Dennis

Four new Judges of the state High Court have been sworn in by Governor Douye Diri The Judges took the oath of office on Thursday inside the Executive Chambers of Government House, Yenagoa, based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC). They include a former Registrar of the state High Court, James  Lookie, Dr. Simon Amaduobogha,  Mrs. Christine Enegesi and Mrs. Patience Zuofa-Diri. Governor Diri congratulated the new judicial officers on their appointment and elevation, urging them to serve the people with unfailing honour and commitment. He commended the NJC, the state Judicial Service Commission, the state Chief Judge and the Chief Justice of Nigeria for facilitating the process and endorsement of their nomination from the state. The State number one citizen said they were found suitable for the exalted office after meeting  some strict protocol. He noted that his administration prioritises the judiciary in view of its significant role in society, stressing that

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, on Thursday, signed into law the state's 2022 Appropriation Bill, which was passed by the House of Assembly.  Governor Diri assented to the bill in his office in Government House, Yenagoa in the presence of the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, his deputy, Michael Ogbere, the House Leader, Monday Bubou, other principal officers of the assembly and top government functionaries.  Governor Diri had in October presented to the assembly the bill tagged "Budget of Sustainable Growth" of N310,717,608,362. Speaker of the assembly, Abraham Ingobere, however, explained that the original figure was increased by N3,747,410,619. The governor who expressed happiness that the budget was speedily passed by the assembly within the 2021 fiscal year, said  his administration was working towards moving away from dependence on federal allocations by improving the state's internally generated reven

  Boat helmsmen and operators plying the Andoni-Bonny-Port Harcourt waterways have decried incessant attacks and kidnapping by pirates and called on the Rivers State Government to come to their aid.   The helmsmen said it was important that the government lived up to its obligations by protecting the lives and property of people in coastal communities.   The sea transporters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed the need for the government to deploy gunboats and special security patrols in the area, saying they were still in the business by the mercy of God.   “Every now and then, the pirates attack us on the sea when we are travelling with our passengers. Some of them will kidnap our passengers and make them pay ransom before releasing them. This is why most times our passengers travel with fear,” one of them said.   Another operator lamented insecurity along the waterways and solicited the intervention of the government.   He stated, “What we really need is security on the s

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has queried the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for spending a total sum of N3.809bn on the suspended Rural Grazing Area scheme without a presidential approval or National Assembly appropriation.   The query is part of the eight audit queries issued against the ministry in the ‘Auditor-General for the Federation’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year Ended 31st December, 2019.’   The OAuGF had queried expenditures totaling N60,795,898,225.84 by the ministry.   The Acting Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu, presented the report to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Amos, on September 15, 2021, while the Senate and House Committees on Public Accounts commenced investigation into the queries.   The Federal Government had introduced the RUGA scheme in May 2019 but was forced to suspend it in the Jul

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s plan to transmit election results electronically in 2023, is currently doubtful as the Federal Government has revealed that only 473 out of 774 local government areas in the country have Internet access.   By implication, 301 local government areas have no Internet access, thus transmitting election results in those areas may not be possible in 2023 even if the Electoral Act is amended.   According to the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025 launched last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, the government projects that 697 LGAs will have Internet access by 2023.  The 2023 elections are expected to hold in February.   In a tabular illustration in the development plan, the government pegged 473 as the baseline for the number of LGAs with Internet connection. This implies that the government targets providing Internet access to an additional 224 LGAs with Internet access by 2023.   When contacted, experts, who spoke to journalists, explaine

  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied claims that he hated people of the Niger Delta origin. He said this in an open letter to respond to accusations by the Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ijaw National Congress, Chief Edwin Clark.   Clark had on Wednesday slammed Obasanjo over what he called a disappointing display of hatred against the people of the oil-producing states in Nigeria.   The elder statesman reacted to a recent outburst by the former President in Abuja, where he attacked the National Secretary of the INC, Ebipamowei Wodu, at a peace and security parley convened by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa.   In an open letter to Obasanjo on Wednesday titled, ‘My disappointment over your unprovoked outburst against the people of the Niger Delta region’, Clark accused the former President of double standards over resource control in the country.   Replying, Obasanjo explained that as the president, he followed the con

By  Chief (Dr.) E. K. Clark, OFR, CON Your Excellency, MY DISAPPOINTMENT OVER YOUR UNPROVOKED OUTBURST AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA REGION Let me begin by thanking you for finding time to stop by at my Abuja residence on Monday, 13th December, 2021, to check on my wellbeing and state of health; a visit that also afforded us the opportunity to discuss matters pertaining to the state of our nation which, unfortunately, continues to drift to very disturbing levels. I am indeed very grateful.   Your Excellency, in the course of our discuss, which was cordial, you did not mention, neither did you show any form of distraught or anger with the Niger Delta Region.   Your Excellency will recall that a summit was organised by a group, Global Peace Foundation, on Monday, 13th December, 2021, the same day you came to visit me, to which various groups and individuals were invited, and Your Excellency happened to be one of the invitees. I was equally invited. But because as Your Excellency

Former Iran captain Mehdi Mahdavikia has reportedly come under fire for wearing a shirt with a small Israeli flag on it during a friendly match, which was organised by football’s world governing body FIFA.   Reports on Monday said that Mahdavikia faces consequences, including losing his job as Iran under-23 national team coach.   Mahdavikia, 44, participated in a Dec. 17 match in Doha on the eve of the Arab Cup final.   The FIFA-organised game brought together an Arab legends team and world legends team.   All players wore shirts with small flags of all FIFA members, including Israel.   Hardliners in the Islamic Republic said that Mahdavikia has breached sports policy rules, which also include athletes from Iran not comnpeting against those from Israel.   But the accusations have also been dismissed by former team-mates, sports media and others.   They pointed out the match was not an official one but rather a cultural event, and that Mahdavikia after all needed a shirt to play.   Mahd

The Federal Government hopes to push its public debt stock to N50.22tn by 2023, with domestic debt at N28.75tn and external debt at N21.47tn.   This is according to the projections in the National Development Plan 2021-2025.   The Debt Management Office had disclosed that Nigeria’s public debt was N38tn as of the end of the third quarter of 2021, with the total debt stock rising by N2.540tn in three months from July to September 2021.   This shows that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.),  plans to accumulate about N12tn debt in two years from 2021 to 2023.   However, based on the plan, the government targets a reduction in total public debt by 2025.   A tabular illustration in the document showed that the government targets N39.59tn debt stock for 2021, N46.63tn for 2022, N50.22tn for 2023, N50.53tn for 2024, and N45.96tn by 2025.   The government also discloses that it needs money to finance the plan of N348.1tn, and the borrowing framework in the plan

  A firm, Tondek Agency Limited has accused Delta State University, Abraka of collecting N4,000, from students for a school magazine without giving them the university magazine. The Vice-Chancellor, Delta State University, Abraka, Prof Andy Egwunyenga had through a press statement issued by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Eddy Agbure, denied the collection of N4,000 from students for the production of school magazine as insinuated by an online publication Egwunyenga maintained that there was never a time his administration that the institution exploited students or demanded any payment of N4,000 for the production of the school magazine, as insinuated by the said online publication. However, the agency which was in charge of the production of the school magazine since 2017 urged Prof Egwunyenga to stop denying it, noting that it had available evidence of payments made by students to prove their claims. Speaking to Newsmen on Monday in Asaba, the Director of Contacts, Tondek

South Africa is holding a week of events to mark the passing of the anti-apartheid leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday aged 90. The plans include two days of lying in state before an official state funeral on 1 January in Cape Town. Tributes have been pouring in from leaders around the world, including Queen Elizabeth II, US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis.   Tutu was one of the country's best known figures at home and abroad.   South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that Tutu had helped bring about "a liberated South Africa".   A contemporary of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948-91. South Africans of all ages and backgrounds have been going to Cape Town's St George's Cathedral to lay flowers and pay tribute to the national hero.   Mourner El