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State Security: Rivers PDP Tackles APC
Following the reaction by the All Progressives Congress, (APC), on the security situation in parts of the state, alleging that until the current AIG, and the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike are removed from office, the lives of innocent Rivers people, policemen and members of other security agencies will continue to be senselessly dispensed with without consequences, the Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro Felix Obuah has said that such position was unpatriotic, questionable, and should be investigated accordingly.
Obuah observed that rather than joining the government and other stakeholders to proffer solution to issues of criminality and security in the society, the APC leadership was relentlessly making efforts to cause havoc and create lawless situation in the state, by inciting the people and blackmailing the governor, the police and military authorities, as well as the leaders and members of the PDP in the state for selfish and ill-conceived political motive.
The PDP expressed concern that few weeks after one of the APC leaders, Magnus Abe, gave a directive to his supporters to take up arms against perceived enemies, the party has not left any one in doubt that all it wants by all means is to blackmail the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and all those perceived not to be supporting APC out of office, including causing security breaches in the state.
“The latest statement by the APC Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, signed by one Chris Fynebone, while reacting to the killing of five policemen attached to 30 PMF (Police Mobile Force), Yenagoa, on Monday, May 9, 2016, along the Okogbe – Yenagoa Road, to us, is one of such moves”,the PDP said.
Obuah argued that the APC leaders in the state and the party do not have better way than the PDP in tackling insecurity, violence and criminality in the state, recalling that before former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi left office, the state was in shambles, with people being kidnapped, and communal crises on the rise.
“However, it is not our intention to point accusing fingers at any one or group at the moment when investigations in the incident and related ones are still ongoing, but we are forced to be worried about certain statements and declarations by APC leaders in recent times, which pose more threat to the peace and security of our state and the nation at large” the party said.
“The PDP has continued to draw the attention of the police and other security agencies to some unpatriotic and ill-conceived actions by the last APC government under Amaechi, particularly the release of hardened criminals and political thugs, who were being held for various criminal charges in prison, as well as the recent directive by Magnus Abe after the March 19, 2016 re-run elections in the state that his supporters should take up arms.
“We recall that on hearing this directive by Abe, we (the PDP) alerted the police on the understanding that this call was an invitation for the APC thugs to use arms and ammunition already procured and were in their possession, to cause insurrection and havoc in the state.
“It is not in doubt that the APC leadership under Davies Ikanya has consistently preferred violence to peace and order in their political activities in the state”, the PDP said.
“Meanwhile, the PDP has commiserated with the Inspector General of Police and the entire Nigerian Police Force over this latest ambush resulting in loss of lives of these gallant and committed men of the Force.
“We are much worried considering the trend of events in the country today, and the enormous challenges it poses to the security forces. We are not unaware of the relentless and huge sacrifices men of the Nigerian Police Force continue to demonstrate, even in the face of heinous calamities like this that they experienced in course of carrying out their professional duty, particularly in confronting crimes and violence in the society. These sacrifices are quite commendable”, the party stated.
The PDP also expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased, and called on the police authorities not to be deterred by the incident but to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
The party pledged to continue to cooperate with and support the law enforcement agencies in efforts to rid the state of criminals and to maintain peace and security in communities.
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
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.