestine Ukah 

Former National Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Hilliard Etta says it’s time for the party to call the APC National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu to order, describing his recent utterances as being mischievous.

Etta in his opinion while speaking on Arisetv “Morning Show” Thursday July 6 said the position of Senator Adamu the APC National Chairman on the announcement of principal officers of the National Assembly in the 10th NASS whereby he disown the principal officers as announced by the NASS leadership of the chambers was unfortunate statement coming out of the chairman.

The APC former Acting National urged the party to sanction Adamu or as well let him resign honourably in order to stop further negative projection of the APC.

He noted that before the emergence of President Tinubu in the APC primary, Adamu came up to announce former Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate whereas the party didn’t accept such arrangement.

According to Etta APC Governors and the generality of members are not happy with the National Chairman because he doesn’t have the party’s progress at heart.

He posited further that before the announcement of the principal officers at NASS that both leadership consulted widely including the party National Chairman and wondered why the party Chairman is coming out with such outburst.

He stressed the need for President Tinubu being the National leader of the APC to look into the affairs of the party in order to salvage the situation.

Agbor : A First class Monarch of ancient Agbor kingdom in Delta State, HRM  Obi Keagborekuzi Ikenchuku Gbenoba has stated that he is looking forward to the efficacy of subsidy removal in Nigeria.

According to the monarch, ” I hear we’ve saved over 400bn in just a month of removal of fuel subsidy, if so far we have saved 400bn then I’m looking forward to what we are going to do with it.

” Other countries have various forms of subsidy from health care to education amongst others and its not an issue there because of absence of corruption, but our issue here back home is corruption ”

The erudite monarch, Dein Keagborekuzi I made these statements at his Royal Palace in Agbor Delta state when members of Indigenous Correspondents Chapel (ICC) Asaba of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council paid him a courtesy visit.

He further expressed that “Nigeria is not poor, God has blessed this nation with numerous mineral resources beyond oil and gas, we just need to tackle corruption undivided, i want to know what’s happening with our gold, I want all our resources brought to Federal books.

“We are heavily indebted , but we are rich in minerals, the west knows how important Nigeria is, we should know how important Nigeria is to us and to Africa. Foreigners are not here to teach you their language and their food, but because they know the importance of Nigeria to their world.”

Speaking further on corruption he stated that “we are too used to illegality in this country and that’s our problem. The money belongs to all Nigerians and needs to be shared accordingly.”

” We are at the point where we copy from the rest of the world their harsh penalties to public officials caught stealing, Nigeria as a country consider harsh penalties like death sentence for corrupt public office holders to help reduce below average the unwavering issue of corruption evident in the nation, we need to tackle corruption, we need to tackle it head on.”

While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold step he took on subsidy removal, he posited thus ” I’m hoping that Tinubu would be able to give us ministers and allow them to act and be at the fore front of development, also we have to give the president time and encouragement.

Taxation:
While speaking on taxes, he stated that “we need to pay taxes, all of us need to pay taxes for the country to work, but many won’t want to pay because we don’t know where its going or how it’s being used, also citizens need to know their rights and know how to act decisively, if your representatives are not performing as expected you have the right to a recall, they are our representatives and we are the leaders, we sent them there to do our bidding, if we don’t like any law we can counter it, taking cognizance of the #1000 annual tax on certificate of ownership of a vehicle legally bought and owned, we can recall it, also the increase in electricity tariff without increase in output can be decisively countered.

“We need to change and the change can’t come from outside but from within, what we did in the last election is a prove that we can do it, we need to learn our rights, we have rights to call them back, they are called representatives, not leaders , we are the leaders, they are just there to represent us.”

Developmental Criticism;

while speaking on developmental and constructive criticism he stated that “we need to reduce abuse on social media, Youths need to leave the woke ideology and remember that this is a moral nation, can’t we make feelings known without excessive abuse of fellow Nigerians?”.

“We are richer haven shared everyone’s opinion, we should respect each other and know when to apologize, we owe the rest of Africa a responsibility, Africa is in chaos, black Africa to be precise. I bet Ukraine is doing better than many African Nations at the time while in war and will come out better than many nations after the war.”

The thorough breed monarch, Dein Obi Keagborekuzi I, also spoke on education, wherein he stated that “our kids also need to go back to school, leave fraud and stop calling school scam, yes you see from their point of view that after an elongated school year from strike amongst others, you don’t have a job but that’s not an excuse.”
“We also need to bring back the glory days of our educational standards, before our graduates were sort after all over the world but now you have to right exams, which is a proof that your results are in doubt.”

“Traveling is one of the best forms of education that you can have, i’m happy to have grown up in a different capacities and environs which is what made me who I am today, i’m only worried at our elite who leave the shores of the country and come back even worse that they left, you can’t go out see nice things and not come replicate same here, why don’t we make those things we value there work here?”
I’ve been to niger delta before and the beauty you see in Miami can be brought to the niger delta, and you will see tourism blossom over night and foreigners would be here everyday but they don’t want to get killed of kidnapped at the very least.”

*Says Delta is a state that doesn’t discriminate, calls for more investment as Delta is safe, hospital

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has appreciated Ndigbo for their effort in making him emerge as Delta State governor.

According to Rt. Hon. Oborevwori in his words, while addressing the Igbo Forum, “you worked very hard for my emergence as Governor of Delta State I appreciate you”.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori also assured investors of a peaceful investment climate in the state.

Oborevwori gave the assurance on Tuesday July 4, 2023 when he received on courtesy visit members of the Ndigbo Cultural Forum Asaba chapter at Government House, Asaba.

The Governor thanked the Forum for supporting his gubernatorial ambition and for their various investments in the state.

He urged them to consider investing further by taking advantage of the peaceful environment across the state.

He said: “I welcome you to Delta State Government House. I am very happy to receive all of you this afternoon. I am happy because you have accepted me as your own.

“You worked very hard for my emergence as governor. I remember when I came for consultation prior to my election, you all supported me.

“I have told Deltans that I want to be governor for all and not just for only Deltans but for all who live in Delta State. This is because where you live is where you develop.

“I have had a good relationship with you people even before my intention to be a governor. So this relationship did not start today.

“So I want to sincerely appreciate all of you for your show of love and assure you that we will partner together.

“I encourage you to come and invest more in Delta. Delta state is very safe and you can attest to the peace we are enjoying here today.

“Delta state is a state that do not discriminate. We live together here and I know that some of you gave birth to your children here in Delta; which invariably makes them citizens of Delta state.

“This state is accommodative and we will make sure that we develop this state together even as we urge you all to bring more of your investments down to Delta,” Governor Oborevwori said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Forum, Chief Chinedu Obodo, said they were in the state to congratulate Oborevwori on his victory and successful inauguration as Governor of Delta State.

He said they invested so much in the state because of the peace that pervades the city, assuring that they would do more to support the government with massive investments across the state.

Obodo assured that the group and Ndigbos would further bring their investments to all parts of the state.

By: Our Correspondent

*Says it wasn’t DTSG  that borrowed

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Delta State chapter, on Monday, clarified reports published in a section of the media as regards the N40 billion borrowed to pay accrued rights owed primary school and local government pensioners in the State.

The State ALGON Chairman, Hon. Victor Ebonka, who gave the clarification after a meeting of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Asaba, said it was not the State Government that was borrowing the funds.

Flanked by his colleagues, Ebonka said it was the statutory duty of Local Governments to pay pensions to its retirees as well as Local Education Authority (primary school retirees).

He said the problem arose due to error in the enrollment of the workers into the contributory pension scheme.

According to Ebonka, “in this Country constitutionally, we have three tiers of government; the Federal, the State and the Local Governments. We all have separate responsibilities.

“It is our constitutional responsibility to pay the Local Government staff and primary school teachers salaries.

“And we are not unmindful of the lingering problems that we have with regards to the pension benefits of the Local Government staff and that of the primary school teachers.

“This problem was inherited from the two previous administrations and it has to do with an error in the enrollment into the contributory pension scheme.

“And for this short comings, we have found ourselves owing their accrued rights from 2016 to date. The past administration set a machinery in motion and has tried to ensure that the debt is liquidated by giving several grants totaling about N5 billion and increased statutory contribution from N200 million a month to N500 million.

“Despite all these grants from the State Government, we have not been able to clear the outstanding arrears and this made the immediate past administration to set up a Committee comprising of myself the ALGON Chairman, the Head of Service and other stakeholders.

“The Committee went to the bond market to get a facility but was not successful because the cost of funds was quite expensive. So we approached the commercial bank to get the facility and we can say that Zenith Bank has agreed to afford us N40 billion out of the N51 billion indebted to the pensioners”.

He said the State Government did not borrow N40 billion as reported in some quarters, adding that the only role played by the State Government was to give approval and forward same to the State Assembly for ratification.

“So it is exclusively the Local Government Councils that are borrowing this money. You know that by law, we need the approval of the State Government and the ratification of the State Assembly and that was sort for and it was granted by the Governor and approved by the State House of Assembly.

“So any moment from now, the pensioners will smile home. We also want to state that no penny from the N40 billion is going to the coffers of the Local Governments.

“We are going to cover about ninety percent of the accrued rights from this money, all of the monies will be paid directly to the pensioners,” he said.

On environmental sanitation across the Council areas, the ALGON boss appealed to residents to abide by relevant laws, adding that mobile courts would soon be set up to try offenders.

More than 50 names of military officers across the three services of the Nigerian Armed Forces – Army, Navy and the Air Force have been penciled down for promotion following the deadline given to top generals to exit the service, Daily Trust reliably learnt yesterday.

The officers, who are on the rank of brigadier generals and colonels respectively in the Nigerian Army and its equivalent in the Navy and the Air force, are expected to fill the vacant positions at various formations of the armed forces in the country.

Although the Military Council Board saddled with the responsibility of promotion approval is yet to sit, it was learnt that those to be considered for the promotion are of Regular Course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Apart from the CDS who is a member of Regular Course 38, the three service chiefs – Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff are members of 39 RC of the NDA.

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Daily Trust reports that the new development on promotion came following the July 3 (today) deadline given to the senior military officers by the Military High Command to voluntarily tender their resignations and exit the service.

The order, which was contained in a memo dated June 26 and signed by Maj.-Gen. Y. Yahaya on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, was directed to generals, brigadier generals, air vice marshals, and rear admirals in the three services, who are seniors to the new service chiefs.

A memo by the Defence Headquarters with reference number DHQ/I5/PLANS/801/13 explained that it was meant to preserve and uphold the tenets of the military profession which values hierarchy and service discipline.

The memo, copied to the army, navy and air force headquarters, directed all officers with seniority on commission above that of Regular Course 39 of the NDA to submit their applications for voluntary retirement from service with immediate effect.

Findings by Daily Trust revealed on Sunday that all members of 38 Regular Course of the NDA had submitted their voluntary retirement applications before the close of work on Friday as directed by the Defence Headquarters.

A senior military officer, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said some members of 39 Regular Course of the NDA submitted their applications except those redeployed newly by the new service chiefs.

The source also explained that recommendations are already being made on those to be considered for the promotion in the three services, adding that the approval will come after the Military Council Board will have interviewed and ratified the names of those recommended.

In the same vein, a member of RC 43 who spoke anonymously also told Daily Trust that some members of RC 40, 41 and 42 have reached the rank of major generals, rear admirals and AVM, and they are currently filling the vacant positions in the latest shake-up.

He said, “Those positions that were left vacant have already been occupied or are in the process of being occupied, and the officers that are occupying those positions are already in the rank cadre. I mean they are already wearing the rank they require to occupy them.”

Tinubu to decorate new service chiefs

Speaking further, he said, “When the service chiefs are promoted, except they want to change the old order, their course mates cannot be promoted because we cannot have two captains in a boat. When the service chiefs are promoted to lieutenant generals, their course mates will remain major generals while they are still in service.”

Several calls to the telephone lines of army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu; the acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau and the NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa, went unanswered.

The trio were yet to reply to separate text messages sent to them.

But the spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said, “I don’t know, I’m not aware. The promotion that normally comes at this time, except you’re talking about another one, is the service chiefs that have just resumed.

“Normally, when they resume office like this, and the National Assembly confirms them, then, the Chief of Defence Staff will be promoted to the four-star general (full general) while the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Lagbaja will be promoted to Lt.-Gen.

“Rear Admiral Ogalla will be promoted to vice admiral, while Air Vice Marshal Abubakar will be promoted to air marshal. That’s the only one we anticipate. I don’t know of any other one because promotion in the services comes at about this time when middle cadre officers are considered by the promotion board.

“Around the last quarter of the year, the senior officers or cadre are considered for 1-star and 2-star generals. That’s the only one I know and the timetable has not changed over the years. It cannot just change now.”

Army chief retains course mates

Meanwhile, the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has retained some of his course mates to work closely with at the headquarters in order to achieve the mandate of containing insecurity challenges.

Checks by Daily Trust showed that Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, the course mate of COAS, has now been appointed as the Chief of Administration at Army Headquarters, Abuja.

In a statement on Saturday by the army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the deployment of Akpor and other officers will take effect today.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Sir Festus Ahon says the Governor is taking his time to pick suitable and competent hands to be appointed into the State Executive Council.

Ahon, who was reacting to reports in a section of the media, said the Governor is not under pressure from anyone, not even his predecessor, on choice of cabinet members as was wrongly reported.

He described the publication as a figment of the imagination of the writer and appealed to Journalists to avoid speculations that could heat up the polity.

Ahon said: “First, the State House of Assembly was constituted on June 13 and thereafter went on recess for two weeks and only recovened on Tuesday June 27.

“The Governor will pick credible and capable persons devoid of sentiments that will help him deliver on his M.O.R.E Agenda for Deltans.

“The report is therefore wrong in its entirety and borne out of mischief. Former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa does not interfere with appointments.”

He enjoined Deltans to be patient with the State Government as it was poised to deliver more for the people.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, has congratulated his Edo counterpart, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on his 66th birth anniversary on July 1.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, lauded Obaseki for his outstanding accomplishments in Edo.

He said that Obaseki had through his ingenuity made appreciable progress in the governance of the state, adding that posterity would judge him kindly for his sterling legacies and accomplishments over the years.

Oborevwori said that the Edo governor had continued to demonstrate patriotism and unrelenting service to his state and the nation, and prayed to God to grant him long life, good health and wisdom as he continued to serve his people and Nigeria.

He commended the Governor for his efforts toward rejuvenating education in his state with the successful implementation of “EDOBEST”, noting that the people of the State and Nigerians are watching his achievements with keen interest.

“I must commend you, my dear brother Governor, for your sterling accomplishments in the development of your State, which I believe will enable you finish strong and influence the people of the state to return our party, the PDP back to Government House at the end of your tenure.

“Your Excellency, it is worthy of note that you are delivering on your star project ‘EDOBEST’ and improving educational facilities for the people of Edo.

“I must also commend you for the numerous infrastructural projects and job creation programmes which has seen many Edo youths empowered with grants to become successful entrepreneurs.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta, I heartily rejoice with my brother governor, an outstanding professional and seasoned administrator, Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, on his 66th birth anniversary.

“It is my prayer and that of the government and people of Delta State that God will continue to bless you with robust health and wisdom to serve God and humanity,” Oborevwori said.

The Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti has forwarded a list of 19 Commisioner nominees to the Abia State House of Assembly.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Dr Otti named the following as commissioner nominees:

1. Prof Monica Ironkwe

2. Kingsely Anoribe

3. Prof Eme Uche

4. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna

5. Mike Akpara

6. Ngozi Okoronkwo

6. Okey Kanu

8. Ikechukwu Uwaoma

9. Chaka Chukwumereije

10. Uzo Nwachukwu

11. Prof Joel Friday Ogbonna

12. Chima Emmanuel Oriaku

13. Nwaobilor Nwadimma Ananaba

14. Dr Chimezie Isaac Ukaegbu

15. Ngozi Blessing Felix

16. Engr Don Otumchere Oti

17. Comrade Sunny Okebugwu Onwuma

18. Engr Ikechukwu Monday and

19. Mathew Chikodi Ekwuribe.

By: Celestine Ukah 

*Urges Warri residents to sustain their support for Governor Oborevwori’s vision to develop Delta

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Warri South Local Government Area, Amb. Dr. Toyin Agbolaya JP has expressed his joy to Muslims faithful in Warri South local government Area as they join their counterparts across the world to celebrate 2023 Eid-el Kabir festival of sacrifice.

Amb. Agbolaya JP said the celebration is all about obedience to Almighty Allah’s commandment to Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael which he obeyed and God showed him mercy and gave him ram in place of his son because He believed in God and His ways.

Amb. Agbolaya who’s a seasoned administrator and development strategist and also a leader in Warri South PDP in his good will terse made available to the press through his Media and Communication Strategist, urged all residents of Warri South and its environs to continue supporting the administration of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and his vision to develop Delta State.

He enjoined Deltans to be patient with the governor as he is poised to embark on massive development of Warri and the entire state in continuation of the previous administration with completion of already awarded ongoing projects in the area.

“I congratulate my , friends, family and all Muslim Ummah in Warri South and beyond on this year 2023 Eid-el-kabir, which has pleased Almighty Allah for Muslim faithful to be part of.

“Eid-el-kabir is around to remind us, once again of how the Almighty God usually intervene to turn a situation of hopelessness to that of hope and happiness.

“We should all use the opportunity of this year 2023 festive season to pray for continued peace and restoration of the values that place high premium on human life in our dear Warri South, Delta State and Nigeria, demonstrate the essence of unity among the various ethnic groups in our nation.

“May the blessings of Almighty Allah fill your home on this Eid-el-kabir”. He expressed.

Barka de sallah!