VALENTINE BASH: How Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation(TOF) empowered D.J and enabled Asaba youths enjoy great fun

 The show Stage some hours before the show started by 8p.m

 D.J. Run-Things(on white t-shirt) and D.J.Mac doing some swagging steps before the show started.

 and

 Blackxy thrilling the guest and doing the makosa dancing steps

 D.J. X, the award winner of this year's TOF D.J championship

Baba wale on stage

DELTA PARTNER GERMANY OVER SKILL ACQUISTION

Delta State Government and the German Government are to partner in skill acquisition programme.

 The State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who announced this when the German Ambassador paid him a courtesy call in Asaba requested the German Government to assist in imparting skills to the teeming unemployed youth in the state.

Dr. Uduaghan said his administration was interested on how the Germany Government could assist the state in skill acquisition for youths in the state.

He said skill acquisition was the greatest problem facing the state in its human capital development programme.

His words “We want to see how you can assist Delta State to develop skill for the youths.”

“He continued “Germany and Nigeria has many areas of common interest but what we are interested in now is skill acquisition and l request your country to assist my state in its skill acquisition.”

The governor therefore promised to raise a team that would pursue the skill acquisition co-operation with Germany.

He commended the German government for being gender sensitive even as he explained that his administration was also gender sensitive, stating that he has many female commissioners in his cabinet.

The German Ambassador to Nigeria Mrs. Dronthee Janetlke Wenzel enjoined the Nigerian Government to lay emphasis on regional government.

Mrs. Wenzel said there were a lot of advantages in a federal system explaining that once federating states were well strengthened the federal government would not have any problem of infrastructural development.

She said Germany was already exploring the advantages in regional government adding that so far the system was paying Germany well.

The Ambassador promised that Germany and Nigeria could partner in the issue of skill acquisition and youth employment.

Her words “We will find ways of how Germany and Nigeria can tackle the issue of skill acquisition and youth employment.” 

FG Begins Implementation of Employee Compensation Act

Francis Okeke

The Federal Government is set for the full implementation of the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) nationwide, Minister of Labour and Productivity Chief Emeka Wogu said.

The ECA, which replaced the Workmen's Compensation Act, is fully funded by employers to provide a partial replacement of work income during the time when a person is out of work due to various causes.

Wogu stated this during the inauguration of the board of directors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) which will supervise the implementation of ECA and the management of the Compensation Fund established under Section 56 of the Act.

The minister said ECA 2010 has elaborate provisions for the payment of cash and non-cash compensation to all employees both in the public and private sectors who suffer from occupational diseases or sustain injuries from accidents at workplace or in the course of employment.

He said economic insecurity arises in considerable part from interruptions to income from work caused by unemployment, retirement in old age, death of the family breadwinners, disability or other economic factors.

The minister challenged the board to ensure effective implementation and administration of the Act and as well conduct elaborate public enlightenment and sensitisation campaign of all employers and workers.

Members of the board is chaired by Dr. Ngozi Olejeme are Managing Director of NSITF Umar Mohammed Munir, two representatives of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association and one representatives of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Others are President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Abdulwaheed Omar, Deputy President of NLC Comrade Joe Ajaero, Mr. Ibrahim Wakawa, Dr Godson Dinneya, Mr Weight Obua and the Permanent Secretary Minister of Labour Engineer Anthony Ozodinobi.

OMU ANIOMA INAUGURATES PALACE

Lauretta Onochie

The Okpanam community in Delta State witnessed a display of culture, tradition and glamour recently when the Omu Anioma, Dr. Obi Martha Dunkwu, inaugurated her palace in commemoration of her 10 years coronation anniversary.

The inauguration of the palace, described as a blend of tradition and modernity, was, according to the organisers, witnessed by traditional ruler ...s, government officials, culture advocates, especially from the Organisation for the Advancement of the Anioma Culture.
The Omu institution is indigenous to Anioma people of Delta State, with the primary function of safeguarding the interest of women, harnessing their potential for the greater good of society. Usually, when a daughter is selected for the exalted title of Omu, if she is married, she will be required to return to her paternal home to superintend the women folks. The family builds her a palace and she is bestowed male rights. She becomes the Queen and appoints her chiefs (Nzele Omu) and Otu Omu comprising few men and more women.
In her welcome address, Dunkwu asserted that her major preoccupation as Omu Anioma was to reposition the women of Anioma, Delta, Edo State and Nigeria in general, by fusing the good of the old and the good of the new for self-rediscovery with a view to building a better family and society.

Dokubo-Asari warns North against 2015 Presidency

Jude Ossai

Former leader of Ijaw Youth Movement (IYM), Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari,  has advised Northerners to forget the Presidency in 2015, insisting that the exalted position will remain in the South or go to the Middle Belt.

Dokubo-Asari, who gave the advice at the Enugu residence of late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a courtesy call on her widow, Bianca, by coalitions of organisations of Nigeria.

He regretted that Biafra, which was the brain child of Ojukwu, was not  actualised, calling for convocation of Sovereign National Conference with a view to restructuring the country.

He added that Nigeria needed true federalism.

On the activities of Boko Haram, he said it was a ploy by a cabal in the North to shift power to their region, but assured that the group would not achieve its aim.

In her response, Bianca thanked the coalitions , led by Miabiye Kuromiema, for their solidarity

Anambra joins oil-producing states

  

All is ready for Anambra State to join the league of oil-producing states in the country, as Orient Petroleum Resources Plc is to commence the production of crude any moment from now. Chairman, Board of Directors of the company and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, announced this while inspecting the company’s facilities at Aguleri Otu with Governor Peter Obi, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Managing Director of Orient Petroleum, Engr Emeka Nwoawka, Igwe Peter Anukwu of Mbaukwu and other stakeholders yesterday.

Anyaoku said the company was ready to start production of crude in a couple of weeks, which would mark the first time crude is produced in inland basin in the country. He disclosed that the company’s service contractor had made significant progress in the acquisition of high resolution 3D seismic data over 640 square kilometres of Orient’s oil blocks OPL 915 & 916 to delineate the full extent of the hydrocarbon discoveries and prospects.

The team also inspected the 20-kilometre access road to the oil wells and the 10-kilometre flow line for evacuating crude to a spot at Anambra River basin, from where evacuation of crude will be undertaken by barges to Brass in Bayelsa State.

The company, according to Anyaoku, had equally finalised the detailed engineering and sourced the modules of its 55,000 bpd refinery. It had also completed the geotechnical, geological and hydro-geological surveys and civil engineering works for installation of refinery equipment. Orient Petroleum had also completed acquisition of seven hectares of land from Kogi State for establishment of depot for distribution of petroleum products from the refinery to the North and other parts of the country.

 Conducting the delegation round the facilities, the Managing Director of Orient Petroleum gave assurance that Anambra would soon join the club of oil-producing states. He thanked Governor Obi for his interest in the project and appealed to him to continue to support it.

 He said the drilling environment conformed to international standards. Responding, Obi commended the Board of Orient Petroleum for its resilience and determination to bring the project on stream.

 He said that when functional, the company would, among other things, create employment, fast-track overall development of the host community as well as contribute in strengthening the State and national economy. He assured of continued government support for the project. Earlier, the Board of Orient Petroleum Plc had paid a courtesy visit to Governor Obi at the Government House before proceeding on the inspection.