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2019: Ijaw Group Endorses Uduaghan for Senate

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By Dipo Olowookere

More and more support are coming the way of former Governor of Delta State, Mr Emmanuel Uduaghan, as he prepares for representing Delta South Senatorial District in the National Assembly next year.

A group known as the Ijaw Liberation Movement (ILM) in Ijaw land, one of the three major ethnic groups in Delta South Senatorial District, where Senator James Manager, the incumbent senator representing the district, comes from, has thrown its full weight behind Dr Uduaghan.

In an interview recently, the leader of the group, Mr Peremotebi Simeon, expressed his kinsmen’s desire to have Dr Uduaghan represent them “this time around.”

The leader, who said they were excited having their son Senator James Manager serve out four tenures of 16 years in the senate, however said it was a bittersweet feeling because Ijaw was not the only ethnic group in Delta South.

According to him, “The only dynamic thing is change; where there is no change, the people are not happy. There is no doubt in our minds that it is the turn of another section to represent us. That is fair game.

“I am not saying our brother did not do well, or is not doing well, but I believe a fresh candidate will bring something fresh to the table for our own benefit.

“We had followed Dr Uduaghan’s painstaking effort to develop our area, nay the whole state, while he was governor of Delta State. We are also aware that he stepped down for our son to continue a few years ago, so he is the most suitable person for the job now.

“Above all, we the Ijaws benefitted so much from his government. He did so much to make life comfortable for us through his development plans then. Now it’s payback time as one good turn deserves another.”

The leader said they were not in the know of any candidate developing interest in the position at the moment aside from the former governor.

“Uduaghan is the only person seeking for the office who has ever told us why he is going there. The reasons are quite important to the Ijaw people and we shall put him there. We shall hold him accountable thereafter.”

From all indications, Dr. Uduaghan seems to be having a smooth sail to the senate. His legacies while ruling as governor of Delta State is paving way for him to continue serving his people as a senator. The Itsekiri-born medical doctor who is yet to declare his intention to contest for the senate seat, has however hinted of his desire to grab the position. Many youths in Delta South, elders as well as the entire Niger Delta believe he has something to offer to the region.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Adelabu Calls for Calm After 100 Days of UCH Power Outage

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UCH Power Outage

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Power, Mr Bayo Adelabu, on Monday addressed students of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan who are staging a peaceful protest on the lingering power cut at the school.

Business Post reports that the outage has lasted over 100 days, with Monday making it 101 days since the hospital was disconnected from the grid in October 2024 by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over an outstanding debt of about N500 million.

The Student Union of the University of Ibadan in conjunction with the College of Medicine staged a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the development but nothing has been done to the effect.

The protesters demanded an immediate reconnection of UCH and the implementation of a 50 per cent tariff reduction they claim the Minister promised the hospital.

Meanwhile, Mr Adelabu appealed to the students to allow for dialogue while proposing a truce between the IBEDC and UCH.

The students carried placards with different inscriptions such as +100 Days of Darkness: Save UCH; Save ABH Hall; Save Falade Hall; Give Us Light; This Is Not How We Want To Live; Medical School Is Hard Enough—Give Us Light; All We Are Saying, Give Us Light, among others.

The students had protested on January 26, 2025, to the State and Federal Secretariats, Agodi, Ibadan, with the hope that the management would fix the issue, but with the 100-day milestone, the new protest hopes there will be resolution

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Regional Imbalance: CNPP Proposes Creation of Five States

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Conference of Nigeria Political Parties CNPP

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The National Assembly has been advised to consider the creation of five additional states to address regional imbalance in the number of states in the country’s six geopolitical zones to ensure equity, fairness, and justice in the distribution of resources and opportunities among various regions.

Over the weekend, the nation was busy with proposal from some Nigerians on the creation of additional 31 states to bring the total to 67 states.

Reacting to this, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) submitted that instead of creating almost double of what the country currently has, five fresh states should be created from four regions.

In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ezema, the CNPP argued that, “Democracy does not support injustice. The basic principles of democracy derive from free, fair, justice, and equitable distribution of resources, and the rule of law.”

The group emphasized that addressing the imbalance in the number of states in each geopolitical zone was crucial for promoting unity, stability, and progress in Nigeria.

“The CNPP proposes that each of the six geopolitical zones should have seven states each, based on economic viability and other relevant factors for the new states to be created.

“Specifically, the North Central and North West zones already have seven states, while the rest of the zones have six states each, except the South East region with only five states.

“There is the need to create one additional state each for the South West, North East, and South-South zones and two additional states should be created in the South East zone.

“Once this is achieved, the National Assembly can consider creating additional states in each of the six geopolitical zones.

“The CNPP believes that this is a necessary step towards ensuring that every region in Nigeria has an equal opportunity to develop and contribute to the growth and prosperity of the nation.

“We urge the National Assembly to take this matter seriously and work towards creating a more just and equitable society for all Nigerians.

“The CNPP has consistently advocated for good governance, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria. The CNPP as the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria remains committed to promoting the principles of democracy and ensuring that the rights and interests of all Nigerians are protected and advanced,” it noted.

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Nigeria, Bahrain to Strengthen Trade, Investment Ties

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virtual free trade zones

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria and Bahrain are working to strengthen diplomatic ties, focusing on trade, investment, and oil and gas cooperation.

The two countries recently engaged in bilateral discussions aimed at facilitating foreign direct investment, enhancing trade and investment opportunities and equally fostering cooperation in the oil and gas sectors.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Alkasim AbdulKadir, said his boss, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, recently visited Manama in the Kingdom of Bahrain and engaged in bilateral discussions with his Bahraini counterpart, Mr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

It was revealed that the meeting focused on strengthening diplomatic relations, facilitating foreign direct investment from Bahrain, enhancing trade and investment opportunities, and fostering cooperation in the oil and gas sectors, with particular emphasis on onshore projects and the development of the 8th train LNG.

Train 8 is part of efforts for Nigeria to boost its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) capacity but it hasn’t been able to do so because of low investments and insecurity with its energy infrastructure.

The Ministry also said the both parties also deliberated on the training of Nigerian diplomats and collaboration within multilateral forums.

He disclosed that both ministers signed a Joint Communiqué, officially establishing diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Bahrain, noting that this agreement marks a significant milestone in fostering closer ties and mutual cooperation between the two nations.

He said this development aligns with Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international partnerships, stating that recently, Mr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, chaired the third meeting of the national committee for monitoring the implementation of the outcomes of the Bahrain Summit Initiatives, underscoring the kingdom’s commitment to global collaboration.

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