Innocent Ojefia Blog

  Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State yesterday lamented the poor financial position of the State, saying that the State received N2.9 billion only from the federation account for the month of January. Allocation from the Federation Account for the month of January available for sharing this month by the tiers of government was N370.38 billion. The amount was N17.38 billion less than what was shared last month as allocation for December 2015. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, weekend in Yenagoa, the State capital during the inauguration of three new Special Advisers, Dickson called on the Federal Government to take drastic measures to turn the tide of the harsh economic climate confronting Nigerians. According to the governor, who was recently sworn-in for a second term in office, the state government got the allocation after deductions at source, including bonds incurred by the previous administration. He noted that it was ...

– In preparation to completely still the brewing storm within the Niger Delta, the army has trained 200 special soldiers  – Brig-Gen Olabanji made the disclosure in Port Harcourt at the graduation ceremony of recruits in Harry’s town  – The army chief is confident the training will make a difference in the war against militancy in the Niger Delta – Niger Delta leaders fear that a continued raid by the army might cause new militants to spring in the region. The Nigerian army has said it has specially trained 200 soldiers to carry out special marine operations and rescue missions in the Niger Delta, following the resurgence of militant activities in the region.  Brig-Gen Stevenson Olabanji, the Comman­der of 2 Brigade, Nige­rian army, said this at the graduation ceremony of young soldiers of 73 Regular Recruit  In-take in Harry’s town, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. Olabanji said the ex­ercise by Operation Pulo Shield Sector 2 is aimed ...

– Nigeria’s former minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro, will join some other prominent Nigerians in Kuje prison today, February 29 – Moro was detained by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, February 22 – The ex-minister was re-invited by the EFCC recently over the N650 million immigration recruitment scandal in which some job seekers lost their lives A former minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro and other accused persons in the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment scam is to be remanded in Kuje prison custody. At the court sitting today, February 29, the three accused having listened to all the charges against them said they were not guilty. After taking their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Aliyu Yusuf prayed the court to fix a date for trial. He also asked that the accused person be remanded in prison custody. But quickly, the counsel to the defendants informed the court that an applications for bail has been filed. B...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had its 2015 Best Managed Branch Dinner Award in Asaba with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa challenging the apex bank to be involved in entrepreneurial development.  At the well-attended award ceremony, Jos branch bagged second place, while Kano branch of the CBN took the third position. Governor Okowa observed that with the effect of fall in price of oil on the nation's economy, it was important for the country to diversify its sources of revenue. He specifically requested that the CBN establishes an Entrepreneurial Development Centre in the state, noting that his administration has partnered with the apex bank in different empowerment programmes. "We are happy that the CBN is encouraging its branches, I congratulate the recipients of the awards, especially, the Asaba branch that has done so well within its short time of establishment," the Governor said, adding, "we are particularly partnering with the CBN on the single digit inter...

President Muhammadu Buhari has an economic management team, the Presidency has disclosed. The Presidency was reacting to a media report that quoted some economic experts as urging the president to constitute his economic team in the face of current economic challenges bedeviling the country. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, who disclosed this in a telephone interview last light, said the economic team of President Buhari has been put in place since the inauguration of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last November. Akande said the economic management team is headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He listed the team’s key members as including the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godswin Emefiele; and the Director-General of th...

The more anyone engages in political prostitution, the more irrelevant he makes himself in any political landscape. It is good to learn to stick to one party and struggle within to right whatever wrongs that are perceived in such a party. If not, you will soon be seen as one with neither philosophy nor principle. It is hoped that the news about some former political office holders and contractors wanting to decamp to APC is a rumour! It is however, most unfortunate that Nigerian masses are so emotionally brilliant that they will rather get angry when their preachers are discussed but will never get angry when they are humiliated and robbed by their politicians. The average religious Nigerian will rather be concerned about who and what is said about their pastor than be concerned about the man who stole from the State or country’s treasury. From the way the average politician behaves, it is clear that the political leaders and the aspiring ones are not bothered about the end...

The National Universities Commission (NUC) in its latest 2015 ranking has rated the University of Ibadan first among its peers in Nigeria. The NUC ranking placed other first generation Universities in the top five with the University of Lagos ranked 2nd, University of Benin, 3rd, Obafemi Awolowo University, 4th and Ahmadu Bello University, 5th. The ranking indicated that the University of Ilorin is 6th, Lagos State University (11th) while the Covenant University led Pan African University (18th) to occupy 13th position. University of Jos (7th), University of Port Harcourt (8th), University of Maiduguri (9th), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (10th), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (12th), University of Nigeria (14th), Federal University of Technology, FUTA (15th), Nnamdi ‎ Azikiwe University, (16th), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (17th) Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH (19th), Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yol...

To boost agriculture and save Deltans from post-harvest loses, the Governor Delta State, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa has inaugurated the Delta State Agricultural Marketing Committee with a charge on members to devise ways of identify existing and potential markets for agricultural produce and devise measures and arrangements for farmers to access those markets. The Committee inaugurated has: 1. Chief Job Creation Officer Prof Eric Eboh - Chairman   2. Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Austin Chikezie -Member 3. Hon. Commissioner for Commerce & Industry Barr. Mrs Mary Iyasere -Member 4. Executive Secretary of the Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Mrs Bello Shimite -Member 5. One Representative of YAGEPreneurs (Crops) -Member 6. One Representative of YAGEPreneurs (Livestock) -Member 7. Mr Godfrey Osakwe (Private Sector) -Member 8. Prof. Philip Kuale (Fish farmer) -Member 9. Hon Paul Okpue (Tomatoe Fa...

  The Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa with the Commissioner for Economic Planning Dr. Kingsley Emu today met in an audience with Delta Economic Summit Group at Delta State Government House.  Speaking shortly after the meeting, the Chairman, Mr Gbamaliel Ese described the Delta State Economic Gro up(DESG) as a non-profit , non-partisan private sector led think-tank and advocacy group organized to contribute to the Socio-economic development of Delta State and to serve as the bridge between the public and private sectors. Furthermore, their vision is to become the principle think-thank in Economic development, influencing positive and strategic change in Delta State while the mission is dedicated to contributing to the process of significant and sustainable economic development in Delta State. Profile of the members present are: Mr Gamaliel Ese ...Chairman Mr Kenneth Odogwu... Finance and Fundraising Mr Chukwuka Monye ...Director General Mr Chuk...

He was unveiled as the coach of the Super Eagles on the evening of Tuesday 14 July 2015, and ended his contract February 26, 2016 Super Eagles   coach,   Sunday Oliseh   has just recently announced his resignation as the Super Eagles coach having only just started building the team.  Following his resignation, which he announced on his Twitter page, Oliseh has come out to explain his reasons for giving up the prestigious role of steering the national football team to glory. According to   Complete Sports , Oliseh was furious concerning the attempt of the President of the   Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),   Amaju Pinnick  to sign a French coach,   Herve Renard after the Home Eagles crashed out of the group stages of the African Nations Champions . The coach also addressed a short letter to the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation officially notifying the body of his departure from being the national team c...

The supreme court has dismissed the appeal filed by Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, general overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (better known as Reverend King), challenging the judgment of a Lagos high court sentencing him to death by hanging. In his lead judgment, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, said the facts of the case were “like what you see in a horror movie”. He added that the appeal lacked merit. The court upheld the judgment of the lower court sentencing him to death.  ‎In December 2015, the apex court, presided over by Justice Walter Onoghen, adjourned for judgment after entertaining arguments from counsel to prosecution and defence in the matter. Adeniji Kazeem, Lagos state attorney-general and commissioner for justice, appeared before the supreme court alongside Idowu Alakija, director of public prosecution and other senior counsel in the State, urging the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower courts. Ezeugo was arraigned on Se...

The  Governor of  Delta State, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has inspected some on-going road and market projects in Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas and urged the contracting firms especially indigenous construction firms to justify government's confidence in them. Read more at: The Governor decried the slow pace of work at some of the road projects and urged the construction firms to speed up their pace to meet the project specifications and time schedule promising to embark on regular inspection of projects in the state to ensure strict adherence to set standards. " I am satisfied with the level of work being done in terms of quality but the pace of work is actually slow and l did make the comment to the contractor handling the Kpokpogri Okuovo-Opuraja road, that also l believe can go faster than it is and l have made that known to the contractors and this is the reason why we will be on site as regular as we can”, Senator Okowa said. He assured Deltans that ...

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja praying for an order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria from allowing market forces to determine the exchange rate of the naira. Punch reports that Falana also asked the court in his suit, HC/ABJ/CS/146/16, to direct the CBN to stop the use of the United States of America’s dollar as a legal tender in Nigeria. The suit filed by a lawyer in his firm, Mr. Wisdom Elum is yet to be assigned to a judge. Falana lamented that the CBN’s monetary policy had led to a situation where too much naira was made to chase a few dollars with an attendant weaker naira and adverse multiplier effects such as rising inflation, closure of factories and high level of unemployment. He also alleged that the CBN had so “dollarised the economy” that the foreign currency had become a legal tender, with school fees as well as rents now being charged and paid in dollars “to the detriment of the e...

The Delta State Government through the Delta State Micro Credit Development Agency disburses One hundred one million to One hundred one cooperative groups across the twenty-five Local Government Areas in the State. The benefiting groups comprises of Artisans, Farmers, Traders, Fashion Designers and people with special needs.  These disbursements are aimed at wealth creation, to diversify the economy, engage our people in productive enterprise and nurture entrepreneurs.  

There are quite a lot of lessons to take away from the last electioneering season. The biggest of them all being from the victory of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa at the party primary, the general election and at the supreme court. Our faith in God should increase and be deepened by the conviction that God does not take anyone on a journey to leave the person half-way stranded. Our APC brothers were boasting that the federal government will influence the judgement and it will be delivered in their own favour and during the re-run, whether Delta people vote for APC or not, they will be declared winner. They trusted in Federal might but we trusted in the supremacy of God. Those who have followed the Divine mandate were not weary about the outcome of the supreme Court even when colleagues and friends always asked, why the confidence? This victory has rubbished the book makers and demoralized the political desperados. It has brought to shame and confusion the politicians whose only idea ...

President Muhammadu Buhari vowed late Tuesday in Riyadh that all those involved in the “padding” of the 2016 National Budget will face the most severe punishment. Addressing the Nigerian Community in Saudi Arabia, President Buhari condemned the distortion of the budget proposals by entrenched interests. The President said that the unauthorised alterations had completely changed the document from the one he presented to the National Assembly. “The culprits will not go unpunished. I have been a military governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund. “Never had I heard the words “budget padding”. Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a great job with his team. The Minister became almost half his size during the time, working night and day to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad it. “What he gave us was not what was finally being debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow thos...

– Speculators disappointed as naira strengthens against dollar for third consecutive day – IMF persuades President Buhari to remove foreign exchange ban There is confusion in town over the exchange rate of the dollar to the Nigerian currency as Bureau De Change (BDC) operators are saying that it is now N305/dollar.  It was gathered from a reliable source in the foreign exchange market that the Nigerian currency, up from its steady rise within 48hours, has risen steadily against the dollar in the wake of President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence that he does not support the devaluation of the currency. Speculators had been shocked by the consecutive rise on Tuesday, February 23, as they had predicted an all-time rise from the initial N400 (an all-time low) to about 450/500 in the coming days. There are further speculations that the amount, up from an initial N364 from Tuesday, is now at N305, while there are also unconfirmed reports that it may slip further before the...