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With All Fiasco, RSG Tackles IGP …Police Restrict Movement From Midnight
Rivers State Governor , Chief Nyesom Wike, has told the Inspector General of Police , Ibrahim Idris that the surreptitious withdrawal of his Chief Security Officer has exposed his life to danger.
This is as the governor asked the Inspector General of Police to transfer the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations , Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad ( SARS), Akin Fakorede for deliberately compromising the security of Rivers State because of partisan reasons .
Speaking when he granted audience to the Inspector-General of Police , Ibrahim Idris yesterday at Government House , Port Harcourt , Governor Wike regretted that without consultation , the Inspector General of Police took sides with an overtly Assistant Commissioner of Police , Steven Hasso who attempted to invade Government House with APC supporters.
The governor said that he was shocked by the inaccurate statement released by the Office of the Inspector General of Police that his Chief Security Officer was withdrawn for misconduct .
He informed the Inspector-General of that contrary to his claim that his Chief Security Officer was withdrawn for misconduct , the Chief Security Officer only stopped Steven Hasso and APC hired crowd from invading Government House , Port Harcourt .
“The moment you touch my Chief Security Officer , you are telling me that you are ready for me. As I sit here, I am empty, I have no protection .
“When people start to embarrass the governor , take his Chief Security Officer without information , it is completely wrong . What you have done is the highest disrespect to the office to the Office of the Governor .
“I am pleading with you, my life is very important . I will not take any Chief Security Officer you bring to me that I don’t know . This is a matter of security and protection , it is not what you do with levity”.
The governor warned the Inspector-General of Police against politicising the security of the rerun elections , because after the election there will still be governance.
He told the Police High Command that the people of Rivers State will support an unbiased police force, but warned that the people will resist any attempt to use security agencies for untoward electoral action.
He said: “If the police wants free and fair elections , the police will get free and fair elections “ .
Governor Wike berated the police for declaring a state-wide curfew without consultation with the Rivers State Security Council .
He reminded the Inspector General of Police that he has written several letters to his office without reply . He informed him that the State SARS Commander , Mr Akin Fakorede has been indicted for distributing SARS uniforms to APC thugs.
Earlier , the Inspector General of Police , Ibrahim Idris said that he was in the state to ensure that the election was peaceful .
He urged the people of Rivers State to support the Security agencies to deliver peaceful polls.
Speaking on behalf of other security agencies, the Commanding Officer, 2 Brigade, Nigeria Army Port Harcourt, Brig-General, Hassan Amusu lauded the IGP for the visit adding that the visit would strengthen them to effectively deliver the mandate of peaceful elections in the state.
He assured that they were fully prepared and ready for the elections even as he used the opportunity to warn trouble makers to stay away from the state during the election.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police Command has announced the restriction of movement from Mid night Friday even as it increased the number of its personnel from 25 thousand to 28 thousand personnel to ensure security during the Saturday re run elections in Rivers State.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG),Josua Habila who stated this on Wednesday during an interactive forum organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the election, noted that the restriction and additional personnel deployed to the state was to give credit to the process.
Habila also announced that his men have been mandated to arrest any person with money above N5,000.00 within any polling booth, assuring that the police, this time, is determined to abort anything that would disrupt the Saturday rerun elections.
The DIG explained that the police is not working for anybody or political party but rather to protect the electorates, INEC officials and ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the elections on Saturday.
While explaining the level of strategies in place to ensure that the state is peaceful during and after the elections, the Police boss said additional three thousand police men have been added to make the number of personnel 28,000 with the men on ground, adding the police has also provided 350 petrol vans that will be manned by armed police, including Gun boat and two helicopters.
He said the police is not driving the process of the election, but they have been charged and mandated to ensure the security of the elections and ensure that electorates exercise their civic rights and franchise without intimidations.
He regretted that it has been difficult in the past for the people to exercise their civic responsibilities, adding that the police will no long tolerate such any more, hence it is all out to protect the system.
Habila also hinted that the commissioner of Police in the Neighboring states would ensure that persons are not out or in to Rivers State from Friday midnight, adding at least 20 Commissioners of Police are in the state to ensure that the election is peaceful.
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.