by Our Reporter

Edo State House of Assembly has directed the NNPC to take immediate steps to stop the oil spill at Urhokuosa N'owa and Oke-Akhianmwan communities in Uhunmwode local government area.

Mr Amadasun Uwamose (Uhunmwode) drew the attention of the House, under matters of urgent importance, to the leak recently.

Uwamose said the pipeline that passed through the villages was recently vandalised by some hoodlums resulting in the spill.
He explained that the farmland and the source of water (Akhianmwan stream) had been polluted by the spillage in the last two days.

Majority Leader Philip Shaibu, Oghuma Johnson (Estako Central) and Deputy Speaker Paul Ohonbamu condemned the activities of the hoodlums, adding that the oil that is supposed to be a blessing should not be a curse.
The House resolved that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the safety and welfare of the citizens, adding that NNPC should take steps to stop the spillage and to avert explosion.

The House directed the state Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals to visit the area to ascertain the extent of damage.
The House further directed the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to visit the area with the aim of providing relief materials to those affected.

The House constituted a three man ad-hoc committee to determine the immediate cause(s) of the spillage and suggest steps to avert future occurrence.
Mr Ogbeiwi Ikponmwosa (Orhionmwon II) was named chairman while Jude Ise-Ifehen (Ikpoba-Okha) and Peter Aliu (Etsako East) are members.

Delta Opposition Parties Deny Endorsing Uduaghan, Reject Annual Grants

by Ufuoma Onos, Asaba

Opposition parties in Delta state have described as “anachronistic and fraudulent” the misinformation that they have endorsed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for second term.

The parties, under the aegis of the Forum of Registered Political Parties (FRPP) warned the Governor's Office on Inter-Party Relations from exploiting the Governor with this propaganda.

The forum said the verification exercise embarked upon by the Governor's Office ran against the provision of the Electoral Act which stipulates that state parties' headquarters must be situated in the state capital.

In a statement signed by the forum's chairman, Prince Obaru Unuafe, yesterday in Asaba, which was made available to Newsday, the parties said the exercise was planned to make the forum “a parastatal to the State Government”.

The forum denied endorsing Uduaghan for second term and accused the Governor's Office of usurping the constitutional function of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saying, “the claims of the Special Adviser on Inter-Parties, Solomon Edojah, are very vexation, ill-timed and nebulous.”

While calling for a veritable and healthy competition among candidates in 2011, the forum maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan's bid to reposition INEC for better performance should not be frustrated in Delta.

“The forum also calls for the cancellation of grants to political parties as this has not yielded the desired results, instead, it has been abused by some parties and some fraudulent SA's (Special Advisers) to government”, the statement read.

It acknowledging that the democracy in Nigeria cannot develop and compete favourably with democracies around the world except a level playing ground is given to parties to test their strength in credible election.