By Donald Andoor

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has said he does not use the siren to scare people off roads in the course of his travels and movement because he sees his office as “service to the people, and humanity” which requires more civility.

He further said his legacies in government and achievements will continue to “send shrill sounds of siren to the beneficiaries” instead of ceremonial sirens on motor ways.

“I don’t use the siren because the roads I am constructing will serve as a siren in their minds.

“I don’t use the siren because the hospitals and health centres being constructed across the state will serve as a siren to the beneficiaries.

“I don’t use the siren because of my belief that the schools I am building will serve as sirens for the beneficiaries.

“I don’t use the siren because if the people are enjoying projects being recorded in different sectors, these projects will serve as sirens for them to remember.”

Alia was responding to remarks made by the management of the Sun Newspapers as to why he does not use the siren, as one out of several reasons for his nomination for the award of the Best Governor of the Year 2026, in Government House Makurdi.

Alia recalled how he met deplorable infrastructure, especially in education and health sectors, stressing he had employed over 9,700 teachers, in addition to building hundreds of classrooms to reposition education in the state.

The Governor, who spoke about the security challenges confronting the state, expressed appreciation to President Bola and security agencies for the untiring efforts to restore peace to enable those displaced to return to their ancestral homes.

To the critics of his administration, he said they were exercising their fundamental rights in a democracy but explained that every decision taken by his administration was normally subjected to critical appraisal.

“It is sad that people who are outside and do not have information as to why a decision was arrived at are the ones that criticise such  a decision even when they do not have any understanding or background knowledge leading to the decision” he recalled.

He expressed appreciation for his nomination for the award and said, “I am happy that the media and the general public are taking notice of the efforts one is making to bring development to the state.”

The Managing Director and Editor- in- Chief, Sun Newspapers, Onuoha Uke, who led other management staff, reeled out a catalogue of achievements of the Governor in different sectors, which he said informed the choice of his nomination for the award.

He explained that the Governor was chosen after a rigorous screening exercise that underwent several processes.

Delta Communities Give Heritage, FG Five-day Ultimatum over Seven-Month Oil Spill

From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Residents of Odidi, Kantu, Keremor and other riverine communities in Delta State have issued a fresh five-day ultimatum to Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited and the Federal Government to repair the leaking Trans-Forcados Pipeline, warning that they would shut down the facility if urgent action was not taken.

The communities, which have endured nearly seven months of crude oil pollution since the spill was reported on February 19, 2026, accused the oil company and relevant government agencies of abandoning them to hunger, disease and severe environmental degradation.

The affected settlements include Odidi Federated Communities, Kantu, Keremor, Izansa, Ebisoko, Ayagbene and Egenugbene, among others, located in the riverine areas of Warri South-West and Burutu Local Government Areas of the state.

The predominantly fishing communities staged a protest over the weekend, carrying placards with inscriptions including, “Federal Government, save our souls. We are suffering, no food, no water,” “Six months spill without repair is wickedness,” “The river is our source of life, save our lives,” “Regulators sanction Heritage,” “We cannot fish again,” “No repair, no production,” and “We want immediate cleanup.”

The protesters said the prolonged spill had destroyed fishing nets, contaminated water sources and rendered fishing, their main source of livelihood, virtually impossible.

Speaking during the protest, Chairman of Odidi Federated Community, Chief Truston Gbenekama, said the failure to repair the pipeline had subjected thousands of residents to untold hardship.

Gbenekama also alleged that residents had been left without potable water and adequate medical assistance despite their prolonged exposure to the polluted environment.

He described relief materials reportedly supplied by Heritage as grossly inadequate, saying they could not meet the needs of communities with large populations.

The community leader appealed to the Federal Government to immediately shut down the affected pipeline, repair the facility and prevent further pollution.

Secretary-General of the community, Chief Bene Mamamu, called for the withdrawal of Heritage Energy’s operating licence, alleging that the company had failed to effectively manage the crisis.

Mamamu said a Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, had already been conducted and that the matter had also attracted the attention of the National Assembly, yet the leak had continued.

“How can you tell me that more than seven months after a spill occurred, JIV has been done and you have also invited Heritage to the House Committee on South-South Development and up till now NPL, NNPCL, Heritage itself are not doing anything about it?” he queried.

He said the community had given Heritage a five-day ultimatum to repair the pipeline or face further action.

Similarly, Chief Monday Keme, Principal Secretary to the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, HRM Monbene III, condemned the prolonged failure to address the pollution.

Keme said the spill, which occurred on February 19, was still ongoing as of September 12, 2026, alleging that similar incidents had occurred since Heritage took over the operation of the Trans-Forcados trunkline.

He recalled an alleged 2015 incident which, according to him, resulted in the deaths of a woman and her four children.

Keme further alleged that the latest incident had claimed another life and affected a large portion of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

“We have regulatory agencies like NOSDRA, NUPRC; none of them is doing anything. This kind of thing cannot be allowed, seven good months, our people have been suffering,” he said.

He warned that the communities would shut down the facility if the pipeline was not repaired within the stipulated period.

The family of the latest reported victim also linked her death to the prolonged environmental crisis.

The deceased’s son, Terry Ogisi, Public Relations Officer of the community, said his mother, Atete Ozuku, popularly known as Mama Terry, slipped on crude-oil-stained wooden stairs after returning from the river on September 2.

According to him, she sustained serious injuries and was taken to different hospitals after doctors recommended surgery, but eventually died on September 10.

Ogisi said his mother was a fisherwoman and mother of seven children.

He appealed to the government to urgently intervene, warning that the communities could barricade the river if the situation persisted.

The pollution has also heightened concerns among women in the affected communities, many of whom depend on fishing for their livelihood.

A fisherwoman from Ebisoko village, Mary Ekpenumu, said the spill had compounded the hardship facing residents, particularly women.

She said residents could no longer fish effectively or depend on the polluted river for their daily needs.

Another community leader, Chief Friday Deighan, alleged that regulatory agencies had visited the affected areas, documented the situation and left without stopping the leak or commencing a cleanup.

Deighan said the pollution was still “gushing out” and had devastated a vast territory extending from Warri South-West towards Burutu.

He called on the Federal Government and relevant regulatory agencies to immediately stop the leak, clean up the affected environment, provide adequate relief materials and compensate the affected residents.

The communities also alleged that repeated appeals for medicines and potable water had not received adequate response, while the relief materials provided by Heritage were insufficient to meet their needs.

They further claimed that the JIV had attributed the spill to corrosion of the ageing pipeline along the Forcados route, describing the incident as equipment failure.

With the pollution entering its seventh month, the communities said their patience had run out, insisting that immediate repair of the pipeline, cessation of the leak and commencement of a comprehensive cleanup were no longer negotiable.

They warned that failure by the authorities and operator to act could trigger fresh protests and the shutdown of affected waterways and oil facilities.

Meanwhile, attempts by our correspondent to obtain the reaction of the management of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited on the latest development proved abortive as of press time.

By David Torough, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final lists of candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, setting the stage for the January polls while triggering a legal challenge from the Accord Party over the omission of its presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.

INEC published the names of 18 presidential candidates and their running mates, comprising 16 men and two women, alongside candidates for the National Assembly across the states.

In Ondo State, the commission released 122 National Assembly candidates; 31 for the three senatorial districts and 91 for the House of Representatives, in compliance with the timetable for the 2027 general elections.

The publication followed the September 12 deadline stipulated by the commission and was carried out pursuant to Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

However, the Accord Party has questioned the absence of Olawepo-Hashim from the presidential list, insisting that he emerged as its consensus candidate after meeting the requirements for nomination.

Lagos State Chairman and Secretary of the party’s South-West Zone, Dele Oladeji, said the party was unaware of why INEC omitted Olawepo-Hashim from the published list.

Oladeji said three members had initially expressed interest in the presidential ticket before the party adopted Olawepo-Hashim as its consensus candidate.

According to him, the candidate paid the prescribed nomination fees and satisfied the requirements for the contest, making his omission from the INEC list unexpected to the party leadership.

“For whatever reason, he was not listed by INEC, and this has led him to approach the court,” Oladeji said, expressing confidence that the judiciary would restore the candidate’s mandate.

He said Accord remained committed to contesting the 2027 election under its platform and had no plan to align with another political party over the dispute.

Oladeji also dismissed reports of factionalisation within Accord, describing the controversy over its presidential candidate as an issue that would be resolved through the courts.

Meanwhile, INEC’s presidential list includes President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Oyo State Governor Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Other candidates include Sandy Ojang Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peter Agada of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), and Nwanyanwu Daberechukwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The list also contains two female presidential candidates — Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

In Kaduna State, INEC listed 33 candidates for the three senatorial seats, with former governor Mukhtar Yero, former Senator Shehu Sani, incumbent Senator Lawal Usman and serving Senator Sunday Katung among the prominent contenders.

Twelve candidates are contesting Kaduna North, 13 are listed for Kaduna Central and eight for Kaduna South.

The Kaduna Central contest is expected to attract particular attention, with former Senator Shehu Sani of the APC challenging incumbent Senator Lawal Usman of the ADC.

In Kaduna North, former governor Yero of the APC is seeking a return to elective office against incumbent Senator Khalid of the ADC, while in Kaduna South, Senator Katung of the APC is seeking re-election against candidates from several political parties.

INEC said the publication of the final lists represented a major step in preparations for the 2027 elections and reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, transparent, credible and inclusive polls.

The commission urged political parties, candidates and members of the public to visit its state and local government offices to inspect the published lists.

It also stressed that the outcome of the elections would be determined by votes lawfully cast and counted in accordance with the law.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a purported anti-North statement allegedly attributed to him.

A viral statement allegedly quoted Akpabio as threatening that Northerners would suffer if President Bola Tinubu lost the 2027 presidential election.

Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media, Jackson Udom, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Udom said the petition, signed by the Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, urged the DSS to urgently investigate the dissemination of the alleged false, inflammatory and divisive statement.

He said the graphic, bearing Akpabio’s photograph and designation, attributed the following words to him: ‘Northerners you will be the ones to suffer the most if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.’

“Unequivocally, the President of the Senate did not make this statement.

“No date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recordings, official statement or credible news report has been produced to authenticate it.

“The graphic carries no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source,” he said.

Udom said the statement appeared to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation for the purpose of deceiving unsuspecting members of the public.

He said those behind the scheme intended to provoke regional resentment against Akpabio and portray him as threatening people in the Northern part of the country.

According to him, preliminary examination of publicly accessible Facebook records identified some persons as among the earliest traceable amplifiers of the purported fabricated graphic.

He listed the persons as Abdullai Musa, who posted the graphic in a Facebook group styled ‘Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24”.

Others were Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post allegedly reproduced the graphic commentary expressly credited to him, and Ibrahim Ammar, a verified Facebook account that subsequently reproduced the graphic and similar commentary.

“These persons should not be presumed guilty before investigation.

“Nevertheless, their early and substantial roles in circulating the material make them persons of interest, who may possess information capable of identifying the graphic designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries and distribution network,” he said.

Udom said their publication records, devices, communications and the provenance of the image should therefore be investigated in accordance with the law. (NAN)