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Akpabio’s Visit To Tompolo, N’Delta Stakeholders Averted Crisis, National Challenge – Delta Deputy Gov

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Delta State deputy governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro says the visit by the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s to Oporoza in Gbaramutu, kingdom, Delta State deflected another Niger Delta crisis cim national challenge.

Akpabio had visited Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta to negotiate after the former had issued 7days ultimatum to the Minister to inaugurate board for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, which has been run by a interim leadership and the Minister which against the Act that set up the commission.

The Deputy Governor who spoke to newsmen in Warri following the meeting in Oporoza, Gbaramatu kingdom between Senator Akpabio and Tompolo with other Niger Delta stakeholders over Tompolo’s recent 7-day ultimatum to inaugurate the NDDC Board long run on interim leadership against law, noted that the Niger Delta was inching towards possible oil infrastructure breaches like it happened in 2016.

READ ALSO: NDDC: Group Commends Tompolo, Wants Already Constituted Already Constituted Board Inaugurated

He added that Delta State Government and traditional rulers spent sleepless nights so a resumed Niger Delta crisis would not add up to the other regional crises where the Federal Government was battling on all fronts to restore peace.

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Otuaro said, “The visit here of our highly respected brother and Minister, Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio, has solved all possible problems that we would have had from about 3 days from expiration of the ultimatum. Your coming is a saving grace for all of us and I want to thank you for that.

“Our country is at the threshold of self-implosion. If you look at the six geopolitical zones in the country, other than the Niger Delta region where the Minister and all of us come from, everywhere else is in turmoil. Talk about Middle Belt, North East, North West, South West, South East,… everywhere is in turmoil. You can’t imagine crises everywhere in the country with the Federal Government fighting on all fronts. I don’t think it makes sense.”

READ ALSO: Akpabio, Tompolo Parley’ll Bring Peace, Prompt Inauguration Of NDDC Board – Delta Govt

He continues, “In 2016, to the effect that as a government, we weren’t able to pay net salaries of our civil servants,” adding: “It was so bad and God forbid us from returning to such situation and circumstances. So we want the substantive board of the NDDC inaugurated as soon as practicable.”

Speaking on forensic audit for the NDDC, the Deputy Governor said inauguration of the NDDC board won’t stop the forensic audit.

The Deputy Governor, who requested responses “beyond rhetorics” from the Niger Delta Minister, Senator Akpabio had lamented at Oporoza: “We cannot explain why an institution (NDDC), which is a product of an Act is being run in flagrant abuse of the power/law establishing it in the guise of a forensic audit”.

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“There is no philosophy or phenomenon that forecloses a statutory organization for the sake of an audit. You cannot audit your today, you cannot audit your tomorrow. Forensic audit, in my opinion, is meant to look at errors of omission and commission, if any, hitherto committed, not the future. As I’m standing here today, can I audit my future? So the board should be in place”, Otuaro asserted.

READ ALSO: NDDC Board: Group Aligns With Tompolo, Calls For Compliance With Ultimatum

Otuaro clarified that “my averments which represent the position of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, do not only reinforce the position of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo but reflects the expressed position of the Ijaw National Congress, the Urhobos, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ndokwa and other stakeholders in the entire Niger Delta.

“In a representative democracy such as ours, the voice of the people should be listened to. There must be a substantive board for the NDDC for goodness sake”, Otuaro submitted.

 

 

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

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However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

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He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

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Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

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The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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