Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015—13
Delta women protest alleged diversion of open varsity By Akpokona Omafuaire & Ochuko Akuopha
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L O M O R O — PROTESTING Olomoro women in in Isoko Local Goverment Area of Delta State in their hundreds, yesterday, blocked all access roads leading to the oil rich community causing serious traffic jam. The women with placards blocked and sat on the roads. According to Chief Stella Ejeh, Woman Leader, “We are aggrieved hence we are protesting. Our open university that was approved two years ago has been diverted to another location with the connivance of some of our community leaders. “When it was given to us, it was published in the papers, all of a sudden, we heard that it has been diverted to another place. “We heard that some millions of Naira were paid as bribe to divert the school. Olomoro is an oil producing community which has been contributing to the
national wealth. “But today, we don’t have anything to show for it, we don’t
have road, light or water. The only school that will hasten our development has been diverted.
We will not allow anyone use our roads until the school is returned.”
2016: Group backs Dickson's 2nd term bid By Samuel Oyadongha
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BIRTHDAY: From left, Mr. Victor Edegbe; Brig-Gen Sam Oviawe (rtd), and Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, former Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, at the 60th birthday of Mr Osakue Agbontaen in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.
E N A G O A — GRASSROOT Restoration Movement, GRM, has thrown its weight behind Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State's second term bid, citing his administration massive infrastructural and human capacity development strides across the state. President of GRM, Chief Thompson Amule, in Yenagoa while inaugurating the group’s local chapter, stressed the need for Bayelsans to back the governor ’s reelection due to the numerous projects executed by his administration.
God chose me to be king over OkereUrhobo Kingdom —OKUMAGBA
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ARRI—THE Orosuen Orere of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom Warri, Delta State, His Royal Majesty, HRM, Kesiena Okumagba, the Unubororo, has said that he was chosen by God to be king over the people of Okere Urhobo Kingdom after due consultation as required by the tradition of the people. HRM Okumagba in a chat with newsmen in Warri, said that since 2012 after the last monarch of the kingdom, they waited patiently for the gods to choose a monarch for the kingdom and after following due process, he
was chosen by the gods as he has started functioning as the new monarch, reigning over OkereUrhobo Kingdom, Warri. He said that he took the necessary steps that led to his acceptance as he has been acting in that capacity until the gods gave their support and blessing, adding that they were moving to the next stage of the coronation process. “For a new monarch to be installed, we have a process that must be followed. Twenty-one days after the Okere festival, we have to count 21 market days, then, we move to the ‘Edion’ which is the shrine for the
necessary installation rituals before we go for general recognition of the title.” He added that as soon as they finish with the swearing in ceremony at the Edion, they will settle the Otota crisis and ensure that both the Otota Orere and the Otota ro’ Ovie work together for the peace and progress of the kingdom. He said that the monarchy was not ordinary matter, while in hereditary monarchy, it was from father to son but in rotational monarchy, it was the gods that choose from among the families and he was chosen as a king over Okere-Urhobo people of Warri.
NUPENG issues strike notice to NNPC, MOMAN, others By Victor AhiumaYoung
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ENIN—NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has threatened to shut petrol stations nationwide over alleged refusal of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria, MOMAN and other employers, to allow petrol station workers, PSW, to freely unionize in accordance with the extant labour laws of the country.
The other employers are Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, and Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria, PEDAN. NUPENG through its PSW, branch in a communiqué at the end of an executive meeting in Benin City, Edo State, gave a 21-day strike notice to the employers to meet with the officials of the union to commence unionization of the workers and negotiation of a collective bargaining
agreement for PSW. The communiqué by Roland Abu, Chairman of PSW branch of NUPENG, warned that failure to comply would result in withdrawal of all PSW from their duty posts nationwide without any further notice. He said: “BEC in session notes with great consternation that the non existence of salary structure and collective bargaining agreement for petrol station workersinthedownstreamsector of the economy which had left the workers impoverished."