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ONELGA People Back Council Dissolution …Why Others May Go – RVHA
The dissolution, last Wednesday, of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Council by the Rivers State House of Assembly, has received commendation from the people of the local government area.
Speaking to newsmen, yesterday, Mr Nwabueze Stanley and Henry Emelike representing the Concerned Indigenes of ONELGA, described the dissolution of the council as a timely intervention to sustain the corporate existence of the state and the local government.
The organisation frowned at the administrative style of the deposed chairman, Mr Chris Okey Ochije, contending that instead of defending allegations of corruption level against him, he resorted to seeking legal cover and engaging in political bigotry that has put the local government area in a state of insecurity.
“Although there is nothing wrong for somebody to challenge his case in court, but the ex-council boss should have first of all defended the allegation of fraudulent practices leveled against him by the councillors.”
“Ochije should be bold enough to face investigations so that the world would know whether he is innocent or not. Public office holders should know that accountability is expected of them. He should defend himself rather than running to the courts to institute a case against Chief G. U. Ake who has no hand in his travail,” they said.
Thirteen out of the 17 councillors of the council had impeached Mr Ochije on allegation of misappropriation and embezzlement of council fund to the tune of over N2 billion.
Some of the allegations include the purported de-roofing of Okwuzi low cost housing unit valued at N95 million, the construction of Ebocha-Ndoni, Akabuka Roads at the cost of N16 million and N17 million contracts on the grading of Okwuzi-Ugada road at N29 million and N5 million.
The ex-council chairman is also accused of embezzling N24 million and the re-award of contract on over existing structures to the tune of over N15 million without budgetary approval.
When contacted, the ex-chairman, Mr Ochije said the allegations were non-issues and that he was not in the mood to give details on the situation.
Meanwhile, following the dissolution of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Council (ONENLGA) for security reasons, on Wednesday, the Rivers State House of Assembly has warned other councils in the state against unbecoming acts in governance that may attract the wrath of the law.
The dissolution of Hon. Chris Ochije-led ONELGA council followed a letter sent to the state House of Assembly by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi requesting for the dissolution of the council.
Presenting the motion on the floor of the House, the leader of the House, Hon Chidi Lloyd stated that the governor’s request to the state legislature to dissolve the ONELGA council was in accordance with section 64(2) of the State Local Government Law, 1999.
According to him, “the law as amended by the House mandates the governor to take necessary steps against any defaulting council in accordance with the law and submit details of such misconduct to the state House of Assembly with a request for approval.
“The state House of Assembly, shall then consider the request, and if approved by two-thirds majority of the members, such council stands dissolved from the date of such approval,” he stated.
The House leader informed the lawmakers that the council chairman and the councillors were at war part and could no longer work together as a team noting that some newspaper reports had it that ONELGA councillors were lodged in an hotel in Port Harcourt for five months.
He therefore urged his colleagues to grant the request of the governor and dissolve the council so as to serve as a deterrent to other councils that disregard the law, adding that the ONELGA chairman and the councillors have all sinned and fallen short of glory.
In their own contributions, Hon Isaac Kamalu (Eleme), Henry Ogiri (Abua/Odual) and Ibim Ikumyi Onaji (Andoni) stated that the primary function of the legislature is to make laws that would promote peace and maintained law and order in the state.
The lawmakers had urged their colleagues to consider the request so as to avoid the extension of insecurity in ONELGA to other local government councils in the state.
However, in his own contribution, Hon Tamunosis Gogo-Jaja argued that as lawmakers, they are co-directors of the state and requested that the details of the report be given to them to enable them make proper debate on the matter.
In his ruling thereafter, the speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry divided the House with 23 lawmakers voting in favour of dissolution of the council.
Nigerians may experience an increase in the prices of premium energy products diesel and petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery temporarily halts the sale of petroleum products in Naira.
“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
The $20billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.
The refinery said it remained committed to serving the Nigerian market and would resume the sale of its product to the local market in Naira as soon as it received crude cargoes from the NNPCL in Naira.
“As soon as we receive an allocation of Naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPC, we will promptly resume petroleum product sales in Naira,” it said.
The announcement by the refinery comes amid its price war with the NNPCL.
As part of moves to reduce the strain on the US dollars, and guarantee price stability of petroleum products, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in July 2024, directed the NNPCL to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in naira and not in United States’ greenback.
In the beginning of March 2025, the NNPCL said its Naira-denominated crude sales agreement with the Dangote Refinery was structured for six months with March 2025 as the expiration date.
The state company, however, said that talks were on to replace the contract, and that over 48 million barrels of crude oil have been made available to Dangote Refinery since October 2024 under the Naira-denominated arrangement.
The NNPCL also said it had made over 84 million barrels of crude oil available to the private refinery since it commenced operations in 2023.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces energy challenges, with all its state-owned refineries non-operational for decades until 2024. The country was heavily reliant on imported refined petroleum products, with the state-run NNPCL being the major importer of the essential commodities.
Fuel queues are commonplace in the country. Prices of petrol more than quadrupled since the removal of subsidy in May 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, from around ¦ 200/litre to about ¦ 1,000/litre, compounding the woes of the citizens who power their vehicles, and generating sets with petrol, no thanks to decades-long epileptic electricity supply.
Last December, the billionaire industrialist commenced operations at the facility situated in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day. The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. The refinery has begun the supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country and now petrol.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, now sitting at 18th in the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday.
Aruna moved up from 19th place in week 11 to 18th in the latest ranking, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.
Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over Assar’s 17th place, moving up from 18th.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.
Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year in January.
This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who beat him to become the champion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Aruna’s next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai which serves off in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.
In the women’s ranking, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her top spot after retaining her WTT Champions Chongqing title.
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