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Otti Tasks NDDC On Completion Of Abandoned Projects 

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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has requested the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to mobilise contractors back to site to complete abandoned projects being executed by the Ministry and agency across the State.
The Governor spoke when he received the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, and his team, who called on him while in Abia State to inspect roads and other projects by the Ministry and the NDDC.
Governor Otti attributed the primary reason for abandoned projects initiated by the NDDC to outstanding debts owed contractors and urged the Minister to assist in resolving the payment issues, stating, “Abia State is a major beneficiary of abandoned NDDC projects, and there is one, just around here (in Isialangwa South) that goes all the way to the Expressway. The reason for abandonment was that they (the contractors) were being owed, since 2018.
“I am sure that the details can be provided for you to get them to come back to work. There are others around Umuahia, around Aba, and if we can get them to come back to work, I would really appreciate it, but the major issue is about payment.
“Sometimes in the past, it was like a herculean task to get paid when handling NDDC project, so if you can look into it, you can get a lot of the projects that were abandoned back to life.”
The Governor said both the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC were important to Abia State and expressed his appreciation to the Minister for visiting Abia to see things for himself, adding “I want to say that Niger Delta Ministry and of course, the Niger Delta Development Commission, both of them are very important to us because these are two institutions that represent us at the same time even though we own one, that is the NDDC but the Ministry we do not own.
“You also chose to inspect the road projects under you and under the NDDC, so we are quite pleased. These agencies are very important to us as interventionists in the normal course of the business of governance. The truth is that any road done by either the Ministry or agency under you is a plus to the State and we will not go back to it.”
Earlier in his speech, the Minister said he and his team were in Abia to inspect projects by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC.
He lauded Governor Otti for the huge infrastructural development and improved security situation witnessed in Abia within a short period of his assumption of office, and appealed to him to continue to make peace in the State and region a top priority for economic prosperity of the people.

He said the Ministry of Niger Delta is not in competition with the NDDC states but would collaborate with them to achieve meaningful development, adding that there should be a robust relationship between the two to achieve results.

“Your Excellency, you’re one person that everybody loves because when the issue of visiting your state was mentioned there was no dissenting voice. I was surprised that the Hon. Minister from this state (Abia) from the other divide (opposition party), was also in support just like the president himself said, yes. I think you’re generally loved by the people.

“From afar, we have also witnessed your developmental strides. I was reading recently and saw that in less than a year that you came onboard, 10 major road projects have been executed in the state,” the Minister noted.

Some members of the entourage included the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Dimbiagwu Okechukwu; his Project Monitoring counterpart, Hon. Obi Aguocha; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Shuaib Belgore; and many others.

 

 

 

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Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD

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The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.

According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.

The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”

“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.

“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.

” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.

The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.

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Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia

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The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical  and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi

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South East Caucus Kicks As  Senate Rejects  Nwosu’s Immortalisation

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South East Caucus of the Senate has  appealed to President   Bola Ahmed Tinubu  to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu  considering his commitment  to achieving a  practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly  angered by the  Senate’s  rejection of the  need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent  1993 elections  stormed out of the Senate Chambers   and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South),  as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said  late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous  national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite  history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .

Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi

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