AljaziralPress

By Sunny Awhefeada

2019 Kokori in the Agbon clan of the Urhobo ethnic nationality of Delta State holds a great attraction for me. Kokori is my maternal homestead. Kokori is also a place of history among the Urhobo people and beyond. Kokori attained something close to global visibility through Ubiesha Etakpo who founded the Igbe religion in the 18th century. Kokori is home to the late Justice Ayo Irikefe, former Chief Justice of Nigeria. Kokori birthed Chief Rex Akpofure, first African Principal of Kings College, Lagos. Kokori sired the legendary Mama Irese Awharitefe, the mother of Chief Macaulay Akpofure, of Nigeria’s early Senior Advocates of Nigeria, whose son Efe also took the silk. The first female Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Marcelinus Okungbowa, is Irese’s granddaughter. Kokori is home to Chief Patrick Bolokor former Minister of State for External Affairs; the present Ovie of Agbon, Ogurimerime, Ukori I and Chief Mary Agbonifo of unmatchable industry and business acumen. Kokori once boasted of the biggest and most famous market in Urhoboland. It was said that the fame of Ubiesha and his healing powers attracted many visitors and traders to Kokori. There are also the famous Ogidigbo and Egba deities of Kokori. To most people Kokori’s fame lies in her culinary skill demonstrated in isha, the native bean the aroma of which could halt a raging war. Isha was synonymous with Kokori. Whenever isha was mentioned the question “have you eaten isha Kokori ?” must be asked. The story was told of a suitor who went to ask for the hand of a girl in marriage. The excitement that spurred him on the long journey to Kokori paled into nothing when he beheld his prospective father in-law eating isha . He negated the reason why he came. He ate the isha with both hands. Another suitor came when the isha was almost finished. The new arrival went straight to why he came. Then the one who came earlier protested amid belching that he actually came for the same purpose. The girl’s father told him off, saying he must have valued isha more than his daughter. The new comer had the girl. Our friend began a cry “ we sevwe orie sha/ orie sha ” translated to “call me isha eater/ isha eater”. A folktale tells of how tortoise tried to steal a steaming pot of isha from his mother in-law’s kitchen. In order not to be caught he turned the pot on his head like a cap. His head got scalded and ,in pain, he cried out “Oniaye/ oniaye / uyovwi bobore/ ifoke risha” the equivalent of “Mother in-law/ mother in-law/ my head is scalded/ because of isha ”. This is the reason the tortoise has no hair on its head till today. Ditties also have been woven around the isha phenomenon. One of them, “wo de kpi Kokori/ wo de kpi Kokori/ Eya na misha chere/ eya na misha chere”, to mean “if you go to Kokori/If you go to Kokori/the women are cooking isha /the women are cooking isha ” My wife and I were in Kokori market last Saturday as part of the itch to boost our indigenous knowledge. Unlike the markets in urban centres, Eki Ukokori had a uniquely earthy smell. It looked as if all of nature’s bounty was on sale. The market sprawled and we left our car at a distance so that we could walk and feel the pulse of the rural almost sleepy community. Kokori market brimmed with wares, mostly farm produce. Then my eyes caught kwoka, the Urhobo delicacy made from corn with the same look and texture as moi moi . I tugged at my wife and we moved in its direction. The kwoka wasn’t much and I asked if we could get more, but all the women told us that this particular seller was the only woman who sold kwoka in the entire market now. I was alarmed. It wasn’t so while growing up. Kwoka was everywhere on market days. It was cooked and sold in a big metal pot called itaso with fresh palm nuts and at the bottom to give it a flavor. Kwoka was wrapped with ebe ikpehre, a special leaf also used for wrapping coconut rice. In order to eat it we peeled the ebe ikpehre in layers in a delicate manner so that no slice of the kwoka will fall off. It was believed that the little slices hiding in the crevices of ebe ikpehre tasted better. The kwoka we bought last Saturday was different from that of old. These were wrapped in plantain leaves and sold in a cooler. The palm nuts were absent. Having bought kwoka my thought went to isha . We asked the women where we could buy cooked isha . They uttered what became a refrain “ihwo ichere isha gwhu nu re” to mean “those who cook isha have died.” I was alarmed. Our inquiries yielded answers which revolved round the task of cooking isha , the time, patience, skill, condiments and more. The women pointed at stalls where uncooked isha are sold, but they said very few people now cook it for domestic consumption. I smiled wistfully and remembered the generation of my grandmother. Our taste for foreign food has undone isha . This is the age of noodles. There is an assault on our culinary apparatus. Isha and kwoka are going, ovwovwo, iriboto, ojeda, okpariku are all gone; usi might be on its way and ukodo too. Cuisine endangerment is here! Should we watch this happen? *Prof. Awhefeada writes The Imperative Column for Independent on Fridays

The news that Dr. Okowa plans to build an Industrial Park at Kwale, got Deltans miffed.

Why another Industrial Park at Kwale when the immediate past government of Delta State committed to build an Industrial Park in Warri? Isn’t government a continuum?

The Park was designed as a mixed-use industrial business location with high-end residential and recreational facilities on over 300 hectares of land.

The past government of Delta State has committed Billions of Naira in acquiring the land, complete design, environmental impact assessment and physical development of the Warri Industrial Park.

It is impossible to complete the proposed Kwale Industrial Park in three years, the remaining years of Okowa’s tenure. So, why commence it when it will most probably be abandoned by the next Governor?

The proposed Kwale Industrial Park is another testament and indeed a signpost to Okowa’s lack of vision and poor governance. Discerning Deltans must stand up to ensure our common wealth is properly managed, and not squandered on frivolous white elephant projects while the citizenry continue to suffer.
#NoToAnotherIndustrialPark. #CompleteWarriPark #TheFutureIsNow

By Akpovoke Otiti

LAGOS – People’s Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain and former House of Reps member Chief Solomon Urhobojiyovwe Awhinahwi has sends a heartwarming message to his Excellency Alhaji Abubakar Atiku over the Supreme Court Presidential Election Petition Appeal Panel.

In a heartwaming message to the former Vive president , Alhaji Abubakar Atiku on Wednesday personally signed by him and released to Aljaziral reporters onlne Newspaper, the former law maker described Atiku doggedness as a fighter who never gives up, that his zeal and strenght is worlthy of emulations. Though we all had learnt from these corrupt development of the judiciary.

Chief Awhinahwi said, “I join millions of Nigerians in congratulating you for fighting a good fighr for Nigerians over the Supreme Court Presidential Election Petition Appeal Panel.

“This show that Nigerians really voted for you overwhelmingly pan-Nigerian. Therefore
today’s judgement came as a surprise when the five-man panel at the Supreme Court, unanimously dismissed the appeal against you and our Party, the PDP, for lack of merit. As the logic of law stipulates,

” Sir you really tried to fight to correct the ills of the past and put our dear nation on the path to sustainable development, but the judiciary have becomes the common enemy of progressive minded men like you. Your denial at the presidential Election petition Appeal panel is not the end of the world, remain assured that millions of well-meaning Nigerians are with you.

“On behalf of my teeming supporters and other well-meaning Nigerians, I joyously felicitate with you for fighting a good fight Sire.May Almighty Allah continue to imbue you with wisdom.

By Akpovoke Otiti

The first military governor of Lagos State, Brig-Gen. Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson, is dead. His son, Deji, confirmed that the retired soldier passed on few hours ago.

The late Johnson was appointed as the military Administrator by the military Head of State, Major Gen. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, and later, governor of Lagos State by his successor, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

He served in that capacity between 1966 and 1975 when he was compulsorily retired by former Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed.

However, he and the military governor of Western State were separated from the pack of colleagues who were indicted for corruption.

In retirement, he ventured into business, becoming a director of Julius Berger, the giant construction.

Johnson was born on February 9, 1936. His administration supervised the unpopular demolition of Ajele Cemetery in the early 1970s.

His tenure saw the building of major infrastructure in Lagos State.

He was first appointed by Aguiyi-Ironsi as the administrator of the Federal Capital Territory of Lagos in 1966. He was involved in developing the civil service.

Johnson was initially assisted in running the state by some key civil servants, including Administrative Secretary, Adeyemi-Bero, Finance Secretary, Folarin Coker, and the acting secretary to the Military Government, Howson Wright and waited until April 1968 before appointing his commissioners.

In 1975, at the inception of the Gen Murtala Mohammed administration Johnson was one of the two governors (along with the Brig Oluwole Rotimi) found not guilty of corruption by the three-man panel set up to investigate the various allegations of corruption amongst the State Governors.

He retired from the Nigerian Army in 1975 and went into private business.

A road, an avenue, and a sports complex in Mobalaji’s home state bear his name as well as a Housing Scheme at Lekki both in Lagos.

May God be pleased with his soul, Amen.

By James Akpoguma Reporting

The All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar against President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 election victory.

We congratulate Nigerians, the President; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; party leaders, members and supporters on the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Following the earlier judgement of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed in its entirety the PDP and Atiku’s petition, the Apex Court was apt in dismissing the appeal for lacking merit.

The Party hails the Judiciary for standing firm in the face of the PDP and Atiku’s subterfuge and for siding with the Nigerian electorate who through their votes decided to do away with PDP’s ignominious past and re-elect the President Buhari-led APC administration which has ushered in a new era of progressive growth for our country.

With the ruling of the Supreme Court, which has finally affirmed President Buhari’s election victory, we enjoin the PDP and Atiku to jettison their destructive and disruptive agenda against Nigeria, which they have made up their minds to pursue for the next four years.

The PDP and Atiku should not confuse opposition politics for their unpatriotic agenda. Democratic politics cannot be practiced in the state of anarchy, confusion which the PDP and Atiku wish to achieve. Such diabolic plan will definitely fail.

Going forward, the President Buhari-led APC government will continue to focus on delivering our Next Level plans for the country.

A political pressure group, Nigeria Democracy Defenders has advised the
President of the Nigeria Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu
Bulkachuwa not to divert from the contents of the oath of office she sworn to protect to save the judiciary from imminent and impending
constitutional breach over the continuous refusal to hear the Election
Appeals from the decision of the election petition tribunal emanating
from Delta state.

It would be recalled that the National and State House of Assembly
Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State delivered judgments between 6th and 7th September in respect of petitions filed challenging the February 23rd, 2019 National Assembly elections in the state.

And these appeals according to section 285(7) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will lapse by 3rd and 4th November, 2019

In a statement signed by the President of the group, Chief Gabriel Avwotusio and Secretary, Mrs. Endurance Onwuka lamented about the deliberate delay in hearing of the appeals filed before the Court of Appeal, Benin City.

The group explained in the statement that “the Court of Appeal had earlier fixed 21st October, 2019 for hearing of various National Assembly election appeals from Delta state. Only to be informed at about 10am of the said date by the court registrar that the court could not seat due to the disbandment of the appeal panel and that a new date would be communicated to the counsel representing parties in the respective appeals before the court.

“A new date of October 28th was fixed for hearing, while counsel were waiting for the court to commence seating for the day, surprisingly the court registrar announced that the court will not be seating because the newly constituted panel were waiting to get clearance”, it added.

The group pointed out that in other states, like Edo, Ondo, Ekiti etc, it is the regular panel of Justices in the various divisions of those states that hears and determine election appeals whereas in Delta State, she has taken special interest in setting up a panel which was later disbanded when it was obvious that the composition/membership of the panel are persons of impeccable characters who were not willing to do her bidding to subvert justice.

“We wish to remind you that upon assumption of office, you swore to uphold and dispense justice without fear or favour. Your current disposition and interest in the appeals from Delta state by allowing your position to be used by persons who are hell bent in trying to subvert the cause of justice in Delta State will go a long way to hunt you beyond your retirement from the nation’s judiciary. Like the saying goes, the evil that men do not only lives after them but lives with them”, it added.

A LEBANESE Hamza Koudeih and two other suspected accomplices of social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (a.k.a. Mompha), have been arrested in Lagos.
Koudeih was arrested at the weekend after a three-hour stand-off at his N1.8 billion luxury apartment in the 33-storey Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mompha, Koudeih and the others are suspected to be kingpins of a network of cyber criminals who laundered N33 billion through three firms.
His arrest by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), followed intelligence unearthed after Mompha’s arrest last Tuesday.
The Nation learnt that when the anti-graft agency’s operatives arrived at his luxury suite, Koudeih and his wife refused to open the door.
The couple also did not respond to appeals from the building’s chief security officer.
But the operatives, who had been monitoring the premises and had it surrounded, knew the Lebanese was inside. His cars were parked in the garage downstairs.
The apartment was fortified with triple reinforced fire-proof door and closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and they could not gain entrance.
It was gathered that the EFCC investigators battled for three hours to break down the door using breaching tools.
When they gained access, they met his wife who claimed Koudeih had escaped through the window.
But Koudeih’s apartment is on one of the topmost floors of Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, said to be the tallest apartment building in Nigeria.
“Our officials knew that he was still inside and they were even hoping to persuade him not to jump out through the window because it would be suicide,” EFCC Lagos Zonal Head, Mr. Mohammed Rabo, who confirmed the arrest, told The Nation.
But they did not find Koudeih in any of the rooms until they observed that a part of the ceiling in his bedroom had been artificially sealed.
They pushed it open and found Koudeih hiding in the ceiling.
Further search of his bedroom revealed a fire-proof safe containing different charms and talismans in calabashes.
According to the EFCC, the Lebanese admitted they were his “prayer objects”. Two luxury cars were also recovered from him.
Rabo said the commission was investigating Koudeih and his wife’s immigration status and the result was being expected.
He said it had been confirmed that they had Lebanese ancestry but it was not known if they had any other nationality.
The nationality of the two other suspects, he explained, was not yet known.
Rabo stated that local and international law enforcement agencies had indicated interest to collaborate in the investigation.
He said the operation that led to Koudeih’s arrest was “an offshoot of the collaboration between the EFCC and the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” but that Koudeih was arrested based on “purely EFCC intelligence”.
Rabo added: “Actionable intelligence received from local and international law enforcement agencies had revealed that Koudeih and Mompha alongside their collaborators are high valued targets in Organised Cyber Syndicate Network (OCSN).
“Investigations have also revealed that Mompha uses a firm known as Ismalob Global Investments Limited to perpetrate about N14 billion money laundering while Koudeih also operate two firms namely: THK Services Limited and CHK properties Limited to launder about N19 billion.”
It was also learnt that the EFCC discovered 51 Nigerian bank accounts opened by Mompha for money laundering.
The commission also revealed that the five wristwatches recovered from Mompha at his arrest on Tuesday are worth over N60 million, rather than the N20 million earlier thought.
According to the EFCC, Mompha, “a premium and first-class customer of one of the popular international airlines, was arrested on Friday 18, October 2019 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to Dubai Emirate following [a] series of intelligence reports received by the Commission.”

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock on Monday, said the nation’s land borders would remain closed until neighbouring countries agree to implement mutual anti-smuggling policy.

Niger Republic in the northern border and Benin Republic in the South-West, are two countries known for having smuggling routes into Nigeria.

The Federal Government had closed the borders last month.
Emefiele told State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting that Nigerian rice and poultry farmers were particularly benefitting from the border closure.

He said they had been able to sell off accumulated produce, hitherto hindered by illegal importation and smuggling of the items into the country.

The CBN governor said the situation had been undermining the Nigerian economy, adding that the Federal Government was therefore resolute in keeping the borders closed until Niger and Benin Republic stopped using their ports as launch pads for smuggling items into the country.

He said, “In November 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, the CBN and some state governors went to Kebbi State to launch the Wet Season Rice Farming. Since then, we have seen an astronomical growth in the number of farmers who have been going into rice farming and our paddy rice production has gone up also quite exponentially.

“Between 2015 and also now, we have also seen an astronomical rise in the number of companies, corporate organisations and individuals that are setting up mills, integrated mills and even small mills in the various areas.

“The CBN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been in the forefront of not just only encouraging the production of rice in Nigeria but also funding these farmers by given them loans to buy seedlings, fertilizers or some of the herbicides that they need for their rice production.

“We have been embarking on a programme where we are saying if you are involved in the business of smuggling or dumping of rice in the country, we close your account in the banking industry. And that is working very effectively.
“Recently, and this is the absolute truth, about two weeks before the border closure, the chairman of the Rice Processors Association – incidentally , he owns Umza Rice in Kano – called me and said all the rice millers and processors had about 25,000 metric tons of milled rice in their warehouses.

“This rice has been unsold because of the smuggling of rice through Benin Republic and other border posts that we have in the country and that he would want us to do something about it.
“Secondly, we also have members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria who also complained that they have thousands of crates of eggs that they could not sell; even some of the processed chickens that they could not sell, also arising from dumping of and smuggling of poultry products into Nigeria.

“I was told also that after some meetings that were held in addition to those engagements that we (CBN) also held with President Muhammadu Buhari, the border was closed subsequently.
“A week after the borders were closed, the same rice millers association called to tell us that all the rice that they had in their warehouses had all been sold.
“Indeed, a lot of people have been depositing money in their accounts and they have even been telling them to ‘please hold on don’t even pay money yet until we finish processing your rice.’

“The poultry association has also come to say that they have sold all their eggs, they have sold all their processed chickens and that demand is rising.
“So, when you asked, what is the benefit of the border closure on Nigeria’s economy, my explanation on just two products – poultry and rice provide the answer. But apart from that the benefit is that it has helped to create jobs for our people, it has helped to bring our integrated rice milling that we have in the country back into business again and they are making money.
“Our rural communities are bubbling because there are activities, as rice farmers are able to sell their produce. The poultry business is also doing well, and also maize farmers who produce maize from which feeds are produced are also doing business. These are the benefits.

“We are not saying that the borders should be closed in perpetuity, but that before the borders can be reopened, there must be concrete engagements with countries that are involved in using their ports and countries as landing ports for bringing in goods that are smuggled into Nigeria.
“That engagement must be held so that we agree on the basis under which the borders will be reopened; what are the kind of products that they can bring into their countries because if those products that land in their countries are meant for their own local consumption, it is understandable.

“But the fact that those products that landed in their countries are then transshipped or smuggled into Nigeria is something that I am sure you all agree as Nigerians we should not allow to happen because it undermines our economy. It undermines our own desire to make sure that industries are alive and jobs are created in Nigeria.”

By Akpovoke Otiti

Founder of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo has donated more than six hundred and fifty million naira to the people of Ogun State for rehabilitation of their roads .

According to reports, this is not the first time the cleric will be donating such huge amount for infrastructural development in the state with his personal resources , for accessibility , and free movement for his people .

Speaking at a gathering of pastors recently, Bishop Oyedepo announced that the #650m which is donated for rehabilitation of roads in Ogun state will ease the suffuring of the people .

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Delta State Council, has inaugurated a 19-man committee to organize its 2019 Press Week, with a charge to explore every opportunity to actualise the sole of raising fund for the furnishing of the press center.

Inaugurating the committee at the council’s temporary secretariat in DDPA Housing Estate, Asaba, the Chairman of the council, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu congratulated the members and charged them to do their best to deliver on their mandate of organizing a befitting press week.

He expressed optimism that “With the caliber of persons in the committee, the task will be simple”, maintaining that the press week would feature a lunching to raise funds for the furnishing of the union’s press centre as well as repositioning the union towards being financially independent.

While thanking the Delta State Governor , Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for his relentless support towards the completion of the press centre as he has demonstrated in the release of fund which has seen the press center building to an appreciable level, Comrade Ikeogwu appealed to stakeholders and well to do Deltans to throw their weight behind the project as government alone cannot meet the aspirations of the citizenry.

He advised members of the union to support the committee to enable them succeed in the task before them as it would be to the glory of God and honour to members if the building is completed and put to maximum use.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Pastor Emma Amaize noted that “With the composition of the committee, it is obvious that wise men and women have been chosen for this assignment.”

Reiterating the preparedness of the committee to deliver on it’s mandate, he said “We will do all within our limit with the cooperation of all members to ensure that we have a successful press week.”

The committee has as it’s Chairman, the South-South Regional Editor of the Vanguard Newspapers , Pastor Emma Amaize, Comrade Dele Fasun, Vice Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, Secretary, while Comrades Kingsley Azuh, Lucky Omokri, Festus Ahon, Francis Nwabiani, Emmanuel Ekebe, Nkem Nwaeke, Joy Mordi, Felix Ekwu, Okies Veeky and Paul Osuyi.

Other members are Comrades Andrew Ohwobetehe, Sonia Unobunjo, Anthonia Mowah, Florence Nwabuowun, Nneka Ozegbe and John Egie.