Niger Delta
Edo Guber Poll: Ganduje Inaugurates Campaign Council …Vows To Reclaim State For APC
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Ganduje, on Saturday inaugurated the national campaign council of the party for the 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
Inaugurating the council headed by Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, Ganduje charged the members to ensure the party reclaimed the state from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the September 21 off-cycle election.
The National Chairman, who was excited with the official defection of the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, to the APC, said the party had secured up to 50 per cent of the people in the government of the State.
He urged the campaign council to swing into action to ensure that all members at the local government areas and unit levels come out to campaign and vote.
“A flag-off rally will soon be organised so that President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be in Benin-City.
“We are so happy because our incoming governor and his deputy have already produced a blueprint for the development of Edo state; they are not full with MoUs.
“They are coming with a blueprint and practical steps, so that Edo can fully develop and be connected to the centre”, he said.
The former Governor of Kano State said if the state was not connected to the centre, it would not experience a full political participation and dividends of democracy.
According to him, the only way to achieve this, is by voting for Sen. Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, who are flying the flag of the party in the election.
Ganduje commended the Oba of Benin for maintaining peace and tranquility in the state, assuring that the incoming APC government would appreciate and respect the traditional council under the Oba of Benin.
Sen. Okpebholo said Edo had never been so divided as it was currently.
The APC candidate castigated Gov. Godwin Obaseki for raising the state debt profile from about ¦ 43 billion when he took over in 2016 to over ¦ 500 billion.
“We are here to change it; we are coming to restore infrastructure, to restore education and to restore security to the state.
“We are bringing practical governance into the state”, he said.
The State Chairman of APC, Jarret Tenebe, urged the national chairman of the party to join them to rescue the state from the grip of the PDP.
Earlier, the Senator representing Edo North and former governor of the state, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, said the gathering represented the very essence of the broom, a reunion of the people who were deceived in their former party.
Oshiomhole said Okpebholo, if elected, had a huge task ahead of him as governor of Edo.
He urged the people of the state to make a comparison of the years of the rule of the APC and the PDP in the state and see the difference.
“Edo people have the chance to sit back and ask themselves the differences between the years the APC ruled the state and the years the PDP ruled.
“Governance is about having human empathy. Those who do not know your house cannot fix the linkages; only those who know the linkages can help fix them.
“If they can cheat themselves and go to court, we will not allow them to cheat [at the polls]. It will be one-man-one-vote”, he said.
Commenting on the killing of Insp. Onu Akon, the police aide of Sen. Okpebholo, Oshiomhole vowed to ensure that the national assembly investigate the death and that the investigation would not be messed up.
He, however, called on the Inspector-General of Police to disband the State Security Network, which he said had become a tool for oppression in the hand of the state government.
Oshiomhole also called on the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, “to defend the integrity of his uniform by apprehending the perpetrators of the act and bring them to book.
According to him, “The days of oppression are over. They shall know no peace because they have murdered sleep”.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the campaign council, Governor Ottu of Cross Rivers, promised to deliver the state for the APC come September 21.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Engr. Basoene Benibo, says the era of prospective political appointees filling form is over in the state.
Basoene also declared the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara’s readiness to promote indigenous languages as a medium of communication with God.
The Commissioner said this at Okrika during the 2024 Life Members Conference/Fundraising by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), Rivers/Bayelsa Area.
He also described the present administration under the leadership of Governor Fubara as a godly one.
“The era of prospective political appointees filling form is no more. Rivers State is no individual’s estate as we all are equal stakeholders, and those of us in government will do everything possible to protect the interest of the state at all times”, he said.
The Commissioner also declared that the “State Government fully appreciate the prayers of the church for peace to reign and the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“Therefore, the government will continue to work with the church to maintain peace, so that development will take place and investors will be encouraged to invest in the state”.
He urged the Society to redouble its effort to translate more Nigerian languages to bring about spiritual awareness among our people.
Benibo commended the society for its plan to raise funds for the building of a Bible house, adding that it will create room for a conducive environment for the society to conduct its affairs.
Earlier, Chairman of the Society, Elder Omoni Ayotamuno, said the Rivers/Bayelsa Area was created out of the former South Eastern State through the tireless efforts of the late Rt. Rev. Yibo Fubara, Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese.
He said the society has a tradition of meeting certain target or goal, adding that the targets are distributing or selling a minimum of 7,500 Bibles, registering a minimum of 1000 members, and paying a minimum of #1 million to the National and few others that have to do with the submission of quarterly report.
He said within the last 15 years, the society hadly raised the needed funds to start the Bible House project.
“The best we have done was the plots of land we acquired at Isiokpo, and due to the far distance, we have decided to sell the land”, he said.
He expressed the hope that with the array of personalities at the event, the narrative will change as funds will be raised to start the project.
John Bibor
Niger Delta
Diri Mocks Critics, Says Govt’s Effort Yielding Good Results …As Bayelsa Set For Loans Recovery Drive
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has advised critics of his administration to stop de-marketing the state with falsehood and negative propaganda, saying that the efforts of the administration to market the state and attract investors were beginning to yield positive results and recognition.
He said in spite of the challenges, the state had achieved significant development since its creation 28 years ago.
Governor Diri stated this midweek during the 139th session of the State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
The state’s helmsman explained that his recent invitation as Keynote Speaker at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York was due to the organisers’ ‘’African Leadership Magazine” recognition of his administration’s modest achievements and the need to create a bigger platform for the Bayelsa story to be heard.
The Tide reports that Governor Diri was honoured at the event with the Best Performing Governor Award and the Honorary Citizenship of the State of Georgia and a Legislative Commendation from the South Carolina State House of Representatives.
He urged members of his cabinet to redouble their efforts toward achieving the government’s policies, noting that its success or failure depended on their input.
The state’s Chief Executive restated government’s commitment to commercial farming and that as part of the plan to revolutionise agriculture and ensure food security, mechanised farming equipment and tools will soon be made available to farmers.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Governor said Government will recover loans taken by individuals for the purpose of farming and directed the Commissioner for Agriculture to commence the process of recovery.
“I delivered a keynote address marketing our state on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York. While we’re out to market our state, there are anti-deveopment people that are locally de-marketing it.
“May God touch their hearts to know that the little efforts we’re making here are being recognised out there, even if the critics do not. It is just a few of them. We know the greater percentage of Bayelsans recognise what we’re doing”, he said.
He continued that “The African Leadership Magazine that gave the award has been on for more than 10 years. In all of the United Nations General Assembly annual events, the magazine always looks for people with parameters that they have set out. This time around, their parameters fell on Bayelsa State
“For all of us who sincerely want the growth of Bayelsa, and knowing where we are coming from, we will be sincere to ourselves that Bayelsa is truly moving from one stage to the other. Yes, we’re not where we expect to be, but no one that is truly of Bayelsa origin will say that the state is not developing. Perhaps, such persons have no ears, eyes or sense of judgement.
“I’m aware the tractors donated by the South Korean government are already on their way. I am also aware that the rice mills are also on the way, and that will be our take-off point. I want our people to get involved in commercial agriculture.
“We have brought the best hand to be Commissioner for Agriculture. Let me use this opportunity to ask for the agriculture loans that were taken last year. We want to know what they have used the money for because it was not given to them free.
“That culture of taking money for agriculture purposes and using it for something else must stop. I do not want anybody to think that the State Government collected loan and did not do anything with it. They should know that we gave the money to farmers”, Governor Diri added.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has given approval for the payment of year 2023 scholarship to children of deceased civil servants and students living with disabilities in the state.
The scholarship scheme for children of deceased civil servants is designed to cater for the bereaved children of Delta State Civil Servants who died while in active service.
Similarly, the scholarship scheme for the physically challenged students is part of Delta State Government’s effort to assist physically challenged persons, who, in spite of their disabilities, have taken up the challenge to acquire relevant education that will make them less vulnerable in the society.
The two scholarship schemes run through Primary, Secondary and Tertiary schools.
In a statement signed by Executive Secretary, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board, Dr. Godfrey Enita, a total of 628 Children of Deceased Civil Servants drawn from over 200 families and 60 students living with disabilities will benefit from the 2023 scholarship.
“As a catalyst for socio-economic development, education is a critical component of Governor Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E Agenda geared towards empowering dreams and building great futures.
“Therefore, these approvals by the Governor, underscores his passion and commitment towards the education of students of Delta State origin, regardless of their socio-economic background”, the statement said.
Albert Ograka,
Asaba