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30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 DISTRIBUTION: Mrs Mama Edet, Deputy Director, Planning Research and Documentation, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (right), presents some items to one of the 18,891 Cameroonian refugees in the settlements in Cross River, during the presentation of 40,800 soap bars, 5,000 buckets, 7,356 hand sanitizers and 5,800 face masks to 18,891 Cameroonian refugees by the Commission. Photo: NAN. Relocate dry dock to open up economy in N'Delta — PANDEF, UNDEDSS By Dapo Akinrefon YENAGOA—PAN Ni ger Delta Forum, PAN- DEF and United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, UND- EDSS, yesterday, restated calls for the Federal Government to relocate the Mega Dry Dock from Lagos waters, where it had been lying unused, to the Niger Delta, saying it will open up the economy of the region. Rising from a special Webinar meeting in Lagos, held to mark the 93rd birthday anniversary of PAN- DEF Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, the Niger Delta leaders said that the Shipbuilding Dry Dock, which is the largest in Africa, would be the ideal enterprise for President Muhammadu Buhari to commission in the post-COV- ID -19 Nigerian economy. In a statement on the webinar meeting of the groups in Lagos, UNDEDSS Executive Secretary, Mr Tony Uranta said the benefits of the dock to the Niger Delta region would be immeasurable considering the Maritime University in Delta. Uranta said: "Relocating the Dry Dock project to the Niger Delta would be the biggest investment post COVID-19 in the region and would open up the economy of the region. The House of Representatives in March 2020, urged the Federal Government and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, to return and install the floating dock acquired at a cost of over N50 billion in Okerenkoko, Delta State. "The dock since its arrival in the country on June 11, 2018, had been in a storage cart, owing to controversial bureaucratic wrangling over where it would be located as its operational base. "The Okerenkoko floating dock project was duly considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council at its 37th meeting on October 23, 2013, and the approval was conveyed to the Federal Ministry of Transport on October 29, 2013. "The location of the Dry dock to Badagry in Lagos State is contrary to the initial approval by the Federal Government for its location in Delta. "Our appeal is that the dry dock should be moved permanently, installed and commissioned in Delta, considering the contributions of the region to the nation's economy. The dry dock is lying fallow in the waters of Lagos State and should be taken to Delta next to the maritime university to provide practical knowledge to the students. "The dry dock if located in the Niger Delta will open up the region and make it more viable, including the employment it will generate and the trainings on ship building processes." He hinted that the meeting had set up a committee to be chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi, to look at its institutions, state leaderships and contributions of its elected members in the National Assembly to development of the region. 2019 election killings: Wike compensates Abonnema victims with N450m By Egufe Yafugborhi PORT HARCOURT — GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, paid out N450million compensation to survivors and relatives of victims killed in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state, when soldiers clashed with youths during 2019 Presidential election. Several persons died and others wounded on February 29, 2019, in Abonnema in a gun duel between angry youths and soldiers, <strong>who</strong> also lost three men including a Lieutenant over alleged military attempt to compromise the Presidential election in favour of a political party on the occasion. Presenting the compensation package before Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Manuel and his people at Abonnema, Wike said the gesture can't pay for those <strong>who</strong> lost their lives but it was a demonstration of his commitment to stand by Rivers people in good Delta govt vows to industrialize agric sector By Festus Ahon ASABA—DELTA State Government has reiterated its resolve to transform the state agricultural sector to boost productivity and accelerate industrialization in the sector. It also lauded the management of IMC Palm Oil Plantation in Nsukwa, Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state for it's contribution to the socio-economic development of the state. Speaking during the commissioning of a brand new Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) loading ramp and the launch of retail palm oil bottling section on the premises of the company, state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Julius Egbedi said the initiative was a great step towards boosting the economy of the state. Noting that IMC plantation has been a blessing to the state, he said, "This achievement is a rare feat when viewed from the difficult situation that the world is undergoing amidst the coronavirus pandemic. We have always known the management of IMC plantation as a hardworking, courageous and result oriented officials." He disclosed that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration had committed over N580 million to palm oil development, adding that N88 million was in this month of May. In his remarks, acting General Manager of IMC Plantation, Michael Kemeh-Mensah, said the commissioning of the new ramp was necessitated by the collapse of the old ramp, which he said had served the company for over past 35 years. N-Delta polluted environment facing <strong>system</strong>atic neglect —Nimmo Bassey By Davies Iheamnachor PORT HARCOURT— ENVIRONMENTAL Right Activist, Nnimmo Bassey, has said that the environmental pollution in Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State and the Niger Delta environment has been <strong>system</strong>atic neglected by the authorities. This came as KEBET- KACHE Women Development and Resource Centre, lamented continuous delay in the cleaning up of Ogoniland by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP. Bassey, Director of the COVID 19: Buhari urged to appoint Amnesty Coordinator to avert crisis and bad times. Wike, represented by Secretary to the State Government, said, "Everybody in Abonnema saw what happened. Even the Amayanabo said the only pain that came close to that in the annals of Abonnema history was the civil war. "I promised to do my best possible to identify with those <strong>who</strong> suffered one form of atrocity or the other in the hands of the soldiers, <strong>who</strong> went on rampage on that election day. My heart goes for those <strong>who</strong> paid the supreme price for our democracy to survive." Based on the report of fact findings committee headed by Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibor Harry-Banigo, the governor announced the N450million compensation to be spread among relatives of 37 identified victims killed, several wounded survivors, owners of properties destroyed and persons arrested and detained by the military during the crisis. Among some of the announced beneficiaries <strong>who</strong>se account would be credited directly from Wednesday include, Florence George, mother and next of kin to Samuel Horsefall, <strong>who</strong> was shot dead in the election violence is to receive N9million, while Iyowuna Quaker, <strong>who</strong> survived gunshot to his leg got N1.9million. To the beneficiaries, Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Manuel, cautioned, "It is not time for enjoyment, frivolities, but to think how best you can use the money wisely to create lasting impressions at improving lives." By Jimitota Onoyume WARRI—WITH the devastating impact of Covid 19 on the economy, President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to urgently appoint a Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, to save youths from going back to the creeks. National Coordinator, Ijaw in Oil and Gas, Ebipams Johnny in a statement in Warri, Delta State said the President should ensure that a competent hand was appointed adding that with the recession already witnessed in the economy as a result of Covid 19, the President should quickly appoint a coordinator for the amnesty office to take care of youths in the Niger Delta region. It said, "This is again a clarion call for the presidency to begin strategising on sustaining safe operations devoid of vandalism in our oil and gas operations with the fall in crude oil price and the politics that has beclouded the PAP. "Our position as Ijaw professionals in oil and gas is to reiterate the obvious that recession is Ecological Think Tank Health of Mother Earth Foundation, <strong>who</strong> spoke as one of the panelists at a virtual conference held on Webinar, to review the process and implementation of the UNEP report in Ogoni, organised by KEBET- KACHE in collaboration with Cordaid, said, money was not a problem in the clean-up of Ogoni and the entire Niger Delta. Bassey, on an overview of HYPREP activities said that environmental pollution across the Niger Delta region is a <strong>system</strong>atic problem, stressing that finance is not a problem. Reports of my appointment to lead COVID-19 growth C'ttee is misinformation — Okowa By Perez Brisibe A SABA—GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, yesterday, denied media reports that he has imminent after this pandemic and feelers from our youths and survey conducted in the Niger Delta region is that PAP is yet to address the core reasons why militancy thrived prior to the 2009 Presidential offer of amnesty by the Yar'Adua led government. "We anticipate a reawakening of unrest in the region unless a competent hand with a background knowledge of the evervolatile region is appointed to pilot the PAP, if not, we are doomed and the national recession will be worse off in the committee of nations after the pandemic." been appointed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to lead the sub-committee on post COVID-19 economic growth, adding that the report is not true. The governor in a statement by his Communications Manager, Jackson Ekwugum, said the clarification became necessary following an avalanche of comments, inquiries and goodwill messages from well meaning Nigerians regarding the said appointment. The statement reads, "It is not true that Governor Okowa was appointed to lead a subcommittee on post COVID- 19 economic growth. "The National Economic Council, NEC, headed by Vice President Osinbajo recently created a sub-committee chaired by Okowa to work/liaise with the Presidential Taskforce on COV- ID-19 on the process of lifting the national lockdown and reopening the economy.’’
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