Home Blog Page 104

Don’t Give Up On God, GCTPM Cleric Tells Christians

By
Hill Nigeria
-

The General Overseer of God’s Covenant Tabernacle Prayer Ministry (GCTPM), Pastor Favour Onwuegbuzie has admonished Christians not to give up on God

The Cleric gave the advise while speaking on the topic, ‘a new dawn’ at the Church premises, off Pitam Bottle water company, Anwai road in Asaba, Delta State.

She said when ones time for upliftment is near, protocol would be broken for their upliftment.

Taking her text from the bible book of second Samuel chapter nine verses one to eight,  said irrespective of one’s condition God is still faithful to perfect that which concerns his children.

She added that with God there was no impossibility, as when ones time of rising is set nothing can stop it.

Highlight of the Sunday service was high praises, worship, testimonies, prophetic declaration and offering of communion to worshippers.

Delta Connecting Communities To Stem Rural-Urban Drift – Oborevwori

By
Hill Nigeria
-

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has said the state government was connecting rural communities with roads and other infrastructure to check rural-urban migration.

Governor Oborevwori disclosed this during inspection of some completed and ongoing projects slated for inauguration to commemorate his administration’s 100 days in office.

The projects inspected included, 2.6km Okpolo-Enhwe/Uwheru Road with 4.5km side drains phase 2; 2.4km Ugolo-Okpe/Okorikpehre Road and the 4.42km Obi-Ibabu/Ibabu Road with 2km drain at Onicha-Ukwuani in Isoko South; Okpe and Ndokwa West Local Government Areas of the state.

Others include; Administrative Building; Vice Chancellor’s Lodge; Principal Staff Quarters; University Staff School and 2km Internal Road at the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of the State.

Represented by Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, Governor Oborevwori, said road construction brings development to communities and assured that his administration would continue to inter-connect more communities across the state.

“Road construction brings a lot of developments to rural areas. When you hear that some part of the road, people don’t live there yet, you begin to understand that government is about development.

“What we have continued to do is to inter-connect communities that will stem the tide of rural-urban drift. Once you have good roads and schools, you can begin to have buildings and this place can become a city.

“China that you hear that about 50 or 60 percent of the communities live in cities, it doesn’t mean they relocated those living in the rural areas to the cities. All they did was bring development and infrastructure to rural areas and that’s exactly what we are doing,” he said.

At the University of Science and Technology Ozoro, Governor Oborevwori said the Administrative Building was an outstanding edifice with 42 offices; the Vice Chancellor’s section, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Senate Services as well as the Registrar’s section and their staff.

He commended the University management for the various projects executed through internally generated revenue, especially the 2km internal roads in the University.

“This edifice is completely funded by government, it is comparable anywhere in the world and it is part of the projects to be inaugurated in commemoration of the 100 days in office of this administration.

“We have also inspected about 2km length of road done by the University. You will recall that this same Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jacob Oboreh was the Rector when this place was a Polytechnic and he built the stadium; he has continued in that stead.

“We have been to the Vice Chancellor’s lodge, it is near completion. If we have better information in the next two weeks, then it will be part of what we will be commissioning.

“We also inspected the lodges of other principal officers; the Bursar, the Registrar and the Librarian. They are 95 percent complete.

“There are provisions in place for the maintenance of the structures. This Vice Chancellor is exceptional, he has built several infrastructure on his own and through his internally generated revenue; so we have no doubt that these buildings will be better maintained over time”.

 

Mgba-Ututu: A Day When Local Boys And Girls Show Their Strengths In Issele-Uku

By
Hill Nigeria
-

By Patrick Ochei

Mgba-Ututu, meaning local wrestling in Issele-Uku parlance, is a date in the Ine Aho Festival calendar when our local boys and girls come into the ring to show their strengths by challenging opponents to a wrestling bout.

This is an age long tradition that has proven its worth and importance to the sanctity of human strength in a convivial atmosphere.

It used to be men’s affair, but these days, the young ones have taken over, thereby bringing funfair into it. Those days, winners of Mgba-Ututu were highly respected, because to beat a fellow man takes a higher power to achieve and it brings honour to the winner.

It was the result of the inherent glamour in this feast of strength that made the Abuja chapter of IPYA to demand an approval for sponsorship of the Mgba-Ututu, which they got and have kept faith with over the years.

This 2023 edition of Mgba-Ututu was unique, in the sense that prizes won were in food value, considering the times we are in economically. That means there is no strength lost without commensurate value in food, to replenish for another day.

In jubilant moods and ecstatic ovations, not less than 18 winners in different categories of the wrestling competition emerged, and prizes ranging from 50kg of rice, 25kg of rice and groundnut oil were presented to them by His Royal Majesty, Agbogidi Obi Nduka, and Her Royal Majesty, Anasi-Obi Chukwudumebi Rosemary Nduka.

Tompolo’s Security Outfit, Tantita Accuses Nigerian Navy Of Blackmail, Harassment, Misinformation

By
Hill Nigeria
-

… Says Continued Detention Of It’s Five Brave Men, Selfless Nigerians By Nigerian Navy A Disservice To The Nation

Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a company owned by a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, (aka Tompolo)  fighting crude oil thieves in the oil rich Niger Niger Region oil,  on Friday, September 1st, 2023, hit the Nigerian Navy very hard for abandoning their statutory duties and urged the Navy to stop the blackmail, harassment of Tantita security men and the misinformation of the general public.

Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited made it clear in a statement on Friday that its men were never involved in crude oil theft as alleged by the Nigerian Navy.

The statement  dated 1st September, 2023 and entitled;  THE ARREST OF TANTITA OPERATIVES AND PARADE BY THE NIGERIAN NAVY – A TRAGICOMEDY OF ERRORS, read thus:

Yesterday the 31st of August 2023 the world woke up to a news story credited to the Commander, NNS BEECROFT of the Nigeria Navy, Commodore Kolawole Olumide Oguntuga, that the Nigerian Navy arrested four Tantita personnel for alleged crude oil theft. It would have been comedy, if it was not also tragedy.

The Navy is a constitutional institution mandated to keep Nigeria’s seaward borders safe from invasion, criminality and free for economic activities. Tantita respects the institution and its constitutional mandate. And it was out of that respect that a couple of weeks ago when there was a face off between the service and Tantita over the MT Praisel, our organisation preferred to leave the Nigerian Navy to have the last word on the issue. It was our belief at the time that the matter was a misunderstanding which could have been better handled for the good of the nation and the common objective of Tantita and the Navy – the prevention of economic sabotage by oil thieves plying their nefarious trade on our nation’s waterways.

However the present incident, coming barely three weeks after, does not seem to support that notion. What seems to be playing is a poorly written tragicomedy. The Nigerian Navy’s story is that in the early hours of August 29, 2023 there was an attempt by Tantita operatives to steal crude which they foiled. They claim to have been responding to distress calls from youths in Itolou Community in the Lekki axis of Lagos, and “reviewing the information, Naval patrol teams immediately launched a response operation. Upon arrival at the scene, the Naval team met 4 individuals dressed in black polo shirts with TANTITA inscribed on the back, trying to recover a dismantled outboard engine from a local. The team recovered the engine and apprehended the 4 Tantita Employees.”

According to the Nigerian Navy’s statement, “It was after this arrest that the patrol team realized that the 4 individuals are part of a movement of a large wooden boat laden with 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with product suspected to be stolen crude oil.”

So it would be seen that at the time of the arrest, the only crime that the Tantita operatives were alleged to have committed was trying to recover a dismantled outboard engine. Thus, recovering outboard engines is now a crime. More interesting is the absence of a link between the outboard engine recovery story and the sudden epiphany – the realization by the navy patrol team that the four individuals they arrested are part of a movement of a large wooden boat at sea carrying stolen crude oil. The disjoint in the story is jarring.p

On the other hand, this is what happened in fact. On Monday the 28th of August 2023 at about 0130hours a Tantita Security Services Patrol team operating in the Ondo State area received credible intelligence that a motorised wooden boat was illegally loading crude oil from an Offshore Oil Well Jacket – in fact the same Well Jacket in OML 110 operated by Cavendish Petroleum Nigeria Limited, where the MT TURA II was caught stealing Crude Oil a few months ago.

An advance team was dispatched to find the wooden boat while a back up team consisting of Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC) component of the Government Security Agencies (GSA) was assembled to follow through on the lead. While we cannot name the NSCDC personnel for obvious reasons, they were six in number and our personnel were eight not four in number. The advance team with the help of local fisherfolk was able to determine that the motorised wooden boat was heading in the direction of Lagos and gave hot pursuit. Upon noticing the approaching Tantita teams the crew of the motorised wooden boat abandoned the wooden boat for their speed boat. One team of Tantita and NSCDC personnel boarded the wooden boat to secure the evidence while another team gave it a hot pursuit.

There is video evidence of the Tantita team together with NSCDC personnel coming alongside the wooden boat, boarding and attempting to secure the boat.

The video also shows the Tantita crew trying to secure the wooden boat which was taking in water (this could have resulted from an attempt to scuttle the boat by the escaping crew; anyone who understands Yoruba can listen in on the conversations).

Surprisingly the escaping crew of the motorised wooden boat fled in the direction of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operation Base at Ibeju-Lekki, so the Tantita and NSCDC personnel followed in hot pursuit believing that the criminals would meet their Waterloo there. They were wrong. Instead of the fleeing crew being arrested, it was the Tantita personnel who came down to apprehend the fleeing crew that was arrested. After arresting Tantita personnel and freeing the crew, the Nigerian Navy personnel then went to the motorised wooden boat and drove out the combined Tantita/GSA team trying to keep the boat and the evidence afloat.

The Nigerian Navy press release was nothing but a smear campaign, the Navy has been sharing pictures in social media of the Tantita staff in their custody in various shades of undress but kept silent about the names of the boat crew whom they were chasing? In short, where is the crew that the Tantita personnel chased into Ibeju Lekki?

Most importantly, where is the boat now? You can clearly see the boat in the video provided below. Did the Nigerian Navy secure the boat? Can the Nigerian Navy explain the whereabouts of the motorised wooden boat? They were the last seen with the boat.

Nigerians can see why we are forced to say that the Nigerian Navy’s press release was nothing but a smear campaign against Tantita and possibly a cover up. Is it possible that the Nigerian Navy deploys costly assets in these days of expensive petrol/diesel to respond communal distress calls involving commercial disputes as to ownership of outboard engines? Again, let us assume for the sake of argument that the distress call was with respect to shooting in Itolou community in Lekki area of Lagos State, what became of that investigation? Can the Navy tell the nation, after four days of investigation, who was shooting?

The time frames here are important. Tantita patrol team took off at 0130hrs (1:30 at night) on Monday 28th August 2023, and spotted the wooden boat at approximately 1400hours (2 in the afternoon) same Monday 28th August 2023 and were arrested by the Navy a few hours later on Monday 28th of August 2023. Why then did the Navy press release say it arrested Tantita personnel on Tuesday 29th August 2023? Why is the Navy saying it arrested 4 persons when in fact it arrested 5?.

The Nigerian Navy is quite good at publicising videos of their personnel boarding vessels suspected of conveying illicit crude and refined products. Where is the Navy’s video of boarding this wooden boat and arresting the Tantita personnel? How do you arrest oil thieves you claimed were using a wooden boat to steal crude oil, on land? If indeed Tantita personnel were stealing crude with a boat, why did they need to abandon their wooden boat laden with crude oil, tens of nautical miles away from the crime scene to recover a dismantled outboard engine when the wooden boat had working engines? There are too many gaps in the Navy press release.

In one breathe the Nigerian Navy is saying Tantita employees were caught trying to steal an outboard engine and in another breathe they are saying the Tantita operatives were arrested for trying to forcibly employ the owner of the boat to do their bidding. Quite interesting.

The arrest for four days and parade of Tantita staff by the Nigerian Navy as common criminals is to be deprecated by all right thinking members of society; at a time when our nation is in dire straits with the unparalleled loss of revenue from a monocultural export-based economy, these family men put their lives at risk for the good of the nation and are now being made to suffer ridicule for doing the right thing. It serves to demoralise good men everywhere who have sought and are seeking to do something to better our nation.

As soon as these men were arrested the management of Tantita reached out to the Nigerian Navy seeking clarification of the situation, for four days the Navy said they were investigating and that the men would be released. We now have the outcome of their investigation in that poorly digested press release.

There are even more damning revelations, which out of courtesy to the Navy hierarchy and the needs of national security we will not divulge on the pages of a newspaper. The continued detention by the Nigerian Navy of these five brave, selfless Nigerians who risked their lives on the high seas to protect our commonwealth is a disservice to our nation

Signed

Management Tantita Security,

Services Nigeria Limited.

Fake News, No Court Sacked Gov Oborevwori – Delta Govt

By
Hill Nigeria
-

Delta State Government, Thursday, said the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja did not overturn the election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as speculated by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Ken Pela and his co-travellers.

Reacting to a rumour making the rounds that the Appeal Court had declared Mr Ken Pela as Governor of the state, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon in Asaba, said the Appeal Court only ordered the tribunal to hear the case.

Ahon in the statement said: “We have been inundated by reports from a section of the media that the Appeal Court had declared Mr Ken Pela of the Labour Party as winner of the 2023 Governorship election in Delta State.

“The report is nothing but fake news as the Appellate Court only ordered the tribunal to hear the case.

“From the results declared by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was obvious that the Labour Party did not win the election therefore couldn’t have won in court.

“Our people came out in large numbers to elect Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and they are happy with him. We therefore urge Party faithful and Deltans to disregard the said reports as it was a concoction from the Labour Party and their followers.

“We also urge Deltans to remain calm. As at the time of the fake news, Governor Oborevwori was busy inspecting various ongoing projects within Asaba and its environs. He is focused on delivering dividends of democracy to the people of the state and would not be distracted by the rumour mills.

“Our lawyers are studying the Appeal Court judgment with a view to taking necessary action,” he said.

Come Up With Meaningful Ideas, Aguariavwodo Tells Group

By
Hill Nigeria
-

The Senior Political Adviser to the Delta State governor, Sen. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo has advised a delegation of Faithful Wisemen 4 Sheriff to come up with ideas that would lead to their growth and development.

Aguariavwodo gave the advise when he received the group at his office in Asaba, the state capital.

He enjoined them as men with foresight to present ideas that would bring about their inclusiveness in governance

The Senior POLAD, while appreciating the for their massive support in the victory of the governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in the last election, urged them to be expectant of dividend of democracy in due time.

Earlier the leader of the delegation, Mr Grant Okpako appealed for political positioning the governance for members of the group whom he said worked for the victory of the People’s  Democratic Party (PDP),in the last election

In the same vein the senior political adviser while receiving the Delta Women In Politics (DWIP), at his office, admonished them to form a corperative group so as to be recognized by the state government.

Commending them for their role in the previous election, Aguariavwodo said their impressive support for the governor would not go in vain.

The Chairman of the DWIP, Mrs Betty Onakpoma said the group which had been in existence for a very long time have strived to ensure that the women contribute their quota to the development of the state, and also to occupy political position to enable them function effectively.

Mrs Onakpoma requested that the Senior POLAD become their patron, that they be assisted with a vehicle to ease their political movement and that political appointment be given to their members.

In another development, Aguariavwodo charged the Natives of Ughelli North who also paid him a courtesy visit to consolidate on the victory of the governor.

Describing the group to be from an environment he considered as the Lion’s den, he commended them for their loyalty to the Party and the successful battles they fought with the enemy in Ughelli North.

Aguariavwodo assured them of government appreciation of their efforts.

The leader of the group, Chief Daniel Awisa, congratulated the Senior POLAD on his appointment by the governor.

Awisa assured him of more of their loyalty to the governor and also appealed for political offices in government.

Tourism Minister Partners NCPC On Religious Tourism

By
Hill Nigeria
-

The Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John has said that her Ministry would partner with the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, (NCPC) to develop religious sites in the country.

She disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam in his office in Abuja.

The Hon Minister said she was in NCPC, to solicit support for tourism industry in Nigeria. She explained that the aim was to attract tourists, create jobs for the unemployed and to escalate revenue generation for the country.

In her words, “we usually think of tourism as having holiday abroad, but it is also about religion, we are used to going to Jerusalem, Mecca and the Vatican”

She further affirmed, “we also have a lot of religious sites of note both Christians and Muslims even traditional religions and we want to capitalize on that to increase revenue,  she said.

In his remarks, the NCPC boss, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam said the initiative of the Hon Minister was laudable and thus there was need to make the world know about the many festivals and religious sites in the country.

He said there was need to establish and organize places that draw attraction of people outside Nigeria and people within.

According to him,” we have a lot of festivals, holy sites and traditional sites the world needs to know”.

Rev. Pam commended the courage of the Hon Minister and her zeal to develop tourism , stating that she is a model for other women in Nigeria.

 

NCPC Inaugurates Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit Executives

By
Hill Nigeria
-

By Celestine Toruka

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC  has inaugurated a brand new Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, (ACTU).

The formal inauguration of the Executive members of ACTU was performed by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) and other related offences Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye  who was represented by Mrs. Ophelia Onyeka on Tuesday, August 29,  2023.

In his welcome address at the event , the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, (NCPC), Rev. Dr Yakubu Pam stated that the aim of setting up ACTU was to enable it fight corruption in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

He further affirmed that ACTU was created as an extension of ICPC to carry out public enlightenment for staff to ensure compliance with the conduct of public officers and ensure financial accountability and transparency in Public office, amongst others.

In his goodwill Message, the Chairman Of ICPC thanked the Executive Secretary of NCPC,  for making it possible to inaugurate the ACTU of the Commission.

According to him, “ the  Commission has a vision to provide excellent services and administration to Nigerian Christians who performed Pilgrimages to Holy Sites around the world”.

He stressed that the ACTU would be a veritable tool in the achievement of this vision if allowed to effectively discharge its functions.

In his words,” It is hoped that with this inauguration, the unit will be empowered to deliver on its mandate which includes periodic sensitization of staff on anti corruption and proffering solutions, developing and reviewing code of ethics for staff and ensuring compliance same amongst others.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of ACTU in the Commission, Barr. Odey Obule thanked the Executive Secretary of NCPC  for finding him and his members worthy in character and learning to serve in this capacity.

He affirmed that the ACTU members were expected to be the conscience of the people and the alarm clock. He also thanked the NCPC boss for giving them the opportunity to serve in the Commission’s ACTU.

He affirmed that the Executive Secretary had been in the forefront of anti-corruption crusade in the Commission.

APPOINTMENT OF NDDC BOARD:  Mr President Thank You For Settling For The Leadership Of Dr Samuel Ogbuku

By
Hill Nigeria
-

The reappointment of Dr Samuel Ogbuku shows clearly the grasp of President Bola Tinubu of the challenges of the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta. The policy direction of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as enunciated in the last eight months of his leadership must have resonated well with the President’s aspiration for the region which must have led the President to have settled for his leadership.

For the NDDC not to be encumbered we urge the President to domicile the NDDC in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation as it was for less political interference. The NDDC cannot be tied to the apron strings of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development. The Ministry is a distraction for the NDDC because of unwholly interference which is not altruistic in the first instance.

It is our considered opinion that this present board is allowed to serve out it’s full term so that we can begin to hold them to account. Anything short of this becomes counterproductive to the development of the oil producing areas.

For the NDDC to perform optimally we have a seven point RECOMMENDATION to the President.

1.. The fifteen percent contribution from the Federal government has become inadequate therefore we urge the President to immediately send an executive bill for the amendment of relevant sections of the NDDC establishment Act to increase it’s share of contribution to 25%.

  1. The 3% contribution from the oil and gas companies increased to 10%.
  2. Ecological fund due the NDDC from the share of ecological funds released to states should be increased from 50% to 70%.
  3. An appreciable percentage of gas flare charge should be paid to the NDDC.
  4. NDDC should be considered to benefit from the recent and future windfall of revenue shared to various entities by the Federal government.
  5. Scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Development because the MNDD since its creation twelve years ago has failed woefully with no verifiable project traced to it. Including having overlapping functions with the NDDC.
  1. Channel the budgetary provision of the MNDD to the NDDC for proper utilisation of the funds for provision of development infrastructure and capacity building of the youths of the region.

We call for all of these recommendations  because it is the NDDC that reaches the remotest communities that produces oil and gas that fuels the Nigerian economy. These communities bears the brunt of ecological deverstation therefore more funds should be ceded to the NDDC to continue to provide infrastructure development and  better life to the inhabitants of these communities.

We hope that the recommendations  should be looked  at critically and attended to without bias as a result of the present economic realities.

 

Joseph Ambakederimo.

Convener South South Reawakening Group. (SSRG) / Chairman Board of Trustees Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas.

Asaba, Okpanam, Other Environs To Get Portable Water Supply Soon- Wilkie

By
Hill Nigeria
-

By Jumai Nwachukwu/Ifeanyi Uwagwu

Residents of Asaba, Okpanam and environs have been assured of unfettered access to portable water supply soon.

This assurance was given by the state Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Dr Tosan Wilkie, when he embarked on an inspection tour to water projects in Asaba and Okpanam on Tuesday.

At the Asaba Water Supply scheme at Ogbeogonogo, which is still under rehabilitation, the Commissioner urged the contractor to speed up the job, to ensure the primary purpose of the water scheme, which is to provide water for residents around the area.

Wilkie also visited the ongoing water project at the Delta State Urban Water Corporation (DESUWACO) premises, a proposed generator-powered 40,000 gallon capacity project, close to the drilling phase which would serve residents around legislative quarters, Macdons axis and around NTA axis.

The Commissioner then paid visit to the Delta State Urban Water Corporation, Okpanam Station, a 40,000 gallon capacity project, under rehabilitation to serve residents of the community and environs.

In his general assessment, Wilkie urged the contractors, TAP Engineering Construction to increase their urgency in handling the projects, so that the goals of the projects would be met.

He also disclosed that when the projects were completed, they would all be linked together, so as to serve Deltans from Asaba, Okpanam and other nearby communities, as the state aimed to increase and sustain its capacity in providing portable water supply to all.

The representative of the construction firm handling the projects, Ike Onubogu, assured the Commissioner and his team of their commitment to ensuring that the water projects would be completed in the coming weeks.

Onubogu also assured them that the drilling would commence at the Okpanam Station in the coming days.

1...103104105...165Page 104 of 165

MOST READ

LATEST STORIES

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© 2022 - The Hill Nigeria