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‘How To Tackle Boko Haram’
What would have become a fanfare on Wednesday turned solemn as former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi turned the Port Harcourt World Book Capital celebrations to address the country’s worrisome security challenges.
Gen. Abubakar, who was chairman of the occasion, reiterated the call for peace and co-existence and among Nigerians.
“ Without peace, there will be no security to read books, without peace, there won’t be any opportunity for political and economic advancement. Therefore, it is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians to fight this scourge called terrorism to an end,” he said.
He added, “ We need to work together to ensure peace in the country. All Nigerians must put hands on deck to maintain peace in this country.’’
On his part, Prof. Soyinka challenged Nigerians to rise up against terrorism, noting that the members of Boko Haram sect were in the people’s mindsets.
“They are not Muslims, for the Koran does not preach killing of innocent children. We must rise up to condemn the Nyanya bomb blast and abduction of our daughters. We cannot fold our hands to watch our innocent daughters become sex slaves to hoodlums and terrorists”.
The Nobel laureate enjoined Nigerians to stand up and face the horror that confronts them, pointing out that the country’s leaders must also rise to the challenge by emulating Algeria, adding that “bring back the pupils must replace bring back the book’’.
He criticised President Jonathan for embarking on a political campaign two days after the Nyanya blast at Abuja, reasoning that such attitude was a display of levity and concern for lives of Nigerians.
For Governor Amaechi, the solution to the menace of Boko Haram is in agriculture and education,” one thing that will change the Boko Haram people who are paid to shoot is to give them a different mindset…turn their vast land into farms which will give them economic mindset and also push the Boko Haram people far off,’’ Amaechi said.
Against this backdrop, he promised to admit any of the rescued girls from the Boko Haram into any of the new model secondary schools, noting that the state government had commenced a free education policy as part of measures to tackle the militancy in the state.
He attributed the hosting of the World Book Capital to the success recorded in the literary festivals organised by the state government in the past six years, and commended the Rainbow Book Club for their hard work and initiative.
He thanked all dignitaries, especially Gen Abdulsalami for honouring the invitation, while disclosing that already, plans have begun to build 23 libraries and a writers’ village as part of activities to promote reading and book culture in the state.
Former Minister of Education and World Bank deputy chief for Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, who spoke onbehalf of Rainbow Book Club, used the occasion to call for replacement of oil economy with intellectual capital.
The highpoint of the occasion was the official handover of a scroll book from Banghok to Port Harcourt by the Deputy Governor of the Asian city to Governor Amaechi.
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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.
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