12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 Expedite action on PIB, Diri begs Reps •Says N-Delta needs clean-<strong>up</strong> By Samuel Oyadongha Y ENOGOA—Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has urged members of the House of Representatives <strong>to</strong> expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, saying it would correct some of the injustices faced by oil producing states. Diri made the appeal, yesterday, when members of the House Committee on Oil Spill Investigation, Clean-<strong>up</strong> and Remediation in Oil Producing States visited him at Government House, VISIT: The Interim Administra<strong>to</strong>r, Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Colonel Milland Dikio (retd) (right) and the Pere of Gbaramotu Kingdom, HRM Ogboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe, Agadagba during a courtesy call on the monarch in his palace, Oporoza, Delta State, yesterday. Yenagoa. The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said the PIB, when passed in<strong>to</strong> law, would be an avenue <strong>to</strong> correct some of the wrongs of the oil companies in host communities, noting that the bill had been neglected for long by the National Assembly. He said: “Let me appeal that as you go, have a very serious interest in the PIB. The PIB has been there from one Assembly <strong>to</strong> the other. “It is another way of ameliorating what we perceive as cheating on the part of the oil companies and Nigeria on the Niger Delta and its people.” Diri lamented the level of negligence by oil companies and the Federal Government, saying the people have suffered so much in terms of environmental degradation and pollution of water bodies leading <strong>to</strong> increase in cases of cancer and other strange ailments. He queried the standards applied by oil firms in their operations in the Niger Delta compared <strong>to</strong> others part of the world. The governor also called for clean-<strong>up</strong> of Niger Delta as a whole, noting that the Ogoni clean-<strong>up</strong>, which attracted international attention, was a mere fraction of the polluted environment from oil spills. “What happened in Ogoniland is the same in the whole of Niger Delta. That there is a clean-<strong>up</strong> in Ogoniland is, <strong>to</strong> say the least, a fraction of the Niger Delta. So the clean-<strong>up</strong> should be the whole of the Niger Delta,” he said, expressing optimism that the report of the committee would bring succour <strong>to</strong> people of the area if implemented. Earlier, chairman of the committee, Amiru Tukur, said they were in the state on a verification mission <strong>to</strong> some oil spill sites <strong>to</strong> ascertain the actual clean-<strong>up</strong> and remediation, adding that the outcome would form the basis of the report it would submit <strong>to</strong> the House. Women in Edo protest against herdsmen's activities By Gabriel Enogholase & Ozioruva Aliu BENIN CITY— HUNDREDS of women, mostly farmers, in Ikabigbo community, in Uzairue Kingdom, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, yesterday, protested the activities of herdsmen in their community, asking them (herdsmen) <strong>to</strong> leave as their presence was causing them more harm than good. The women protested at the palace of the traditional ruler, Chief Braimah Alegeh, <strong>to</strong> register their displeasure over what they described as wan<strong>to</strong>n destruction of their crops and farmlands by the herdsmen. Spokesperson for the women, Mrs Rose Ekhalumhe, said: “The herdsmen want <strong>to</strong> create hunger in our communities. They will enter our cassava farm, <strong>up</strong>root the cassava <strong>to</strong> feed their cattle and the cattle will destroy the remaining. “Yam barns are not spared in this destruction by the herdsmen and their cattle. We are now afraid <strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> the farm because many of us have been beaten <strong>up</strong> and injured by herdsmen for daring <strong>to</strong> ask them <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p the destruction of our crops and farmlands. “So, we are here <strong>to</strong> let you know that we are tired of their atrocities. We can’t farm anymore and the little we have cultivated have been destroyed by the herders and their cattle. We want them <strong>to</strong> leave our land and community. We didn’t give them any land.” Responding, Alegeh, said: “I have reported the matter <strong>to</strong> the clan head, Ogieneni of Uzairue, His Royal Highness, Kadiri Omogbai that I am inundated with complaints about the destruction of crops and farmlands by herdsmen in my community and he promised <strong>to</strong> look in<strong>to</strong> it.” He said the palace would make a formal report <strong>to</strong> the local and state governments <strong>to</strong> intimate them on the unwholesome activities of the herdsmen, adding that the community has no land for herdsmen and their cattle. Alleged marginalisation: Delta community barricades oil company's premises By Festus Ahon & Ochuko Akuopha K W A L E — DISSATISFIED by its conduct, the people of Ogbeani community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, have staged a protest against Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company, SEEPCO/Ashtavinayak Hydrocarbon Limited over its failure <strong>to</strong> sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the community. The protesters, which include old and young indigenes of the community, besieged the company premises as early as 9 a.m., and barred all forms of movement in and out of the company. They chanted songs <strong>to</strong> express their displeasure with the company. The people carried placards with different inscriptions, such as “We need immediate signing of MoU”, “We Need To See The C.E.O”, “Give Us Job”, “SANDEEP S<strong>to</strong>p Frustrating Ogbeani,” among others and insisted that they would not leave the company premises till their demands were met. One of the protesters, Mr Samuel Enebeli, who spoke <strong>to</strong> newsmen on behalf of the people, alleged that the company had failed <strong>to</strong> sign an MoU with the community since they commenced operations, adding that the peaceful protest was <strong>to</strong> let the world know how the company was treating them. Also speaking, Mr Festus Obodeh said the agitation by the community for fair treatment by the company had attracted the intervention of the state government. Explaining that the company was not respecting the government and the host community, Obodeh said it was “wrong for the company <strong>to</strong> be operating without a Community Liaison Officer or reaching an understanding with their host.” On his part, Chief Peter Udome, accused the company of sidelining the community in the scheme of things, alleging that “the company has engaged more than 5,000 Indians and more than 200 non-indigenes with nobody employed from the host community, Ogbeani.” Efforts <strong>to</strong> reach the company for comments on the matter proved abortive at press time. S’South political parties denounce FG’s plot <strong>to</strong> seize Delta’s repatriated funds By Emma Amaize A SOUTH SABA—SOUTH- Political Parties Coalition, SSPC, a gro<strong>up</strong> of about 108 registered political parties’ chairmen in the South-South has scoffed at the design of the Federal Government <strong>to</strong> take over returned looted funds by the British government that rightly belongs <strong>to</strong> the government and people of Delta State. Rising from a leadership meeting in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, the coalition in a communique by the national chairman, Prince A-Ibom sets <strong>up</strong> c'ttee over Ibom deep seaport take-off By Chioma Onuegbu UYO —Akwa Ibom State government has set <strong>up</strong> a committee <strong>to</strong> interface with strategic local stakeholders <strong>to</strong> facilitate the execution of the Ibom Deep Seaport project. State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong, in a statement, yesterday, in Uyo, said the committee was set <strong>up</strong> during the State Executive Council meeting at Government House, on Monday. Ememobong noted that all the ministries and bureau presented their performance review for the first quarter of 2021 at the meeting. He said: “At the meeting of the Executive Council of the Akwa Ibom State Government held at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Uyo, the governor directed that the Direc<strong>to</strong>rate of Solid Minerals be moved from Ministry of Transport <strong>to</strong> the Reuben Favour, and nine others, said: “SSPC frowns at the desperation of the Federal Government <strong>to</strong> ‘rob Peter <strong>to</strong> pay Paul' attitude in the clear circumstance that the funds returned is rightly and solely a Delta State and her people’s monies. “It has never been heard in his<strong>to</strong>ry that recoveries in this manner are generally shared, other than refunding and reimbursing the source of the loot. “We will not hesitate <strong>to</strong> challenge any contrary action of the Federal Government in a competent court of law.” Ministry of Environment <strong>to</strong> properly align job responsibilities and fast track the completion agenda. “The Technical Committee on Ibom Deep Sea Port implementation informed EXCO that Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, had set <strong>up</strong> a joint committee for the project and that execution plans are on track. “EXCO set <strong>up</strong> a committee <strong>to</strong> interface with strategic local stakeholders <strong>to</strong> facilitate a smooth take-off of the project. Also, EXCO <strong>to</strong>ok briefings on the state of affairs at Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort under the current management of the Icon Gro<strong>up</strong>. “The chairman of the board and the MD of the hotel presented their first periodic (120 days) report showing the developments made and the improvements sought <strong>to</strong> be undertaken. “EXCO expressed appreciation on the work done so far in the hotel and urged them <strong>to</strong> do better in the subsequent period.” Bizman recovers property after A’Court dismisses objection by AMCON By Onozure Dania FOLLOWING an Appeal Court decision, dismissing an appeal by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, in respect of a property at Vic<strong>to</strong>ry Park Estate, Igbokushu, Lekki Phase I, Lagos, a businessman, Mr Adedayo Shittu, has recovered the property from “unknown individuals.” Justice K. Jose of a Lagos High Court had restrained a Receiver-Manager appointed by AMCON, from encroaching on the land. The court had on Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 24, 2019, dismissed AMCON’s preliminary objection and granted an interlocu<strong>to</strong>ry injunction in favour of Shittu and More and S. A. More Ltd, authorising them <strong>to</strong> protect their interest in the property at Vicory Park Estate. Dissatisfied, AMCON challenged the ruling with Shittu, More and S. A. More Ltd, Knight Rook Ltd and Mr Lanre Olaoluwa as 1st <strong>to</strong> 4th respondents in the suit. But, on December 15, 2020, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal with Appeal Court President, Justice Monica Dongban- Mensem, presiding, dismissed AMCON’s appeal and affirmed Justice Jose’s order in Shittu’s favour. Shittu counsel on the take over of the property said: “During a routine visit <strong>to</strong> the land on March 22, 2021, our client discovered that some unknown persons had encroached on the land and were about <strong>to</strong> commence construction work on a foundation for a building. “Consequently, we filed a petition against the said persons at the Land Grabbers Task Force in Alausa on March 23, 2021. After processing the petition, a s<strong>to</strong>p-work order was issued by the task force directing the persons <strong>to</strong> report <strong>to</strong> their office for interrogation in connection with our client’s petition. “Following the petition, the police intervened and we executed the court order and recovered possession of the property.”
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