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APC, Others React To Police Ban On Rallies …Begins Membership Registration,Today
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has described the recent ban of poltical rallies by the State Police Command as an act of illegality and abuse of the inalienable rights of the people to freely associate as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria.
The Party, which stated this in a statement, yesterday in Port Harcourt, said it regarded the ban on rallies as a direct declaration of War on the long suffering people of Rivers State.
The statement, signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Senior Special Assistant to the Interim State Chairman, noted that the directive was aimed at disrupting the APC membership drive and registration scheduled to commence today in Rivers State.
According to him, “Our members and supporters are scheduled to commence registration on Wednesday (today)”, adding that the directive was clearly targeted at frustrating the exercise after APC had already trained officers and moblisied materials to all the wards and units in the state.
“The latest impunity by Mbu Joseph Mbu was designed to sabotage our membership drive. The plan will fail as the Police lack powers to stop the nationwide registration of the APC exercise from holding in Rivers State”.
Chief Eze said the party in the state had directed its lawyers to challenge the order in court as it had instructed its resigration officers to go ahead with the registration exercise.
He warned that if the Police intention was to use the ban to disrupt its registration exercise, then it was an exercise in futility.
Also reacting to the ban, the President of the Save Rivers Movement, Mr. Charles Ahorlu said the Police had no right to ban political rallies in the state.
Ahorlu, who spoke in a telephone interview, explained that the state Police Command was arrogating to itself the power not vested in it by the Nigerian constitution.
According to him, “we will not take the ban on rallies lightly. Where were the Police when the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) was moving around all nooks and crannies of the state, holding political rallies in the local government areas of the state”.
Meanwhile, the GDI said it was ready to comply with the ban on Political rallies by the Police.
The National Spokesman of the group, Mr. Godwill Orurakwe said President Goodluck Jonathan had maintained that he did not want any loss of life for any political reasons.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, on Monday placed a ban on rallies in the state.
Mbu, who said the decision was based on the increasing political tension in the state, specifically said the ban affected political rallies.
Before the outright ban, the CP had directed that those holding rallies in the state should apply for permission from the Police.
He also prohibited activities involving the Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement and the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation.
“Accordingly, all public activities involving rallies of Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement, Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation and whatever other names, are hereby banned”.
Mbu warned that the Police would not provide security for any group that henceforth organize rallies.
The CP, however, said that party membership registration would only be allowed based on the provisions of the Electoral Act and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State described the ban on political rallies as a gang-up between the Police and the State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
The state Chairman, Brother Felix Obuah said the ban on political rallies was targeted at stopping the PDP from taking its campaign to the various local government areas of the state.
“I just believe it (ban on rallies by the Police) is against the PDP. The PDP has not started its rallies and anytime from now, we are planning to embark on our rallies from one local government area to the other.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.