Politics

UPU Leaders Meet Malami, Want Govt To Use Ibori’s Loot In Delta

Published

4 years ago

March 26, 2021

NewTimes

Malami Wants Journalists Sanctioned For False Reports

The leaders of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) have commended the Federal Government for recovering £4.2million allegedly looted by former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

They, however, urged the government to use the funds to execute projects in Delta State.

They spoke on Friday when they met with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to protest against the decision of the Federal Government to expend the £4.2million loot on projects outside Delta State.

The union submitted at the Registry of the Federal Ministry of Justice, a letter they addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to review the list of projects to be executed with the funds which they maintained belonged to the people of Delta State.

While commending the Buhari-led administration for its effort towards ensuring that the looted funds were returned to Nigeria, UPU said it was, however, shocked to hear of the FG’s plan to use the retrieved funds for the completion of the second Niger bridge, Lagos-lbadan Expressway and Abuja-Kano Expressway.

In the letter entitled, “Commendation for Retrieval of Delta State’s Stolen Funds and Request for Review of Projects to be Executed With the Retrieved Funds”, UPU, said it would amount to double jeopardy for Delta State to lose the funds again to federal projects in other states.

The Urhobo union, therefore, urged the government to use the recovered funds to attend to several abandoned federal projects in Delta State. It listed nine of such projects for consideration.

UPU’s letter read: “Your Excellency, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) established m 1933, second in formative precedence only to the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa that represents the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State, wishes to express its appreciation to your government‘s engagement with the British Government over funds stolen from the coffers of the Delta State Government and their successful planned retrieval in trenches to Nigeria under a Memorandum of Understanding With the British government.

“The UPU welcomes the planned return of these funds as a practical demonstration of your government’s tireless resolve to promote accountability and transparency in governance, a value that underpins UPU’s goal of promoting the well-being of its people and all Nigerians.

“UPU commends this development and appreciates the federal government’s strong concern over returning these funds directly to the state government where the key actors involved are still in control or have considerable influence over the affairs of the state.

“The UPU and the entire people of Delta State are, however, shocked to hear of the federal government plan to use the retrieved funds for the completion of the second Niger bridge, Lagos-lbadan Expressway and Abuja-kano Expressway.

“While we note that these are very worthy projects, it should, however, be noted that these recovered funds belong to the people of Delta State who were and still the main victims deprived of the benefit of these funds.

“It will, therefore, be a double jeopardy to again lose these funds meant for direct projects in Delta State but initially taken away but now recovered, only to lose these funds again to federal projects in other states.

“The UPU, therefore, kindly appeals to the federal government on behalf of our people to reconsider the expressed intention and use the funds to attend to several abandoned federal projects in Delta State and mitigate the deprivations that the people have already suffered from the protracted … of the funds.

“This will indeed demonstrate the fairness and justice which informed your government’s endeavour to embark upon the retrieval of these funds and therefore should benefit directly the people of Delta State.

“Your Excellency, as mentioned above, there are federal projects that require urgent attention and revival within Delta State that will not only symbolically seal the goodwill of the people of the state towards your government for embarking on this endeavour, but will also reaffirm your government’s good disposition to our people as exemplified by the recent revival of the railway lines to warri to boost transportation and trade needed to enhance the revitalization of the numerous federal and state economic assets within the state, such as the Sea Ports, Steel Complex, Gas plant and Petroleum Refinery.

“We, therefore, kindly request your government to consider the following federal projects and programs within Delta state that trenches of the expected re-funds should be used for, namely: “Rehabilitation of Ologbo-Warri federal Road .

” Rehabilitation of the SapeIe-Amukpe-Aghalokpe-Eku-Abraka to Agbor federal road. ”

“Rehabilitation of the Warri-Ughelli-Asaba Road .

“Rehabilitation of deteriorated assess roads and operational infrastructure of federal assets including Sea Ports, Refinery, Steel Complex, Security Personnel Barracks, federal tertiary institutions within Delta state.

“Unpaid disengaged staff of the Aladja Steel Complex Delta State. “The dredging of the Escravos bar and Koko Port development (Itsekiri ).

“Rehabilitation of Bomadi-Otuomo to Rugbenee-Ozobo Road in (Ijaw) .

“Rehabilitation of Umeh-Oleh-Ozoro Road in (lsoko) .

“Expansion of Osubi Airport, Effurun.

ALSO READ: Ibori’s £4.2m Loot Belongs To Delta State – Reps

“We have only compiled a short-Iist of these few projects out of many that the federal government should use the returned funds for in the interest of justice and fairness that underpinned your government’s efforts to recover the funds and we urge that the recovered funds should be used for the beneficial interest of the people of Delta State.

“Your Excellency, the justice of this matter demands this and so shall you be remembered by our people given similar precedents of recovered funds returned by the federal government to Bayelsa and Plateau states.

“Surely, the joy of the people of Delta State and their gratitude will be boundless if your efforts are crowned by using the funds for federal projects In Delta state.

“We, therefore, appeal to and urge your government to favourably consider our request on behalf of the Urhobo and indeed the entire people of Delta State ”

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Politics

LG Election: Opposition Parties On Holiday, APC Remains Party to Beat – Abiodun

Published

1 month ago

November 10, 2024

NewTimes

My Dad Asked Me To Prioritise Civil Servants, Pensioners, Teachers - Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has declared that based on the performance of his administration in the last five years, opposition parties are clearly unpopular and invisible in the forthcoming local government election.

The governor added that the quality of candidates the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is presenting in the election would make it the party to beat with landslide victory in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the State.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, over the weekend, Prince Abiodun explained that his administration has changed the hitherto volatile political environment in the state and made it conducive for opposition parties to operate without hindrance or intimidation.

According to him, instead of the primordial machinery of intimidation, his administration has dwarfed the opposition parties in the state through sterling performance and creative ideas for development.

Governor Abiodun, therefore, urged members of APC in the state to show more commitment and work in harmony to sustain the feats already attained in the past years and ensure resounding victory during the November 16 local government poll.

“With the quality of candidates our party is presenting in the forthcoming local government election in the State, APC remains a part to beat; we have assiduously and consistently made remarkable impacts in the life of our people and this is indeed our selling point.

“Without going through the primordial route of physical intimidation of opposition parties, our administration has obviously silenced them by our intimidating projects, creative ideas and prudence, which have earned us a leading status among other federating units.

“It is now incumbent on every APC member across the 20 Local Government Areas to sustain the enviable feats our party has recorded in the last five years by showing more commitment and work in unison for the victory of our party come November 16,” Abiodun said.

Politics

LP Chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo Disagrees With Peter Obi

Published

7 months ago

May 22, 2024

NewTimes

LP Chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo Disagrees With Peter Obi

By John Michael Ojo

Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the Labour Party who doubled as the party’s spokesman during the 2023 general elections has accused the party’s chairman, Julius Abure of corruption and mismanagement of the party’s fund.

Okonkwo, a Nollywood Actor turned politician disclosed this on Tuesday via microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

He also alleged that the LP’s national convention organised by the Abure-led National Working Committee lacked merit in its entirety.

While distancing himself from the embattled party’s chairman, he wrote: “I am suspending my relationship in all ramifications with the purported Abure-led National Working Committee of Labour Party.“

For me, it’s either a new Nigeria or nothing. I prefer to lose doing the right thing to winning doing the wrong thing.

“Nothing can wash out the criminality, corruption, and incompetence with which the purported Natokoional Convention was purportedly organised by Abure.

“I did not leave the comfort of a ruling party, APC, because I believe that they are incompetent and dishonest, only to come and join another incompetent and corrupt association, which is the current Abure-led National Working Committee of Labour Party.”

Okonkwo’s claim is coming barely days after the presidential candidate of party, Peter Obi drummed support for the Abure-led NWC.

Obi who was viewed as a favourite in the build-up of the presidential election came a distant third behind former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Politics

Abiodun Commends Ogun Assembly For Seamless Transition As Elemide Is Elected Speaker

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2024

NewTimes

L-R: Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju; Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bolanle Lateefat Ajayi; new Speaker, Oludaisi Elemide; Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele; SSG, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Toyin Taiwo; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiu Hamzat; Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff and Hon. Waliu Owode.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has congratulated the new Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide and other lawmakers for ensuring a rancour-free process.

The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Engr. (Mrs.) Noimot Salako-Oyedele spoke when he received 19 members of the House who accompanied the new speaker on a courtesy call on him on Tuesday in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He commended the seamless manner in which they elected the new speaker, reaffirming that the lawmakers have the right to decide who would lead them in a democracy.

He said: “It is worthy of note that the executive has not interfered in the process to make sure that you are comfortable in what you want to do, that led you to making your decision. And we support you in the decision that you make.

“You have gone through the process in a way that is exemplary. This is not the first time in this country that members of a particular legislature have decided to change their leader.”

He emphasized that the executive arm would continue to adhere strictly to the concept of Separation of Power and the rule of law in its relationship with the House of Assembly.

The governor pledged that his administration would support and work closely with the legislature to maintain the harmonious relationship that has existed in the last four and a half years.

In his remarks, the new speaker, Rt. Hon. Elemide said the House would continue to complement the executive and avoid the unnecessary mudslinging that may hinder the progress of the state.

“We are not going to fight, and neither are we going to compromise the executive. In the legislature, there is room for lobbying. We will lobby where we need to lobby, we will assert where we need to assert, and we will let the whole people of the State know that we are there for them.

“To my colleagues, I would not want to betray their confidence that they have in me. It is going to be we and not I. I am just the first among equals, and we were voted in from our various constituencies. I will take cognisant that we are equal.

“I will be there to speak for them, and I will speak whatever they put in my mouth,” Elemide concluded.