Author: Dave Okpogadie

A human rights group has condemned what it described as an arbitrary increase in the price of daily ticket for commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as ‘okada’ in Akwa Ibom, despite the current hardship in Nigeria, saying reverting the price to one hundred naira as it was before would palliate this seemingly harsh economy on their livelihood. Saviour Akpan, who is the Akwa Ibom State cluster lead for Civic Space Watch Cluster and Palladium, with support from USAID and powered in Akwa Ibom State by COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peace building and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights…

The highly cerebral mother of Anioma Nation and culture colossus, HRM Obi Martha Dunkwu (Omu Okpanam/Omu Anioma/Nneoha) has called for a conference with a focus on inter-generational mentoring to address issues of Anioma women, especially for those with interest in politics. She made this call while responding to the award of 2023 Global Icon Of African Cultural Heritage, bestowed on her by the African Living Legend Award Committee from the African Diaspora in Germany, which was inspired by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/69/16. Omu Dunkwu said it was time to begin a process to deeply get the Anioma…

Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has directed that the contractor handling the construction of Ibusa/Achalla/Asaba Phase II Road (from KM6.83 to KM13.8) in Oshimili North/South Local government area, should immediately return to site. Governor Oborevwori further directed the contractor to ensure that the project is done according to specification. The directive became necessary after the state commissioner for Works Highways and Urban Roads, Comrade Reuben Izeze, briefed the governor on the outcome of his visit to the project site on January 9, 2024, with top officials and civil engineers of the ministry, to carry out on-the-spot assessment. The visit to…

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has called on Nigerians to support the military in its fight against insurgency and banditry The governor made the call while speaking at an interdenominational thanksgiving service to commemorate the year 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, represented Governor Oborevwori at the event which took place at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Asaba. The governor also urged Nigerians to support legionnaires and relatives of deceased soldiers. He said, “I appeal to all Nigerians, to continue to show support for and solidarity with our soldiers who are daily, fighting…

Governor Sheriff of Delta State has urged civil servants in the state to emulate the virtues of the retired permanent secretary, Government House Administration, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje. Speaking at a reception in honour of the celebrant at the Events Centre, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat. While congratulating the retiring permanent secretary for his diligent and patriotic service to the state, Oborevwori said Ogidi-Gbegbaje was very helpful in the last seven months of his administration. According to him, “A lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and…

Margaret Ochenu, a 50-year-old health worker, often finds herself on the dark road from Issele-Azagba to Asaba at midnight, going home to her family after work. She finds herself on that road several times in a week, all in a day’s work at the comprehensive Health Centre. Although the journey is not a lengthy one, about 20 minutes’ drive, the road like many in the state and the oil rich Niger Delta area, is unlit as there are no lights and accidents occur frequently in view of the dilapidated roads and equally rickety, commercial cars and buses that ply the…

President of the Vanguard For Transparent Leadership And Democracy (VATLAD), Emmanuel Igbini, has dismissed Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC’s allegation that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori inflated the cost of construction of three flyovers in Effurun near Warri by N50billion. In a statement made available to the press, Igbini described the allegations by the APC as, “misplaced and politics taken too far”. Igbini, an engineer and erstwhile director-general of the Delta State Direct Labour Agency, DLA, said the APC had no cogent reason to accuse Governor Oborevwori of fraud in the award of the laudable projects meant to…

NG-CARES has declared open a three-day step down training on gender based violence in Asaba, Delta State, to enlighten the general public through the participants, on the need to eliminate gender based violence in Nigeria. Participants to the programme are drawn from nine states, including the host, Delta, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, Abia, Imo and Bayelsa states. In his welcome address, the Delta State commissioner for Economic Planning and chairman, Delta State Cares Steering Committee, Hon. Sonny Akporokiamo, said the training could not have come at a better time given the recurring global discourse on the need to…

An angry mob has set ablaze an unidentified suspected killer of a Police Constabulary and a complainant at Evwreni community, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State while on mission to recover a stolen vehicle. According to a Vanguard report, the deceased Constabulary Policeman, Late Solomon Ughere allegedly attached to the JWC section of the Nigeria Police at the Ughelli Area Command was detailed among other officers to recover a suspected stolen vehicle parked at the premises of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, located at Evwreni community. A security source from the Delta State Police Command disclosed that; “the…

Delta State Governor. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Wednesday, presented a N714.4 billion Appropriation bill for the 2024 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly. Governor Oborevwori said the budget christened, ‘Budget of Hope and Optimism,’ was made up of recurrent expenditure of N316.6billion representing 44 per cent and a capital expenditure of N397.9billion representing 56 per cent of the total budget. He said the 2024 budget proposal, his first since coming to office was envisioned to put the economy on the path of sustainable growth, boost investments and productivity, enhance the ease of doing business, and provide ample opportunities for…