Connect with us

News

‘Buhari’s IGP Comment, Indication Of Incompetence …As SDP Declares APC Nigeria’s Common Enemy

Published

on

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has chided President Muhammadu Buhari for saying that he was unaware that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris did not carry out his orders regarding the security situation in Benue State, adding that such admission shows that the President is running an incompetent and uncoordinated government.
The party said President Buhari has irredeemably “indicted himself” for not knowing that the man tasked with the security of the nation failed to take orders from the Commander-in-Chief, stressing that such unpardonable gaffe is responsible for “government’s wrecking the nation’s once robust economy as well as other woes that have befallen our nation in his almost three years in office.”
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of the President to take their minds off the Aso Villa ahead of 2019 elections “now that their leader and sole candidate has practically admitted his incompetence to run an effective government as desired by Nigerians. “Nigerians have completely lost hope in President Muhammadu Buhari and his incompetent administration.
By stating that he was unaware that the IGP only spent 24 hours in Benue State, Mr. President has confirmed that he has not been effectively monitoring the handling of the security situation of our nation.
“For our party, the PDP, the expression of President Buhari has once again vindicated our position that our nation has been placed on autopilot cruise with a cabal pretending to be managing our affairs. “Nigerians need to know: what exactly did President Buhari, as the Commander-in-Chief, do when he realised that the IGP did not carry out his orders?
The fact is that there is no sense of remorse by the government as the President himself spent only two hours in Benue State without visiting the victims or even making any direct policy statement on those behind the killings and how to forestall future bloodletting. Rather, in the character of this government, Mr. President engaged in yet another blame game instead of facing issues,” the statement read in part.
The PDP further expressed worry over the continuous killings in Benue by suspected marauders, saying rather than unveil his plan to arrest the situation, President Buhari is thinking of the 2019 elections.
“Nigerians are miffed that while the wailings over these daily bloodletting are yet to abate, President Buhari is busy announcing his plans to return to Benue to seek for another round of votes. This shows clinically that Mr. President is truly not aware that Nigerians have since abandoned him in his state of unawareness.
“Nigerians can no longer bear with a government that cannot give directives to officials and monitor them through; a government that is so inept that it lacks the elementary proficiencies to initiate and implement effective policies and programmes for national cohesion and development; a government that lacks the basic skills to internationally engage and run a virile economy,” the PDP added.
Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), through its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, has called on Nigerians to be unanimous in sending the ruling party out of Aso Rock, declaring the All Progressives Congress as the common enemy of Nigeria.
Mohammed told newsmen in Minna last Monday that the pains being experienced by Nigerians are inflicted by the ruling party.
The SDP, therefore, called on all Nigerians to resolve to sack APC from government at all levels so that Nigeria will return to the good old days.
Accordingly, Mohammed said: “The things that made Nigerians to be disillusioned with the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government are repeating themselves in greater dimension, herdsmen are more dangerous than Boko Haram, epileptic power supply, we now experience widespread poverty.”
Mohammed. who was in Minna to set up some committees to pilot the affairs of the Niger State SDP, said Nigerians should now brace up to send away the common enemy, stressing: “Poverty does not know tribe or religion.
“Life is becoming unbearable for Nigerians.
“Therefore, Nigerians must join the SDP to install a credible government come 2019, because we are now the emerging first force in the political calculation of Nigeria.
“The emerging first force is a mass movement of Nigerians symbolised by the SDP.”
Mohammed said more and more Nigerians who cut across ethnic, religious and political divide have been joining the party virtually on daily basis, assuring: “Our doors will not be closed to anybody.”
He confirmed the zoning of some positions within the party hierarchy, adding that a non- elective convention will hold on April 14.

Continue Reading

News

Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit 

Published

on

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.

 

Continue Reading

News

RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

Published

on

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

 

Continue Reading

News

Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis 

Published

on

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.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending