Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has congratulated his Chief Adviser, Chief (Dr.) Ighoyota Amori, on the occasion of his 74th birth anniversary, describing him as a seasoned politician and committed public servant whose contributions to the state remain significant.

The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, on Saturday, praised Amori for his decades of service and steadfast commitment to the advancement of Delta State and the wellbeing of its people.

Oborevwori particularly acknowledged Amori’s leadership of the Delta Central 2023 (DC-23) political lobby group, noting that his experience, political sagacity and commitment to public service had continued to make him a valuable asset to the state.

He said the birth anniversary offered an opportunity to celebrate not only Amori’s longevity but also his enduring contributions to governance, politics and community development.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I warmly felicitate with you, Chief Ighoyota Amori, on the occasion of your 74th birthday.

“Your years of dedicated service to God, Delta State and humanity are worthy of commendation. Your courage, consistency and commitment to the ideals of leadership and progress have remained remarkable.

“As you celebrate this milestone, I celebrate your invaluable contributions to our state and pray that God will continue to grant you good health, wisdom and strength to serve humanity,” the governor said.

The governor prayed God to bless Amori with many more years of good health, peace and fulfilment, while wishing him continued success in his endeavours.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has felicitated with the Chairman of the Delta State Security Trust Fund, Hon. Daniel Mayuku, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, Governor Oborevwori described Mayuku as a man of prodigious intellect whose career in law, legislation, public service and community development had reflected remarkable capacity, versatility and commitment to the advancement of Delta State.

The Governor said Mayuku had distinguished himself over the years through his proficiency in legal practice, lawmaking and legislative advocacy, as well as his efforts towards fostering unity and building bridges across ethnic and tribal divides.

Oborevwori recalled that Mayuku had served as Executive Director, Projects, at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), where he contributed to the implementation of development projects in oil-producing communities.

As a member representing Warri South-West Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Mayuku served in several key capacities, including Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Chairman of the Finance and Appropriation Committee and Chairman of the Education Committee, among others.

Governor Oborevwori commended Mayuku for his years of dedicated service and contributions to governance, particularly his commitment to legislative development, public administration and the advancement of society.

He prayed God to grant the former legislator continued good health, wisdom and strength to enable him make greater contributions to the peace, security and development of Delta State and Nigeria.

By Dr Festus Goziem Okubor writing from Ute-Erumu

Let us begin with a number so obscene it should make every Nigerian’s blood boil: Four trillion naira. That is what the fuel subsidy hemorrhage cost this nation in 2022 alone. Not on schools. Not on hospitals. Not on the roads that swallowed trucks. Four trillion naira vanished into the pockets of smugglers, cartel kingpins, and the political godfathers who turned Nigeria’s treasury into their personal automated teller machine.
No doubt, the forecasts for 2023 were worse: over six trillion naira, a sum larger than the entire federal budgets of Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire combined, was projected to go up in smoke, literally. This was not a social safety net. This was not a helping hand for the poor. This was beyond reasonable sense, organized, industrial-scale looting dressed in the language of compassion. The Nigerian fuel subsidy was the greatest heist in the economic history of modern Africa, and for forty years, every single man who occupied Aso Rock looked the other way until May 29, 2023.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the microphone, looked the subsidy vampire in the eye, and drove a stake through its heart. “Subsidy is gone,” he said. No committee. No white paper. No six-month stakeholder consultation designed to produce nothing. Just three words that every one of his predecessors lacked the spine to utter. That is what this piece is about: not spin, not propaganda, but the Cowardice Archive: Forty Years of Broken Promises.
Let us be brutally honest about our history, because the opposition would prefer we rather forget it.
Olusegun Obasanjo tried in 2003. He announced subsidy removal, faced protests, and retreated so fast you could hear the wind break. He tried again in 2004, then 2007; each time blinking at the first sign of resistance. The man who once boasted that Nigeria was not a nation of cows, yet the subsidy swallowed another trillion.
Goodluck Jonathan’s turn; 2012. The Occupy Nigeria movement took to the streets, and Jonathan, facing an election season capitulated completely. He not only restored the subsidy but entrenched it, ensuring the government, deducting billions at source for “under-recovery” a phrase that should live in infamy as the most expensive euphemism in Nigerian history.
Recall the scene again; Inauguration Day. The presidential speech writers must have scripted the norm; politically correct platitudes; false hope, soothing words with unrealistic inanities. Instead, Tinubu went off-script and detonated a policy bomb: “The fuel subsidy is gone.”
The political class was stunned. Where were the committees? Where was the national dialogue? Where was the six-month palliation window that had killed every previous attempt? Tinubu had done the unthinkable: he simply acted. No consultation with the subsidy cartel. No negotiation with the smugglers. No advance warning to the political godfathers who had grown fat on the arbitrage between Nigeria’s subsidized campaigns on removing the subsidy. Unlike his predecessors, who promised reform and delivered capitulation, Tinubu promised action, and for the first time in Nigerian history, a president’s word was total, final and unbreakable.
Tinubu’s May 29 declaration was not cruel. It was the long-overdue demolition of a criminal enterprise masquerading as social policy. No doubt the petrol prices soared as the immediate effect of the proclamation. This part is always painted by political antagonists, in its most gruesome form, while seeking to defame Tinubu as the cruelest President Nigeria ever had. They refuse to speak on the positive effect that this has on the economy: monthly allocations to states and Local Governments that once struggled to pay salaries now routinely exceed pre-2023 levels by margins of forty to sixty percent. Governors who spent years blaming Abuja for their insolvency suddenly found themselves with resources they had never seen. Whereas this article does not refute the fact that the masses have borne the immediate effect of subsidy removal, the price shock, real and painful as it is, should not mask the other reality of structural reallocation of national resources. Nigeria was spending more on subsidizing premium motor spirit than on its entire capital budget. Let that sink in: more on fuel than on roads, power, health, and education combined. Have you ever wondered why since 2023 there has been no serious fuel scarcity in Nigeria? By now, with the current military interface between America, Israel and Iran, and its attendant global oil crisis, the queues at filling stations as well as unreachable prices would have crippled the nation.
The IMF, no friend of populist presidents, wants us to believe that the Dangote Refinery with its 650,000 barrels per day of domestic refining capacity is somehow Aliko Dangote’s achievement alone, disconnected from government policy. This is either ignorance or deceit. The Dangote Refinery reached operational status under Tinubu’s watch, because Tinubu created the conditions for it to thrive. A downstream sector still shackled to subsidy economics would have made the refinery commercially unviable. Why would anyone invest billions in domestic refining price, quality, without competitive market access?
Consider where this leads: Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, has spent decades importing refined petroleum because its own refineries were monuments to incompetence and corruption. The subsidy regime made this madness profitable. Why fix refineries when you could import and pocket the subsidy differential? Tinubu, the political tactician broke that vicious circle.
The end of fuel importation is no longer a distant dream. It is the logical terminus of policies now in motion. And when that day comes, when Nigeria refines every drop of its own crude, the credit will belong not only to Tinubu but to all of us through our collective resilience and defiance against all that robbed Nigeria thin and lean through the heist of petroleum subsidy. This collective resilience and defiance, no doubt, is coming with painful cost, as no honest supporter of this administration is oblivious to the pain, through inflation that the removal of Oil subsidy has brought on household budgets. This temporary painful condition, which will soon end in the glory of a salvaged nation, that the rent-seekers who fed on Nigeria for forty years will not refrain from deploying, using every bureaucratic trick, every media plant, every political proxy to claw 2027 general elections.
As we approach the 2027 crossroads, the question on the ballot cannot be clearer. On one side: the subsidy vampires, the political actors, business cartels, and bureaucratic networks that fed on the narrative that “Tinubu has made life harder.” They will promise to bring back the “good old days” of cheap fuel. They will not mention that those days were financed by debt our grandchildren will repay. On the other side: a president who, whatever his imperfections, did what no one before him dared to do. He looked at a system designed to impoverish the nation and enrich a few, and he dismantled it. Not gradually. Not after a committee report. On Day One.
The history of nations is written at moments like this. Every country that has ever broken free of a resource curse, whether Indonesia under Suharto, Brazil under Cardoso, or India under Rao, did so because someone, somewhere, decided to stop the bleeding, whatever the political cost.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu made that decision for Nigeria on May 29, 2023. The reforms are not complete. The pain has not fully subsided. But the hemorrhage has been stanched. The patient is stabilizing. No more fake fuel promises. Nigeria has heard enough of those to last a lifetime. What we have now for the first time in a generation, is a president who said he would act, and did.
That is a story worth telling in 2027. That is a record worth defending. That is a man worth reelecting.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has felicitated with the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, on the occasion of his 58th birth anniversary.

Governor Oborevwori in a goodwill message issued in Asaba on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, described Yilwatda as a distinguished scholar, conscientious public servant and an unswerving democrat whose life has been defined by service and commitment to the nation.

Oborevwori congratulated the APC national chairman for attaining the milestone, saying his years of scholarship, public service and political engagement had contributed significantly to the development of the country.

The Governor said: “I felicitate with you, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, on the occasion of your 58th birth anniversary.

“As a distinguished scholar, conscientious public servant and unswerving democrat, you have continued to make your mark in the service of our dear country.

“On this special occasion, I join your family, friends, associates and members of the APC in celebrating you and wishing you many more years of impactful service.”

The Governor prayed God to grant the APC national chairman long life, sound health, wisdom and continued strength to discharge the responsibilities of his office.

He also wished Yilwatda continued divine blessings and protection, expressing optimism that the celebrant would have many more years to contribute to national development.

“May your days be long, and may God’s blessings and protection continually abide with you. Congratulations,” Oborevwori added.

By Emmanuel Enebeli

The Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) warmly felicitates with Okies Victor Okpomo on his official conferment and recognition as Chief Okakuro and Ufuoma of Oghara Kingdom.

The  Felicitation is contained in a message signed by the Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Emmanuel Enebeli, MNIPR, FCISM, who considered the honour a significant recognition of Chief Okpomo’s contributions to his community and the confidence reposed in him by the traditional institution and people of Oghara Kingdom.

As he assumes these traditional responsibilities, DOPF believes that his experience, wisdom and commitment to community development will further strengthen his capacity to contribute to the peace, unity and progress of Oghara Kingdom.

The Forum also acknowledges the importance of traditional institutions in preserving the cultural heritage of communities and fostering unity, peace and development. It therefore encourages Chief Okpomo to continue to uphold the values and responsibilities that come with his new positions.

The statement concludes;

“DOPF joins the people of Oghara Kingdom, family, friends and associates of Chief Okpomo in celebrating this milestone and wishes him wisdom, strength, good health and a successful tenure in his new roles.”

“Once again, congratulations to Chief Okakuro and Ufuoma of Oghara Kingdom.”

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has stressed the need for visionary, competent and selfless leadership to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, saying that strong institutions can only thrive when guided by leaders of integrity, character and patriotism.

The governor stated this on Thursday at the inaugural Professor Sam Oyovbaire Public Service Lecture held at the main auditorium of Southern Delta University, Orerokpe Campus, where he paid glowing tribute to the renowned political scientist and former Minister of Information for his outstanding contributions to scholarship and national development.

Represented by the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari, Governor Oborevwori described the institution of the annual lecture series as a fitting recognition of Professor Oyovbaire’s enduring legacy in academia and public service.

He said: “I congratulate Southern Delta University for instituting this lecture series to celebrate a man whose scholarship and public service have enriched our democratic journey.”

He noted that Professor Oyovbaire had distinguished himself through intellectual excellence, integrity and an unwavering commitment to nation-building, adding that his works had deepened national understanding of democracy, governance and federalism while inspiring generations of scholars and public servants.

Oborevwori described the lecture theme, “Federal Statecraft without Crafters: The Nigerian Predicament,” as timely and thought-provoking, saying it underscored the critical role of leadership in the success of democratic institutions.

According to him, no system of government can succeed without capable and visionary leaders who are committed to the common good of the people.

“Strong institutions are important, but they can only flourish when guided by men and women of character, competence and patriotism,” he said.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to good governance, inclusive development and policies aimed at improving the welfare of Deltans through the implementation of the M.O.R.E. Agenda.

He said the state government had continued to demonstrate that purposeful leadership, prudent management of public resources and effective collaboration remained essential ingredients for sustainable development and meaningful progress.

Oborevwori also urged participants at the lecture to engage actively in the discussions and translate the ideas generated into practical solutions capable of strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and advancing national development.

He congratulated Professor Oyovbaire for the honour bestowed on him and commended the management of Southern Delta University for establishing the lecture series, describing it as a laudable initiative that would promote intellectual discourse and contribute to the country’s democratic development.

The event was attended by some members of the Delta State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, Vice Chancellor of Southern Delta University, Professor Sunny Awhefeada, senior government officials, academics, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other distinguished guests.

The Federal Information Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council, today 6th August 2026 held a special congress where the previous executive committee (Exco) gave account of its stewardship preceding its dissolution, and a new executive committee was elected on expiration of the tenure of Comrade Abel Johngold-led Exco, marking a significant transition in the leadership of the chapel.

The event took place in the chapel’s secretariat at Federal Information Centre, Federal Secretariat Asaba, and was attended by executive members of the state council led by the Council Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe and Ag. Council Secretary Comrade Josephine Omordior, as well as National Ex Officio member, Comrade Felix Igbekoyi.

The special congress was presided by State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Churchill Oyowe and moderated by the Ag. State Secretary Comrade Josephine Omordior. Oyowe commended and congratulated the Abel Johngold-led Exco for leading the chapel peacefully and leaving the chapel better than it was in previous tenures.

Comrade Abel Johngold gave his stewardship account, citing that he was unanimously re-elected to serve as Chairman of the Federal Information Chapel for the 2023–2026 union term. He recounted his commitment which was to revitalizing the Chapel, strengthening unity among members and improving its operational effectiveness.

Speaking further, the two-term Chapel Chairman outlined intentional measures he took to achieve the successes recorded so far, which include; formal and informal meetings to foster cooperation and participation, transparency, accountability, financial prudence, capacity building programmes, welfare and chapel project one of which was a signpost at the entrance of Federal Secretariat, Asaba, clearly identifying the location of the Federal Information Chapel.

Johngold further noted that his tenure was not without challenges ranging from poor records and meeting attendance to weak financial commitment of members, which he weathered with the support of his Exco members. He ceased the opportunity to appreciate every member for the confidence reposed in him to serve while his tenure lasted.

The Credentials Committee Chairperson, Comrade Mrs. Tracy Ikolomi, who also is the Delta State Director of National Orientation Agency, stated that the contestants’ certificates and financial standings were duly screened to certify eligibility, noting that today’s election is for the position of Chairman, while that of Secretary was unopposed with a lone contestant, in view of a bye election to fill in other executive posts.

The outcome of the election reflected an overwhelming vote in favour of Comrade Tamara Febau over Comrade Kelly Gilor as Chairman, while Comrade Wilbet Ijeoma was returned as Secretary unopposed.

In an acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairman, Comrade Tamara Febau, thanked the congress and accepted the position with a sense of responsibility, noting that the position of Chairman is not a title but a call to duty. He called on the support of everyone especially his co-contestant Comrade Kelly Gilor to work with him and move the chapel forward.

The State Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe gave a closing remarks, congratulating the newly elected Chairman and encouraged him to be magnanimous in victory, while urging the contender to be gallant and cease other opportunities to serve the union. He termed the victory a victory for the chapel and the union having witnessed a peaceful and rancor-free election, and charged the chapel to come up with activities such as training and collaborative programmes to promote the union, while urging members to leverage on existing media to promoting the chapel and giving it visibility.

Oyowe harped on continuous peaceful coexistence of Chapel members which resonates at the State Council, and urged the Chairman to encourage members to upgrade their qualifications, citing IIJ Professional Studies with the present session having 20 candidates. Finally, he thanked the Credentials Committee for a job well done.

Mrs. Ikolomi appreciated everyone for the peaceful conduct of the election, noting that there was no Victor, no Vanquish. She expressed optimism that members would be more involved in subsequent elections, and charged the newly elected executives to carry every member in the chapel along.

In a vote of thanks, the newly elected Chapel Secretary, Comrade Wilbet Ijeoma thanked the State Council executives led by the Council Chairman Comrade Churchill Oyowe and Ag. State Secretary Comrade Josephine Omodior for the smooth and successful moderation of the election, everyone in attendance, and recognized the presence of a National Ex Officio member, Comrade Felix Igbekoyi. “I pray God grant us the newly elected Exco the wisdom to pilot the affairs of the chapel to a greater height;” Ijeoma prayed.

Highpoints of the congress were account stewardship, dissolution of exco, election and inauguration of new exco, and group photograph.

The Delta State Government’s drive to attract foreign direct investment received a major boost on Wednesday as investors from Brazil, Malaysia and the United States expressed strong interest in investing in the state’s agriculture, energy and industrial sectors following an inspection tour of key investment sites across the state.

The investors, who participated in the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit, visited the Kwale Special Economic Zone, where they were conducted round the facilities of Kwale Gas Gathering Hub and Phoenix Company.

The team also visited Skyward Resources Group in Oleh and Uzezi Farms in Oyede, where they commended the state’s investment-friendly environment and pledged to explore strategic partnerships.

Leader of the Brazilian agribusiness delegation, Roberto Fonseca, described the Kwale Special Economic Zone as a well-conceived initiative capable of attracting global investors and boosting Nigeria’s industrialisation.

Fonseca said the delegation had monitored developments at the economic zone for some time before they decided to visit, adding that the project reflected the Delta State Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investment.

He disclosed that the Brazilian group was considering investments in gas-fired power generation and a cassava processing plant through a joint venture arrangement, noting that Kwale’s strategic location made it an ideal destination for such projects.

“We have been studying the Kwale Special Economic Zone with great interest because we believe it is a very wise decision by the Delta State Government. We are planning investments in natural gas power generation and cassava processing, and I believe the Brazilian flag will soon stand alongside the Nigerian flag here in a fruitful partnership,” he said.

During a visit to Skyward Resources Group and Uzezi Farms, Fonseca praised the modern agricultural facilities, describing them as evidence that Nigeria possesses the capacity to strengthen food production and achieve food security.

He said Brazil, regarded as one of the world’s leading agribusiness nations, was prepared to invest in ranching, beef processing and partner Nigeria through technology transfer and innovation to improve agricultural productivity.

“Food security remains one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges, and Brazil is ready to contribute by bringing technology, expertise and investment. We are committed to partnering Nigeria to build a stronger agricultural sector,” he stated.

Also speaking, Malaysian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Aiyub Omar, said Malaysia was exploring investment opportunities in Delta State’s agricultural sector, particularly oil palm development.

The envoy noted that he attended the summit alongside representatives of Malaysian agribusiness firms with extensive experience in large-scale plantation management, including operators managing over 12,000 hectares of oil palm in Nigeria.

He said discussions had already commenced with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on possible collaboration to develop Delta’s oil palm industry, expressing confidence that Malaysia’s expertise could support the state’s agricultural transformation.

Founder of Agrinexus, Dr. Shermal Perera, said his organisation was already working in Nigeria and had begun collaborating with local partners in Delta State.

Perera disclosed that Agrinexus serves as technical partner to JB Farms, one of Nigeria’s leading oil palm companies, while also supporting DELCOM on a proposed smallholder oil palm development programme.

He added that the company had brought an American investor to explore investment opportunities in Delta, stressing that international interest in the state was already translating into concrete business engagements.

Speaking during the tour, Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, who led the delegation, said the state deliberately combined investment discussions with field visits to existing businesses to demonstrate that Delta was genuinely prepared for investment.

According to him, the inspection tour was designed to convince prospective investors that beyond presentations at the summit, the state already possesses thriving private sector investments ready for expansion through international partnerships.

“What we are looking for is partnership, technology and expertise. We want investors to see that Delta means business. We have indigenous entrepreneurs who are here to stay and are ready to partner with investors from across the world. We want you to have confidence that your investments will be safe in Delta State,” Onyeme said.

Managing Director of Skyward Resources Group, Chief Eta Enahoro, said his agricultural enterprise had been developed with significant Brazilian technical support, noting that the company’s greenhouse facilities, poultry operations and feed mill were built using Brazilian expertise.

He revealed that the farm currently operates 42 greenhouse units and a poultry facility with a capacity exceeding 30,000 birds, while calling on foreign investors to partner the company in expanding its operations.