News
Tai Leaders Tackle Wike On Banana Farm

L-R: United Bank for Africa (UBA) Director of Consumer Banking, Mr Ilesanmi Owoeye, a customer, Ms Gladys Ugwuagu and Uba Head, Retail Products Division, Mrs Olumide Osunyomi during UBA launch of U-Gold Banking Product in Enugu, last week. Photo: NAN
The Federal lawmaker representing Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency, Chief Barinada Mpigi and leaders of Tai Local Government Area have cautioned the acting Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and Senator Lee Maeba over their comments on the Banana Farm owned by the Rivers State Government.
Reacting to the comments by former Senator Lee Maeba at the inauguration of Grassroots Democratic Initiative in Kpite Community in Tai Local Government Area to lead a protest to destroy the farm Chief Mpigi said, the plot is targeted at destroying and sabotaging the economy of the state and render thousands of youths, women and men in the area useless and unproductive.
Mpigi stated this Monday, at a media briefing at Government House in Port Harcourt.
According to him, ‘Now, they are talking about Banana Farm, and many of our sons and daughters, including men and women engaged in the farm will be rendered useless. Some of them were paid huge sums of money for their crops that were bought for the farm, some of them were paid very little amount in the past, but what they were paid currently has been in millions. But let me assure them that the people of Kpite Community in Tai Local Government Area have resolved that they are ready to follow Governor Amaechi”, Hon. Mpigi said.
The Federal Lawmaker flayed Chief Wike on his inability to resolve the ASUU strike that has crippled academic activities in the nation’s university system, and urged him to dump his electioneering campaign and return to Abuja, where he is most needed.
“The comments by Nyesom Wike last Sunday shows that he has lost direction and bearing. Instead of Wike to concentrate on how to resolve ASUU strike, he is busy in Rivers State jumping from one local government to the other to inaugurate GDI. I think he should start going back to Abuja and sit down with President Jonathan and other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the ASUU strike. Nyesom Wike also mentioned my name during the GDI inauguration, but let me remind Wike that since I became council chairman in 1999 and later appointed as Commissioner, I was not forced on anybody. I was also duly elected by the people of Eleme, Tai and Oyigbo Federal Constituency,” Hon. Mpigi said.
He strongly condemned the planned hiring of thugs, hoodlums and militants to terrorize his people during the upcoming general elections, stressing that the people of Tai, Eleme and Oyigbo have already thrown their weight behind Governor Amaechi.
“Last Sunday, our people saw how hired thugs, hoodlums and militants were roaming the communities, but when the chips are down, they will see. Amaechi has built 22 Model Primary Schools and Health Centres. Everybody in Tai will allow the votes casts at the poll to count”, Hon. Mpigi maintained.
Speaking further, Hon. Hycinth Dike, former Chief of Staff of Tai Council said, Nyesom Wike and former Senator Lee Maeba and their supporters were strangers to their land since they were not conversant with the level of infrastructural and human capital development instituted by the Governor Amaechi led administration in Tai local government area of the state.
Hon. Hyacinth Dike challenged former Senator Lee Maeba to tell the people of Tai and the people of his senatorial district how many constituency projects he attracted to the area during his tenure of office, and warned Lee Maeba and his cohorts to avoid the banana farm and other development projects put in place by the Governor Amaechi led administration.
One of the leaders of Kpite community, in Tai Local Government Area, Sir Mbakpone Okpe noted that the community has benefitted immensely from the Amaechi led administration, including the appointment of their sons as commissioners, award of overseas scholarships to indigenes, and the construction of solar power light project in the area by Chief Barry Mpigi.
Another political leader in Kpite Community, Hon, Mgbo Innocent advised Chief Nyesom Wike and Senator Maeba to withdraw their repulsive statements, and seek ways to end the PDP political impasse in Rivers State, and allow peace to prevail.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Amaechi, Mr David Iyofor said that the state governor will not be drawn into joining issues with Nyesom Wike and his insignificant group of court jesters.
“That Banana Farm in Tai Local Government Area employs over 250 indigenes of Tai and millions of Naira were paid monthly to this people. It is one of the biggest employer of labour in that area. It’s economic benefits to the Tai people and the state is enormous,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rivers State governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi says his administration is gradually moving the state from an oil -based to an agro-based economy.
He made the revelation in a press chat with a group of foreign journalists who visited him and undertook tour of projects last weekend in Port Harcourt.
The governor while calling on foreign investors to come and invest pointed out that Rivers state is virgin for any investor. He maintained that the state is ready to give out more lands for any agricultural investments
He stated that already foreign investors have taken over the former RISONPALM estate of about 10,000 hectares of palm, and that an Israeli company has also agreed to commence Farm Settlement in Etche worth about N50billion naira.
According to Amaechi Africa is a virgin land and has huge potentials, especially Nigeria with its huge population.
Even the huge untapped natural resources in the state according to the governor provides enough potentials for any investor, saying that the policy of government is to move the state from oil to an agro-based economy.
Amaechi also stressed that “one way of moving the country forward was through education and if you don’t have it you are in problem.
So far, he submitted that the effort has started yielding results following success recorded by indigenes who went abroad for scholarships.
Commenting on why the people still love his administration despite the political problems he said, “ I think Rivers people have been patient enough…you can see that despite the political problems they are still rallying behind government because they are seeing things on ground ‘’
News
Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
News
Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.
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