17082018

Vanguard, FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2018—13
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
We create jobs, wealth for Deltans, not share
money —Okowa
GOVERNOR
of
Delta State, Dr
Ifeanyi Okowa, has
stressed the need for
wealthy Deltans,
philanthropists, elected
representatives and
politicians to shift focus
from cash gifts as
empowerment strategy and
emulate government’s
immediate and long term
prosperity agenda through
human capital
Forgive your political godsons who betrayed
you, Wike begs Odili
By Egufe Yafugborhi
PORT
HAR-
C O U R T —
GOVERNOR Nyesom
Wike of Rivers State has
urged his mentor, former
governor of the state, Peter
Odili, to forgive all “his
political sons who betrayed
and abandoned him”
through the years.
Wiike, at a state banquet
in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, to mark Odili's 70th
birthday, said the former
governor needs forgiveness
of heart to reunite his
political family for the good
of the state.
“Whoever has annoyed or
betrayed you, forgive them.
When you have 20 children,
leave room for rebels. Since
1999, nobody has been key
in the politics of Rivers State
without being directly or
indirectly linked to Dr
Odili,” he said.
He said he owed his
successes as a governor to
a three point
developmental secret
handed him by Odili which
gave him privileged
development, especially
investments in vocational
training, mechanized
farming, technical
education, jobs and wealth
creation.
The governor noted that
cash gifts not backed by
capacity training may not
endure for a long time, and
called on wealthy Deltans
and corporate organisations
to join hands and or
partner government in
insights into the
complexities of Rivers from
a pro-Rivers leader.
“Everything the former
Rivers governor told me in
his guidelines has played
out. I am successful
because I followed
religiously the items on the
guidelines to rapidly
develop Rivers State. I
don’t have high blood
pressure because I was fully
prepared. I know each local
government area because
uplifting the standards of
living of the people by
sponsoring and investing
substantially in job and
wealth creation as well as
capacity building
programmes.
Okowa spoke at the grand
finale of 05 Initiative and
Restore Sight Africa free
medical outreach held at
the Stephen Keshi stadium
in Asaba.
He commended the First
I took the advice from a
man who was there.
“From the guidelines I
received from Dr Odili, I can
easily predict appointees
who will stay and those who
will leave. By their steps
you can determine their
next move,” Wike said.
He further attributed his
national popularity to Dr
Odili when he introduced
him to the founder of AIT,
Chief Raymond Dokpesi,
who detailed a reporter to
Lady of Delta State, Dame
Edith Okowa, for the huge
success recorded by her pet
project (05 Initiative) within
a short period of three
years. He enumerated
some of her achievements
as the 12 sickle cell clinics
built and equipped across
the state as well as
restoration of sights of
23,000 persons and over
2,000 successful eye
surgeries.
SIGNING: From left: Mr Remi Oni, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, First Bank Plc; Mr
Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman, Management Board, Aluko & Oyebode; Ferdi Moolman, Chief Executive
Officer, MTN Nigeria and Emeka Okonkwo, Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking,
Union Bank, during the signing of a N200 billion Medium Term Facility with a consortium of banks, in
Lagos today. Photo: Akeem Salau.
cover him as Minister of
State for Education.
Responding, Odili said:
“I have forgiven. I will
attempt to command my
mind to forget. I will grant
conscience amnesty to
those whose conscience
have told them that they
offended me.”
On Wike’s loyalty and
stewardship, he said,
“Today, I feel I am properly
handing over to my
successor."
Odili, apostle of national unity —Oshiomhole
FORMER
Rivers
State governor, Dr.
Peter Odili, has been
eulogized as a unifying
figure and an apostle of
politics without
bitterness.
National Chairman of
All Progressives
Congress, APC, Mr
Adams Oshiomhole, in a
statement to felicitate
with the former Rivers
State helmsman on his
70th birthday on August
15, said: “It is gratifying
to note that long after
office, you are still
widely adored. It can
only be a measure of the
durability of the bridge
of unity you built across
the nation’s divides -
whether ethnic or
religious. Even critics
would acknowledge
your quintessence as the
apostle of politics
without bitterness.
“Even more remarkable
is the seamless way you
have transited from
active life in partisan
politics to the nobler
station of statesmanship
and mentoring, thus
teaching us that
opportunities exist for life
after office.
“In the home front, you
remain a role model as a
romantic husband,
loving father, doting
grandpa and a devout
Christian of Catholic
creed. On this joyous
occasion, my wife, Iara,
and I, therefore, wish
you many more years of
good health and service
to the nation.”
I won't share Edo people’s
money —Obaseki
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BENIN—EDO State
governor, Mr.
Godwin Obaseki, has said
that under his watch,
money meant for the
development of the state
would not be shared.
Speaking in Benin City
yesterday, during the firstyear
anniversary
celebration of the Edo State
Task Force Against Human
Trafficking, he said, “All
Edo State Government’s
money will be used for the
development of the state.
This is the brand of politics
I have chosen to play.
“Our developmental
challenges are enormous
and only a frugal and
prudent utilisation of tax
payers’ money would
APC gov aspirants used cultists to
disrupt bye-election —C-River govt
By Ike Uchechukwu
& Emma Una
THE Cross River
State Government,
yesterday, accused two
governorship aspirants on
the platform of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Mr. Venatius Ikem
and Mr Paul Adah, of
sponsoring violence during
the just concluded Obudu
state constituency bye
elections won by Abbey
Ukpukpen, widow of the
late lawmaker, Mr Stephen
Ukpupken on August 10,
2018.
Briefing newsmen at the
state Executive chambers,
the Commissioner for
Justice and Attorney
General of Cross River
State, Mr. Joe Abang, said
that the confessional
statements obtained from
the suspects by the police
indicated that the two APC
ameliorate the sufferings of
our people. No matter the
pressure and irrespective of
the quarters such pressure
would come from, I will not
break my oath with Edo
people, to provide
purposeful leadership.”
He assured that his
administration would open
up rural areas through the
provision of infrastructure
to stimulate the local
economy and improve the
lives of the people.
“Taxpayers' money is
meant for development and
it will be used to develop
the state and make life better
for our people. We are
taking development to
those in the grassroots
where the need is greater.
We will not share money
like those we displaced from
government.”
governorship aspirants
were the brains behind the
violence.
Reacting, both aspirants
denied the allegation,
saying that they had no
hands in what they were
being accused of by the state
government.
“On the issue of cultism,
Paul Adah, never brought
cultists to Obudu for a mere
state House of Assembly
bye-election. I never did it
in the three elections I have
participated in, and will
never do it. I am not even
aware that cultists were
arrested not to talk of going
to the police station to
intervene,” he said in an
SMS to Vanguard.
Also, Venatius Ikem said
the people who were
arrested were not held
because of election but on
trumped up charges, more
so as no warrant was issued
for his arrest.
IRC moves against extinction
of Itsekiri language
W ARRI—ITSEKIRI
Resource Centre,
IRC, a body controlled by
the Traditional Prime
Minister (Ologbotsere) of
Warri Kingdom, Chief
Ayirimi Emami, has begun
a summer class for the
learning of Itsekiri
language as part of efforts
to save the language from
extinction.
The summer class which
began August 13 and
expected to be rounded off
August 31, holds 9 week
days at Ode-Itsekiri, Ubeji
and Ikenbuwa Primary
School, Ajamimogha, in
Warri South Local
Government Area of Delta
State.
Initiator of IRC, Chief
Emami, who addressed
newsmen at Ode-Itsekiri in
Warri South, yesterday,
while monitoring the
programme, noted that one
of his pet projects was to
promote the learning and
speaking of Itsekiri,
particularly against the
backdrop of the dominance
of the English language in
modern
day
communication.
Congratulating the
Chairman of IRC, Mr
David Johnson on his
birthday on August 15,
Chief Emami commended
Chief Thomas Ereyitomi as
well as Mr. Alex Eyengho
for supporting the Itsekiri
summer class.