Guannah make case for Olejeme

Press Release

Olejeme, best governorship material, says Delta State Ex-Commissioner

 As the governorship ambition of the Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme continues to gather more support; former Delta State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Barrister Raymos Guanah has thrown his weight behind her. He described her as the best governorship material for the February 28, 2015 polls.“She appears more charismatic and more composed to raise Delta State to the next level of development” Guanah, who spoke with journalists in Asaba on Tuesday, expressed optimism that Olejeme would be the next governor of Delta State. “Taking into consideration the public opinion prevailing among Deltans concerning the 2015 governorship election, Olejeme is the frontrunner. She will break the jinx in 2015 and become the first elected female governor in Nigeria. She will have a smooth run into the Delta State Government House” he said. The former political adviser to the Delta State governor   dismissed the issue of gender in the governorship race.“The best person for the job is Olejeme. Apart from her capability and intimidating political structure, she also commands large grassroots followership because of her love for the poor and the lowly people in the society” Guanah emphasized that majority of Delta political leaders resolved to support Olejeme in her bid to be governor of the state in 2015. The former chairman of Patani Local Government called on the people to rally round Olejeme to ensure her success in 2015.He assured prominent leaders in the state that Olejeme would build upon the developmental programmes of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
“For Delta North to produce the governor, the leaders need to adopt a more holistic approach. They need to work together for the common goal of ensuring that she becomes the next governor of the State” he advised.The former commissioner appealed to Olejeme not to bow to pressure.“No amount of intimidation, threat or blackmail should deter Olejeme from what is in the best interest of Deltans”  Guanah said Olejeme had been in the fore front of gender equality and workers progress in Nigeria.Although,  Olejeme is yet to make official declaration of her ambition, but  her supporters have been engaging in  underground consultations with  political stakeholders in the state,  with a view to gaining wide acceptance any time she comes out openly to declare her ambition.

Benin By-Pass Ambulance Accident

                                                                  'Emergency' 

WELCOME ADDRESS BY RT. HON. (ENGR) VICTOR ONYEKACHI OCHEI (FNSE, FIAS) SPEAKER, DELTA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ASABA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 66TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION (CPA) AFRICA REGION HELD IN ASABA, NIGERIA ON THE 14TH OF JANUARY 2014.

Your Excellency,
Dr. Emmanuel E. Uduaghan, (CON)
Governor of Delta State;

Your Excellency,
Prof Amos Ugbe Utuama (SAN)
Deputy Governor of Delta State;

Your Excellency,
Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, Chairperson of Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Executive Committee and Speaker of Gauteng Provincial Legislature;

Your Excellency,
Anne S. Makinda, President of the CPA Africa Region
and Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania;

Your Excellency, Rt. Hon. David Mark
The Senate President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria;

Your Excellencies the Speakers of various Parliaments
and Presiding Officers present;

Distinguished Executive Members of
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association;

Members of the Delta State Executive Council;

Members of the fourth Estate of the realm.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am particularly enthused to welcome this august gathering to the opening ceremony of the 66th Executive Committee meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association here in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.  Our resolve to play host to the Association is anchored on our deep belief that in all notions of democracy, be it parliamentary or Presidential system of government, the legislature remain the symbol of democracy.

This position is borne out of the fact that the African continent has had a chequered history in the attainment of democratic ethos given its very ugly past of dictators that earlier bestrode the African continent.  Fortunately for us, this ugly trend has eclipsed with a large chunk of African countries submitting themselves to the dictates of democracy which, if, encapsulated will mean good governance, upholding human rights and the rule of law.

These, fortunately for us, are the immediate mandate of the Common wealth Parliamentary Association, the reason for which we are all gathered here today.

It is thus necessary that any opportunity given to deepen the ideals of democracy ought to be embraced, and this partly informed our decision to host this august assembly.  I most humbly welcome you.

The Association, which is highly voluntary, is involved in peer review mechanism, whereby member parliament engage in exchange of best parliamentary practices and also, it affords members the opportunity of knowing and learning what is happening in other climes and rightly appropriating the essentials.  This, indeed, offers a rich avenue to garner that much needed experience, since there is no formal school of parliament to learn the intricate art of legislating.

Since membership of the association is voluntary and its resolution not particularly binding, it is desirable that such resolutions taken should have a means of enforcement. It is my expectation, that this Executive Committee meeting will fashion out ways of taking stock of resolutions already passed and presenting same to Member Parliament  for possible domestication and adoption, with a view to making it law, if found desirable.

Your Excellencies, distinguished Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and Chairperson of the CPA Africa Region Executive Committee, Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to quickly intimate you that the Delta State House of Assembly has been adequately positioned to meet the demands of   making well focused, researched and people oriented laws, that will impact positively on the people of the state. This is contingent on our firm belief that as the pillar of democracy, the legislative arm must be a catalyst of change, working in concert with the other arms of government, in providing democratic dividends to the people. It is my hope, that at the end of this Executive Committee Meeting, you will be better informed about Delta state and Nigeria and thus be ready to appropriate some of the knowledge garnered when you return to your respective countries.

Distinguished delegates, Delta State is highly democratic and have one of the most highly democratic chief executives in the country. It is peaceful, serene and highly hospitable to visitors and strangers alike. It will therefore, be worth your time, if you could spare some time from your obviously tight schedule to enjoy the hospitality of our people.

I cannot conclude this welcome address without paying obeisance to two great ladies at the helm of Regional leadership: Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, Chairperson of the CPA Africa Region Committee, as well as the CPA Africa Region President, Rt. Hon. Anne S. Makinda, all the Speakers and Presiding Officers and indeed all members of the Executive body for coming, more so as it is the beginning of the new year.  For all those who have been here for the past few days, I hope you have been enjoying your stay here and have had enough time to also enjoy our friendly disposition and our cuisine.

In conclusion, I cannot fail to thank our very hard working and humane governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan for being a true democrat and an avowed believer in the doctrine of separation of powers. In honesty, his support to the House of Assembly has been awesome and highly inspiring. There is no gainsaying the fact that without his imprimatur, this gathering today would have been impossible.

Your Excellency, on behalf of members and my esteemed colleagues in the Delta State House of Assembly, we remain grateful.

Thank you and I wish you a fruitful deliberation.

Rt. Hon (Engr) Victor O. Ochei FNSE, FIAS
Speaker,
Delta State House of Assembly Asaba.

INEC Releases Timetable for 2015 General Elections

  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday night released the timetable for the 2015 general elections.

According to the release by the commission, the Presidential and National Assembly Elections will hold on February 14, 2015, while the Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on February 28, 2015.

The Governorship elections for Ekiti and Osun States, where the tenures of the Governors are due to expire, is for June 21, 2014 and August 9, 2014 respectively.

Delta SSG denies any power pact with Delta North.

' Am not aware of any power shift pact with Delta North'-Delta SSG

A PROMINENT member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Secretary to the Delta State Government and a PDP Chieftain,Comrade Ovouzourie Macaulay, has denied the existence of an agreement for power shift among the three senatorial districts.

 Answering questions from journalists in Asaba, Macaulay said that, as a member of the G3, which campaigned vigorously for incumbent Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007, had thrown his full weight behind the emergence of a candidate from the Igbo-speaking (Anioma) part of the state which makes up the Delta North Senatorial district but was beginning to be skeptical about the agenda.

 The SSG said that he would have preferred a candidate from Delta North who has a pan-Delta agenda instead of an ethnic-based campaign with all the cacophony of power shift which almost all the candidates from the district are currently engaged in.

He pointed out that as the North was only the senatorial district that was yet to produce the governorship of the state, as the Urhobo or Central (have had it twice through Senator Felix Ibru and Chief James Ibori) and the South comprising the Itsekiri, Isoko and Ijaw (once through Uduaghan), the Anioma people truly deserve the support of the others.

Macaulay who is from the South Senatorial district faulted the Anioma candidates’ campaign slogan of equity and fairness, advising that the proper thing for them to do is to mount a campaign throughout the length and breadth of the state, outlining their dreams and vision for the state.

He said he was turned off by the negative campaign of marginalisation being labelled against the past rulers of the state by Anioma candidates, stressing that it smacks of an intention to engage in vendetta against the people of South and Central districts should an Anioma person become governor in 2015.

He charged: “I was initially very enthusiastic about an Anioma governor as Delta North is the only district that is yet to produce the governorship of the state but I am afraid that they may not get the support of the other districts if they don’t change their style. There is no need for this strident cry of marginalization. It is a pointer that the Anioma are out for a revenge mission against the other parts of the state should they win in 2015. I think the proper thing for them to do is to campaign and sell their agenda for transforming the state to the people. With the way they are going about it, I am afraid that people like us will not support an Anioma person for the governorship as we are scared.”

The secretary insisted that as an insider, he was not aware of any agreement between the Anioma and other parts of the state for a power shift, adding that even if there was one, it was crystal clear that the people and leaders of Delta North never faithfully adhered to it.

Macaulay explained during the last election in 2011, the votes of Delta Northerners were shared between Uduaghan of the PDP and Chief Great Ogboru of the main opposition Democratic People’s Party and was the reason why Ogboru won convincingly in four local councils in Delta North and ran neck and neck with Uduaghan in the other five.

He said: “If at all, there was an agreement, the proper thing to have been done for the agreement to be valid was for the people of Delta North to vote massively for Uduaghan. Since nothing like that happened in the election, such an agreement is not valid. For the avoidance of doubt, the opposition had 12 members in the House of Assembly.”

He said he is yet to take a political decision for the forthcoming election but will support any candidate who has a vision of taking the state to a higher level instead of a narrow selfish and ethnic agenda.

Arik airline Passengers from Asaba-Lagos stranded

Passengers flying Arik airline from Asaba-Lagos are stranded at the Asaba airport for the past two to three days.

The passengers said that the staffs of Arik airline have neglected them since yesterday without any reasonable explanation.

They claimed the Arik staffs used the policemen at the Asaba airport to harass, molest and even threatened to shoot them if they refuse to leave the airport.

The passengers told reporters that they booked and paid online for their flight, but getting to the airport, they were told that they can't fly for any reason.

They also claimed that they saw some Arik staffs collecting money from other passengers who came after them and was given boarding pass to fly.

Some of the passengers said they have missed some business transactions, while a young female passenger told journalists that she has missed her exams in school due to the delay by the airline.

The passengers threatened to take legal action against the airline.

They said they have been paying a lot of money staying in hotels in the last two days, going to three days now.

As at the time of sending this report, no member of Arik staff was ready to comment on the issue and passengers were still stranded at the airport.           

 'Tunde Andrew