21022018 - APC CRISIS LATEST :Governor demolishes senator's house

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018—13
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AIG doles out N16.3m to families of slain policemen
By Onozure Dania
THE
Assistant
Inspector-General of
Police, Zone 5
headquarters, Benin City,
Mr Rasheed Akintunde,
has presented cheques
valued at over N16.3
million to 14 beneficiaries /
next of kin of officers who
died in the line of duty in
Tension in Ogoni as MOSOP kicks
against resumption of oil exploration
•Monarchs endorse firm to explore OML 11
By Davies
Iheamnachor
PORT
HAR-
C O U R T —
TENSION is brewing in
Ogoni ethnic nationality of
Rivers State following the
insistence by Movement
for the Survival of Ogoni
People, MOSOP, that the
people of Ogoni have not
endorsed any company to
resume oil exploration on
their land, as it called one
Federal Government to
monitor the activities of oil
firms in the area.
This came as some royal
fathers in Ogoni, under the
aegis of Supreme Council
of Traditional Rulers of
Ogoni, have endorsed
RoboMichael Nigeria
Limited to explore oil in
OML 11.
It will be recalled that
Shell Petroleum
Development Company
had 25 years ago
abandoned OML 11 after
a face-off with the host
communities over
environment degradations
caused by oil exploration.
Meanwhile, the leader of
Ken Saro-Wiwa Associates,
KSA, Chief Gani Topba,
Bayelsa, Delta and Edo
states, under the Nigeria
Police Group Life
Assurance Scheme.
According to a statement
yesterday, by Mr Emeka
Iheanacho, Zonal Police
Public Relations Officer, Mr
Akintunde, while
presenting the cheques
said that the event was not
a speech making one, but
•Endorsement of RoboMichael mere joke —KSA
has described the royal
fathers' endorsement of
RoboMichael Nigeria
Limited to explore oil in
OML 11, as a mere joke,
adding that the resolution
of the chiefs will not stand.
Spokesman of MOSOP,
Fegalo Nsuke, in a
statement in Port Harcourt,
yesterday, called on
President Muhammadu
Buhari to avert a possible
breakdown of the peace in
Ogoniland by putting a
check on the activities of
Belema Oil Producing
Limited and Robo Michael
Limited, adding that their
desperation for Ogoni oil
has created local groups
Ayade pledges N500m soft loan to LG workers
By Ike Uchechukwu
C ALABAR—CROSS
River State governor,
Prof. Ben Ayade, has set
aside N500 million as loans
to assist local government
workers who wish to go
into farming, saying his
government will work with
officials of the Nigeria
Union of Local Government
Employees, NULGE, to
facilitate access to the loan.
Ayade made the pledge
in Calabar after he was
a moment for sober
reflection, adding: “The
event is a moment to reflect
on the lives of our
colleagues who paid the
supreme price of laying
down their lives for the
security of life and property
of citizens of this country.”
He condoled with the
beneficiaries and their
family members on behalf
sharply divided against
one another.
Nsuke said: “The way
forward is a peaceful
settlement through
dialogue taking into
consideration the interests
of Ogoni people as
articulated in the Ogoni Bill
of Rights.
“MOSOP, therefore,
expresses its displeasure
with the Nigerian
government feigning
ignorance while companies
representing its interests
notably Belema Oil and
Robo Micheal, continue to
sponsor local actors who
have turned themselves
into rival groups projecting
presented with the “Award
of Excellent Performance in
Governance,” by the
national President of
NULGE, Mr Ibrahim
Khaleel, in his office
yesterday.
The governor, who said
the loan was interest-free,
added: “For the local
government workers who
want to go into farming, I
have set aside N500 million
as interest free loan to
ensure that your stay in the
council is not in vain. I will
of the Inspector -General
of Police, IGP, Mr Ibrahim
Idris, on the demise of their
husbands, fathers,
breadwinners as well as
loved ones, who lost their
lives while on national
service to their fatherland
and prayed God to grant
the deceased eternal rest
and the families the
fortitude to bear the
irreparable loss.
VISIT: Governor Udom Emmanuel receiving a gift from Archbishop Cletus Bassey, during a courtesy visit
to the governor by members of Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly at Governor’s Lodge, Uyo.
the various interests of their
sponsors and representing
real threats to the peace of
Ogoniland."
On its part, reading a
communique on behalf of
the royal fathers, its
spokesman, HRH King
Samuel Nnee, Gbenemene
Tuatua, Tai, the
paramount ruler of Kpite
Communities, said the
chiefs had resolved after
due consultations to allow
the firm operate the wells
in the area.
Nnee said: “We in
consultation with our
people, resolve and
endorse RoboMichael
Limited as our preferred
company to operate the
assets situated in our land
in line with the decision of
the Federal Government.”
work with your union
leaders to ensure that any
serious person accesses the
money.”
Earlier, the national
president of NULGE, Mr
Khaleel told the governor
that he was in the state to
join his colleagues to
appeal to the governor to
contest the 2019 election,
noting that the award was
presented to him over his
concern for the local
government workers.
A-Ibom to revoke occupancy
of 1500 shops in Uyo market
By Harris-Okon
Emmanuel
U YO—A-twoweek
ultimatum
has been given to
owners of lock up shops
numbering 1500 at the
Akpan Andem Market
located in the heart of
Uyo, the Akwa Ibom
State capital, to put
them to use or face dire
consequences.
Chairman of Uyo Local
Government Area of the
state, Elder Umoh
Okon, handed down
the ultimatum when he
led a team comprising
the state Commissioner
for Environment and
Mineral Resources, Dr.
Iniobong Essien and
other top government
Delta NULGE worried over
non-passage of LG Autonomy Bill
By Victor Ahiuma-
Young
DELTA
State
chapter of
Nigerian Union of Local
Government Employees,
NULGE, has expressed
worry over protracted
delay in the deliberation
and passage of Local
Government Autonomy
Bill sent by the National
Assembly.
Speaking on the
union’s concerns over
non-deliberation on the
bill, state President of
NULGE, Zico Okwudi,
said the union was
worried that while most
states in the country had
granted full autonomy to
local governments, Delta
State House of Assembly
was yet to deliberate on the
bill, months after it was
transmitted to state
Assemblies by the National
Assembly.
He said: “We find this
development very worrisome
in view of the fact that
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had
during a courtesy visit by our
union, assured us that Delta
State will uphold autonomy
for local government once the
National Assembly transmits
the bill to the state Assembly.
Now that more than 13 states
have passed the bill on local
government autonomy, we
are appealing to the state
House of Assembly to
expedite action on the
passage of the bill in line
with the governor’s promise."
Delta Transport Commissioner
harps on political integrity
DELTA
State
Commissioner for
Transport, Mr. Vincent
Uduaghan, has
emphasised the
importance of political
integrity and the avoidance
of image smearing in all
facets of politics.
Uduaghan expressed the
view when he observed
that periodic boarding of
unserviceable vehicles in
the state was seen as
campaign instrument in
some quarters
He reiterated that
auctioning of unserviceable
vehicles was constitutional,
adding that “All procedures
required by law were
considered before such
auctioning was
determined. ‘’
He added that proper
functionaries to inspect
facilities at the Akpan Adem
market and other markets in
the state capital.
The council boss said that
the state government will be
left with no other option
than to revoke the
occupancy of the shops if
the owners did not open
them for businesses.
“Government is providing
adequate and essential
facilities such as toilet and
potable water in the market,
but it is sad that over 1500
lock up shops have not
been utilized and the
government is giving the
owners two weeks to open
the shops for business
purposes otherwise their
occupancy will be
revoked,” he said.
publication concerning the
vehicles and date of auction
were made public as well
as having a government
registered auctioneer.
On the privatization of
Delta Line, Uduaghan
said: “Without mincing
words, the state
government took that
decision to divest 60 per
cent of Delta Line's
ownership through partial
privatization. “
Uduaghan said that
successive governments,
spanning more than 15
years, invested funds
running into hundreds of
millions of naira to make
Delta Line thrive, profitable
and meet the yearning of
Deltans as it concerns the
state's transport sector.