Alleged assault by commissioner: Delta nurses withdraw services

WARRI—NATIONAL Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Delta State branch, commenced an industrial action, yesterday, alleging assault on a nurse at the Central Hospital, Warri, by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara. Meanwhile, doctors in the state, yesterday, called off their “protest withdrawal of services” over insecurity and kidnap of their members by gunmen. 

Newsmen gathered that the decision to call off the strike was taken at an emergency meeting of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, branch executive, yesterday. NANNM, in a letter to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, entitled, “Assault on a nurse by the Commissioner for Health – Notice of Industrial Action,” by the state Secretary, Mr Akinfewa Olabode, demanded unreserved apology from the state government and the Commissioner.

 Vanguard learnt that the nurses withdrew their services with immediate effect at the Central Hospital, Warri, after the incident on March 29. NANNM in the letter, said: “With total disbelief and shock, the association received the ugly news of assault on a female member of the association, Nurse Akate Oghenero, attached to Central Hospital, Warri, by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Otumara. 

This happened due to failure of the nurse to stand up when the commissioner entered her ward. “This is regarded not only as dehumanizing, but also as the height of provocation to the association and entire nurses in the state. The association, therefore, calls for the immediate removal of Dr. Otumara as the state Commissioner for Health.

 “The association is also demanding an unreserved apology from the state government and the commissioner and until that is done, nurses in the Central Hospital, Warri, shall withdraw their services with immediate effect. “We seize this opportunity to serve notice of indefinite industrial action by nurses in the state from Monday, April 2, until when justice is seen to be done and the brutal attitude is adequately addressed.”

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‘Commissioner slapped nurse in Delta’

THERE was controversy, at the weekend, in Delta State over the allegation that the Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, slapped a nursing officer at the Central Hospital, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, just as the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, in the state is spoiling for a showdown over the matter.

But the commissioner, Dr. Joseph Otumara, swore to Sunday Vanguard on phone, yesterday, that he didn’t slap Mrs. Oghenero, saying that he only tried to stop her from making calls with her GSM phone while work was going on during his visit to the hospital on March 29.

The incident was said to have happened at the gynecologist ward of the Central Hospital in the presence of many nurses and officials of the Ministry of Health, Asaba.

Otumara said the medical director of the hospital cautioned the nurse to stop her noisy phone call, but she rebuffed the order, adding that it was her defiance that attracted his attention, and action in trying to stop her from disturbing others.

However, nurses at the Central Hospital, Warri commenced a strike action on Friday over the incident and, according to a privileged source, “They are waiting at home for the state leadership to declare a state-wide action from tomorrow (Monday).

But, a reliable source hinted that the bone of contention was being discussed between the commissioner and the leadership of the nurses, and the differences might be sorted out.

However, the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, in Delta State, has demanded that the commissioner should tender an unreserved apology to the nurse or resign his appointment.

The group, in a statement by its national coordinator, Oghenejabor Ikimi, stated, “We are in receipt of a protest letter minuted upon and sent to our office by Comrade Ojei J.O, the Central Hospital, Warri Unit Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

“The said letter is headlined thus: Letter of protest: Physical Assault on the person of Mrs. Akata Oghenero, a Nursing Officer II at the Central Hospital, Warri by Dr. Joseph Otumara, Hon Commissioner for Health, Delta State.”

The letter went on: “On 29 March, 2012, while Mrs. Akata Oghenero, a Nursing Officer II at the Central Hospital, Warri was on duty in the Gynae ward of the said hospital, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Delta State, Dr. Joseph Otumara, and his entourage came into the said ward and, in the process, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, in company of some student nurses who were present, immediately stood up to acknowledge his presence, while the said commissioner and his entourage walked through to the maternity ward.

“Shortly afterwards, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, while seated and receiving an emergency call on her mobile phone, suddenly heard a slap on her right check with a thunderous voice, ‘Why did you not stand up the second time’ and, upon turning her face, Mrs. Akata Oghenero discovered her assailant to be Dr. Joseph Otumara, the Health Commissioner, who was still fuming.

“At that point, Mrs. Akata Oghenero was speechless, humiliated, battered and weeping; there and then, the permanent secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Asaba, requested for the name of Mrs. Akata Oghenero, threatening to issue her a query and relieve her of her job”.

Ikimi went on: “Assuming, without conceding that Mrs. Akata Oghenero had committed an offence while Dr. Joseph Otumara was visiting, slapping a nurse on duty is definitely not one of the ways to discipline an erring public officer and, as such, we call on the said Health Commissioner to publicly tender an unreserved apology to the said Mrs. Akata Oghenero or, in the alternative, resign his appointment as he is not a fit and proper person to hold a public office.

‘’In the final analysis, we shall not hesitate to enforce the fundamental rights of Mrs. Akata Oghenero on her behalf and claim damages at large against the said Dr. Joseph Otumara in person, should he fail to heed to our above warnings”.

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Gunmen kidnap journalist in Delta

Gunmen yesterday Monday March 19th, kidnapped a journalist and former staff of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Warri, Prince Monday Whiskey in Delta State.

Reports said he was trailed to his compound at Orhuwhorun town in Udu Local Government Area by the gunmen who ordered him out of his Toyota Sienna car and whisked him away in a red- colored Saloon car towards the direction of Usiefrun Road.

His daughter, Edna Whiskey’ told Vanguard, “Daddy drove inside the compound at about 7.30pm and Mummy asked me that I should go and open the door. As I went down, I saw some men pushing Daddy into their car, I shouted and one of the men shouted back that he has issue with vigilante”.

“I drew back and neighbours told me to go and tell my mummy, but they drove away with him”, she added.

His wife, Mrs. Flaura Whiskey stated, “At about 7.30 pm, daddy drove in, my daughter who went to open the door ran back that some men took daddy and I ran down staircase , I fell on the staircase, before I could reach outside, they were gone. I called the brother, he came and both of us chased after them but we could not see theem. We have reported the case at Ovwian Police Station”.

She pleaded, “I appeal to government and security agencies to help find my husband. I pray that he should not be harmed, I appeal that he should be released, they have not called us since they took him and his mobile phones have been switched off.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Warri in a press statement, jointly signed by its chairman and secretary, Mr. Michael Ikeogwu and Akpokona Omafuaire condemned the abduction of Whiskey.

The union said the state of insecurity in the state has worsened, adding, “If a journalist can be kidnapped, it means that nobly is safe”.

Its words, “We condemn the lackluster and lackadaisical attitude of security operatives towards securing lives and property. We, therefore urged, them to strengthen their intelligence gathering mechanism in order to be more proactive”

“We also appeal to the kidnappers to release our member unharmed unconditionally.” the union added.

from Vanguard

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Ex-militants blow up Agip flow station in Bayelsa

GUNMEN, suspected to be former militants, weekend, bombed an Agip Flow Station in Bayelsa State, claiming it was in protest against the gross underdevelopment of Niger Delta region.

The leader of the group, “General” Cairo, who spoke to Vanguard, on phone, yesterday, said: “I am a former militant. We are unhappy that for two years, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan had not done anything tangible to develop the Niger Delta region, that was why we bombed the Agip flow station.”

Vanguard learnt that the old 10 production pipeline (departure pipeline), also known as Agip manifold, Obrucomo is located at Biseni/Idu area of the state.

“General” Cairo, who is the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Niger Delta Disarmed Youths, MOSODY, said though he and his men had surrendered their arms, “we were not included in the post-amnesty programme, though our anger was more of lack of development in the region.”

He said nobody was killed in the attack on the Agip flow station and the group would continue the attack until President Jonathan shifts his attention to the development of the region.

He added that he knew the former militant leader, Mammy Water, who, the Joint Task Force, JTF, said was killed in an encounter with naval personnel after some military personnel were massacred, but could not confirm if he was still alive or dead.

“I was in a separate speedboat when we encountered the military men on that day, but I have been calling his line since without success. I heard that he is dead from the JTF attack.”

He said he does not know the whereabouts of “General” Victor Gbekeke, who led the attack on the military men.

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Police kill 4 kidnap suspects in Delta

While displaying the corpses of four men suspected to be kidnappers on Sunday in Asaba, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, Delta Commissioner of Police, declared a war against armed robbers and kidnappers.

He said that the four men were shot dead about noon following a reprisal attack by the joint patrol team of the Police at Issele Mkpitime, Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the police recovered three AK 47 rifles, Pump Action gun, 15 AK 47 magazines and 341 rounds of live ammunition as well as six live cartridges, and six Nokia phones.

Also recovered were a Toyota Avalon car with Reg. No. EPE 217 AZ and a Golf car with Reg. No. SB164 KJA.

Aduba, who assumed duty in the state on Thursday, said that he observed that the state was under the siege of armed robbers and kidnappers and promised to return fire for fire to the bandits.

“What is expected of me is fire for fire against armed robbers and kidnappers and this is an appropriate time to warn that my clinical approach will be very ruthless with the hoodlums.

“I have discovered that what we have here is no peace, what we have is relative peace and I cannot take it. The state is under siege and we cannot take it.

“At Issele Mkpitime also we got a distress call and a joint petrol team of Police and the military were deployed.

“And when our men got there they were attacked by the bandits and we had to retaliate and four of the robbers were gunned down,’’ he said.

He lamented the gun attack that took place in Sapele, on Saturday when some unidentified gunmen went to a drinking parlour and opened fire on the people, killed four persons and injured two others.

He warned that this kind of situation would no longer be tolerated, adding that the command would sanction any divisional police officer found culpable.

“I am overhauling the command; there will be presence of our men 24 hours across the nooks and crannies of the state and I have already ordered them to move out.

“And I will sanction any divisional police officer; once there are three cases in your area I will move you, so they must sit up. If you allow hoodlums to take over your station I will move you out,” he said.

Aduba said the state command would deploy patrol teams to the highways to stop and search any suspected vehicle in line with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police.

He said without peace there would be no development, while promising tougher times for the armed bandits and kidnappers, he advised them to go into agriculture rather than take to crime

The commissioner called on the public and royal fathers to assist the Police by giving them useful information to enable the force to serve them better.

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Gunmen kill bank manager, and 7 others in beer parlour attack

IT was a bloody weekend in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, as gunmen killed a bank manager and seven other persons at a drinking spot, opposite Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, in the town.

No reason was given for the mindless bloodbath, but a source said, “The killers, who claimed to be unemployed and hungry, were incensed that their victims were busy drinking and eating with their girlfriends, while they (killers) were starving.”

Meanwhile, another version of the incident, claimed that the husband of one of the women, who was killed was the person who hired cultists to invade the beer parlour, alleging that his wife lied to him that she was going to the saloon to make her hair, only to surface at the drinking spot with her lover.

The woman allegedly left two of her children at home and when her husband got wind of her action, he came with cultists, shot dead the wife and people in the beer parlour at the time.

But, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, told Vanguard when contacted, that only five persons were confirmed dead, while two were rushed to the hospital.

He said: “They were drinking and people came and sprayed bullets on them, four died on the spot and another one died later.”

A source told Vanguard that he counted the corpses, saying “There were about 10 persons drinking in Mama Chabula shop that evening when the gunmen came. We don’t know whether they are former militants, cultists or just criminals but they opened fire, seven persons died on the spot while three were rushed to hospital.

“Of the three that were rushed to the hospital was a bank manager and he died today (Sunday). The gunmen did not rob anybody in the store, they just opened fire at those drinking and left after committing the havoc,” the source added.

A Sapele youth leader, who corroborated the police claim, said, “What I heard was that three men and two women were shot in cold blood. One was shot on his legs, the incident happened about 8 pm. We are all confused, there is tension everywhere, nobody seems to know the real reason for the massacre.”

The police do not even know because the people were drinking when they opened fire at them,” he added.

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Senior civil servant commits suicide in Delta

Asenior official of the Delta State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ike Nwaosa has allegedly committed suicide in Asaba, the state capital.

The incident was said to have happened on Sunday at his residence on Nwalie-Efedua Street, off Infant Jesus Road, Asaba.

The unfortunate act came barely three days after a lecturer at the Department of Economics, College of Education, Agbor, Philip Okechukwu Okafor allegedly hanged himself with a rope on the ceiling fan in his apartment while his family was away to school.

The late Nwaosa was a Chief Technical Officer in the Department of Agric Services, Agric

Engineering Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Asaba. Nwaosa, said to be about 56 years old, was also said to be a level 14 officer before he took his life. He would have retired from service in four years time.

A family source said the deceased committed the act at about 1.30pm after he had returned from church service on the fateful Sunday.

The source said the wife of the deceased had stayed behind after the service in one of the

Pentecostal churches to attend a meeting of the women’s wing, only to come back to meet the dead body of her husband without leaving any message.

Contacted, Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Charles Muka said he was yet to be briefed about the tragic incident.

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Angry MOB In Warri Beat Former Delta Speaker Into Unconsciousness(PHOTO)

As the battle by the people of Delta North begins to determine who succeeds Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan 2015, the ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ika south local government area last Saturday turned bloody, sending to the hospital a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Martins Okonta.

Trouble started at the state PDP secretariat in Asaba when Mr. Okonta protested against the choice of the Returning Officer for the ward congress. His protest resulted in a bloody fracas between him and other party members who resisted his objection to the Returning Officer.

It was gathered that Mr. Okonta was advancing the interests of a former Secretary to the state government and current National Assembly member from Delta North, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

In the heated argument which followed, Mr. Okonta, who is the himself the representative of Ika South constituency in the Delta Assembly, was assaulted he lost consciousness. He was immediately rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital.

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Robbers raid bank,Kill onlooker, shoot soldier and hijack army van

A gang of armed robbers operating in Delta State overpowered a military patrol team in a gun battle at the weekend, and fled with a Toyota Hilux vehicle attached to the squad after raiding a bank at Umunede.

One of the soldiers was wounded by the bandits who also shot an onlooker while escaping with their booty at Agbor.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Charles Muka, who confirmed the robbery, told Sunday Vanguard that a staff of the bank has been arrested in connection with the incident.

It was gathered that the bandits, who might have operated with the knowledge of an insider at the bank, successfully completed their mission but shot dead a passerby and injured a driver for allegedly blocking their escape route.

The hoodlums, reportedly heading towards Warri after the Umunede operation via the Agbor-Obiaruku-Abraka road, were confronted by the military patrol team.

An eye witness said: “It was a fierce gun duel. The robbers overpowered the soldiers. One of the soldiers sustained bullet wounds and they (robbers) took the soldiers Hilux van and fled with it”.

The police spokesman confirmed that the bank staff, arrested, fled from the police station some hours after he was nabbed, but he was tracked down and investigation into the matter was being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department of the state police command.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that the suspect was fingered in a similar robbery incident in the bank in the past as the person that gave information to robbers.

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12 buildings razed,100 persons rendered homeless

OVER 47 buildings in Oreba community in Uwheru, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, have been destroyed, following a violent clash with a neighbouring Odja village over a girl friend tussle.

Over 100 persons have been rendered homeless by the clash, which occurred recently at about 9am, involving youths of the two communities. 12 buildings, according to a reliable source, were razed, while 32 were destroyed.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that three other buildings were pulled down with dynamites. The leadership of the Oreba community in a press release yesterday called on the State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan to as a matter of urgency visit the village.

The community in the statement, signed by the ‘Odion’, Mr Julius Orovwenya and two others, alleged that; “the serene peaceful Oreba Community of Uwherun Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was razed down by youths from Odja Community of Uwherun. “The agrarian village was attacked in the early hours of 16th of February 2012, when most of the villagers have gone to their farm lands.

Preliminary investigations showed that a youth from Odja who was involved in a fight with another from Agadama Community over a girl friend during a burial ceremony in Oreba on 28th of January 2012, died on the 16th of February , 2012.

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“These Odja youths who are known notorious criminals in Uwherun Kingdom used dynamites on buildings of innocent Oreba people before setting them o fire. Evidence of dynamites used on houses are currently with the Nigeria Police Force in Ughelli.

“Hundreds of the villagers have their homes and properties completely destroyed, looted and they are now refugees in their home land. They are homeless, no clothes and no food to eat.

“We are therefore calling on the State Executive Governor to as a matter of urgency visit this village and direct all relevant Government and non Government Agencies saddled with Emergency Relief Responsibilities to come to our aid in order to avoid deaths from hunger and frustrations.

“We hereby appeal to the member representing Ughelli North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, the member in Federal House of Representatives, the Senator, Delta Central, Special Senior Assistant (SSA) to the Executive Governor on Community Matters and the President General of Uwherun Kingdom to visit this community and confirm the degree of destructions in order to give the necessary assistance to Oreba people.

“We also call on the Nigeria Police Force and all other security agencies to immediately bring the perpetrators of this criminal act to book to serve as deterrent to others in Uwherun kingdom. As a peaceful, law abiding community we rely on the law to take its course as no one man, family, town or kingdom has the monopoly of violence.

“We hopefully rely on you to use your good office in alleviating the sufferings brought upon this Oreba people by the Odja hoodlums.”

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Masquerade kills 16-year-old girl

The festive mood in Ogriagbene community, Bomadi Council Area of Delta State has turned sorrow with the alleged killing of a 16-year-old girl, Gerdrude Eboborou by a masquerade. The masquerade, popularly called ‘Ogborigbo’ was alleged to have hauled a club, which hit the girl on the head killing her few hours after the incident.


An eyewitness said the masquerade, on that same day used a fishing spear to attack a boy, who was in a festive mood, adding that the boy was later rushed to a private clinic for surgery.

The source, who pleaded anonymity said, trouble started around 5pm when the deceased was having fun with her friends at the passage leading to her father’s house, when suddenly the dangerously armed masquerade appeared and started chasing her friends.

Continuing, he said when the masquerade could not get hold of any of the girls, who were ran toward the direction of the deceased’s home, the masquerade threw a club at them, which landed on Gertrudes head. immediately, she fell into coma.

He said sympathizers rushed her to the hospital but she died.

A medical source said her spinal cord was severely damaged, leading to serious internal bleeding.The news of her death brought the festival to an abrupt end.

The corpse, according to the sources, was abandoned at the resident of the community chairman since it was he that approved the Ogborigbo Festival.the corpse was later moved to the mogue of General Hospital Bomadi, he said.

A senior Police source from the Bomadi Police Division, who spoke with our correspondent could not confirm the incident, saying the report was yet to reach the police.

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Delta state draw a master plan for 24-hour electricity supply

DELTA State has produced an energy master plan that will enable it provide 24-hour electricity to the people and also drive its industrialisation process.

The master plan includes gas production and utilization, generation, transmission and distribution and is engaging investors from around the world in these areas.

Chairman of Delta State Integrated Development Project, DIDP, a Public-Private Partnership development programme, Mr. Godwin Akpobire, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State.

He said already, the state is planning an energy conference, tagged ‘Delta Electricity Conference’ to brainstorm on the electricity supply market that will soon emerge in the state.

He said: “There are also plans for a Delta Electricity Conference soon. The energy conference will enable us to explain to Deltans our model for the provision of electricity for the state.

It is my hope that in Delta State, every community will have electricity for 24 hours and the fulfillment of that dream is not dependent on the functional capabilities of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN alone.”

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Gunmen kidnap woman, demand N400m ransom

A FOUR-man armed gang, weekend, kidnapped a middle aged woman, Mrs. Eunice Aganbi in front of her house under construction at Eku, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

It was gathered that the abductors are demanding N400 million ransom, which is to be dropped at a location in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to secure her release.

NEWSMEN learnt that the incident took place about 9:20am in the presence of workers at the site.The gang came in a Sienna bus and took the victim away.

At press time, the where abouts of the victim was till unknown.

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Confusion in Asaba as Igbo, Hausa clash

A violent clash between Hausa traders and some Igbo youths left many wounded in Asaba, Delta State on Thursday.

Over 200 northerners, most of them soaked with blood, have taken refuge at the B Division of the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, as a result of the violence.

Though, there were various versions of the cause of the violence, our correspondent learnt that some Igbo were provoked by the burial of the easterners who lost their lives in the North in Onitsha, about 15 minutes from Asaba.

The deceased were suspected to have been killed by Boko Haram.

The Igbo youths were said to have been angered by the thinking that while they were still mourning and burying their dead, the northerners in the area were going about their trading.

Some of the injured were receiving treatment at the Police Clinic and state hospital, Okwe, close to the division at the time of filing this report.

The popular Abraka Market operated by the northerners was deserted as hoodlums hijacked the situation to burgle shops in the market.

More than 10 truckloads of riot policemen were stationed at the Onitsha Bridge Head to quell the violence which took residents of the state capital by surprise.

A victim, who identified himself as Ibrahim, who had several machete cuts, said he was able to escape from Onitsha but was stopped by some hoodlums in Asaba who injured him and escaped with his motorcycle and mobile phones.

Another unconscious victim, a yam seller who had his face bloodied, recounted how he was hit on the head by his assailants while he was trying to escape.

“If not for the sake of the policemen who came to my rescue they would have killed me by now. We were caught unawares and there was no way we could have fought back as they far outnumbered us,” he said.

The Divisional Police Officer, Usman Yusuf, said the violence emanated from Onitsha, adding that the division was only trying to save the lives and property of the fleeing northerners.

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Delta moves ahead to beat JAMB deadline on use of computers

DELTA State government says that plans are underway to ensure full scale Information Communication Technology (ICT) in all public secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the State ahead of the proposed plan by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB’s to ask students to write examinations through the computer by year 2013.

Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT, Mr. Sunny Ofili told reporters in Asaba yesterday that to achieve success in that direction that the state government had already inculcated the plan in this year’s budget, saying that “we want to make sure that our children are not left in the cold when JAMB goes ahead to implement the policy. If we do not act fast and introduce computers in our various schools they will definitely be left in the cold”.

Ofili, who is also they Head, Directorate of Science and Technology the state will soon commence the construction of ICT Park in the state with a capacity of training about 2,500 youths to become entrepreneurs to design web skills and other programme languages.

“Our goal”, he went on , “is to move them into sites and become entrepreneurs equipped with intellectual ability by replicating the Indian example. The Indian government is also assisting us in the Park. ICT Park keys into three 3-point agenda of this administration, human capital development. We are going to train the required manpower that will transform the State to a knowledge-based economy”, he stated.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan had while presenting the 2012 budget remarked that “a key anchor of our diversification strategy is the deliberate stimulation of industrialization of the State.

To this end, this administration has established three special economic zones viz, the Warri Industrial Business Park, the Koko Free Trade Zone and the ICT Park in Asaba”.

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Gunmen kill policeman, kidnap expatriate in Warri

Gunmen Friday, in Warri, Warri South LocalGovernment Area of Delta State, shot dead a mobile policeman and kidnapped an expatriate after the latter withdrew an undisclosed amount of money from a bankin Warri.

The hoodlums also took away the rifle of the policeman,who was left in a pool of his blood inside a white Hiace bus. He was believed to be on escort duty.

The armed men, who had killed up to three policemenin the last two months in Warri axis of the state carried out Friday’s attackabout 48 hours after the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Tsafe,who relocated to Warri, early in the week, to map out fresh strategies on howto combat them, left the oil city for Asaba, the state capital.

Delta state police spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka,confirmed the incident when contacted by Saturday Vanguard, saying the policewere in search of the bandits, while it was gathered that the Delta WaterwaysSecurity Committee, DWSC, Warri, has also activated its intelligence networkfor information on the hoodlums.

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2 cattle rearers kill police officer

COMMOTION broke out in Asaba yesterday evening as two Hausa/Fulani cattle rearers allegedly stabbed a policeman to death at the heat of argument with daggers.

The incident took place at about 6. 15 pm, yesterday along the Direct Labour Agency DLC road Asaba.

At the heat of the commotion, the policeman was stabbed in the stomach.

Eyewitness who simply gave his name as Charles told Vanguard that “when the officer was bleeding slumped, many people felt he has died and lynched the two of them instantly.

When this reporter visited the Police ‘A’ Division, a large crowed gathered while two corpses were seen on the ground.

It was not immediately ascertained if the stabbed policeman has died or hospitalized.

Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Charles Muka said “ about the incident two Hausa/ Fulanis attacked a policeman with dagger and mob lynched the two of them.

But that policeman’s identity was yet to be known , we don’t know if he is from this command and whether is dead or the hospital he is”.

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Why govs called for fuel subsidy removal

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday defended the position of the state governors in backing the removal of fuel subsidy, pointing out that the governors were the ones that raised alarm, calling for the stoppage of the subsidy as it was about affecting the earnings of the states adversely.

He stated this while addressing Christian leaders at Government House, Asaba, yesterday, on the need to restrain their followers from taking laws into their hands over the killings perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect in the North.

He said he had suggested to the Federal Government, the need to improve on the technology used by illegal bunkerers to enable the nation refine petrol at cheaper cost.

He said: “From what is happening, everybody seems to agree that the removal of fuel subsidy is necessary. This subsidy has been on for several years but in the last two years it has become an issue. Before then the Federal Government was deducting about N200 billion to N300 billion per year for fuel subsidy.

But in 2010 it rose to about N600 billion and the plan was to remove it by March last year. So, the Federal Government budgeted N240 billion but we noticed, as governors, that as at July they were still deducting and by September they had deducted N1.3 trillion. And they usually deducted it at source even before they brought it for sharing.

“So we (governors) raised an alarm that the way the Federal Government was going about it, the states might not even have money to share and we needed an explanation on the way the money was being taken.”

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30yrs Old Man Stabs His Father To Death Because Of Fish

A woman who confessed to being a member of a secret cult, has killed her 12-year-old son (name withheld), for activities relating to her membership of the cult. The incident took place at Effurun, Delta State.

As a result of her dastardly act, the woman is currently being interrogated by the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, at the state police command’s headquarters, Asaba.


According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, “at about 1830 hours on January 2, 2012, the woman (names withheld) stabbed her son, Precious, with a broken bottle. The boy died on the way to hospital.

"The suspect ran away after the incident but was later arrested. She confessed being a secret cult member and admitted killing her son.”

Mr. Muka also said his men have arrested a man and are currently interrogating him for killing his 80-year-old father. “This other incident happened at Burutu, where a 30-year-old man killed his father, aged 80, with a machete over squabble concerning some fish he (son) had kept for himself.

“We are also investigating the matter and as soon as we conclude investigation, the suspects would be charged to court,” he said.

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Delta community petitions EFCC over alleged N353m fraud

THE Ifiekporo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, has dragged one Charles Omadeli before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged conversion of N353.9 million belonging to the community to personal use.

But Omadeli has described the allegations against him as baseless, saying that he had the backing of the Olus’ Panel, who he stressed gave him the authority to recover lands sold by chairman of the community, Pastor David Okoturoh’s faction to some politicians. 

The community head, Pa. Daniel Ejoor, who addressed newsmen in Warri, expressed surprised that the said Charles Omadeli, who was arrested by the anti-craft agency was released, when they had not concluded investigation into the allegation against him. 

The community in the petition, alleged that the said Charles, in connivance with some staff of Shell Petroleum Corporation, SPDC West headquarters, concluded plans to receive the sum of overN30m being compensation for pollution caused on the land of Ifiekporo community and appealed to the commission to investigatethe matter and possibly prosecute the suspect and others involved in the fraud to save the community from degenerating into lawlessness and violence. 

Pastor Okoturoh, accused the Charles Omadeli of selling the community land without due process and not accounting for the funds, adding that he recently invaded the community and burnt down houses and other valuables in the community. Chief Ejoor, advised Omadeli to stop parading himself as the authentic Chairman of the community by going to companies to corner the community rights and privileges.

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