12 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
Ebola: Confusion in Bayelsa as private schools resume zPublic schools under lock and key By Samuel Oyadongha
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ENAGOA—CONFUSION yesterday trailed the resumption of schools in Bayelsa State, as some private schools were opened while the students schools were under lock and key. Some of the private schools opened their gates as early as 7.45 a.m., for the returning students, many of whom were brought in by their parents. Though the teachers and minders were on hand to receive the returning pupils, the turnout was, however, poor in most of the schools visited in the capital city. The situation was however, different in the public schools, which were under lock and key. Most of the parents and guardians, it was learnt, were not aware of the latest shift in resumption date yet to a day to be fixed in October. The shift in resumption date, which was announced by the
state Ministry of Education, is to enable the schools put in place measures to protect the
returning children from the dreaded Ebola virus. However, a senior official of
the ministry told Vanguard that the schools may officially resume next Monday for normal academic activities.
COMMISSIONING: From left: Mr. Jim Adun, member House of Representatives; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Mr. Victor Enobakhare, Chairman Egor Local Government Area, Edo State and Chief Lucky James, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Edo State, at the commissioning of 10 units 30-Seater Coaster Buses acquired by Egor Local Government Areafor Intra-City Transport Service, yesterday.
Urhobo youths protest purported zoning of Delta Varsity VC position By Festus Ahon
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GHELLI—URHOBO youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Urhobo Youth Organisation, CUYO, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest at the Delta State Government House, Asaba, against what they described as the victimisation of Urhobo candidates who applied for the position Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, Abraka. The group, in a protest letter addressed to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, alleged that the Governing Council of the university was averse to appointing an Urhobo indigene in place of the outgoing VC of the institution. CUYO’s Chairman, Mr. Mudiaga Abiri, in the letter, noted that Urhobo candidates who applied for the position were eminently qualified. He said: “We were told that the Governing Council is favourably disposed to appointing a non-Urhobo this time, for reasons best known to it. “The governor should prevail on the council to do what is right by appointing the best candidate (who we rightly gathered is an Urhobo man)
for the job. Apart from being the right candidate for the position, the University at Abraka needs an Urhobo indigene as Vice Chancellor just as we have indigenes of
other senatorial districts heading the institutions located in their areas.” He argued that statistics have revealed that the College of Education, Warri, the Delta
State Polytechnic, Ozoro and the School of Marine Technology, Burutu, are being headed by indigenes of Delta South senatorial district.
Rivers Speaker demands justice over alleged killing By Jimitota Onoyume
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ORT HARCOURT— DEPUTY Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, has called on the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Dan Bature, to arrest those behind the alleged murder of a young man in Tabba community, Khana Local Government Area of the state. Kwanee, who spoke yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said the alleged killers beheaded their victim before disappearing. He said petitions had been sent to the police on the issue, adding that people in the area were worried that some of those accused in the petition were still walking the streets. He also said Mr Gregory Nwinda, the immediate past Chairman of Khana council, who decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not
a threat in any way to the electoral victory of All Progressives
Congress, APC, in the local government.
Oil spill: Delta community alleges molestation By Egufe Yafugborhi
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ARRI—ERHOIKE community, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, has alleged that residents were being molested by military personnel guarding an oil flow station operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, in the community over differences sparked by an oil spill in the area. Mr Matthew Oyibocha, President General of Erhoike Community, said the community’s brush with the soldiers of 222 Battalion, Agbarha Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, which left a woman and two men hospitalised, resulted from the community’s move to confront
NPDC on perceived irregularities in the attempted clean up of the spill. He said: “The spill occurred on September 6. We reported the matter to NPDC, operator of the facility which promised to address the issues. “We were surprised to see a company on Wednesday September 17, coming in with youths from Otagbuwe in Kokori community to clean up the spill impacted areas. “The soldiers claimed they were under the orders of the Commanding Officer, to deal decisively with. In the process, they shot sporadically in the air, molested and injured our people." Reacting, the Commander, 222 Battalion, Lt. Col. Kenneth Chigbu, denied the allegation.
Applicant sues varsity over interview result By Gabriel Enogholase
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ENNIN—AN unemployed graduate, Mr. Omoyibo Emmaunuel, has dragged the Federal University of Petroleum Resource, Effurun, FUPRE, before a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, over alleged non-publication of the results of an interview conducted by the institution for employment seekers. He is praying the court to compel the institution to publish the result of applicants “ who participated in the written examinations into various vacant positions.” Emmanuel said it was necessary for the University to publish the examination results having published the vacant positions on some national dailies on May 21, 2013. He lamented the “inconvenience, he and other applicants, who came from all parts of Nigeria to participate in the examinations on November 21, 2013 have been subjected to.”
I'll industrialise Delta in two years—Opone
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ELTA State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship hopeful, Chief Johnson Opone, has promised to put policies in place that would promote the rapid industrialisation of the state within two years, if elected into office. He spoke during his consultation visits to the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Steve Oru, and the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dr. Cairo Ojuogbo, at Ughelli and Agbor, respectively. Opone said he will achieve this by establishing one-stop functional industrial parks in the three senatorial zones of the state within the first two years of his administration. He also promised to establish state investment agencies and assist investors to access facilities with single digit interest rates to rapidly industrialise the state.