SPDC Disburse N102million Micro Credit
Loan to Communities
In continuation of the Shell
Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) West Re-entry Micro-Credit programme,
SPDC on Friday in Effurun disbursed micro-credit funds to the tune of
N102 million to 2,013 beneficiaries from communities in Delta State. The
SPDC's Re-entry micro-credit scheme, which began in 2007, saw the oil
giant doling out a whopping N624 million to 104 communities as microcredit
in which 12,818 people in 1221 economic groups have benefited so far.
According to Mr. Cor Zegelaar, General Manager, West, in an address read
by his representative, Mr. Harriman Oyofo, General Manager, Quick Response
West, "the event marks yet another milestone in the mutually benefited
relationship between SPDC and its host communities, it also demonstrates
SPDC’s commitment to the economic development of host communities and
the entire Niger Delta region." The General Manager further revealed that
in two weeks time 810 beneficiaries from eight host communities will be
receiving N48 million in Yenagoa.
He stressed that SPDC economic empowerment intervention in the region
is to ensure that the programme is effectively managed and a conscious
effort that the interventions create the desired impact in the region.
In his address, Deputy Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Utuama, represented
by Dr. Anthonia Ashiedu, Executive Assistant to the Governor on micro-credit,
said "this scheme is part of the poverty alleviation programme of the
government. It is a good example of corporate social responsibility."
He enjoined SPDC on strict monitoring of the scheme as he advised the
beneficiaries to ensure that they pay back the loan so that other members
of the communities could access the loan. On his part, Bar. David Ekerokosu,
Special Assistant to the Governor on Oil and Gas said, "I thank SPDC because
they are alive to their social responsibility. All oil host communities
should see the business as their own and cooperate with the oil company
to ensure a peaceful working environment. I thank the oil communities
for being peaceful so far." High point of the event was the presentation
of dummy cheque of N102 million to the representatives of the host communities.
In the scheme each community is to access N6 million micro-credit loan
for beneficiaries, who have been trained by SPDC on various businesses.
The beneficiaries were warned not to divert the micro-credit loan for
other businesses aside that which they were trained to do. Male beneficiaries,
however, were warned not to use the money in marrying other wives so that
they can be focused and pay back. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries,
Prince Joseph Eyekpimi, chairman, Bobi community, expressed gratitude
to SPDC and promised that they will not abuse the scheme.
His words: "we shall not fail Shell, we shall not fail ourselves so that
more of this privilege can be extended to us in the future after we might
have proven ourselves." List of benefiting communities (batch four) includes
Bobi, Egbokodo-Itsekiri, Ubeji, Jakpa, Torugbene, Ejekimoni, Ugbokodo-
Okpe, Ughoton. Ugborhen and Ofougbene. Others are Ukpiovwin, Oghior, Omavovwe,
Odovie, Ikpide-Orogun, Orere-Uluba and Ogbovwan all in Delta State.
From
Akpokona Omafuaire, Warri
Woman Leader Wants More Health
Centres
As hospitals across the state
are posed with staff shortage following the influx of pregnant women embracing
the free maternal care programme, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has been
urged to brace up to the challenges by building more health centres for
rural women. The wife of the Chairman, Delta State Waste Management Board,
Mrs. Jennifer Omare gave this charge while fielding questions from our
Niger Delta Correspondent during the campaign against maternal mortality
by her Excellency, Roli Uduaghan at Ogbe- Ijoh, headquarter of Warri South-West
Local Government Area of Delta State.
Mrs. Omare held that the rural women are faced with challenges of not
having health care centres, noting that the riverine women on fishing
communities and camps find it difficult to access health care centres
due to non availability in most of these communities. She maintained that
building more hospitals and health care centres would help to fast track
the needed objectives of the state government, adding that nurses posted
to any of the riverine communities would also act as health educators
to these rural women.
The woman leader, however, condemned in its entirety the disposition of
most middle class women getting pregnant and having babies indiscriminately
without taking consideration of their economic status. According to her,
the lecture presented during the campaign against maternal mortality will
change the orientation of women having babies every year. Omare enjoined
the women from the riverine communities that were fortunate to attend
the campaign ceremony to carry same gospel home, urging them to see the
hospital/health centres as the only medical centres to solve their numerous
health problems.
She thanked Her Excellency, Roli Uduaghan for her doggedness in ensuring
that maternal mortality is brought to a zero level in the state, at the
same time urging the state government to lift the ban on employment, especially
for medical personnel.
Kofa Kings, Bomadi
JTF Intervention Saves Otor-Udu
But for the quick intervention of the Joint Task Force, Otor-Udu community,
headquarters of Udu Local Government Area, Delta State would have become
a desert as factional groups engaged themselves in a cataclysmic clash
that left several persons wounded. According to eyewitness report, the
clash which began on Sunday morning was caused by the attempted decision
of a prominent chief (names withheld) and his loyalists to swear in new
executives against the popular wish of the majority opposition and the
Udu Local Government chairman, Dr. Henry Sakpra.
Our source said that the community executives, whose tenure ended in September,
were engulfed in internal wrangling which escalated to court cases and
subsequently got to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, with the council
boss stepping in with a promise to resolve the warring parties. The source
noted that the remote cause was the tussle among the executives over the
control of largesse from SPDC last year. The resultant fallout had the
then chairman and secretary on one side and other members and elders on
another side. Our source informed that later on the chairman, who wanted
peace to reign, had to down tools but the secretary (son to the chief)
refused, wanting his decision to prevail.
Now that their tenure has ended, the chief and his son want their candidate
to rule so that their interest in the largesse will be protected, said
our source. She continued that Dr. Sakpra on retrieving the matter from
Asaba, listened to both complaints and decided that anyone vying for position
must undergo screening, which has been fixed for Thursday, 20th November.
The source said that to the dismay of everybody on Sunday morning, the
chief and his loyalists made arrangements to swear in their candidates.
The opposition then called in men of the JTF to seal the town hall which
was to be used.
This act by the opposition to stop the chief and his loyalists irked the
chief who mobilized thugs and hired youths from neighbouring communities
to unleash mayhem on the opposition with one (David) losing his right
ear to the thugs, with unsuspecting others getting injuries. When Niger
Delta STANDARD visited, JTF officers were stationed at the town hall while
hundreds of youths clutching various weapons were seen along the road
in front of the chief's house on the look out for the opposition. As the
meeting was going on in the house, several women were seen packing probably
out of fear.
We gathered that it was the presence of the JTF that saved the town as
loyalists to the chief had threatened to burn the opposition members alive
while they were asleep for daring to truncate their proposed swearing-in.
Some who spoke blamed the crisis in the town on the chief as they insisted
that he has been causing trouble in the town. Hear them, "this Chief dey
oppress people because him and his son get money and because say he don
be Police before. He wahala too much, if no be soldiers wey come them
for don burn the town reach ground." They, however, called on the local
government chairman to finalize the matter once and for all.
Akpokona Omafuaire, Warri
13% Derivation: Activist Drags President Yar'Adua, Three Others to Court
AWarri based human rights activist, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga Odje has dragged
President Umaru Yar'Adua and three others to a federal high court over
the continuous refusal of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal
Commission (RMAFC) to review upwards the 13 per cent derivation accruing
to oilproducing states as directed by the provision of the 1999 constitution.
In the suit with number FHC/B/CS/15,231/2008, Dr. Mudiaga Odje was listed
as plaintiff while the defenders were the President, the Attorney General
of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission
and the National Assembly.
The plaintiff in the suit noted that apart from a few amendments by previous
military governments, the Federal Government had not come out with a new
revenue allocation formula since January 22, 1982. According to the plaintiff,
"the continuous willful refusal, neglect, failure and omission on the
part of the Federal Government to enact a new revenue allocation formula
is a clear disregard of the provisions of the revenue mobilization act,
cap R7 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, section 32b of item N
of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and section
162(2) thereof which directs for a new or periodic review of the revenue
allocation formula to meet present realities.
The plaintiff therefore want the court to declare that the refusal, neglect,
failure and omission by the defendant to review revenue allocation formula
as directed by the 1999 constitution is improper exercise of powers and
unconstitutional. "A declaration that there exist changing realities and
sufficient grounds as contemplated by laws to warrant an upward review
of the current 13 per derivation formula. "An order directing the third
defendant to forthwith review upwards the 13 per cent derivation for the
purposes of tabling proposals for a new revenue allocation formula from
the federation account pursuant of the 1999 constitution and in response
to the present changing realities as mandatory directed by the constitution.
In a press statement, the plaintiff gave a review of various derivation
principles to the regions from 1951 to date as follows. In 1951, 50 per
cent of the import and excise duties on tobacco and 100 per cent of the
import duty on motor spirit. In the Chicks Commission report 1953, derivation
was as follows, Mineral royalties 100 per cent to the region of extraction
while in 1958 it was 20 per cent to the Central Government, 50 per cent
to the regions and 30 per cent to the distributable pool account. However,
during the era of military governments, the derivation dropped to zero
per cent until it was increased gradually from one and half to 13 per
cent in 1999 following agitations from oil producing areas.
Former ACP Boss Hails Oshiomhole's Victory
As more congratulatory messages continue to trail last week’s Appeal Court
victory of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the governor of Edo State, the
former chairman of Asaba Community Policing (ACP), Ogbueshi Cassidy Iloba,
weekend in Asaba, Delta state capital added his voice to other Nigerians
to hail the victory of Comrade Oshiomhole, saying that with the former
labour leader's victory, "the people of Edo State now have the real governor
of their choice. It would have been yet another stolen mandate by some
political rascals if not for the dogged fight put up by former the labour
leader, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole."
The Asaba based businessman of repute, who expressed satisfaction over
the appellate court verdict, stated that all what Comrade Oshiomhole laboured
for in the several months of the legal tussle with the sacked governor,
Prof. Osarieme Osunbor, did not go in vain, as according to him, with
his landslide victory, the people of the state are now sure of getting
to the promised land. The philanthropist and chairman of Casloba Group
of Companies, who commended the judgment passed by the Appeal Court without
fear or favour, however, enjoined the judiciary to remain truthful and
steadfast in its dispensation of justice without intimidation, outside
interference and influence to creep in as it remains the last hope of
the oppressed and deprived in the society.
Ogbueshi Iloba said the once dwindling image of the judiciary which made
many say they had lost confidence in it, is being appreciated by the masses
because those aggrieved by being shortchanged and gone to court to seek
redress were no longer being disappointed. On Barrack Obama's victory
over McCain as the first African-American president of America, Ogbueshi
Iloba, who witnessed the elections in the United States of America, noted
that "America truly demonstrated to the entire world what true elections
and democracy should look like through its recently held presidential
elections that saw Obama emerging as the country's 44th president."
He called on other countries of the world, particularly in Africa continent
to learn from America, which remains undisputed leader of the world after
God the creator. Ogbueshi Cassidy also advised politicians in Nigeria
to always see themselves as people elected to serve the masses and the
nation and not to enrich their pockets to the detriment of the masses,
most of whom are less privileged, and forget the infrastructures they
are supposed to provide for development and increasing the living standard
of the people.
Warri Residents Bemoan High Cost of Rent
No longer able to bear the geometric hike in cost of rent, residents in
Warri, Delta State have cried out to the state government to come to their
aid as their continued stay in the oil city is being threatened by the
hike. The situation is causing uneasiness and many are thinking of relocating
back to their villages due to inability to afford the escalating cost
owing to joblessness and hardship. Mrs. Agnes Akpojivi, who resides in
Igbudu area said that with the increment going uncontrolled, she and her
family are thinking of packing out to a rural area where the rent is lower.
Her words: "We used to pay N4,000 for our room and parlour, but now our
landlord says we must pay N7,000, so we are thinking of packing to Egbo-
Uhurhie where the rents are lower." Mr. Peace Umukoro, who resides in
Sido Street informed that the situation is getting out of hand and government
should do something about it. "The compound wey I dey stay no get toilet
or bathroom but the landlord don increase am go N3,000 and he say make
we pay two years. Where I wan get that kind of money? A beg make una help
us tell the governor make he talk to them because the thing don pass be
careful."
The situation is worse off in the highbrow area of the city, as residents
said that two-bedroom flat goes for N280, 000 per year, three-bedroom
flat goes for N350, 000 for a year while self-contained costs N12, 000
per month. According to Mr. Chenedu Kalu, who resides in Delta Development
Property Area if the trend continues, the option is for him to go and
buy land in the suburb and build a house there instead of paying millions
to a landlord. The situation differs slightly at Aladja and Ovwian. According
to Mr. Kelly Shegwe, a room costs N1,500 in Aladja but there are no toilets
and tenants have to go to the river or nearby bush. Mrs. Grace Efe, who
resides in Ovwian, noted that it was the high cost that made her to relocate
from Warri, but in her new place, there are no bathroom and toilet in
the area, as tenants go a long distance to ease themselves.
This publication gathered from other respondents that many of the so-called
compounds cannot be accessed, even with leaking roofs, no toilets and
bathrooms but the land lords are only concerned with their rents. It was
also gathered that due to the high cost, many people are moving in to
stay together in a single room because they can not afford to pack out
as their source of livelihood is in the metropolis. They, therefore, called
on the government to call the landlords to order and also put into plan
people-oriented policies where there can be government estates for the
common man, regretting that all government policies only favour the rich
and elites.
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