News
Govt Names Int’l Conference Centre After Obi Wali
Newly constructed International Conference Center on Chief G. U. Ake Bypass has been named after Senator Obi Wali, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has announced.
Amaechi announced the decision when he played host to his kinsmen and prominent Ikwerre traditional rulers at Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers.
He said the government took the decision because late Obi Wali was a national figure and gift to Ikwerre people, hinting that more public buildings would be named after prominent sons and daughters of the state.
The governor said his administration has ensured that projects were evenly spread across the state in keeping with his detribalized attitude to governance for which, he recalled that the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) gave him a title for taking away their pains by developing their area hitherto left out of the development plans of previous administrations in the state.
Frowning at the attitude of some Ikwerre politicians who specialise in betraying their own, the Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi criticised the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who was his former chief of staff, for failing the integrity test where he (Wike) had sworn with the names of his children never to betray him (Amaechi) but now has done so.
Amaechi disclosed this when his kinsmen and prominent Ikwerre traditional rulers visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers.
The governor recalled that in order to convince him to forward his name as ministerial nominee to President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike had sworn with his own children that he would never betray him, but was to betray him after getting his ministerial appointment from President Jonathan.
“I told my friends who are governors, I said when you will be betrayed at the end of 2015, you will almost be in a state of coma because you have not experienced it. Your speech did mention the former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Austin Opara, your speech also mentioned the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike. The Minister of State for Education swore with the names of his children that he would never betray me, that I should put his name forward for minister. I say, he swore with the names of his children.”
“No matter the condition, I will never swear with the names of my children, nothing will make me swear with the names of my children. But if I make the mistake of swearing with the names of my children, nothing outside God will make me betray you. Not because any harm will befall the children… It is the honour you bestow on those children that should make you not to betray whatever word you have given to anybody.
“In fact, if you listen very well, the Minister of State for Education was saying that I wasn’t the person who nominated him until a Rivers delegation went to see the president and the president said, ‘I don’t even know the man (Wike). It was Amaechi that brought him. I stopped him but Amaechi insisted that I must take him (Wike).
“There are not too many elites with character, not too many. In their quest for power and their desire to accumulate wealth, they can sell their mother, some elites can sell their mother.”
Amaechi noted that history would judge those who say one thing and do another as he equally recounted how he had helped persons, only to be betrayed by these same persons.
Amaechi said his policies in government have been to develop all parts of the state.
“I made sure that I prefer to be called a Rivers Governor, not an Ikwerre governor, so I made sure that if we took a road to Ikwerre, we would take it to Gokana”.
Earlier, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers, Eze Blessing Wagor, acknowledged that Governor Amaechi had been a victim of betrayal in several instances but commended his strength of character and courage in facing up to treacherous behaviour.
He said the governor had helped to install Ikwerre sons in positions of responsibility most of whom he said failed to appreciate him.
“On the 9th day of November, 2000, all the Government recognized Traditional Rulers in Ikwerre-led by the late Eze Epara Rebisi, Eze S. N. Woluchem and the entire people of Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality gathered at the ancient kingdom of Isiokpo and conferred on you the title of Ochi Aliri 1 of Ikwerre. You were then the Honourable Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. You remain the first man to be so honoured by our people. Ever since, we have studiously watched your conduct, activities, growth and achievements in politics as well as the Governor of Rivers State.
“From the year 1999 to date, Ikwerre has either through you or your instrumentality achieved great heights in our political history. From being the first Ikwerre man to be elected speaker, and consequently governor of the state, you influenced the appointment of an Ikwerre man as vice chancellor of Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), deputy speaker, House of Representatives, federal electoral commissioner, Nigeria Ambassador to Ukraine, chief judge of Rivers State, president, Customary Court of Appeal and presently, minister of state for education, to mention but a few.
“In the area of governance, you have provided us with good roads, modern schools and functional health centres and hospitals just as you have extended these facilities to other ethnic groups in the state.
“As members of the traditional institution, we have equally heard and seen you face outright deceits, betrayals from very close quarters and associates that should have earned you praises. We have seen you face fire. We have seen you work upon thongs and we have seen you in a capsizing boat. In all of these, you remained solidly undaunted and robustly focused on your mission to Rivers State.
“To say the least, you have brought honour and pride to us and the entire people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality. Let us assure you that all the government recognized traditional rulers and our people are solidly behind you”.
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
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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