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Rerun’ll Shame Rivers Enemies …Condemns Judiciary’s Intimidation For Political Gains – Wike

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Rivers State Governor , Chief Nyesom  Wike, has stated that the  enemies of the state will be disappointed  after the rerun elections on December 10, 2016 , despite their negative  plots against  the  state.

Speaking during the  2016 Super Sunday Service of the Christ Apostolic Church at Emohua, Governor Wike  noted that the enemies  of  Rivers State are working  hard to stoke violence in areas where the rerun elections will hold .

He said: “I have to come to formally report to God that the enemies of the state are back. The way they were humiliated in 2015 and March 19, 2016 is the way they would be humiliated  on December 10, 2016.

“Pray for peace in the forthcoming rerun  elections in the state .”

The governor  said  that the resources  of  Rivers State  will always be used for the good of Rivers people.

“Never again  will Rivers resources be used to sponsor national politics. We will not take our money to play  national politics”, he said.

Governor Wike added: “Rivers is a Christian State and we owe nobody an apology for that. I want to reiterate our commitment  to setting up  a special intervention  fund for churches to take care of their members  who are in need.

“At present, church  leaders  are fine tuning the details  for this special fund, which we believe will further unite the church.”

The governor  said  that State Ecumenical Centre  will be  ready for the State’s  50th Anniversary by next year, while the Government House Chapel will be  dedicated  by December, 2016.

In his address, Chairman of the Port Harcourt Conference of the Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor GC Onuigbo urged the governor to sustain his development  programmes. He also called on the governor  to carry all the people of the state  along irrespective of their political affiliation.

Guest Preacher, Pastor Ayo Ezekiel described Governor Wike  as a man of destiny who has been positioned by God to rebuild  Rivers State.

Highpoints  of the Super Sunday Service were the special prayers for Governor Wike, Rivers State and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that any attempt to humiliate, muzzle and weaken the nation’s judiciary under any guise, for manifestly political purposes, cannot be healthy for the stability and progress of the nation’s democracy.

In his address at the opening of the Rivers State Judiciary 2016/2017 Legal Year at the State High Court in Port Harcourt last Friday, Wike said the attacks on the judiciary: “Stands to be condemned by all those who can see the danger in such brazen actions by state agencies that are subject to our laws.

“What is even more disturbing is the double standard and lack of courage exhibited in the matter by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when there was nothing new in the facts to warrant such a dangerous volte-face and pitiable submission to extraneous pressures.”

The governor said that the judiciary must be independent and effective to enforce the universal application of the rule of law.

According to him, the absence of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary is a recipe for anarchy.

He said: “It serves no useful purpose to be desperate or hysterical with the fight against corruption. Thus, it remains unacceptable when unorthodox mechanisms not warranted by law are applied in the so-called fight against corruption.

“For some of us, the provocative invasion of the residences and subsequent arrest and detention of serving judges and justices of the Supreme Court in the dead of the night cannot by any stretch of imagination be justified as appropriate in a decent society.

“Granted that judges are not above the law, but at the same time, they do not deserve to be assaulted, stripped of their dignity and treated like common criminals on mere suspicion and unproven allegations of misfeasance.”

Speaking further, Wike faulted the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government, saying, “The fight against corruption in the country undermines development. It serves no useful purpose”.

He flayed the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on their decision supporting the stepping down of the embattled judges arrested by operatives of Department of State Security (DSS) on alleged corrupt practices.

Wike lamented that, if the two revered legal bodies knew the implications of their decision, the NJC and NBA would have thought twice.

The governor said it was unfortunate and dangerous because lawyers had played into the hands of politicians, which would later be used against the former.

The governor also took time to berate the police and the INEC for aiding the Rivers APC to rig the forthcoming Rivers rerun elections through the printing of fake election result sheets.

He said: “Even now, INEC is doing nothing to convince the world that the outstanding elections they have suddenly and reluctantly fixed for 10th December, 2016 will be free, fair and credible.

“Rather, they have already started the sabotaging process by giving out the security codes of result sheets to agents of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to enable them have replicas of INEC’s result sheets with which to easily rig the elections.”

Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Onueze Okocha, decried the extreme poor treatment of judicial officers as if they are common criminals.

He said though corruption should be condemned, the government must realise that the failure to obey the rule of law, lack of respect for the separation of powers and the rule of law constitute corruption.

He said: “The NBA, with due respect to our esteemed president and some other leading lights in the association, has appeared to be rather vacillating on this matter and the issues now thrown up”.

Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma (SAN) said the country was living in perilous times when justice has been forced to be selective with the independence of the judiciary on shaky grounds.

He regretted that the security agencies now manufacture evidence against judges for the purpose of intimidation.

In her address, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Inyie Iyayi-Lamikanra, commended Wike for enthroning financial autonomy at the state.

Earlier, the Rivers State Judiciary held a re-dedication church service to mark the beginning of the 2016/2016 legal year at the Saint Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Port Harcourt.

In her speech, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, had thanked the governor for his commitment in repositioning the judicial system in the state.

Iyayi-Lamikanra said there has been regular release of funds to the judiciary by the state government even without request, adding that the governor had rescued the judiciary workers from the current economic recession.

She disclosed that the judiciary had remitted N367, 000,000 to the state account in the last legal year.

The state chief judge further confirmed the approval of two judges by the National Judicial Council, adding that they would be sworn-in, Monday.

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Rivers’ll Be Known For Peace, Not Crisis -Fubara

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that peace has prevailed because he draws strength from God to resist insults and tantrums thrown at him while frustrating attempts by some disgruntled persons who wanted to plunge the State into unending crisis.
The Governor also said that because he has anchored his Government on promoting peace, the enabling atmosphere has been provided for investments and sustainable development to flourish.
Governor Fubara made the assertion when he received a delegation of members of the Bishops and Gospel Ministers’ Association International Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, Governor Fubara said while most people took his meekness for weakness, his stance on peace has unarguably enhanced harmonious atmosphere of concord as residents sleep with their two eyes closed, and investors and shareholders are happy with the returns on investment.
He said, “Before, what they hear of Rivers State is that they are fighting, and some genuine investors will not come. Some people even ask you: How are you coping in Rivers State?
“But now”, he asserted: “The Governor has brought about a lot of changes in the State. One of the most important things is that he has changed the negative narrative. It is no longer Rivers of blood. It is now Rivers of peace.
“We are enjoying our lives here. Why? Because there is a change in the narrative. We have peace. The Governor is, as much as possible, absorbing any level of insult at him only for one purpose: that Rivers State may have peace; that we may grow; that this state will experience genuine development.”
Governor Fubara urged them, as members of the Christian family in the State, to continue to pray for the State and the Government so that the enemies of the State will be put to greater shame.
“This peace is what I want you to embrace. Go and continue to pray, because when the sower of the seed went and sowed, the enemy went in the night and sowed tares inside there. But the Governor is sowing peace.
“When I listened to the leader of the team, His Grace Eddy Ogbonda, he said you came all the way from Eleme Junction, and stopped at major junctions, and you uttered prayers for the peace of Rivers State.”
He also said: “I, hereby want to thank you for identifying with the Governor at a time like this. At a time when it looks as if someone wants the Governor’s peace posture misunderstood as weakness.
“When someone has the strength to fight back, but refuses to fight back. That is a bigger strength; that power of restrain does not just come, it can only come from God.
“You cannot give peace, if you do not have peace within you. The Governor is not interested in any form of trouble or violence. What he is interested in is known, and it is: let there be peace in Rivers State,” he said.
In his address, leader of the group, Archbishop Eddy Ogbonda, said they had observed a week-long intensive prayers that culminated into a peace rally, which brought them to Government House, and assured the Governor that God will continue to give him victory over his adversaries while preserving Rivers State.
“It is Rivers State Prophetic Prayer Convocation and Rally 2024 with the theme: ‘Peace be still’. Of a truth, everyone of us understands that we live in a time when we need peace much more than any other thing.
“Rivers State needs peace. Everyone as individuals need peace. The country needs peace, and the world at large needs peace. So, we are here to do a peace march. We pray that God will command His peace to reign in Rivers State,” he said.

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Hoteliers, School Owners Charging In Dollars Risk Arrest -EFCC

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that hotels, schools, and other establishments that accept payments in dollars from their customers are at risk of facing arrest.
The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said this in the agency’s publication called EFCC Alert on Monday, adding that action would be taken against individuals involved in the dollarisation of the economy.
According to him, the exception is if foreigners come in to transact business and the only means of transacting is their credit card and dollar but to charge local customers in dollars or other foreign currencies would no longer be allowed.
He said charging local activities and customers in dollars is against Nigeria’s constitution.
The EFCC chairman said, “Schools that charge Nigerians in dollar, supermarkets that trade in dollar, estate developers that sell their property in dollar, hotels that are invoicing in dollar, we are coming after you and we have made arrests in that area.
“Yes, if foreigners are coming in and the only means of transacting is their credit card, and dollar, why not? You will get that.
“But document it properly as against selling things within the system, local economy and you will be using dollar as the medium of exchange, it is illegal.
“Our law does not allow for that. And we have also affected some arrests.”

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Eid-El-Fitr: Fubara Felicitates Muslims, Calls For Unity, Tolerance

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has enjoined Muslim faithful to remain steadfast to the lessons learnt during the holy month of Ramadan.
Governor Fubara stated this in his message of felicitations to Muslims as they celebrate the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr Sallah, which marks the end of the one-month Ramadan fasting.
The Governor emphasised the importance for Muslims to also uphold the tenets of Islam by exhibiting the fear of God and showing piety in their daily work.
Governor Fubara said, “We must all continue in the good attributes imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan as directed by God through His Prophet, so as to ensure peace, unity and harmony in the society for a better future.”
While praying that the essence of the festival offers them happiness, peace and prosperity in all aspects of life, Governor Fubara said he recognises and appreciates the critical role that the Muslim community continues to play in the development of Rivers State, and indeed, Nigeria at large.
Governor Fubara charged them to remain unwavering and steadfast in their commitment and positive contributions to advance the development of the State and the country.
“I enjoin you all in the State to remain calm, be patient and continue to do what is right,” the Governor added.
He wished the Muslim faithful in the State and across the country a happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

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