SEPLAT: SAPELE COMMUNITY PROTEST POOR WORKING CONDITIONS OF INDIGENES.

Residents of Okirighre Community in Sapele local government area, today, protest poor working conditions of their indigenes working with Seplat Energy limited, Sapele.

Youths and Women stormed the Company's premise at Shell road, Sapele, carrying different placards reading; " Seplat should stop discrimination against our Indigenes," Seplat Should stop marginalizing our indigenes", Seplat should Staff our Indigenes" and others 

A spokesman for the community, Mr. Johnson Ugberaja explained that the placards said it all, adding that as a community, they are not happy with the way Seplat had relegated their Indigenes to second class and third class persons in their work force.

Ugberaja stated that Indigenes from their community are only considered fit to be employed as Junior staff, whereas there are qualified persons that could e employed into management positions but the company will never accede to such employment.

He said this trend needed to stop and Indigenes employed as Junior staff should enjoy the benefit of promotion instead of stagnating them in one position for years.

The spokesperson equally pointed out that several letters had been sent to the management of SEPLAT Energy limited on the issue  with no positive response hence the need for the peaceful protest.

On the side of SEPLAT Energy, the base manager could not be reached but a staff that pleaded anonymity said Indigenes of Okirighre Community working with Seplat are mainly Junior staff and it was hard for them to grow to management staff.

Activities of the company at the base office at Shell road was disrupted during the period of the protest until assurance came that their complaint will be looked into.

COLORADO WOMAN 31, JAILED FOR HAVING A BABY WITH 13-YEAR OLD BOY

31-year-old Andrea Serrano, from Colorado, who admitted to having sex with a then 13-year-old boy, and then having his child, has been sentenced to three months in prison after she was initially freed shortly after her original arrest in July of 2022 on a $70,000 bond. 



The Fountain Police Department had charged Serrano at the time with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, as well as sexual assault on a child. Investigators said that Serrano admitted to the relationship. 

In March, it was widely reported that Serrano's lawyers had come to a plea deal with prosecutors that would force her to register as a sex offender but meant she would avoid prison and be put on probation until May. 

Now, she must serve 90 days in prison in addition to still having to comply to the original terms of the plea deal. The terms included ten years to life on sex offender intensive supervised probation. 

Since her arrest, Serrano has given birth to the teen's baby. The child is in her care. His family are planning to petition the courts to gain custody. The victim is now 14 years old. 

'He looked at her like a mother figure and even called her "mom" before,' according to the criminal affidavit in the case, cited by the Colorado Springs Gazette. 

'I feel like my son is robbed of his childhood. Now he's having to be a father. He's a victim, and he's going to have to live with that for the rest of his life,' the victim's mother told KKTV after the plea deal was made public. 

'I feel like if she was a man and he was a little girl, it would definitely be different. They would be seeking more. I feel like because he is not a woman, they are not. They are having compassion for her,' she added.

FORUM CONDEMN APC'S EXCEPTION OF WOMEN IN COUNTY'S LEADERSHIP

A South West women group-Women Leadership Forum, WLF, has condemned the constitution of the leadership table in Nigeria as presently constituted.

In a communique issued after a meeting of the Group in Abuja on Thursday, the women said the All Progressives Congress, APC leadership has reneged on the 35 percent affirmative on gender equality with no woman found in the first six of the country’s leadership table.

According to the group, it was “outrageous that women in Nigeria are not considered for any of the too first six positions in the country.”

The communique signed by chairperson of the forum, Chief Mrs. Funke Ariyo reads in part, “We are surprised that a personality like the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will preside over the marginalization of women in this dispensation. The President-elect, vice President-elect are men. The President-elect is right now supporting an all male senate president and deputy. He is also supporting an all male speaker and deputy of the House of Representatives. This is absurd to say the least”.

“We are particularly worried that President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu whose wife, Senator Oluremi, is a distinguished senator of the federal Republic, will allow this marginalization,” the statement concluded.

DELTA CJ COMMENDS BOZIMO FOR ADVANCING JUSTICE DELIVERY IN DELTA.

Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Isaiah Bozimo has been commended for his efforts in driving initiative of key reforms in a bid to advance justice delivery system in the state.

The Chief Judge of Delta State,  Honourable Justice Theresa Dai  made the commendaton in Asaba in her remarks at the closing ceremony of a two day capacity building programme organised by the State Ministry of Justice for judges and other stakeholders on administration of criminal justice law and administration of  civil Justice law .

Justice Dai, who described the training as interactive and intensive, said that there was need for consistent training.

She stated that training had  addressed  the innovations in the law, adding that there should be uniform application of the law by all the stakeholders that would Implement the law .

Earlier, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Isaiah Bozimo said that the training was organised to provide the judges with the needed tools to Implement the administration of criminal justice law 2022 and administration of civil Justice law 2022 effectively.

Mr. Bozimo stated that the capacity building would enable the judges to have a deeper understanding of the law and ensure proper application.

He noted that there was no way they could have the legislation on paper, adding that the essence of the training was to understand how to apply the provisions of the law .

Mr. Bozimo said that they brought seasoned legal practitioners for the seminar as a result of the fact that they were knowledgeable and have a deeper understanding of the reform process of the law .

On his part, the State Chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Justice Godwin  Briki- Okolosi explained  that the new law would provide the judges with  what they needed to work, especially in the area of administration of criminal justice law.

In their lecture presentations, the resources persons including Prof. Yemi Akinseye , Mr. Charles Obiagu and Prof. Festus Emiri , all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN)  said that Delta State had become a pace setter for other states and federal capital territory to emulate and described the capacity building as apt .

Prof. Yemi Akinseye spoke on the new provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022, while Mr. Charles Obiagu lecture centred on Case Management provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022 with Prof. Festus Emiri made his presentation on Sentencing and Restricted under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.

Some of the participants in the seminar included the acting president of the state customary court of appeals, Justice Catherine Ojugbana Oritshedere among other stakeholders.

BOZIMO HARPS ON COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IN COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Isaiah Bozimo has advocated for more collaborative efforts in combating human trafficking.

Mr. Bozimo stated this in Asaba in his remarks during a training programme for members of the committee drawn from various MDAs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

He assured of the determination of the Reintegration Committee of the taskforce on human trafficking and irregular migration to ensure the realisation of the standard of operating procedures for return, readmission and reintegration of returned migrants of Delta State origin.

The Attorney-General , who is the Delta State Chairman of the taskforce on human trafficking and irregular migration and the coordinator of Reintegration Committee, said that the MDAs and CSOs that make up the committee were those that usually carried out all forms of reintegration based products such as empowerment, counselling and provision of health services.

Represented by the Head of Anti Human Trafficking Unit of his ministry, Mrs. Ijeoma Nwanze, the Commissioner stated that the committee was saddled with the task of ensuring the reintegration of those that had been irregularly trafficked and returned to the State through effective management, treatment and accommodation of the victims to help them stabilise in the society.

He said that there was need for collaborative effort in combating human trafficking and irregular migration in the state.

Bozimo hinted that the Reintegration Committee was established in states across the federation, especially states with high level of victims of human trafficking who had been returned from foreign countries to the State.

He said that through the committee, the state government would support the victims of human trafficking, adding that the training would expose them more on how the policy was supposed to work.

He lauded the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) for its consistent support and enjoined participants to take the training seriously

Earlier, the Senior Project Assistant of International Organisation on Migration (IOM), Aigbeze Uhimwen Esq, reiterated the commitment of IOM to sustain its support to the State Government  on migration management.

While saying that the level of commitment and initiatives of the Reintegration Committee showed the ownership of the process by the committee, Mr. Aigbeze Uhimwen appreciated the taskforce on human trafficking and irregular migration and other stakeholders of Reintegration Committee for their resilience and commitment towards the achievements recorded by the committee so far.

 In their separate goodwill messages, the Director of Women Affairs in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Mrs. Faith Okpohwo , the State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) , Chris Anyabuine and the Director of Planning (Environmental Sector) in Ministry of Economic Planning, Mrs. Atogun Fidelia described the training as apt and commended the committee for organising the training.

They said that would impact and eqip them with the needed capacity and approach in carrying out their assignments effectively and got results, stressing that IOM had been very supportive.

TRADERS LAMENT LOSSES AS FIRE RAZED DOWN STORES IN SAPELE MARKET.

It was a sad day for traders in Sapele market today as traders Lament loss of goods worth Millions of Naira due to an early morning fire outbreak.

Eye witness account had it that the fire started late in the night, between 2.00am and 3.00am and razed down stores in the waterside area of Sapele main market.

Most of the shops affected were used as ware houses for goods and contain goods worth millions of Naira.

One of the traders by name Senator cried out that her foundation has been taken away from her once more,--- How do I start all over again-- She lamented.

It was gathered that this is about the third time that her shop has suffered fire inferno and in each occasion, she hardly retrieve any of her goods.

Many other traders lamented their loss to the inferno when a visit was made to the scene of the incident.

It was said that before fire fighters could get to the scene, enough damage had been made.

However, a lady  identified as Mrs. Queen escape losses from the inferno as her shop was decked round and the roof of her shop was also decked.

The fire could not enter the shop and her goods were spared.

Attempt to reach the local government Chairman, Hon. Eugene Okpe Inoaghan, to comment on the inferno proof abortive as he could not be reached.

Sympathizers calls on the government of the day, both at the local and state level, to come to the aid of the traders as their economic mainstay have been devastated.

DELTA COURT CONVICTS, SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH FOR CONSPIRACY, ARMED ROBBERY

DELTA COURT CONVICTS, SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH FOR CONSPIRACY, ARMED ROBBERY

The Effurun High Court I, in Uvwie Local Government Area   of Delta State has convicted and sentenced two men, Emmanuel Ruekpe and Peter Okoro to death by hanging on two count charges of conspiracy and armed robbery.

The Court presided over by Honourable  Justice  E. I  Oritsejafor delivered its judgement on April 25, 2023.

The two defendants according to the nominal,    complainant Mr Ode Odera Gabriel, boarded his bike on the 24th of September, 2016 at Otu-Jeremi junction that they were going to Owhawa town of which he charged them the sum of ₦400 and they agreed to pay 

According to him , in the course of the journey , the 2nd defendant after he came from a compound  at Oghoir in Udu Local Government Area where he claimed to see his elder brother, stopped the bikeman claiming that his face cap fell down and wanted to pick it before he broke cocoa cola bottle  and in a bid to avoid being stabbed, the nominal complainant ran away.

The normal complainant (bikeman) recognized the first defendant whom he knew as a local dancer and he subsequently reported the matter to the Oghoir vigilante Chairman which eventually led to the arrest of both of them at the Ovwian Police Station.

Delivering his judgement after  careful examination  of available evidence, Justice E. I Oritsejafor noted that the prosecution presented an overwhelming evidence which he said, was sufficient to discharge the burden of proof on the case .

Reacting to the judgement, the prosecution , Mr. Ezeana Ejiofor who is a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Justice, expressed satisfaction with the judgement and appealed to judicial authorities in the country to consider the abolition of death sentence and replace it with alternative life Imprisonment.

Mr Ejiofor advised young people to shun anything illegal and be patient and  as well work hard to achieve success and never to get involve in any form of crime that could possibly cut short their life and take their freedom, dreams and aspirations away from them.

Mr Ejiofor appealed to  Government to recognize the honour, dignity and straight forward disposition of the father of the second defendant who on his own admitted to the authorities that he saw  his son with a bike which fits the description of the stolen motorbike and subsequently took his son to the police station.

He averred that after the court passed the sentence on the second defendant, the relations and friends of the father will condemn his actions and berate him for taking him  to the station which will deter other honourable and good persons in the society from speaking out against criminality.

The State Counsel added further that the father of the second defendant be invited and publicly honoured and presented with an award so as to encourage other people to follow his good example and speak against criminality and evil in the society which will in turn make our society a better place.

He said that the defendants were charged to court on two count charges bothering on conspiracy to commit armed robbery, punishable under section 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provision) Act , cap R.II, volume 14 law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.