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New Rivers CP Reads Riot Act To Policemen …Orders Withdrawal Of Orderlies To Undeserving Persons
Worried by the lack of professionalism displayed by some Police Officers in the discharge of their duties, the new Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Chris O. Ezike, has warned Policemen in the state to justify their monthly pay by performing commensurate duties.
The Commissioner of Police also warned that idleness, Lazity and poor attitude to crime fighting as well as reckless use of firearms against the provision of the Force Order 237 would no longer be tolerated, even as he charged them to display professionalism, operate within the laws, rules and extant regulations.
The State Police boss gave the warning during his inaugural address and press briefing following a meeting with Senior Officers, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Heads of Departments (HODs) in the command yesterday at the Police Officers’ Mess, Port Harcourt.
The new Police boss said the essence of the meeting was to enable him interact and brainstorm with the Senior Officers to learn about the peculiar law enforcement challenges they faced in their departments, divisions, and formations to enable them develop fresh approaches and adopt measures that would complement existing strategies.
According to him, “the objective of this focus, is to combat cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, homicide and other violent crimes that undermine the state’s peace, security and general well-being.
“The state occupies a vital economic position in the affairs of the country.
We cannot, therefore, close our eyes and pretend that all is well,” he said.
“Operationally, we shall adopt high visibility policing method. Policemen must not only be on patrol but must be seen to be on patrol. We shall also develop and implement a standard operation procedure that would enhance coordination to distress management, and consequently, reduce response time”, he added.
He posited that high visibility policing will give the citizenry psychological assurance, besides the physical certainty but requires enonomous manpower, adding that he was convinced that with personnel strength of 15,521, three Mobile Police Force Squadrons, excluding visiting units, the command has the manpower to ensure effective and efficient policing in the state.
Ezike said that within the same framework, any Police Officer that abuses the goodwill he enjoys or wastes same on the platform of ineptitude or corruption, would be fully sanctioned in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police told the officers that the handover notes he received from his predecessor show that the trend and pattern of serious crimes in the state have become worrisome to the citizens, especially kidnapping and armed robbery, fueled by cultism, and promised the readiness of his administration to wipe the scourge of criminality in the state as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, in a determined effort to promote effective and efficient policing, the new Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Okey Ezeike, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all Police Mobile Force personnel attached to persons that are not entitled to have such persons without the approval of Inspector-general of police.
The Commissioner also directed all Area Commanders, Heads of Department and DPOs to act accordingly by enforcing the strict directive.
Ezeike gave the directive during a meeting yesterday at Police Officers’ mess in Port Harcourt, with Senior Police Officers within the Command as part of his maiden meeting with them on his assumption of office as the new Police helmsman in the state.
He disclosed that a monitoring task force would soon be constituted to ensure compliance with the order, adding that the action was part of his administration’s drive to promote efficient policing in the state.
He said that his administration will focus on providing qualitative service to the people, fight crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism with every strength the Police can muster.
According to him, the Police will partner with other security agencies and non-state actors in a professional and transparent manner as well as respect the rights of the citizens while abhorring corruption.
Ezeike used the opportunity to re-emphasise the cardinal policy of the Inspector-General of Police’s administration on robust fight against violent crimes, focus on intelligence-led policing, ban on road blocks and replacement with safer High-Way Patrols, restorative justice, amongst others.
He told the officers that he is in the state “with tremendous goodwill, open hands and mind, willingness to work, partner with all to ensure we make the state safer, secure, better and prosperous”.
On the use of tinted glasses without authorization, the Commissioner said the Command was worried about the increase despite several directives by his predecessors, noting that persons of questionable character and criminals have been observed to be in the habit of using tinted glass cars to commit all sorts of atrocities.
“To this effect” he said, ‘with effect from 10th July, 2015, therefore, all vehicles which flout this directive will be impounded and the owners arrested and prosecuted”.
He, however, said that the task ahead of the new Police leadership was daunting but not impossible, and solicited for the co-operation of other security agencies, the media, civil society, market organizations, tertiary institutions and the general public in the quest for a safer state.
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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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