Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015—45
EPZ: Ogbe-Ijoh, Ogulagha tackle Itsekiri communities over land By Emma Amaize
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ARRI—THE OgbeIjoh/Warri Clan Governing Council, Warri South-West Local Government Area and Sokebolou/Yokiri People’s Congress, Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area, both in Delta State, separately joined issues, yesterday, with Itsekiri communities of Ugbori and AjaEdede over the ownership of disputed lands at Miller Waterside, Warri and the $16 billion Export Processing Zone, EPZ, Ogidigben. Ogbe-Ijoh council, in a statement by its Chairman, Lucky Oromoni, described as baseless, the claim by the Itsekiri people of Ugbori that Lotiebiri people, forcefully chased away from their homeland by government with the help of soldiers, who destroyed their property, were illegal occupants of the land. He said: “The fact of OgbeIjoh ownership of the Lotiebiri quarters/community, by the Miller Waterside on the NPA Expressway is well established and confirmed by various intelligence reports about land
Uduaghan deserves appreciation from Deltans —GROUP
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BOSA Political Front, EPF, a political pressure group in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, has said that the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, deserves appreciation from the Itsekiri people in particular and Deltans in general over his developmental accomplishments across the state. Coordinator of the group Mr. Jolomi Esiategiwa, in a statement in Koko town, extolled the governor over the near completion of two gigantic projects, the Effurun Roundabout flyover, and the Summit Road Roundabout flyover in Warri and Asaba respectively. He regretted that despite the visible and verifable achievements in the area of peace and security, human capital and infrastructural developments, some people refused to see any good in what the governor has done.
ownership in Warri and even Itsekiri leader, Chief Dore Numa, before he died, in his historic letter to the Ogbe-Ijoh people through the Resident of Warri on November 10, 1923. “Also, contrary to the claim by Ugbori community, the Government of Delta State has not at any time acquired the land in question from the Lotiebiti people of Ogbe-Ijoh as required by law. “The Ogbe-Ijoh/Warri
Kingdom reaffirms the demand of the youths of Lotiebiri that the Delta State Government should vacate the Lotiebiri land which they forcefully occupied and pay compensation for the illegal destruction of property. It is illegal, unjust and oppressive for the government to forcefully take over the land in question without due process of law.” Sokebolou/Yokiri People’s Congress, in a statement by its
Chairman, Mr. Bob Towei, said: “We are stating emphatically that Adedegbene belongs to the people of Sokebolou and Yokiri communities in Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu council. “The name Aja-Edede as claimed by the Itsekiri, is erroneous. They have no land in the area, not to talk of property rights because that land Adedegbene, as originally called, belongs to us, Ogulagha Kingdom.”
2015 BUDGET: From right: Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison–Madueke and GMD ,NNPC, Dr Joseph Dawha, during the defence of the 2015 budget, at the National Assembly. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
FG partners indigenous firm on N121bn power, fertilizer plant in Edo By Simon Ebegbulem
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ENIN—THE Federal Government, in collaboration with Obax World Limited, a private firm owned by Nigerian investors, has concluded plans to site a fertilizer plant and a 350 megawatts power generating plant, estimated at N121 billion at Ologbo, in Ikpoba Okhai Local Government Area of Edo State. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Obax World Limited, Mr Patrick Obasuyi, made the disclosure shortly after a meeting with members of the host community at Ologbo a border town between Edo and Delta states. He said that the N121 billion investment was part of the local content policy of the Federal Government, adding that he decided to invest in the country with his partners in the United States of America and China so as to exploit the conducive environment that has been put in place by the Federal Government. “So, we are building our first fertiliser plant in Nigeria and the second thing that we are building is a power generation plant. The plant that we are planning to build is going to cost us $250 million while the power plant will
cost about $300 million. It is a new day in Ologbo. We are going to build this new plant, we are not looking for any money because we have the money to
build the plants. The only thing that we are asking from the community is to cooperate with us, work with us so we can employ over 600 people in this community.”
Sapele residents protest protracted power outage By Godwin Oghre
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A P E L E — PROTESTERS numbering over 2,000 from Mukoro Mowoe Avenue, Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State,yesterday, thronged the operational office of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, located in the facility of AT&P, demanding the restoration of
electricity to the area which they said had long been in darkness. The protesters regretted that the social and commercial activities of the area in the last four years had been grounded due to the blackout. Spokesman of the protesters, Pa Alfred Mowoe, noted that night life in the area has become a night mare due to criminal activities by different elements.
PDP chieftain assures on Okowa's victory in Ethiope East
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CHIEFTAIN of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Prince Joshua Atigogo, has said that contrary to claims that Urhobos would vote across ethnic divides in the April 11 governorship election, the PDP flag bearer in the
state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa would clear the poll in the area. Speaking while playing host to a PDP reconciliatory delegation committee led by Chief Love Ojakovo, Prince Atigogo hailed the efforts of the committee in reconciling aggrieved members of the party ahead of the general elections.
Delta community signs peace pact with APC, LP and PDP By Perez Brisibe
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OKORI—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, Labour Party, LP and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alongside the traditional elder’s council of chiefs of Agbon Kingdom, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, have signed a peace pact with a resolve to ensure violencefree general elections in the area. The peace pact which was conveyed by the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, HRM Ogurime-Rime, Ukori I, was witnessed by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, DSS, political stakeholders in the area and other government agencies. Speaking on the occasion, the Ovie of Agbon harped on the need for residents and indigenes of the kingdom to maintain violence-free polls in the forthcoming general elections, adding that the kingdom abhored the violence that was recorded in the area in the council polls and would not want similar occurence during the general elections.
Prince Aighobahi for burial
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RINCE David Aighobahi is dead. He was aged 69. A statement by the family said lying in state and service of songs will hold today while interment will take place tomorrow at his residence, 11, Imuetinyan Street, off Uwelu Road, Benin City. He is survived by a widow, children, brothers and sisters, including Prince Sunny Aighobahi (brother), MD/CEO Ventures.
Late Prince Aighobahi