03072019 - Buhari's Ruga policy, an explosive issue — SOYINKA

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019 — 33
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Itsekiri seeks completion of
abandoned Koko-Ogheye
road linking 50 communities
By Jimitota Onoyume
WProgress ARRI—ITSEKIRI
Club, IPC,
has called for the
completion of the Koko-
Ogheye Road project
linking about 50
communities.
President of the club,
Chief Anthony Onuwaje
made the appeal in Koko,
Warri North Local
Government Area, Delta
State, during an inspection
tour of the Niger Delta
Development Commission,
NDDC’s project in the area
alongside some officials of
the commission, adding
that the shore protection
project in the area
abandoned about 13 years
ago should also be revisited
and completed.
Onuwaje said the Koko-
Oghoye Road project when
completed will open up
communities in the area to
development, adding that
it will also create robust
economy for the people.
...As Agip starts empowerment
scheme for 1,172 N’Delta
youth, women
By Emma Amaize
O R T
P HARCOURT—
NIGERIAN Agip Oil
Company, NAOC, Joint
Venture, JV partners has
launched empowerment
scheme for 1,172 youth and
women in its operational
areas in Niger Delta.
Designed to promote
socio-economic
development through
establishment of small-scale
businesses
for
beneficiaries, the scheme
has kicked off in Bayelsa
and Rivers states.
A statement by the
company said, “The
scheme will be extended to
Imo and Delta states and it
is envisaged that at the end
of the programme, a total
of 1,172 youths and women
would have been impacted.
“The youth and women
were presented with
complete starter-packs for
the set-up of businesses in
shoe making, barbing
salon, hair dressing, tilling,
event planning, laundry
ECIU elects new exco
EVWRENI
Clan
Improvement Union,
ECIU, an umbrella body of
all Evwreni sons and
daughters living in Nigeria
and in diaspora, has elected
new executives to pilot the
affairs of the community for
the next three years.
Evwreni is an oil
producing community in
Ughelli North Local
Government Area of Delta
State.
The elected officers are;
Bright Adjogbe, President
General; Arigo
Okorogbudje, Vice
President General;
Ighorodje Oghene Joseph,
Secretary General; Abodo
He said several Itsekiri
communities had been
eaten up by the river,
stressing that the shore
protection will also protect
the communities from being
washed away by wave from
the river.
“The Koko-Ogheye Road
project will bring
developments to
communities along its
routes as many will come
home to invest, develop
personal properties. The
road is very essential to
development of
communities along its
lines. We are urging the
commission and the
Federal Government to
ensure its completion.
“We are also appealing
that the shore protection
project for the area should
be revisited. The project
which was started about 13
years ago has been left
uncompleted. Some areas
to benefit from the project
are being washed away by
the river,'' he said.
services, furniture making,
plumbing, auto/marine
mechanics, catering,
transportation, business
centre/cyber café, agro
processing, aluminum
works, events planning and
management, information
technology, bakery and
tailoring/fashion designing.
“The first batch of the
scheme was at NRP
Igbogene farm in Bayelsa,
while the second batch of
the scheme was launched
in Rivers State at NAOC’s
Plant Propagation Centre,
PPC, Obie in Ogba/
Egbema/Ndoni Local
Government Area of the
state.
“At the Rivers State
launch, Governor Nyesom
Wike, represented by the
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Women Affairs,
Mrs. AtotesemiEsonTeetito,
commended the initiative of
the JV Partners, noting that
when youths and women
are meaningfully engaged,
there will peace and
development in the
communities and the
state at large.''
Young, Treasurer General;
Ogunu Edewor, PRO;
Diemueta Ukpowho,
Assistant Secretary
General; Andrew Dodo,
Financial Secretary
General; Stephen Ogbokor,
Social Secretary General,
among others.
In his acceptance speech,
Adjogbe solicited for the
cooperation of everyone to
fast track the development
of the community.
He extended his hands of
friendship to other
contestants who lost out in
the contest, saying being
one family, all hands should
be on deck to move the
community forward.
Think outside the box, Okowa
charges political appointees
•Swears in Aguariavwodo, Monye, Ofobruku, two others as Special Advisers
By Festus Ahon
A
S A B A —
GOVERNOR
Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta
State yesterday, charged
political appointees in the
state to think outside the
box in order to proffer
creative solutions to
unexpected developments
in the resolve of his
administration for a
diversified, inclusive and
self-reliant economy that
will withstand any external
shock.
Okowa while swearing in
five Special Advisers in
Asaba, said their
knowledge, wisdom and
experience would help
improve the performance of
his administration in its
strive to deliver on its
electoral promise of a
stronger Delta.
He said; “Special
Advisers play important role
in our modern democratic
setting; they are carefully
selected for their specific
policy expertise and ability
to skilfully navigate the
layers of bureaucracy and
partisan viewpoints to
deliver on the
administration’s goals and
objectives. Modern
statecraft places a demand
on them to lessen the
burden of the demanding
and complex workload of
the Chief Executive.”
Those who were swornin
as Special Advisers were
Prof. Sylvester Monye
(Senior Policy Adviser); Dr
Kingsley Emu (Chief
Economic Adviser); Senator
Emmanuel Aguariavwodo
(Housing and Human
Development); Emmanuel
Okoro (Rural and
Community Development;
and Efe Ofoburuku
(Legislative Matters).
Okowa said: “It is true that
our first tenure ended on a
high and even now, we
continue to receive plaudits
for our phenomenal
achievements in job
creation, human capital
development and
infrastructural renewal, but,
we cannot afford to rest on
our oars because, the next
four years promises to be
as fulfilling as it would be
challenging.
“As Special Advisers,
being experts in your
respective fields, I expect
nothing but sound,
Edo guber: It’s central senatorial
zone's turn, says Imasuangbon
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—A chieftain
of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in
Edo State and aspirant for
the forthcoming
governorship election in the
state, Mr Kenneth
Imasuangbon, has said it
was the turn of Edo Central
Senatorial Zone to occupy
the governorship of the
state.
Imasuangbon, who
addressed reporters,
yesterday, in Abuja, said
leaders of the party in the
zone, at a meeting Sunday
night, were unanimous in
their decisions to work for
the actualisation of a
candidate from the area.
According to him, the
leaders from the five local
government areas in Edo
Central are demanding to
produce the next governor
under the PDP.
He expressed satisfaction
with the manner leaders
who attended the meeting
discussed with the interest
of Esan at heart.
He used the opportunity
to make his interest to run
for the governorship seat
known to his kinsmen,
noting that the only position
that was good for the
senatorial zone in 2020 is the
governor.
practical advice that meets
global best practices
because, this administration
expects from you bold
ideas and initiatives that
will engender prosperity,
peace and progress. “
Observing that the
expectations were high as
his administration builds a
stronger Delta, he said,
“This administration is
always ready and willing to
The meeting was hosted
by Elder Odion Ugbesia a
former Senator who
represented the zone in the
National Assembly in 2007.
He said: “Esan cannot
continue to be marginalised
and we say we are from the
same state.
“I’m happy everyone is
now pursuing the same
agenda of having Esan
man or woman as the
governor come 2020, this
has been my agitation, so
it’s a good way to begin
VISIT: Lagos State
Chapter Guv'nor of
De'Norsemen Kclub,
Mr. Jubril Babatunde,
(middle) and
Provost, De'Norsemen
Kclub, Mr. Collins
Diala, (right)
presenting Award
of recognition to a
Philanthropist, Hon.
Uduak Effiong,
Managing Director,
EFKON Ventures
Limited, when the Kclub
paid a courtesy visit to
his office at Etiebets
Place in Lagos.
work with Deltans at home
and in diaspora and from
all walks of life, we welcome
advice and suggestions
that will help us better the
lot of our people and make
our state the pride of all and
I also expect everybody to
continue to pray for the
success of this
administration because
when we succeed, the
citizens are the better for it.”
and we can take it up from
there.
“We are the only
senatorial zone that has not
produced the governor. The
Binis and the Afemais are
good people and they are
in support of our demands.”
Others present at the
meeting include former
Minister of Works, Chief
Mike Onolememen, former
speaker of Edo State House
of Assembly, Friday Itulah,
Dr. Anthony Aziegbemhin
and others.
MWUN, market Road Unit,
Warri gets new 11-man exco
MARITIME Workers
Union Nigeria,
MWUN, Market Road Unit,
private craft, Warri, Delta
State has elected 11- man
executive to run its affairs
for another four years.
Delta District Chairman
(MWUN) Seamen, NIWA
and Water Transport branch,
Mr Boro Ekotoro, who
conducted the election,
charged the newly elected
officers to work as team with
other members to move the
union forward.
Ekotoro tasked the elected
chairman, Chief Godwin
Kerebor to bring in new
ideas and initiatives that will
attract state government
participation in the
maritime sector.
Those elected and
inaugurated are; Chief
Kerebor, Chairman; Chief
John Ekotoro, Vice
Chairman; Mr. Oki Yerin,
Secretary; Mr. Lucky
Fawei, Asst Secretary; Mr
Cletus Itare, Treasurer and
Mr. Paul Edumogren, exofficio.
Other exco members are;
Chief Ifiye Oruware, Mr.
Rawlings Benike, Ifitibou
Johnson and Chief Samuel
E. Brizimor, ex-officios
and Mrs Anna Amos,
Special Woman.