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Insecurity: We Must Re-Jig Security Architecture -Wike …Flags Off Bolo Internal Roads Construction …Says He Won’t Go To Abuja To Beg For 2nd Term
Worried by the unprecedented insecurity and unwarranted attacks on unarmed communities by herdsmen, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has called for the immediate re-jigging of the nation’s security architecture.
Also, the management of Businessday Newspaper has announced the nomination of Wike as “Businessday Governor of the Year 2017”.
Speaking when he received the management of Businessday Newspaper at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike said that the current approach to national security was no longer functional.
He said: “This time, criminality is targeted at some communities. Every time when they kill over a hundred innocent Nigerians, the security agencies claim that three persons have been arrested.
“After the deaths, they announced that Special Forces have been deployed to invaded communities. Will the Special Forces revive the slain persons?
“We must talk of re-jigging the security architecture. The present setting is not yielding results. We must introduce persons with new ideas and new thinking to check the ugly trend of insecurity”.
He regretted that most of his colleagues (governors) are not interested in working for the people as they are more concerned with battling for second term.
According him, some governors rather than stand for the people in terms of the growing insecurity, prefer to hobnob with the President, begging for second term support.
On the Businessday Newspaper Governor of the Year Award, the governor said that it would spur him to greater service.
While dedicating the award to the people of Rivers State, Wike noted that the success of his administration was a function of the support of the people.
Earlier, Publisher of Businessday Newspaper, Mr Frank Aigbogun said that Wike emerged Governor of the Year because of his outstanding developmental strides.
He said that the organisation researched into key performance indicators and reached the verifiable resolution that Wike deserves the honour.
Aigbogun said the award ceremony would hold in Abuja July 19, 2018.
He said that Businessday Newspaper would collaborate with the Rivers State Government to hold an investment summit to drive economic growth.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has flagged off the construction of Bolo internal roads in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area.
Performing the flag off, yesterday, Wike said that the construction of Bolo internal roads would improve the living condition of the people.
He said: “I am here to flag off the Bolo internal roads to make life more meaningful for Bolo people.”
The governor said that funds have been set aside for the project, pointing out that the contract was awarded to local contractors as a form of empowerment.
“If you don’t do the work, you will face consequences. I believe that the contractors will execute the contract”, he said.
The governor charged leaders to invest in the development of their respective states, instead relying on Abuja to manipulate the electoral process for them.
He noted that he would remain in Rivers State to discharge his responsibilities to the people because he was exercising their mandate.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Special Projects, Alabo George Kerley said the roads would be made of reinforced concrete because of the nature of the terrain of the area.
Speaking on behalf of the political class of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, Senator George Sekibo assured the Rivers State governor of their commitment to work for his re-election.
Chairman of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, Navy Capt Erasmus Victor (rtd) said that the commencement of the construction of Bolo internal roads was a worthy gift to the people of the area.
“The Ogu/Bolo people will remain eternally grateful to the Rivers State governor for this project. The projects of Governor Wike are visible across the state and we are happy that we are beneficiaries of his projects delivery”, he said.
The Ogu/Bolo council of chiefs presented traditional gifts to Wike, while guests were entertained to traditional dances.
Also, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says he would never go to Abuja to beg anybody to endorse him to go for second term in office.
The governor stated this yesterday at a flag off ceremony of internal roads in Bolo, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Wike expressed disappointment that some sitting governors no longer stay in their states but stay in Abuja to beg and lobby for second term in office.
He said the power to actualise second term in office was in the hands of God, stressing that he would remain in the state to do the job for which he was elected by the people.
The governor said that the problem we have in the country is that the people do not hold those elected into positions accountable to their promises.
“The only way you can hold them responsible when they come back you ask them, the former promise you made you did not do it”, the Governor said.
Wike maintained that nobody can intimidate or blackmail him to go to Abuja to beg so as to achieve a second term.
The governor said, “So, many governors now don’t stay in their states. They go to Abuja.
Wike told the people of Bolo that the fag off ceremony was in fulfilment of the promise he made to them.
“We have come to fulfill our promise here to flag off the internal roads so that life can be better for the people”.
He said the people of Bolo deserve more projects because they fulfilled the promise they made to him and have strongly supported his administration.
Reacting to a request by the people of the area to extend the length of the road, the governor immediately directed the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special projects, George-Kelly Alaso to go black and include the extension and bring the new specification to his table for consideration.
He charged the contractor handling the project to ensure that standard job was delivered.
Wike commended the political leaders in the area for working in unity and stressed the need for people of the area to support the contractor so that the project would be delivered as early as targeted.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, George- Kelly Alaso said the project was a 4.9-kilometer road with 5-kilometer drainage, adding that it would be completed in five months.
Speaking on behalf of the political class, the political leader of the area, Senator George Sekibo, commenced Wike for the great works he has done in the state and particularly for Ogu/Bolo people.
The senator said, “We appreciate your efforts in the state, you have done extremely well. As Wakrike people, we came to Government House and gave you a promise and on that promise we still stand”.
The Chief Whip of Rivers State House of Assembly, who represents the area, Hon Evans Bipi, commended the governor for the project, and said the project would enhance socio-economic development of the area.
Bipi reassured the governor of the sustained support of the people to his administration, adding that 100 per cent vote of the people would be delivered to the governor in 2019 should he accept to run for a second term in office.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”