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URS Urges Urhobo Unity To Produce Next Delta Governor

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2022

NewTimes

URS Urges Urhobo Unity To Produce Next Delta Governor

Prof. Eghagha

The Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS) has urged the Urhobo to be united in order to produce the next governor of Delta State in 2023.

In a statement, URS said that it recognised the right of Urhobo sons and daughters to aspire to any political office of their choice. But it said that in exercising this right, they should protect the interest of the Urhobo and work in unity with the ultimate objective of producing the next governor in the 2023 election.

The statement signed by URS President, Prof. Hope Eghagha, on behalf of other members reads: “The last few weeks in Delta State and elsewhere in Nigeria have been characterised by a barrage of political commentaries and opinions across socio-political groups, associations and critical stakeholders in the the state. Unfortunately, some of these views seem to divide us more than unite us as a people.

“The URS wishes to join this conversation by propagating the doctrine of unity in diversity for the overall good of the Urhobo nation in particular, and Delta State in general.

We respect the right of the UPU as the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Urhobo nation to make crucial decisions on behalf of the Urhobo Nation.

“By the same token, we respect the right of persons and groups to lend their voices to the subject. However, we caution that such voices should be tactful, objective and devoid of divisive undertones at this crucial moment in Urhobo agenda to produce the Governor of State in 2023.

“After studying the unfolding political planks and consulting critical political stakeholders in Delta State, the URS, in line with its non-partisan and neutral posture, joins the conversation with the following statement:

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“We remind all stakeholders that an Urhobo ‘son’ must emerge as the Governor of Delta State in 2023. In effect, it is our utmost desire that Urhobo sons should emerge as governorship flagbearers of their respective political parties. That way, we are guaranteed that an Urhobo will eventually emerge as governor. To that extent, we appeal to all critical stakeholders in all political parties in the state to work towards handing the ticket to an Urhobo son. In other words, our primary concern is the emergence of an Urhobo son as governor in 2023;
“We believe that primary elections are within the purview of political parties and therefore have no plans of poking into the activities of political parties in their statutory responsibility of electing flagbearers. But because the eventual choice will directly affect the quality of life and development of Deltans, we must lobby and appeal that the candidate with the best qualification in human and capital development, experience and capacity to provide quality leadership for our dream Delta be handed the tickets of their respective parties. In effect, we are appealing to the delegates to please consider these criteria when they set out to choose the flagbearer of their respective parties. Also, we especially appeal to delegates from Delta central to think URHOBO FIRST when they cast their votes; and that no gratification of whatever kind should influence the choice of the eventual candidate. Therefore, to guide all delegates in their choice of the governorship candidate, we appeal that only the aspirant with a very clear and practical blueprint for the development of Delta state be allowed to lead the state;
“It is most desirable that the flagbearers of all the political parties in the gubernatorial race are not imposed by any perceived Godfather(s) whether in or out of government. Endorsements are a common feature of political contests in democratic climes and that should not necessitate caustic, insulting and derogatory attacks on perceived enemies. We are perplexed that most of public commentaries in the state are tainted with party loyalty and the attitude of labelling enemies out of those who hold contrary views or differing strategies. We want to re-direct the minds of Urhobo delegates in the parties to issues of competence and allegiance to good corporate governance of the State.
“We salute the courage of the various Urhobo sons who have indicated their interest and preparedness to run for the primary elections of all the parties, and we also salute their supporters also for their unflinching support. We however believe that the plurality of Urhobo aspirants is not helpful to our cause. We urge the various aspirants to begin a self-internalized process of droping individual ambitions to support a superior candidate of choice in the race. Let’s narrow the options. We must remind one and all of the need to stay healthy with their support, that only one aspirant will eventually emerge as flag-bearer, and that it will be counterproductive to burn all the bridges in the course of their respective support; and, most especially, because we still have a life of nationalism to live after the elections;
“To preserve the chastity and sacrosanctity of the gentleman’s arrangement of rotating the governorship position among the three senatorial zones of Delta state—a practice that has helped in dismantling mutual distrust, and erected mutual respect in its place, we call on other senatorial zones to support the Urhobo 2023 Governorship Agenda in order to sustain the reciprocity that has characterized the emergence of governors in the state since the present political dispensation;
“We call on all Urhobo sons and daughters to be even more united at this critical stage of our existence as a nation; because in the long run, we are all pursuing the same goal of a united Delta, and an Urhobo governor with the right mentality, capacity, experience and qualification to lead the industrialization of Delta state.
“Finally, we call on Governor Okowa to use his capacity as our governor to provide a level playing ground for all political participants in the state, and across political parties to exercise their constitutional rights for the overall good of Delta State.”

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NNPCL Board: Club 66 Idanre, Commends Tinubu On Akinyelure’s Appointment

Published

6 hours ago

November 28, 2023

NewTimes

Chief Pius Akinyelereu

A foremost club in Idanre, Ondo State, Club 66, has commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing its patron, Chief Pius Aknyelure, as chairman of the Board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).

The Club gave the commendation in a statement issued by its President, Dr Anthony Omolola, in Lagos, on Tuesday.

Club 66 Idanre, which described the appointee as a square peg in a square hold, said that he would bring his vast experience in the oil and gas industry spanning over 40 years to bear on the appointment, particularly in resolving some of the knotty issues faced by the NNPCL Board and the oil industry in general.

The Club said: “Chief Pius Akinyelure’s appointment as chairman of the NNPCL board no doubt marks a watershed.

“Akinyelure retired from Mobil Oil as Executive Director of Finance in 1997. Even before then, he had been a big player in the industry.

“The Club sincerely appreciates the president for finding our patron worthy of such a prestigious assignment.

“Before now, he was appointed into the Board by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

“Thereafter, he was reappointed by President Buhari in May 2020.

“He has been chairman and director of several companies, including Wema Bank, Credit A Bank Ltd, Odua Investment Ltd, Oluwa Glass Plc, Okitipupa Oil-Palm Plc, Odua Telecommunications Ltd, Cocoa Industry Nigeria Ltd, Hallmark Bank, and West African Portland Cement Plc. He is a philanthropist with unique contributions to several communities in Ondo State and Nigeria at large.

“The good people of Idanre extend felicitations to the president for his noble gesture.”

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Abiodun Approves Constituency Projects For 236 Councillors

Published

21 hours ago

November 27, 2023

NewTimes

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved constituency projects for the 236 councillors in the state.

The approval, the governor said, was in fulfilment of his promise to ensure the councilors execute projects in their various constituencies as the closest to the people at the grassroot.

Prince Abiodun made this known at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, when he received the jubilant councilors who were on ground to pass a vote of confidence in his administration and also thank him for paying their full furniture allowance.

Governor Abiodun, who recently approved the full payment of furniture allowance to the 236 councillors, also promised to ensure the continuous empowerment of the councillors.

“You have reminded me of my promise to you of your constituency project. Consider that done because you are the closest to the grassroot. You are the ones representing us at the grassroot. You will not be put to shame.

“I am a promise-keeping governor . Whatever promise I make to you, I will definitely keep it. I want to thank you for your very kind remarks for appreciating that I promised you I was going to pay your furniture allowances, and I remain the first governor that will pay furniture allowances to councillors 100%.

“I also promised that I was going to ensure you are sufficiently empowered. You are politicians. You must be empowered to continue to empower your various constituencies and I think I am trying,” he said.

Governor Abiodun also thanked the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and called on opposition members to stop running around to buy jugments and join his administration in moving the state to the next level.

The governor stated that Ogun State is currently the fastest growing economy in the country, even as he ascribed the success to the team, which shares the same vision with him.

He promised that his administration would spend the next three and half years building on the solid foundation laid in the first term, noting that no stone would be left unturned.

Governor Abiodun also urged the councilors to continue to be good ambassadors of the party at their various wards.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Ogun State Forum of Councillors, Hon. Olarenwaju Adeleye thanked the governor for approving and paying their full furniture allowance.

Adeleye also acknowledged Governor Abiodun for executing at least a project in each of the 236 wards of the state and commended him for not abandoning projects left unfinished by the immediate past administrations in the state.

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Ogun, Aviation Ministry, Others Meet Tuesday On Concessioning Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport

Published

21 hours ago

November 27, 2023

NewTimes

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

The Ogun State Government, Federal Ministry of Aviation, and other stakeholders will, this week, meet on concessioning the Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport.

The airport, located in the Iperu-Ilishan axis of the state, is nearing completion with aircraft already landing at the location.

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun speaking on a Channels TV programme on Sunday evening, disclosed that efforts by the state government to recoup every penny expended on the airport would begin with the take-off of the concessioning agreement.

Prince Abiodun said that because of the world-class facilities available at the airport, the state government received many concessioning offers.

He said: “Returns on airport investments are not seen overnight. We have been receiving unsolicited offers from others who are desirous of consessioning this airport and paying us back everything the airport costs us.

“So, for us, our money has worked. We invested in building this airport to de-risk it because we realised that if we had gone ahead and advertised for others to come and build this airport for us, we probably would only have started building it at the end of our second term. So, we decided to bite the bullet. We invested. We have built that airport.

“Because of the standard that we have adhered to– we’ve built a world class airport here– we have now received unsolicited offers to concession the airport from us and I am happy to say that we have accepted one of those offers. By the grace of God, on Tuesday , we will be signing that concession. You will see the Minister of Aviation along with the heads of aviation parastatals signing with us to a third party who currently manages three other airports in Africa.

“And this third party would be paying the entire amount the airport has cost us. So, it would now be his responsibility to run this airport in line with the world best practices. He would be responsible for bringing in traffic to this airport, and I know that he is already speaking to some major cargo companies around the world. We’ve created this enabling facility. “They said you build a road that connects you from one point to the other, but when you build an airport, it takes you from one point to the rest of the world. And we think that with what we’ve done, we’ve opened Ogun State to the rest of the world.”