Nigeria Content Online

EDO

Edo State House of
Assembly has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to
take immediate steps to stop the oil spill at Urhokuosa N’owa and
Oke-Akhianmwan communities in Uhunmwode Local Government Area. A member
representing Uhunmwode, Amadasun Uwamose, drew the attention of the
House, under matters of urgent importance, to the leak on Monday. Mr
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. The Majority Leader of
the House, Philip Shaibu, and the Deputy Speaker, Paul Ohonbamu
condemned the activities of the hoodlums. 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.

EKITI

The Ekiti State
Chapter of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has suspended
the three-month-old strike embarked upon by members of the union.
Chairman of the union, Michael Ibiyemi, confirmed the immediate
suspension of the strike in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday. Mr Ibiyemi said that
though the state government was yet to fully address their demands, its
decision to call off the strike was informed by the need to allow for
collective bargaining. He said that the state government had agreed in
principle to meet with the union’s demands as soon as its finances
improved, but that the workers resolved to return to work out of
patriotism. He called on all JUSUN members working in various courts
and offices across the state to resume work immediately

IMO

The Court of Appeal
on Thursday, in Owerri, dismissed the application by the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Onyema
Ugochukwu, challenging its earlier decision in the state’s governorship
poll in 2007. The court had earlier upheld the April 14, 2007 election
of the serving governor, Theodore Orji, but Mr Ugochukwu filed a motion
praying the court to reverse its decision. It had earlier set aside the
Abia Election Tribunal’s nullification of Mr Orji’s election on the
ground that he belonged to a secret cult; the Okija Shrine. Delivering
judgment, the presiding judge, Suleiman Galadima, said the court
dismissed all the applications for lack of merit and substantial
evidence after thorough examination.

RIVERS

Properties worth
millions of naira were recently destroyed following a heavy downpour in
Opobo, Rivers State on Tuesday. The worst hit areas were Brown
compound, Pombe area and buildings close to Opobo New Layout. The
Chairman of Opobo Local Government Area, Maclean Uranta, who conducted
journalists around the disaster area on Thursday, said that the council
had concluded arrangements to tackle the perennial flooding in Opobo
town. Mr Uranta said the council had engaged experts to study the
causes of the flooding and advise the council on the best approach to
combat it. He sympathised with the victims and assured them that
arrangements were ongoing to assist them. A victim, Clement Daasang,
described the disaster as unprecedented, “I have not witnessed this
kind of flood in this town in the over 30 years that I have lived in
Opobo.”

ABUJA

Chief Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, on Thursday, announced the
appointment of Sunday Olorundahunsi as the Acting Chief Registrar of
the Supreme Court. Mr Katsina-Alu announced Mr Olorundahunsi’s
appointment at the swearing of eight new high court judges in Abuja. He
said the move followed the elevation of the former Registrar, Usman
Musale, as a high court judge of the Federal Capital Territory. Mr
Katsina-Alu said the appointment is was with immediate effect.