Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
NOVEMBER 12, 2016
NATIONAL NEWS
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Attacks on Trans-Forcados line are to sabotage peace process —Clark Elo Edremoda, WARRI
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lder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has said continued attacks on oil and gas installations in the region are deliberate attempts to sabotage the peace process with the federal government. The Ijaw national leader stated this yesterday at
a press briefing in Warri, disclosing that a meeting would be scheduled to figure out ways to deal with the situation. However, he urged the presidency not to be distracted by the renewed hostilities, noting that several factors, including politics, were responsible for the clamp down of major assets in the region. Chief Clark, while describing perpetrators of the recent attacks as criminals, opined that they were
not aggrieved, but out to truncate the dialogue process already established, adding that the innocent members of the community will be left to suffer the aftermath of their actions. “Our boys were still boasting in the social media that they were going to attack, they do this, do that. I was in my house when they sent to me that FG has sent troops to the creeks in a houseboat opposite Oporoza and that some boys have been ar-
rested. We intervened and those boys were release. So the question is, what do we want, particularly these boys. What are they looking for? They are enemies of the people, they are criminals. “If something is being done so that we all can benefit, the fight you are fighting did not start today. You have not even waited for the dialogue to take place, and then you are not an aggrieved person. Then you have other ulterior mo-
tives. “So we will soon have a meeting of PANDEF to discuss this thing and take a position. Let me also warn that there are some politicians who are also members of the Niger Delta that are fighting themselves and it is not unlikely that some of these people are involved in these bombings to discredit each other. “The recent blowing up of Trans-Forcados Pipeline operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) is no longer a matter arising from grievances, but an act design to sabotage the present peace process.
“I want to emphasise that no Government sits by, and watch its National Assets being destroyed. It is the innocent members of the communities that would bear the brunt of possible reprisal attacks by military. “We appeal to FG to go on acting on the requests we made to Mr. President on the 1st of November. We will deal with this situation. We won’t sit down at home with arms folded and allow some few individuals to destroy our destiny. “A larger meeting will be called to review the situation and take a position”, he said.
No plan to retrench staff – NPA
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L-R: Student of Isale -Eko Senior Grammar School, Fatai Atanda; Wealth Management, FBN Merchant Bank Ltd, Mrs. Ada Okoli; Student of IsaleEko Senior Grammar School, Shuiab Damilola, Principal, Isale-Eko Senior Grammar School, Mrs.Osunde Regina and Head, General Services, FBN Merchant Bank Ltd, Mr. Segun Adebayo at the 2016 World Savings Day, in Lagos recently.
Minister faults calls for true federalism
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inister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, has faulted calls for true federalism by prominent Nigerian politicians, saying many of them do not understand what the concept entails. He said this yesterday while presenting a lecture on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan. The minister criticized true federalism crusaders, particularly South-West, accusing them of failing to uphold the tenets of the concept by refusing to conduct local government
elections. He said, “A lot of people from the South West especially the state governors have been making repeated calls for true federalism. But, it is always a problem to define what true federalism means. “Among the state governors making the call for true federalism are those who have not conducted local government elections. They have refused to conduct the election that would make them autonomous. They have always been appointing caretaker chairmen for the councils.” While speaking on the
topic, “Psychology and the Change Agenda”, he said, “A lot of times, most of the resources of the local governments are controlled by these state governments. What examples are they giving? They should first provide good examples in their various states before clamouring for true federalism.” He commended the anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that “change is important to leaders of governments, communities, corporations and nations around the world. In Nigeria, the change mantra of
the administration of President Buhari is now widely known within and outside Nigeria. The change is expected to cover all spheres to cover all spheres of life.” The Head of the department, Prof. Benjamin Ehigie, listed several achievements of the department, particularly in the last 10 years. He said, “For the decade that has just passed, the department has recorded lots of achievements. Apart from those already mentioned, the department has produced 11 first class graduates.
he Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is not planning to retrench staff, its Managing Director, Hadiza Usman, has said. She spoke on Thursday during a tour of Warri Port and described the story of retrenchment as a “rumour’’. Ms. Usman said rather than the NPA retrenching staff, management would recruit more staff. She said the management had tasked the General Manager, Human Resources, to bring up ideas on succession plan of the organisation. Ms. Usman said the management has introduced performance-based appraisal whereby every personnel would be appraised based on his or her performance, The managing director said that the management would take remedial measures so as not to allow ships be grounded at the Escravos breakwaters due to high siltation. She suggested that emergency remedial measures be put in place to ensure that no vessel runs aground at the Escravos breakwaters. The Manager of Warri Port, Simeon Okeke, had highlighted the dangers posed by the breakwaters and the channels leading to the port due to high siltation. He said that in the absence of vital buoys, it has become impossible to nav-
igate, adding that a number of times, vessels went aground. The port manager also lamented that the right vessels were not coming into Warri Port because of the shallow nature of the berths. Mr. Okeke suggested dredging and mooring of the channels of Warri Port as well as the removal of wrecks. He said that more manpower should be recruited into the various departments. He also talked about the problem of encroachment of port land and litigations. Mr. Okeke said there should be a review of port tariffs and restructuring of the port. “The port needs intensive promotion to give the correct image as well as the complete rehabilitation of the facilities in the port,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quotes him as saying. The Chairman of the Board of NPA, Emmanuel Adesoye, said that NPA should carry out Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Mr. Adesoye urged the management to do physical development of the communities around them. The Chairman, Maritime Workers’ Union, Monday Ihembe, said that the dredging of the Warri Port to accommodate bigger vessels was very important.