By Andy Adaigbe.      The executive Chairman, Ika South Local Government, Hon Fred Ofume,has listed his achievements since assumption of office in October, 2014.Hon Ofume who to spoke to journalists early this week in his office at the Council Secretariat in Agbor,said his administration has been able to reclaim the cattle market in Agbor which was hitherto claimed by one, Mr Alex Ikpeazu,noting that the Council is making moves to ensure that there is a befitting market and slaughter slabs for the people of the local government.     He listed other achievements of his administration to include:beautification of the Council Secretariat,particularly the chairman's office which he hopes to furnish before the end of his tenure,grading of earth roads in the eighteen state wards in the local government,donation of seats and hospital equipment to Central Hospital and State School of Nursing,Agbor in partnership with Agbor-USA, constitution of a taskforce commit...

                               Hon. Fred Ofume                                Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Governor Ifeanyi Okowa  By Andy Adaigbe. The Ika South Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Fred Ofume has stated that  the PDP Deputy National Chairman in the defunct Sheriff's faction,  Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, was like a father to him who contributed immensely in making him the Council Chairman of Ika South. The Ika South Council boss stated this in his office at Agbor, while briefing newsmen on his achievements in the past three years that he has been in office. He said,  " Apart from God, the person who contributed immensely to my becoming the chairman of Ika South Local Government Council, is Hon. Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and we are still very cordial. God used him to bring me to political  ...

The management of Delta Broadcasting Service Asaba has vowed to overcome the natural disaster that befell the station and restore normal broadcast of programmes on both the radio and TV services within the shortest possible time.    The General Manager of the station, Mrs Evelyn Binitie stated this while setting up a five man high powered committee saddled with the responsibility of returning the signals of the broadcast outfit back on air.     The committee which had the Deputy General Manager, News and Current Affairs Mr Frankwhyte Osabohien as Chairman, also had the Deputy General Manager, Outside Broadcast Mr Ruke Edjeren as member. Other members of the committee included the Assistant General Manager Engineering Services Mr. Monday Imariegbe, the Assistant General Manager ICT Mr. Gabriel Muemoifo,the Assistant General Manager Public Relations Comr. Innocent  Ofonyeadi and the Chief Technical Officer Mr Samuel Okonkwo as secretary.   ...

 By Andy Adaigbe. It was a joyous atmosphere last week at Agbor, When the Senior Pastor of Word of Grace Minitries, Rev Goodwill Adogho, celebrated his golden jubilee and also thirty two years in the Ministry as a Pastor.     One of the most popular Popes of all times, Pope John XXIII once said: “Men are like wine, some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age”. Over the years, these golden words have proved to be true in the lives of many and one of such example is the respected cleric, Rev  Goodwill Adogho who is the senior Pastor of Word of Grace Ministries at Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. Described by many as a bridge builder and a very considerate person, Cheerful and full of life, Passionate in the Father's business,  a man of integrity and civility, the pastor who on July 5, clocked 50 and turned golden, has continued to endear himself to more people with his admirable character, selfless nature, magnanimity and purp...

 Excerpts:  Sir, how do you feel as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly? Indeed, I feel humbled, I feel honoured and trusted not only to be so recognised but also to be inducted into the esteemed   class of the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly. To me, it is a demonstration of a very strong sense of conefidence on my abilities by my colleagues. So, while I remain appreciative of that overwhelming vote of confidence, I am very mindful with a sense of commitment to the burden and sensitivities of the position as well as a determination to secure visible and enduring legislative gains to the people of Delta State. What are your experiences since you emerged as Speaker on May 11, 2017? In all modesty, I was elected as a legislator to represent my constituency but now and by the special grace of God, it has pleased my colleagues to elect me as the Speaker of the  House. As a member representing Okpe Constituency, my primary focus was my cons...

Your Excellency, As you mark your 58th birthday today, I bring you best wishes and good tidings from myself and a multitude of other Deltans and Nigerian people who are appreciative of all that you do to advance the cause of Delta State and restore the lost glory and dignity of our land, Nigeria. In this our time and era, there is no voice so firm and clarion to make a case of the common man at the grassroots as yours. There is no vision so clear and focused to develop, advance and sustain the daily endeavours of every Delta resident as your PROSPERITY agenda. As our leader and torchbearer, you have never reneged in your willingness and ability to reciprocate the loyalty and allegiance that you enjoy from your followers. At the slightest opportunity availed to do so, you always protect and stand by your supporters through thick and thin. Little wonder you enjoy unalloyed and immaculate loyalty to the extent that most of your supporters are prepared to take the battlefield sal...

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE, SEN. DR. IFEANYI OKOWA. Your excellency, as you mark your 58th birthday, I wish to use this opportunity to ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOUR you, for you are a GREAT LEADER, as well as a peace loving Governor whose devotion to the PROSPERITY for all Deltans, is legendary. I speak for myself and a multitude of other Deltans who are appreciative of all that you do for the cause of democracy and exceptionalism in this country. Your lifestyle is so firmly committed to the prosperity of all Deltans mantra and it has not come without a price. You have laid much on the line to fight for our future, and we thank you.  I value your courage in the ongoing efforts to making sure that Delta State becomes one of the developed states in Nigeria and continue to have global recognition.  Your Excellency,  If you ever decide to contest for any elective position after your 8 years tenure as governor, you sure have...

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Sunday said he dissolved the state executive council to flush out those he termed disloyal to the system. He also said the first was taken  in consultation with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP) in  the state. Speaking during the Election Thanksgiving Service in honour of the Majority Whip of the Rivers State House of Assembly at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Ogu on Sunday, Governor Wike said that the dissolution  was done to rejig the machinery of government to move the  state forward. He said: “This is when you know  those who are loyal  and those  who are not loyal. There  is no crack in government.  We are working together. The  dissolution  was done in consultation with the leadership of PDP  in the state. “You must work with those who are loyal.  Those who are  not loyal will be shown the way  out. Those who are loyal will com...

By Andy Adaigbe The governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike has sacked all members of his cabinet, less than 48 hours after the State’s commissioner of information Austin Tam-George resigned. No reason was given for the dissolution of the cabinet “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has dissolved the State Executive Council. The governor directed all former commissioners to hand over to their respective Permanent Secretaries,” Wike’s special assistant on electronic media, Simeon Nwakaudu. said in a statement. “Governor Wike thanked the former commissioners for their service to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours.” Nwakaudu said the governor had directed all the former commissioners to hand over to permanent secretaries in their respective ministries. It will be recalled that Mr. Austin Tam-George tendered his resignation less than 24 hours after Harrison Iheanyichukwu, the state commissioner for works, was sacked. Tam-George did not state t...

The Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Ika Corresponds Chapel has congratulated the new executive of the state council of the union led by comrade Michael Ikeogwu, on their landslide victory in the NUJ election.  The Chapel, in its just concluded congress held in Agbor, under the chairmanship of Comrade Maxwell Momah, said the victory of comrade Ikeogwu was a victory for all NUJ members in the state and urged the Union members to support the administration in order to move the union forward.  In the same vein, Comrade Momah, encouraged the new executive to deliver on their mandate in line with their manifesto. He said there was need for the the state exco to carry the chapel members along in their policies formulation and implementation in accordance with the best practices of the Journalism Profession.

By Andy Adaigbe. There are strong indications that  the Delta state college of education, Agbor will soon be upgraded to a University Status. This may not be unconnected with the recent moves by different groups and individuals to prevail on the state government to upgrade the school to a University of Education.  Recently, The executive members of Agbor Community led by its President General, Mr Lucky Mgbeken, paid a courtesy visit to the Provost of College of Education, Agbor, Dr. Joseph Ukadike where they said they had visited His Royal Majesty, Dr. Benjamin Keagborekuzi I, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom and His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, appealing to the governor to assist in upgrading the College of Education Agbor to a University of Education. The Agbor community leadership said the appeal became necessary because the students' intake into the NCE programme of the College was at its lowest ebb. According to them, functional educat...

 I Was Neither Arrested Nor Detained The Executive Chairman, Ika South Local Government council, Delta State, Mr. Fred Ofume has refuted reports by some sections of the media, particularly the social media alleging that he was arrested recently by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad ( SARS) for allegedly ordering the demolition of the property of one Mr. Alex Ikpeazu valued at Over N100 Million. Addressing journalists at the weekend in his country home, Agbor, the administrative headquarters of the Council, Ofume, while describing the allegation as baseless, false and unfounded, said he has never been arrested by any law enforcement agency on any issue bothering on threat to life, malicious damage or any other misdemeanours acts as claimed by the report which according to him, originated from Sahara Reporters. Putting the records straight, the council boss said "It is true that the Council, Ika South Local Government council has been having crisis with One Mr Alex Ikpeazu o...

Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom get highest payment The Federal Government has paid the sum of N516.38 billion to states as refunds on over-deductions for external debt service.  If the governors make good their promises to pay the backlog of workers’ salaries, then there would be an unprecedented economic relief throughout the country in the days ahead.  The governors had at their meeting in Abuja, last weekend, promised to pay the backlog of workers’ salaries from the second tranche of the refund.  Rivers State topped the list with N34.925 billion, followed by Delta and Akwa Ibom with N27.606 billion and N25.981 billion, respectively. Gombe received the least refund of N8. 945 billion.  The Federal Ministry of Finance, in a statement by its Director of Information, Mr. Salisu Na’Inna, in Abuja, yesterday, said the payment was in line with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari on November 21, 2016, in partial settlement of long-standing claims by state...

Google, Thursday, announced plans to train 6000 African journalists in data journalism skills by the end of February 2018. Google News Lab and the World Bank according to a press release are working with Code For Africa to empower journalists in Africa by giving them the necessary support to better understand the Web and how to use the tools available to them online. The Code For Africa Digital Journalism initiative will take place over the next 9 months (to February 2018) and see 6 000 journalists trained in 12 major African cities – Abuja, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Casablanca, Dakar, Freetown, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, and Yaounde. Code For Africa is a data journalism and civic technology initiative operating across Africa that trains and supports journalists and civic activists to better understand and use web tools for news reporting and storytelling. Training will take place in three formats. Beginning June 15, in-person training sessions will be held in ...

My dear colleagues, we are very fortunate to be given consideration to serve in the Government of Delta State, this is because with the huge population of the State, the diverse cultural, political and social wealth that abounds in every nook and cranny of the State, our differences in language, culture, social background, religion and economic prospect in different occupational backgrounds, any person that is called upon to assist Governor actualize the prosperity agenda of Governor Okowa is not only lucky but also expected to enrich the flow of ideas in the state  for the benefit of the people. Everyone’s appointment carries political significance because we are all expected as servants of the people duplicate the presence of Governor Okowa in every Unit, ward, and community and make the people feel his presence. This is because as political aides of the Governor we carry a heavy burden of responsibility to live above board in conduct and character. We must in our daily conduc...

Gentlemen of the Press, On behalf of my distinguished colleagues, I gladly welcome you to this press briefing on the activities of the House in the past one year as we mark the second anniversary of the Sixth (6th) assembly. Let me start by appreciating your role as members of the fourth estate of the realm in promoting the activities and deliberations of the House. The role of the press in a democratic dispensation cannot be over emphasized; that is why the Legislative arm of Government holds the media in a very high esteem. I want to express our gratitude to the media for their coverage of the activities of the House. We, however, enjoin our vibrant journalists in Delta State to shun speculative stories that would erode their credibility. Let me implore our gentlemen of the Press to always cross-check their facts from our offices which are indeed open to them before going to Press. I want to state here that as an arm of Government, the House has undergone some ...

A Stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Paul Alika, has congratulated the state governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa on his two years anniversary in office,  describing him as miracle working governor.  Mr. Alika also commeneded Deltans for their support for the governor within the period under review.    Alika said governor Okowa has performed remarkably well within this two years in office despite the economic downturn in the country and paucity of funds.   He observed that the presence of the government is felt in all the twenty-five Local Government Areas of the State, stressing that a lot of projects are on-going while others have been completed and commissioned across the 25 LGAs.   He said in line with the accountability policies of the Okowa led administration, that town hall meetings in all the Local Government Areas are ongoing in order to render account of the governor's...

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Zanna Ibrahim, has sued for collaboration of members of the public to assist the force in policing the society.  The Police Commissioner was speaking when he played host to members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Delta State chapter, led by Comrade Augustine Chiejina, at the force Headquarters Asaba.   CP Ibrahim who expressed appreciation for the visit, described it as timely adding that it was the beginning of collaboration between the Force and the Judiciary.  He disclosed that there was need to redeem the image of the police due to what he described as a paradigm shift by members of the public. He restated the committment of the Police to the security of lives and properties which he said requires a holistic approach. He disclosed that the Inspector General of Police was so committed to the task pointing out that there was zero tolerance for impunity, indiscipline and human rights violation by any polic...