Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014—37
Stop celebrating corrupt leaders —Delta Muslim leader
PDP, best source of democracy dividends —OCHEI
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PEAKER, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, has described People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as the veritable vehicle through which Deltans would enjoy the dividends of democracy. He spoke in Utagba-Uno, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state, when Mr. Azuka Azaka, member representing Ndokwa West in Delta Assembly, led over 10,000 members of Democratic People’s Party, DPP, to PDP. Ochei said: “Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration has demonstrated unfathomable commitment to providing the dividends of democracy to the polity, by the faithful implementation of his three-point agenda.” He said the wave of defection to PDP in the state was an attestation to the resourcefulness of the party in keeping faith with its promises of providing welfare to the masses. Azaka, on his part, said that the decision to lead his supporters to PDP was due to the benevolence of the party as evidenced by the numerous constituency projects within his locality, even when he was in the opposition.
Okocha donates mobile clinic to Delta community
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HE traditional ruler of Onicha-Ugbo, Obi Victor Chukwumalieze I, has urged well meaning Deltans to join hands with the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in the development of communities in the state. Obi Chukwumalieze spoke in his palace when he received the national executive of the OnichaUgbo Patriotic Union, OPU, led by its PresidentGeneral, Mr Peter Monye, who accompanied an illustrous son of the community, Chief Frank-Jagas Okocha, to donate a multi-million naira medically mobile clinic to Onicha-Ugbo community. He commended Okocha for the gesture, adding that the gesture was worthy of emulation as it would boost the health care of the people.
BY AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE
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VISIT: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (right), showing Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives (middle) and Mr. Lastborn Onwukaike, the model of the International Stadium under construction in Uyo, during a visit to the governor.
Ex-bank manager to stand trial for alleged N30m fraud BY INNOCENT ANABA
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FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till January 30, for trial of Rosemary Usifo, a former branch Manager, First City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB, charged with N30 million fraud. Usifo, a former Manager of the Okerin branch of defunct Finbank (now FCMB), is standing trial on a one-count charge of fraud. After the case was mentioned, the prosecutor, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, informed the court that the police Special Fraud Unit, SFU, could not produce the accused in court, due challenges of to logistics. He said that since the case was for mention, he was now applying for a date to commence the trial of the accused.
Asuquo also asked the court to remand of the accused in Kirikiri prisons, Lagos, since the SFU experienced much challenges, bringing the accused from its custody. Justice Saidu, the trial judge, consequently, adjourned the case till January 30, for trial, and ordered the accused to be remanded in Kirikiri prisons. The accused was arraigned on December 5, 2013, on a one-count charge of fraudulently obtaining the sum of N30 million from a fixed deposit account, belonging to a customer of the bank. She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, but the judge ordered her remand at the SFU, pending her bail
application. In the charge, the prosecutor alleged that the accused committed the offence in 2011, by forging a letter, with which she fraudulently obtained the sum of N30 million from the fixed deposit account of one DIG Archibong Nkanga (rtd.), a customer of the bank. The prosecution said that the accused, who had been at large since the perpetuation of the crime in 2011, was eventually arrested by the Police, in November 2013. He said the alleged offence contravenes the provisions of sections 1(2) (a), (c), and sections 3 (1) (2) of the Miscellanous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Edo, Delta, Bayelsa recorded low crime rates in 2013 —ARGUNGUN BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
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ENIN—THE Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, zone 5, Benin City, Edo State, Mr. Hashimu Argungun, yesterday, said that a total of 124 armed robbery cases were reported in the zone in 2013, as against the 163 recorded in 2012. He said the reduction in armed robbery cases recorded in the zone, which comprises of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States, in 2013 was due to the strategies applied by the top hierarchy of the Police force led by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar. Briefing newsmen in Benin City, he said that there was reduction in kidnapping cases in 2013. According to him, 43 kidnap cases were recorded in 2013 while 67 were recorded in 2012. He said: “In 2012, 15 murder cases were reported, but we observed a reduction in 2013 be-
cause only nine murder cases were reported. We made tremendous progress in 2013 due to the strategies adopted by the IG. I want to say that the Police are doing
their best to fight crime in the zone because we observed drastic reduction in the criminality in the zone. And that is because of our strategies to combat crime.”
ARRI—PRESIDENT of Delta State Muslim Council, Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, has called on Nigerians to stop celebrating corrupt and bad leadership, saying such action had promoted corruption in the country. The Muslim leader, yesterday in Warri, Delta State, while addressing Muslim leaders in the state, who came to felicitate with him on his election into the executive of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, said corruption and bad leadership have become endemic in Nigeria. Unagha charged both traditional rulers and religious leaders to speak out and not remain silent. According to him, religious and traditional rulers should not remain aloof, watching all sectors of the economy decay before intervention as they have divine roles to play. He reminded the visiting Muslims that they were the mirrors other people looked at, pointing out that they should be modest as ambassadors of Islam. The former chairman of the Delta State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, called for the restructuring of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corruption Practices Commission, ICPC, to meet the aspirations of Nigerians.
Ex-militant leader commends new NDDC board BY FESTUS AHON
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GHELLI—NATIONAL Secretary of the Third Phase of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, Mr. Tam Odogwu, has described the crop of politicians appointed into the new board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as credible people, who have the capacity to turn around the fortunes of the region. Odogwu, in a statement, yesterday, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for
the caliber of persons he appointed into the NDDC board, expressing hope that they would deliver in accordance with the mandate of the commission “and I congratulate them on their appointments. “We also commend the chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator James Manager, for his excellent contributions toward the smooth running of the commission and for the tremendous and overwhelming progress in the areas of development and human em-
powerment recorded by the commission since he (Manager) became the Senate Committee Chairman of the commission.” Saying that the appointees have distinguished themselves in every sphere of life, he added: “We are very happy with the appointments made by President Jonathan into the NDDC board. They are people with proven integrity and character. “We see in them the commitment to change the plight of Niger Deltans. We will support the board in its resolve to develop the Niger Delta region."