NO DTS 2269: DELTA APPROVES DEVELOPMENT OF LANDER BROTHERS ANCHORAGE
NO DTS 2270: 2021 BUDGET DEFENCE: HOUSE COMMITTEE CHARGES OSSAI ON IMPROVED BUDGET PERFORMANCE
NO DTS 2271: ELUNOR, DELTA RESIDENT FULANIS TAKE STEPS TO CHECK KIDNAPPING, FARMERS/HERDERS CLASH
NO DTS 2272: EDUCATION MINISTRY RELEASES SCHEDULE OF BROADCAST FOR TELECLASS
NO DTS 2273: #ENDSARS PROTEST: OKOWA WAS PROACTIVE – GEORGE
NO DTS 2274: COMMUNITY LEADER HARPS ON UNITED, PEACEFUL OKPANAM
Editor: Churchill Oyowe
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NO DTS 2269: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
DELTA APPROVES DEVELOPMENT OF LANDER BROTHERS ANCHORAGE
The Delta State Executive Council, on Tuesday approved the development and management of the Lander Brothers Anchorage in Asaba.
This was part of resolutions reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
In a post Exco briefing, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu said that the upgrade of the facilities at the Anchorage will cost N524m.
He said Exco also approved additional works on the Beneku Bridge to increase the height of the bridge by two meters at a cost of N1.2bn.
The exco also approved completion of the DLA road Asaba and tarring of some adjoining streets in the area at the cost of N448.5 million naira. He added that the state government had earlier linked the DLA drainages through Jesus Saves Road and Agric Road to Amilimocha River.
Other roads that received Exco attention included expansion of the Warri/Sapele road to Effurun roundabout stressing that the road would be expanded to accommodate more vehicles and the construction of Laboard Road in Sapele at a cost of N392.4million.
He said the cardinal goal of the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration was to tackle unemployment, create wealth and improve the living condition of the people through different sectors.
“Our major concern as an administration is how we can get majority of our youths engaged and by extension reducing the rate of unemployment which has become the bane of most societies in Nigeria.
“We have decided to take our investments in the tourism sector a notch higher and the development of the Anchorage will attract tourists to the state.
“It is being done from the private sector perspective and Exco has approved a lease of 13years to Abuja Boat Club to develop and manage the historic site,” the Commissioner who was joined by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Olisa Ifeajika said.
According to him, Exco also gave approval for the construction of Faculty of Agriculture building at the Anwai campus of the Delta State University.
Mr. Aniagwu added that approval was also given for the establishment of Odogun Secondary School at Oboghoro community in Warri North Local government area.
The Information Commissioner said the mysterious deaths recorded in two communities in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state was being investigated, noting that preliminary reports indicates suspected case of substance abuse.
He disclosed that Exco commended a number of Delta youths who ensured that public buildings were protected during the #ENDSARS protests.
He assured that the State Government was committed to ensuring implementation of the outcome of the Town Hall meetings the Governor held with the youths of the state in Warri and Asaba.
“All the resolutions from the Town Hall meetings are being processed and sooner or later you will begin to see very concrete steps aimed at actualizing some of those issues raised by our youths and those canvassed in the course of the #ENDSARS protests.
NO DTS 2270: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
2021 BUDGET DEFENCE: HOUSE COMMITTEE CHARGES OSSAI ON IMPROVED BUDGET PERFORMANCE
By Augustine Akanigha
The Delta State House of Assembly House Committee on Trade and Investment has given a matching order to the Commissioner of Trade and Investment, Mr Chika Ossai to show strong improvement on budget performance in the year 2020.
Giving the charge was Hon. Anthony Emeka Elekeokwuri, member representing Ika North East constituency on behalf of the committee, during the budget defence of the ministry before the lawmakers at the assembly complex in Asaba, the State Capital.
Hon. Elekeokwuri took note of the fact that in the year 2020, there were serious challenges such as the COVID-19 but expressed the belief that 2021 would be better, saying the commissioner should ensure that the expectation of Deltans were met in the area of trade and investment.
He assured the commissioner that the committee and the house would do their best by making adequate laws that would improve the revenue generation of the ministry.
Earlier in the defence, the commissioner gave analysis of the ministry’s 2020 reversed approved budget estimate of N5.8 billion which includes both capital and recurrent expenditure with targeted revenue generation at N38.7 million.
He added that as at 21st September, 2020, the amount received for execution and expenditure was N319.7 million, saying it represented 24.17% performance, while actual revenue generated by the ministry in the year under review was N34.2 million, representing 88.39% performance.
While presenting the proposed 2021 budget estimate of N2.4 billion for both Mr Chika proposed a revenue generation target N60 million.
He drew the attention of the lawmakers to the fact that the budget appropriation for the various sectors of the ministry for the year 2020 was a far cry from what was desired.
According to him, while the budget looked robust, most of the funds contain therein were allocated to the Kwale Industrial Park, the Agro-Industrial Park at Aboh Ogwashi-Uku and the Ogheye Floating Market in Warri North Local Government.
He said that his ministry was desirous of making a positive impact on the industrial sector of the State economy, and appealed that the amount earmarked for the industrial and commercial sectors should to be review upwards, arguing that the present figure was grossly inadequate.
NO DTS 2271: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
ELUNOR, DELTA RESIDENT FULANIS TAKE STEPS TO CHECK KIDNAPPING, FARMERS/HERDERS CLASH
The frequent killings, robberies and kidnappings in Delta State, suspected to be perpetrated by Fulanis will soon be a thing of the past if the leadership structure to fight criminality and farmers/herders clash recently constituted by the Fulanis doing legitimate businesses in the state is anything to go by.
Over the weekend, the nomadic Fulanis all over the state met in Asaba, the state capital, to elect leaders among themselves to coordinate activities of their members and relationship with the various host communities with Alhaji Musa Muhammad Boyi Na’Allah as the Ardo (leader).
The Ardo will be assisted by three others, Alhaji Mamudah Muhammed as the Madaki, Alhaji Ibrahim Kanti as the Wakili or daily administrative head of the activities of the Fulanis doing legitimate businesses in the state and Alhaji Useni Haruna the Seriki Fulani or spiritual leader.
An organizing committee, comprising Barr Nduka Mohammed Eluno, Bodo Mohammed, Isa Ayuba Shuaibu, Mohammed Aruna and Barr Idris Abubakar, has been set up to plan and execute the turbaning of the new leadership of the Fulanis scheduled for 13th December, 2020.
According to Barr Eluno, an indigene and titled chief in Asaba, the new leadership of the Fulanis was instituted to check the frequent clashes among farmers and herders, kidnappings and robberies traceable to non-resident Fulanis.
Eluno, the Chairman of Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, South-South and South East, stated that Fulanis doing legitimate businesses were more familiar with the terrain and in a position to combat infiltrators from other states such as Kogi and Nasarawa, whom he accused of causing mayhem in Delta.
Barr Eluno, who said that he had been the legal representative of nomadic Fulanis in Delta for the past 20 years, said majority of Fulanis arrested were innocent people doing legitimate businesses, saying that the real criminals among the fulanis were walking free in the streets.
He called for the building of a structure to identify true stakeholders among herders, explaining that it would remove the perceived facelessness of the Fulanis and check the criminal activities of fake nomads whom he said connived with some of the local residents to commit crimes.
Eluno, a member of the Delta State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, said that the Government of Delta State was already aware of the constitution of a leadership among the Fulanis doing legitimate businesses in the state and would call on it whenever there was crime among them or clash with farmers.
“We have identified all the resident Fulanis families in the state but realized that there is no clear-cut leadership. We have informed them of the relevance of having a leadership team which they have solved.
“What we are looking into is to work out a security outfit that fuses well with the local vigilantes.
“The advantage is that those Fulanis are more familiar with the bushes and they will trace criminal elements to keep the communities safe, especially as we are approaching the dry season when herders from other states will be infiltrating the resident nomads in the state.
‘It is intended that the local Fulanis and the new security structure will help to identify new entrants coming from Kogi and Nasarawa States and to also collate their data in case they commit any crime.
“Only recently when a kidnapping occurred in Agbor area, the local Fulanis were very instrumental in the rescue of the victims and the capture of the kidnappers that are presently in police custody.
“In essence, we now have a formal arrangement where the leadership will be held responsible for the security of the state against related crimes on farmers/herders’ clash, kidnappings and robberies, among others,” Barr Eluno stated.
NO DTS 2272: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
EDUCATION MINISTRY RELEASES SCHEDULE OF BROADCAST FOR TELECLASS
By Magnus Emuji
Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has released the schedule of broadcast for the ministry’s open distance learning radio and television programme, ‘teleclass’, meant to complement normal learning in schools for the month of November, 2020.
The programme is packaged by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and in conjunction with state Ministry of Information and will be aired between 5pm and 7pm on week days by the ministry’s media partners.
Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), Asaba, Radio is cheduled to air the programmme Monday to Friday from 6.00pm-7.00pm and television from 5.30pm-6.30pm while Delta Rainbow Television (DRTV), Warri, Radio is Monday to Friday from 6.00pm-7.00pm and television from 5.00pm-6.00pm.
The programme on Quest TV and Radio, Ughelli, TV/Radio from Monday to Wednesday from 5.00pm-6.00pm and Thursday to Friday from 4:30pm -5.30pm.
Others are Rize FM, Warri, Monday to Thursday from 5.00pm-6.00pm; Bridge Radio, Asaba, Monday to Friday from 6.00pm-7.00pm; Crown FM, Warri, Monday to Friday from 6.00pm-7.00pm and Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Asaba, Monday to Tuesday from 5.00-6.00pm and Friday from 6.00pm-7.00pm.
The subjects to be taught during the programme are English Studies, National Values, Basic Science and Technology and Mathematics for primary school pupils; Mathematics and English Studies for Junior Secondary School (JSS) students; and Mathematics and English Language for Senior Secondary School (SSS) students.
NO DTS 2273: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
ENDSARS PROTEST: OKOWA WAS PROACTIVE – GEORGE
By Ambrose Ologide
A Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Political Affairs, Mr Hope George has asserted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was proactive in handling EndSARS protests in Delta State.
George, who was a former SSA to Governor Okowa on Youth Development, made the assertion in a telephone interaction with our correspondent on Monday November 2nd, 2020.
He recalled that Okowa was the first governor to identify with the protesters set up a judicial panel of inquiry on the EndSARS protest before the federal government came up with the idea of all states in the federation to set up their judicial panels of inquiry.
“He (Governor Okowa) is the first governor in the country to identify with EndSARS protesters. He should be commended for his love for young people,” George stated.
George also gave Governor Okowa a part on the back for his initiative of holding town hall meetings with youths of Delta State, noting also that he was the first governor to do so in the country.
While remarking that the town hall meetings were successful, he noted that the town hall meetings had further close the gap between the youths and Delta State Government, adding: “Governor Okowa has shown his commitment to incorporate young people into his administration.”
The Warri based politician however urged youths in Delta State to reciprocate Governor Okowa’ s gesture by sustaining the peace in the state.
“They should allow government to look into what they requested for. We need to be together, to achieved together, “he stressed.
NO DTS 2274: ASABA, NIGERIA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020
COMMUNITY LEADER HARPS ON UNITED, PEACEFUL OKPANAM
By Magnus Emuji
The Diokpa-Isi (oldest man) in Okpanam Community, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Frederick Ugbene, has again pledged his avowed commitment towards leaving behind endearing legacies of more united and peaceful community.
Ugbene, who stated this in his palace in Okpanam during his traditional cooking for his kinsmen of Obodogba Quarters, said that he was glad to fulfill the requirement in tandem with the custom and traditions of Okpanam.
The Okpanam oldest man, however, stressed the need for love and peaceful co-existence among individuals not only the community but in the society at large, adding that no meaningful socio-economic development could thrive in an atmosphere of rancour and disunity.
While urging his subjects to always contribute their quota towards the growth and development of the community, the nonagenarian appreciated all and sundry, especially every indigene of the community for their continued support.
He commended the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Patrick Ukah for his commitment towards building the community to enviable height, just as he lauded Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for transforming the community through road infrastructure and other developmental projects.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the daughter of the nonagenarian, Mrs Mary Mordi and the son, Mr Okafor Ugbene said that it was fulfilling to witness their father cook for his kinsmen.
The duo appreciated the people for finding time to identify with them and thanked God for sustaining the celebrant’s life.