NEWS
Delta Govt Approves N275bn for Execution of 76 Projects Across the State

Delta Government has approved over N275 billion for the execution of 76 projects spanning different sectors across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who disclosed this to newsmen, said it was among the approvals given at the maiden Executive Council (EXCO) meeting for 2025 on Thursday in Asaba.
He said that the approvals were record-breaking, outstanding and deafening to critics.
Aniagwu, was in company of his counterparts in Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Mr Reuben Izeze; Economic Planning, Mr Sonny Ekedayen; Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme;
Other are the Director-General, Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, Chief Patrick Ukah; his counterpart in Warri Uvwie and environs, Prince Godwin Ejinyere, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon.
Aniagwu said the governor was determined to ensure the people of Delta get value for every money spent on projects in the state.
“Not long ago, we informed you that Gov. Oborevwori is not interested in joining issues with critics but will be responding to them with projects.
“But little did we know that his response is going to be so outstanding and deafening that even those who have some audio challenge will hear the sound.
“Today, Gov. Oborevwori led us to make history since the 34 years existence of Delta State where, in one Exco meeting over N275 billion worth of projects were approved for the good people of Delta cutting across the three senatorial districts.
“These projects span different sectors targeted at giving value to our people; improving connectivity by way of roads, advancing their health by way of efforts in the health sector and, of course, urban renewal by making our cities much more liveable.
“Virtually all the projects we approved today are coming with 40 per cent mobilisation without our government having to go and borrow, and that tells you how solvent we are as a state, thanks to the very accountable and transparent governance philosophy of Gov. Oborevwori.”
He said the council also approved the remodelling of the Warri City Stadium, describing it as a bold step to ensure that legacy projects were not in short supply in the state.
Aniagwu listed some of the approved projects to include: construction of Uruagbesa Oria-Abraka Road, phase 1; construction of Egodo-Ogbeinbene Road, and the construction of Faculty B at the Southern Delta University, Orerokpe campus.
Others are: the construction of Amai-Aragba road; construction of Inam-Abbi access road; construction of internal roads at Ugbolu Hilltop Government layout (Phase 1); the construction of Umuoshimi Road with spurs to Ogbe-Aku and market road in Onicha-Ugbo;
Also the construction of Okerenkoko – Pepeama – Kokodiagbene road with a spur to Teiteipur in Warri South-West, and the construction of Benikrukru Township Roads (Phase II), the rehabilitation of Bomadi-Gbaregolor road, the construction of Okwetolor – Okobia – Aragba Road;
The construction of Ogbe-Isogban Road in Abavo; Owa-Ewere Road in Owa-Oyibu; approval for upward review of Ayakoromo bridge; the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of Okpanam Road from Post Office Junction to Catholic Church Roundabout to Okpanam Bypass Junction.
The council equally approved the construction of Iwride-Iyede internal roads (Phase 1); the construction of Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja Road phase 2, and the construction of Okwighele – Amuokpokpor Road, among others.
On his part, the Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Mr Reuben Izeze, commended Gov. Oborevwori for the massive provision of 40 per cent mobilisation for all the approved projects.
He said that no government in the state had shown more commitment to the sustained funding of projects than the Oborevwori administration.
Izeze added that the governor had cleared outstanding certificates owed contractors, including N8 billion previously owed on the Trans-Warri Road and bridges, as well as putting the project on the Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) module.
He said additional storm drainage work was approved to take care of Koka Junction and Achalla-Ibusa area, in addition to what CCECC construction company was doing around Winners’ Chapel on Ibusa Road.
He said the council also approved the upward review of Ayakoromo bridge with provision for ISPO, adding that review of the design of cloverleaf on Effurun Roundabout to ensure property owners around the area were not encumbered was also approved.
Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, said the council approved N1.6bn for the Contributory Health Scheme and a monthly release of N100m to ensure sustainability of the health coverage for the people of the state.
(NAN)
Foreign News
Taraba 2025 Appropriation Provides for Budget Funding Through Loans-Lawmaker

The Taraba House of Assembly has said that it’s approval for the Executive to secure a N350 billion bond from the Capital Market was in line with provisions of the 2025 appropriation law.Mr Jetro Yakubu, Majority Leader of the assembly, made the clarification on Friday while speaking to newsmen in Jalingo.
Yakubu revealed that the request to secure the loan was in tandem with the provisions of the 2025 appropriation bill passed into Law by the assembly. He stressed that Gov. Agbu Kefas of Taraba had already indicated in the budget proposals his intention to fund part of it through loans from financial institutions.According to him, the request could only become abnormal if it is outside the budgetary provision. Yakubu, who represents Wukari I State Constituency also noted that the assembly approved the loan because the governor had carried the it along right from the preparation of the Appropriation. “The governor is a leader that believes in carrying everybody along. He had already carried the assembly along right from when the appropriation was being prepared.“We don’t give approval for any loan that is not in the appropriation.“The governor is a very strategic thinker. The bond which is at N20 lbillion per year would be funded through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and not through Federal Accounts Allocation.“The governor is very passionate about stimulating the economy of the state so that the it can be viable to fund the bond,” he said.Daily Asset recalls that Kefas earlier requested an approval from the house of assembly to secure a N350 billion bond from the Capital Market.The legislators had since granted him the approval to borrow the funds. (NAN)NEWS
NDDC Seeks Legal Advocacy to Accelerate Niger Delta Development

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has emphasised that legal advocacy on issues affecting the Niger Delta holds the potential to accelerate the region’s development.
Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made this assertion during the 2025 MOOT and Mock Trial Competition, which featured participation from 20 law faculties across universities in the Niger Delta.
This is contained in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Ogbuku, who was represented by Mr Boma Iyaye, NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, underscored the role of legal advocacy in addressing the complex challenges facing the region.
“We are passionate about education, and as such, we remain committed to supporting the growth of education in the Niger Delta,” he stated.
He noted that the competition focused on key legal areas relevant to the region which included environmental law, oil and gas, and sustainable development.
Ogbuku also highlighted the commission’s investments in tertiary institutions, including the construction of hostels in various universities and polytechnics across the Niger Delta.
In his remark, Prof. Zaccheus Adangor, a former Attorney-General of Rivers, described the legal profession as noble, honourable, and learned.
He urged the student participants to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and good character throughout their career.
“Students must remain open to new ideas, as the legal profession requires deep and varied knowledge.
“Legal practitioners should also invest in continuous learning, acquiring both hard and digital copies of books, in their role as ministers in the temple of justice,” Adangor advised.
Also speaking, Justice Daketima Kio of the Rivers State High Court commended the NDDC for the initiative, expressing confidence that the programme would foster a more united and developed region.
He expressed optimism that the competition would serve as a springboard for aspiring legal professionals in the region to excel in their careers.
On his part, Mr Victor Arenyeka, NDDC’s Acting Director for Legal Services, explained that the competition was designed to prepare students to confront the specific challenges facing the Niger Delta.
He stated that participants were tested on environmental law, oil and gas, and sustainable development.
Arenyeka encouraged the students to seize the opportunity to broaden their legal knowledge and lay a solid foundation for successful careers in the legal profession. (NAN)
NEWS
TMSG Hails FG’s Cash Transfer to 15m Vulnerable Households

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has hailed the fast-track disbursement of funds to 15 million households under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme of the President Bola Tinubu administration.The group said the fast-track disbursement was due to the delay in the full implementation of a scheme, which it said was central to the administration’s quest to lift millions of vulnerable Nigerians out of acute poverty.
Mr Emeka Nwankpa, the Chairman of TMSG, in a statement on Saturday, said with the newly inaugurated inter-agency task force in place, the stage was set for a wider coverage of the poverty-alleviation scheme. “We are aware that President Bola Tinubu formally launched the Conditional Cash Transfer programme targeted at 15 million households across the country soon after assuming office in 2023.“The idea was to improve on the same scheme introduced by his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, by reaching more Nigerians than the 1.6 million households (8 million individuals) who benefited from the Buhari administration’s disbursement of N10,000 bi-monthly as of 2021.“So, President Tinubu’s CCT initiative is clearly more ambitious, with the target of ensuring that 15 million households receive N25,000 per month thrice in a year,” said the group.But it said since the announcement, the process had been slowed down by financial inclusion bottlenecks, which had been addressed by an inter-agency task force.The task force includes the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).“We view the composition of the task force as a statement of intent. The Tinubu administration is set to navigate issues of distrust that characterise the previous scheme and ensure that all beneficiaries have a digital footprint aside from bank accounts.“We still recall how state governments under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC), in July 2023, disowned the National Social Register (NSR), the database for vulnerable populations used by the Buhari administration for the CCT programme.“But now, with NIMC working with the Central Bank and other relevant humanitarian agencies, we are convinced that more of the intended beneficiaries would be able to have the NIN, which is now mandatory for benefitting from the CCT and other social services.“In addition, the issue of distrust in disbursement would be addressed, and the possibility of funds getting to intended beneficiaries would be higher with proper documentation and identification,” said TMSG.It commended the Tinubu administration for taking these additional steps against the backdrop of the alarm raised by the World Bank recently on increasing poverty in rural Nigeria and the need to ramp up social protection initiatives.“Recently, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, told Mr Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President, West and Central Africa, that there was evidence that six million households were benefiting from the scheme.“So, we hope that in due course, the Tinubu administration’s target of reaching out to 15 million vulnerable households would be met,” said the group.It urged agencies involved in the process to live up to expectations by ensuring swift completion of the task of addressing the delay in cushioning the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable Nigerians. (NAN)