Delta Central Senator, Ede Dafinone, has expressed optimism on the reign of Tue new Udu Kingdom (Ovie of Udu Kingdom) HRM Engr. Michael Ogheneovo Orugbo, JP, KP, Okporua I, even as he congratulated him on the official presentation of the Staff of Office by the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff F. O. Oborevwori, on Friday, November 7, 2025. Senator Dafinone, in a goodwill message signed by him, described the presentation as a momentous occasion. He said; “This is indeed a proud and historic moment, not only for Udu Kingdom but for the entire Urhobo nation.…
Author: SouthernVoiceNews
SouthernVoiceNews
Godwin-Maria Utuedoye is a trained professional journalist. A graduate of Mass Communication from the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. He is a registered practising Journalist with the Nigeria Union of Journalists with over 20 years experience in news reporting. He is interested in Investigative and development Journalism. He lives in Nigeria and focuses more in the Niger-Delta region where oil and gas exploration by government and multinational oil companies has plunged into poverty and environmental degradation for years. He is also a PR Consultant, content creator, broadcast, print Journalist and Publisher. His vast experiences in journalism span over decades of reporting the activities of the untouched areas. He is married with children.
By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye Very recently, precisely Thursday, October 30, 2025, Ughelli North Local Government (LG) Chairman, Jaro Egbo, declared compulsory environmental sanitation within headquarter Ughelli town and environs. The outcome of the exercise however raised questions over residents’ acceptability. Many unconcerned respondents doubt Egbo’s sincerity and commitment to effectiveness of the exercise. Stakeholders criticized the decision as only serving to disrupt business activities, create chaos, and did not result in any meaningfully clean environment. Many also believed the exercise was a ploy to feasts on council funds for extraneous gains even as others questioned the LG boss’s sense of cleanliness…
The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, has announced a special session with current lawmakers and former members of the State Assembly, also addressed as Non-Sitting Members of the House. Rt Hon Guwor who announced the planned event during Tuesday’s plenary of the House, said the session will take place from Wednesday, November 12th to Friday, November 14th, 2025, in Asaba, the state capital. Expected attendees include the State Governor and former Speaker, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, and other former Speakers, including Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Okoro, Rt. Hon. Kent Omatsone, Rt Hon Martins…
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has approved the release of ₦8.4 billion to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) for the settlement of long-standing contract liabilities dating from 2010 to 2023. The intervention is aimed at restoring contractor confidence, revitalizing grassroots development, and stimulating economic activity across the state’s oil-producing communities. The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Communication, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at Government House, Asaba, after a meeting between the Governor and the Management of DESOPADEC. Aniagwu explained that the funds would be used to pay contractors who…
A prominent Urhobo women’s group based in Frankfurt Am Main, State of Hessen, Germany, under the aegis of “Ukọ kọ R’e Eguono R’e Iya Ruẹ Urhobo,” has passed a vote of no confidence in the Chief Ese Gam-led Urhobo Progress Union (UPU Worldwide), describing its leadership as “incompetent and morally bankrupt.” The group accused the current UPU Executive of bringing the Urhobo nation into disrepute and insisted that it has no moral right to seek re-election after what it called “a disastrous tenure marked by failure and silence in moments of national embarrassment.” In a statement issued and signed by…
Barely five days after the Senate approved President Bola Tinubu’s $2.847 billion external borrowing plan, another loan request, this time N1.15 trillion from the domestic market, has landed before the National Assembly. The fresh request, read on the floor of the Senate by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, seeks legislative approval to fund part of the deficit in the 2025 national budget. According to the president, the new domestic borrowing is to “bridge the fiscal shortfall” and ensure “smooth implementation of key government programmes and projects” under the 2025 fiscal framework. The loan, he said, is backed…
Delta Central Senator, Ede Dafinone, has raised alarm over the recurring train derailments, service suspensions, and growing safety concerns on the train services. His motion has prompted the Nigerian Senate to order immediate investigation and rehabilitation of the Ujevwu–Itakpe rail corridor. Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Senator Dafinone, described the frequent derailments and poor maintenance of the Ujevwu–Itakpe Train Line as a threat to passenger safety and national economic growth. He called for “an urgent investigation, full rehabilitation, and stronger safety measures to protect passengers and safeguard this vital national infrastructure.” The Ujevwu–Itakpe…
The deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another turn over the weekend as former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, publicly endorsed Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman as the factional Acting National Chairman of the party. Abdulrahman’s emergence followed the suspension of the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and five other National Working Committee (NWC) members by a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Fayose, speaking during the event attended by key PDP stakeholders, including prominent Ekiti governorship aspirant, Dr. Funso Ayeni, congratulated Abdulrahman and charged him to make party unity and justice his…
The political atmosphere within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has grown tense ahead of the Ekiti governorship primaries, following sharp criticism from Dr. Funso Ayeni, one of the party’s leading aspirants, over the suspension of the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature. Dr. Ayeni, in a statement issued from his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti, described the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) as a “calculated and autocratic move” intended to suppress dissenting voices within the party. He accused the leadership of deliberately undermining internal democracy and attempting to manipulate the upcoming primary process. According to him, Bature’s alleged wrongdoing…
In a revealing interview on Meet the Lawmaker”, Senator Ede Dafinone spoke candidly on Nigeria’s economic recovery, youth empowerment, leadership values, and his vision for a better nation. He defended President Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing them as “hard but necessary decisions” to restore fiscal stability, noting that subsidy removals and currency realignment were already showing early signs of recovery. On leadership, Dafinone emphasized humility and service over power, warning that politics must return to people-centered governance. He called for stronger protection of Nigeria’s traditional institutions, describing them as vital pillars of culture and stability. Addressing youth challenges, he urged a…