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Rivers Rerun: Politicians, Others Want Unbiased Prosecution
Some politicians yesterday urged objectivity and thoroughness in handling the case of N111 million allegedly recovered from 23 electoral officers who participated in the December 10 re-run election in Rivers State.
The politicians told newsmen in the interviews that the police should find out and hear from all parties in the case to earn public trust.
Reacting on the report that the Police allegedly recovered money from some electoral officers, a former INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Lai Olorode urged the police to ensure that their investigations would be devoid of political colouration.
“The police should always be mindful that they are an agent of the state;their investigations must be thorough and impeccable.
“The police should not behave as if they are in opposition to the Rivers State Government. They are supposed to be neutral in all matters so that they can earn the trust of the public,’’ Olorode urged.
A former INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya urged the police to ensure that their investigations would be devoid of political colouration.
Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, a former presidential candidate of KOWA Party, urged prosecution of indicted persons.
“I guess the police know their job, and should do it quickly; they should ensure proper investigations are carried out and all those involved prosecuted,’’ Sonaiya said.
A former Presidential Candidate of the National Conscience Party, Chief Martin Onovo regretted that unpatriotic Nigerians stole and extorted to rig elections.
He advised Nigerians to avoid money politics and do-or-die elections in the interest of democracy.
A former National Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yunsusa Tanko called for restructuring of the electoral system to ensure that money would not determine who should win.
“If the government has evidence on this alleged crime committed against the electoral decision of the people, then the police should prosecute the suspects.
“These are some of the indications over the years that our politics has been heavily monitised.
“Manipulations and corrupt tendencies are some of the things that have led us into bad leadership,’’ Tanko said.
He alleged that money played a pivotal role in elections.
“This is why political parties which do not have money are not able to win elections.
The Lagos State Chairman of African Democratic Congress, Mr Nkem Lemchi, also condemned money politics.
“Who is the person who gave the bribe and who are those people that received it and for what purpose. We want these to be made open.
“Elections should be transparent, free and fair; people should not descend so low to bribe their way to win elections,’’ Lemchi said.
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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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