24092020 - BLACK WEDNESDAY: 30 killed in Kogi petrol tanker explosion

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 — 33
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Delta establishes new secondary,
primary schools
Ibori mourns Ebonka, ex-Delta
deputy gov
By Festus Ahon
A SABA—DETERMINED
to address the educational
needs of the people, the
Delta State Government, yesterday,
approved the establishment
of six new secondary
and three primary schools in
different parts of the state.
The state government also
approved N488.4 million for
the completion of the first
phase of the Faculty of Arts
building of the Delta State
University, Abraka.
Briefing newsmen after the
virtual meeting of the State
Executive Council presided
over by Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa, the state Commissioner
for Information, Mr
Charles Aniagwu said the new
schools were meant to address
the needs of people in the areas
where they are to be established.
Aniagwu said the six new
secondary schools would be
sited at Warri South, Ughelli
South, Ughelli North, Ika
South, Ika North East and
Ukwuani LGAs, while the
three new primary schools
would be sited at Ughelli
North, Warri South West and
Isoko North LGAs of the state.
He said: "The government
has, also approved the construction
of six new secondary
schools and three new primary
schools. It is actually
supposed to be seven new secondary
schools but one of
them in Warri North was
stepped down because of the
issue of naming. "The reason
for the establishment of the
new schools is that the carrying
capacities of schools in
those areas are not meeting
up with the challenges and the
need of our people to school
beyond their primary and basic
education.
"You do know that as a state,
we love education and to increase
the carrying capacity
of our educational institutions,
government has approved
the establishment of
these six new secondary
schools and the three new primary
schools.
"We must also commend
some communities that are
also providing certain helping
hands to government by
making land available in
some of their communities for
the establishment of the new
schools even if they were the
ones that demanded for these
schools".
The commissioner disclosed
that Exco gave approval
for the Procurement Officer's
Cadre in the state civil service
which, he said, was aimed
at bringing transparency and
accountability in governance.
Disclosing that Exco also
approved the 6th storm drainage
would be built in Asaba
to run through summit road,
he said the new storm drainage
would take flood water
from Gagagas Road, Ogagigifor
Street, DBS Road.
By Emma Amaize
AGovernor SABA—FORMER
James Ibori
of Delta State, has described
the passing of pioneer
Deputy Governor of
the state, Evangelist Simeon
Ebonka, as a great loss
to the state and the nation.
Ibori, in a statement, said,
"Ebonka, who served when
Olorogun Felix Ibru was
governor on the platform of
the defunct Social Democratic
Party, SDP, was
among those who laid the
foundation for the swift infrastructural
development
of Delta State.
"Evangelist Ebonka and
Olorogun Ibru laid the
foundation for the swift development
that Delta State
has witnessed, though they
came into office in a new
state with a new capital,
and one of the real problems
they had to grapple
with was the sharing of assets
belonging to Delta and
Edo states."
Ibori gave thanks to God
that Ebonka's labours were
not in vain..
The former deputy Governor
lost his wife, Mrs
Ngozi Ebonka, in 2014.
Chief Ibori also condoled
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
and the good people of
Delta State on the death of
this statesman.
He prayed that God will
give Evangelist Ebonka's
children the fortitude to
bear this irreparable loss.
Tinubu's Estate: Family accuses Police of unlawful
detention
By Onozure Dania
THE LEGAL Trustee of the
Estate of late, Madam Iyalode
Tinubu has called on the
Inspector-General of Police,
Mohammed Adamu to order
the immediate release of one
Taiwo Oyewunmi, who is currently
detained at MAN Police
Division, WEMABOD Estate,
Ikeja, Lagos over a land dispute.
Oyewunmi is the Attorney for
the Estate of late, Madam Iyalode
Tinubu.
Addressing newsmen, lawyer
to the Trustee, Mr. Kayode
Bankole, described Oyewunmi's
arrest as illegal and an
abuse of his fundamental human
rights.
He said that Chief Magistrate
Patrick Nwaka, had rejected
police remand application
on the ground that the subject
matter that led to the arrest of
the 45 year-old Taiwo Oyewunmi,
was a civil case.
According to him, Oyewunmi
was arrested along with his
14 years old son.
He stated that they were arraigned
before a Yaba Chief
Magistrate Court, Lagos, but,
Chief Magistrate Nwaka refused
the application filed by
the Police to remand Oyewunmi
in custody.
Refusing the application, the
Magistrate maintained that the
court will not allow itself to be
used as an instrument of victimization.
He said that, Lagos State
Properties Protection Law 2016,
forbids the use of law enforcement
agents in respect of any
Remain united, Okowa's aide
urges PDP members
landed property except as provided
for under the Sheriff and
Civil Process Act or any other
Law.
"Besides, the Police had in its
legal advice issued on November
20, 2019 and by Augustine
Sanomi, of the Legal and Prosecution
section at the Force
Headquarters, Abuja, advised
that Police officers deployed to
the land in dispute at the instance
of either of the parties
without appropriate court order
or due process of the law as
provided by the Sheriff and
Civil Process Act or other extant
law should be withdrawn
to avert legal action against the
Police," he said.
The land in dispute forms
part of the vast land of late
Madam Iyalode Tinubu at
Alaka Surulere measuring approximately
53.126 hectares, as
shown in survey plan No-
AOP12125/010/2015/LA dated
November 28, 2019.
U GHELLI—SENIOR
Special Assistant to the
Governor on Peace Building
and Conflict Resolution, Chief
Joseph Unuame has called on
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP faithful in Akpere-Olomu
Ward Two to remain united
and sensitize the people
about the Stronger Delta
Agenda of the Okowa administration.
Unuame made this call
while hosting the PDP Ward
two executives and members
at Akpere Olomu community.
Addressing leaders and
members of PDP in Akpere
Olomu ward two, Unuame
highlighted the need for political
leaders to work together
to promote peace and unity
in their domain.
He disclosed that the event
was to host the Ward executives
and to introduce them to
the people.
He urged the ward executive
to carry everyone along
and mobilize the people to
support Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa.
The SSA paid glowing tribute
to late Chief Collins
Omonemu, a leader of the PDP
for his contributions to the
growth of the party in the area
while alive.
He called on the people to
remain peaceful, continue
their support for Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa and the PDP.
Chairman of Ughelli South
PDP, Mr Michael Oshetigho,
Mrs Ese Adehor and PDP
Ward two chairman, Mr Victor
Idolor commended Chief
Unuame for his efforts in promoting
peace and unity in the
area describing him as an
ambassador of the Stronger
Delta Agenda of Governor
Okowa.
They commended Governor
Okowa for his development
efforts in the area and
promised to continue to support
him.
US seeks breakthrough on
Sudan before election
WITH weeks to go be
fore US elections,
Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo is racing to make
a breakthrough with
Sudan that he hopes could
also benefit Israel.
Sudan’s new civilian-led
government is urgently
seeking to be removed
from the US blacklist of
state sponsors of terrorism,
and is seen by Washington
as open to becoming the
latest Arab state to recognize
Israel — a major cause
for President Donald
Trump’s electoral base.
“The United States has a
once-in-a-generation opportunity
to ensure that
compensation is finally
provided to victims of the
1998 Al-Qaeda-backed terrorist
attacks on the US
embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania,” Pompeo wrote
in a letter to senators that
was confirmed by congressional
sources.
“We also have a unique
and narrow window to support
the civilian-led transitional
government in
Sudan that has finally rid
itself of the Islamist dictatorship
that previously led
that country.”
Sudan is one of four nations
listed as a state
sponsor of terrorism by the
United States, severely
impeding investment as
businesses worry of legal
risks in dealing with the
country.
The designation dates
back to 1993 when then
strongman Omar al-Bashir
welcomed Islamists including
Osama bin Laden,
the founder of Al-Qaeda,
which carried out the embassy
attacks that claimed
more than 200 lives.
Washington had been
gradually reconciling with
Bashir, who agreed to independence
for mostly
Christian South Sudan.
But Sudan was transformed
last year when
Bashir was deposed following
a wave of youth-led
Navalny discharged from hospital
after suspected poisoning
Leading Kremlin critic
Alexei Navalny, who
the West believes was poisoned
with a Soviet-era
nerve agent, has been discharged
from hospital after
a month and can make
a full recovery, his doctors
in Berlin said Wednesday.
European leaders have
demanded explanations
from Moscow since Germany
said toxicology tests
showed the 44-year-old
anti-corruption campaigner
was poisoned with Novichok.
But the Kremlin has rubbished
allegations it was
behind the poisoning, and
it said on Wednesday that
with his recovery, Navalny
“is free” to return to Russia
anytime, “like any other
Russian citizen”.
The outspoken opposition
activist fell ill after
boarding a plane in Siberia
in August. Russian doctors
who first treated him
said their tests did not find
any toxic substances.
German lab tests however
pointed to “unequivocal
proof” of Novichok, which
was also used to poison exdouble
agent Sergei Skripal
in Salisbury, England,
in 2018. He survived.
France and Sweden have
since said tests they ran independently
corroborate
Germany’s conclusions.
Navalny spent 32 days in
Charite hospital in the German
capital, including 24
days in intensive care, before
his release on Tuesday,
the hospital said.
“Based on the patient’s
progress and current condition,
the treating physicians
believe that complete
recovery is possible,”
Charite said in a statement,
adding however that
it remained too early to assess
any long-term effects
of his severe poisoning.
For now, Navalny will
remain in Germany as he
embarks on rehabilitation,
his spokeswoman Kira
Yarmysh said on Twitter.
‘No other option’
Navalny collapsed last
month while on a flight
from Tomsk to Moscow after
a campaign trip to support
opposition candidates
in local elections.
He was evacuated to
Berlin on August 22 in a
coma and on mechanical
ventilation.
Posting a photograph of
himself sitting on a Berlin
bench, Navalny said on
Instagram Wednesday he
was far from fully recovered
and would require
rehabilitation.
“The plans are always
simple: a physiotherapist
every day. Possibly a rehabilitation
centre. Stand on
one leg. Take back control
of my fingers completely.
Maintain balance,” he
wrote.
The Kremlin critic has
been active on social media
since being brought
out of the coma.
In his first blog posted
on Monday since regaining
consciousness, Navalny
said that the three European
labs had found
protests. British-educated
economist Abdalla Hamdok
has become the new
prime minister with a reformist
mandate in a transitional
arrangement with
the military.
– Question for Congress
–
Sudan’s delisting has
been held up by a dispute
over a package of some $335
million that Khartoum
would pay as compensation
to victims’ families and survivors
of the embassy attacks.
Completing a compensation
package “is one of the
highest priorities for the
Department of State,” a
spokesperson said.
In his letter, Pompeo said
it was “very likely” that an
agreement on claims and on
delisting Sudan from the
terror blacklist would be
completed by the end of October
— days before the November
3 election.
Novichok “in and on my
body”.
He noted that Russia had
still not opened an investigation
but that he “did
not expect anything else.”
With his condition improving,
his spokeswoman
Kira Yarmysh has said
the opposition leader
planned to return to Russia.
“No other option has
ever been considered,”
she told AFP.
Navalny aides said
Thursday that German experts
found Novichok on a
water bottle taken from
the hotel room where he
stayed before being taken
ill.
The bottle appears to
have been key evidence
for Germany’s
conclusion that the lawyer
and outspoken critic
of President Vladimir
Putin was poisoned
with the deadly nerve
agent.
Amid Doha Peace Talks: Taliban
kills 28 police officials
The Taliban launched a
wave of attacks on security
checkpoints in southern
Afghanistan overnight,
killing a total of 28 Afghan
policemen, officials said.
Zelgai Ebadi, a spokesman
for the Uruzgan governor,
said Taliban fighters offered
28 local and national
police officials a chance to
go home if they surrendered
on Tuesday night, “but
after taking their guns, the
Taliban killed them all”.
A Taliban spokesman,
Qari Mohammad Yousuf
Ahmadi, claimed responsibility
for the attacks and
said the armed group carried
them out after the police
in the area refused to
surrender to the fighters.
Another local official,
speaking on condition of
anonymity, put the toll at
least 28 police officials, adding
that three others managed
to escape.
Reinforcements were not
able to get to the outposts
to save the officers but Ebadi
said Afghan security
forces were later back in
charge of the checkpoints.
The violence comes as Taliban
leaders and Afghan
government-appointed negotiators
started the longdelayed
peace talks in Qatar
earlier this month.
The negotiations are
meant to end the fighting
and establish a plan for a
post-war society.
Wednesday’s killings
come after at least 14 Afghan
police and soldiers
were killed overnight on
Sunday.
During the negotiations
in Qatar, both sides have
spent more than a week
deciding agendas and the
manner in which the two
sides will be conducting the
negotiations.