Niger Delta
Delta Governor-Elect Pledges Results-Oriented, Functional Legislature

Delta State Governor-Elect, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, has promised to work toward maintaining a functional, vibrant and results-oriented state legislature.
Oborevwori, also the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, said this at a three-day training for members of staff of the House on Monday in Asaba.
He said the legislature, as an arm of the government and citadel of representation of the peoples’ mandate, would continue to attract attention in terms of democratic practices and good governance.
“As the Assembly’s reservoir of parliamentary practice and procedure as well as the institutional memory, the leadership of the House rely on you in several fronts, including quality advice, efficient and effective service delivery and institutional continuity”, the governor-elect, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Christopher Ochor said.
To achieve the foregoing, he said the House needed well-groomed, effective, efficient and amenable workforce.
“The timely realisation of these roles have guided us in ensuring that we train and retrain members of staff from time to time for international best practices in service delivery”, he said.
Oborevwori said this had led to efficiency, effectiveness and productivity among officers, middle and management staff of the House.
“To consolidate on previous gains of training and retraining, the leadership and management of the assembly decided to organise the workshop to further deepen the working knowledge of the staff”, he said.
Oborevwori said as the most vibrant state House of Assembly in the country, the intention was to have the best and brightest members of staff for better service delivery to complement lawmakers at the House.
The Speaker thanked the body of technocrats of the House, led by the Clerk and her team for faithfully transforming the dreams and vision of the seventh Assembly into concrete reality.
In her opening remarks, the Clerk of the House, Mrs Lyna Ocholor, described the topic of the training Programme: “Standing Out, Making the Right Impact and Securing the Future”, as apt, saying it came at a time the House wass transiting from seventh to eighth Assembly.
Ocholor said from the beginning of the seventh Assembly, Oborevwori made a promise of training and retraining of staff, and that he had consistently ensured several capacity building Programmes for the workforce.
She thanked the Speaker and his team for making the work of Assembly staff so perfect that it placed them amongst the best in the country.
On his part, the Lead facilitator of the workshop, Mr John Mutu, said the programme had provided a platform to champion a better and more professional Assembly.
Mutu said the staff of the State House of Assembly have always stood out among their peers and commended the leadership and management of the Assembly for policies and practices that have helped in promoting sustainable growth in the state legislature.
Some of the participants acknowledged the consistency in training and retraining of the house workforce and commended Oborevwori’s drive for excellence.
They promised to put to good use all that would be learnt during the training.
Niger Delta
RSNC Head Charges NAOMEW On Professionalism, Effective Service Delivery

The Head of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mrs Stella Dornubari Gbaraba, has charged the National Association of Ogoni Media House Workers (NAOMEW) World Wide, to be committed to professionalism, patriotism and effective service delivery in the discharge of their duties and rendering of patriotic gestures.
Mrs Gbaraba gave the charge yesterday when the NAOMEW, The Tide Chapter paid her a courtesy call in her office in Port Harcourt.
She expressed deep appreciation for the visit, and assured the Association of her commitment to being a worthy Ogoni Ambassador like late Mr Augustine Nwikinaka, former General Manager of the corporation, to promote the fortunes of the corporation, while counting on their unflinching encouragement, prayers and support to succeed.
“ I am very happy to receive the National Association of Ogoni Media House Workers (The Tide Chapter) today in my office. I am glad you people came to my office, for those that know me in a short while in the corporation, I am a serious-minded person. I heard that the time the corporation was functioning well was under the leadership of late Austin Nwikinaka. Any where I go to, I will rather come down and show working example and that is what the Ogoni person is known for. So I am always proud to associate myself with an Ogoni man, so your support means so much to me,” Mrs Gbaraba said.
She assured them of running an open-door policy in the management of the corporation, and urged stronger partnership between NAOMEW, other unions, interest groups, corporate organisations, institutions and the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation in professional service delivery.
Speaking on behalf of the NAOMEW, The Tide Chapter, the National Secretary of the association, Comrade Taneh Beemene welcomed her into The Tide family and also congratulated her on her very important appointment.
Taneh, who expressed confidence in her experience and abilities to deliver on her assignments, thanked her for the uncommon feats recorded in the corporation within her brief leadership. He said the corporation has been revived from its comatose status that predated her appointment.
“ Within your short time, you have given the corporation a remarkable facelift. We pray that God should give you the enablement to restore the dignity of the corporation. We have come to inform you that we are solidly behind you and will make our untiring contributions to make you succeed, “ he stated.
In his vote of thanks and closing remarks, the Chairman, National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Production Workers (NUPPPPROW), Comrade Keyirale Donatus Nwiueh thanked the Head of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mrs Stella Dornubari Gbaraba for receiving the association in a warm manner, adding that she should count on the support of the association to succeed.
Kiadum Edookor
Niger Delta
OBALGA Sole Administrator Presents Brand New Fire Extinguishers To Council …Commiserates With Traders Over Rumuomasi Market Fire Incident …Commences Desilting Of Drainages

The Sole Administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter has presented 150 brand new fire extinguishers to the council.
Dr Walter who spoke to newsmen at the council premises at Rumuodumanya said the gesture was part of measures by his administration to ensure safety of lives and council property from unforeseen fire incidents.
He urged the staff of the council to ensure the safety of the extinguishers, while promising to engage experts to teach them how to handle and operate the extinguishers.
Meanwhile, Sole Administrator of Obio Akpor Local Government Council, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter has commiserated with traders at the Rumuomasi Market over the unfortunate fire incident that gutted parts of the market.
Dr Walter who visited the market to assess the level of damage caused by the fire, described it as unfortunate
Addressing the crowd of distressed traders and community members, Dr. Walter acknowledged the historical significance of the market, which was originally built under the administration of the former Obio/Akpor Chairman and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON.
He noted that preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, though a full investigation is still underway.
“As a local government, we will constitute a thorough investigation team to determine the root cause of the fire,
“Most importantly, we thank God that no lives were lost. I want to assure our traders that the Local Government will not abandon you.
“We will also work with security operatives to safeguard salvaged goods and prevent further losses,” he said.
He encouraged traders to adopt stricter safety measures, especially concerning electrical appliances in markets prone to fire hazards.
“There are many ways fires can ignite, even without an open flame. Let us all be vigilant and prioritise safety,” he cautioned.
Dr. Walter also commended those who stepped in to assist during the emergency.
“We are grateful to all who helped salvage goods and support affected persons during the crisis. Your kindness embodies the spirit of Obio/Akpor. The forthcoming investigation will help us put preventive structures in place,” he said.
The Chairman of the market, Mr. Prince Adele, who accompanied Dr. Walter, during the inspection, identified K-Lane as the most severely affected area.
A statement by the information officer to the council, Ominini Leslie Wokoma said no incident of death was reported by the traders during the visit.
In another development, the Sole Administrator of Obio/Akpor local government council, Sir Clifford Ndu Walter, has commenced a comprehensive canal clearance campaign with a view to identifying and removal of all blockages including illegal structures hindering the free flow of waters in the area.
A statement from the council Press Secretary, Ominini Leslie Wokoma said during the inspection of key canals in the area, several unauthorised barricades and blockages were discovered and removed.
According to the statement, Dr Walter emphasised that illegal dumping, unapproved structures and poor drainage habits endanger communities and undermine government efforts, adding that his administration is committed to protecting lives and property of the citizens.
It said the Sole Administrator also declared his readiness to ensure that all canals and drainages are cleaned, maintained and functioning effectively.
He also warned against further dumping of waste in waterways, citing impending flooding.