News
Rivers 2019: Beyond A Fallen Godfather’s Dictatorial Politics
Don’t be deceived by the antics of the fallen political godfather. 2019 in Rivers State will not be determined by the “follow-follow” use of ill-gotten state funds to coerce a few lieutenants into accepting a pliant godson.
This was tried in 2015 with the unilateral introduction of Dakuku Peterside against the wishes of Rivers people who needed a performer to clean up the mess of Rotimi Amaechi who owed four months salary arrears and six months pension arrears including countless abandoned projects.
It was on that premise that Rivers people preferred the politics of unity, recovery and development, to that of zoning/upland and riverine dichotomy.
It is very important to recall that as an outgoing governor cum godfather, Rotimi Amaechi printed just one APC Governorship Form which was sold to Dakuku Peterside. This act of dictatorship buried the aspiration of Senator Magnus Abe and others who indicated interest in seeking that office.
The reason for nominating Dakuku Peterside was simple. He had been a failed commissioner of works, with obvious reasons to protect Amaechi who awarded contracts , paid monies and abandoned them. In other words, he would cover Amaechi’s tracks.
Fast Forward to 2018, the fallen godfather, I am informed, has dropped Dakuku Peterside in favour of another godson. The reason for the swap is similar to that of 2014. It is all about protecting the godfather’s economic interests. That is why a Rivers APC faction settled for the person touted in their respective social media platforms.
The preferred godson is Amaechi’s business partner who bought the state’s power plants. It is known to the public that the funds that accrued from the sale of Rivers Assets to Sahara Energy were diverted for the alleged sponsorship of APC National Campaign in 2014/2015.
The sum of $302,960.000.00 was paid for the acquisition of the Omoku (150 megawatts), Trans Amadi (136 megawatts), Afam (180 megawatts) and Eleme (75 megawatts) gas turbines by NG Power HPS Limited, an affiliate of Sahara Energy Resources Limited. The failed Amaechi administration before Governor Wike took over the leadership of the state withdrew the entire funds for personal reasons.
Worried by the diversion of Rivers funds, the State Government set up the Justice George Omereji- led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry, established to investigate the sale of state assets. The commission indicted the former Rivers State Governor and other close associates.
The former Rivers State Governor challenged the setting up of the commission at the High Court and Court of Appeal. He lost. He is now at the Supreme Court.
Since then, the Rivers State Government has issued a white paper on the findings of the Justice George Omereji Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
“The commission finds as a fact that the sale of 70 percent equity from the First Independent Power Limited in Omoku gas turbine, Trans-Amadi gas turbine, Afam Phase I gas turbine and Eleme gas turbine, have been very difficult to justify. They have therefoe recommended the review of sale of the power assets and the government of Rivers State has accepted that recommendation.
“Refund of proceeds by Rotimi Amaechi, Chamberlain Peterside, and Augustine Nwokocha. In furtherance of these findings that the sale of the four gas turbines was unjustifiable and against the interest of the government and people of Rivers State.
“The commission recommends that the former governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, along with his former Commissioners for Finance and Power , Dr Chamberlain Peterside and Augustine Nwokocha, respectively, should be held to account for their roles in the sales of the power generation assets of First Independent Power Limited and the disbursement of the proceeds there from.
“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the Office of the Honorable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, to promptly set in motion the appropriate machinery for the recovery of the proceeds of the sale of the gas turbines from the former governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and every other person implicated in the commission’s report,” the Rivers State Government declared in a white paper .Issues related to the arrest and prosecution of the former Rivers State Governor have been stalled by legal bottlenecks. But the former Rivers State Governor is fighting hard to extricate himself from the logjam through the sponsorship of an involved political godson.
If the posts and tweets of Amaechi’s in-house factional supporters are true on his choice of his Sahara Energy business associate, then, one is safe to declare that it is all about self preservation.
Preservation from prosecution and preservation from being swindled of funds invested in anti-Rivers transactions. Which ever way he goes, this permutation will fail like it did in 2015. Rivers people will not be swayed by the gospel of dichotomy being preached by a godfather to save himself from self-inflicted economic and political woes.
Rivers State is bigger than an annointing meeting in the parlour of a failed godfather. The state is way beyond the private decision of a politician who believes that his personal interest supercedes that of the state.
In 2019, the people of Rivers State will make a choice on who will lead them till 2023. That decision is not to be made by one man, neither would it be made by one ethnic nationality or a section of the non-indigenes living in the state. Like in 2015, it would be a collective decision.
The people jettisoned Amaechi in 2015 because he thought that he could impose just anybody on them after mis-managing and embezzling state funds. He imagined that he would intimidate the people with his choice after betraying them.
Three years after, the story has not changed. As a Minister of the Federal Republic, Amaechi has failed Rivers people. He has refused to attract a single project to the state. He has taken sides with other regions and de-marketed Rivers State. But with the election circle round the corner, Amaechi brings out his annointing oil. Expectedly, he annoints his business partner.
As we await the two factions of Rivers APC to present their candidate for the 2019 governorship elections, it is right to state unequivocally that Rivers State remains PDP, with the people totally in support of their workaholic governor, the nation’s Mr Projects and the leader of pro-people governance.
The march towards political greatness for Rivers State started in 2015 and it will be consolidated in 2019. Power belongs to the people and the people from all the 23 LGAs have endorsed Governor Wike. Remember, the voice of the people is the voice of God.
However, this is democracy. The micro-minority will still have their say, in the form of Amaechi’s sitting room annointing, but Rivers people will have their way by re-electing Governor Wike. This is not a time to allow traders to sell the blessing of Rivers State the way they sold Rivers assets and pocketed the proceeds.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media
Simeon Nwakaudu
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.
