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Amaechi Must Account For Sold State Assets -RSG …AS APC Crisis Escalates

Published

7 years ago

September 19, 2018

The Rivers State Government says the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi must account for the $308million (about N112billion) being proceeds of the sale of Rivers State gas turbine power stations to Sahara Energy belonging to Architect Tonye Dele Cole towards the end of his administration.
According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, in Port Harcourt, last Monday, the sale of the power stations and diversion of the proceeds to fund political activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the reason why the Amaechi-led government abandoned so many uncompleted projects and owed salaries and pensions to workers before he left office in 2015.
According to Okah, “apart from the power assets which the former governor sold to Sahara Energy, the same company also bought the Olympia Hotel and other high value state assets under suspicious circumstances from the Governor Amaechi administration and the Justice Omereji Commission of Inquiry was asked to inquire.
“The Justice Omereji Commission of Inquiry investigated the spurious sales and indicted the Minister of Transportation, and instead of refunding the money, the minister rushed to court to set aside the findings of the commission. He lost at the High Court and at the Court of Appeal. His appeal to the Supreme Court has been abandoned because, for over a year, he has failed to file a brief of argument”, Okah said, noting that this was the reason why the minister was arm twisting his party members in the state and forcing Tonye Dele Cole on them as their anointed flag-bearer in the 2019 governorship polls.
“The reason for Tonye Dele Cole is now better explained”, Okah added, noting that it was because of need to cover the skeletons in his (Amaechi’s) cupboard.
“Instead of explaining why he took such contagious economic steps against the state, the former governor and minister of transportation is busy blackmailing the Government of Rivers State and supporting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to disobey existing court orders and harass the Government of Rivers State and her officials.
“For the avoidance of doubts, Rivers State Government is not against the fight against corruption. Our case is that there are two perpetual court injunctions restraining the commission from investigating the finances of Rivers State Government and until those injunctions are vacated by a superior court, the commission is duty bound in law to respect it irrespective of how worried the former governor may feel today”, the statement added.
According to Okah, “On 15th September, 2010, the transportation minister, then as governor of Rivers State protested the interference of the EFCC in the finances of the state at that time, and urged them to vacate the two judgements of the state High Court dated 16/02/2007 and Federal High Court dated 20/03/07, respectively. The EFCC under Mrs Farida Waziri agreed with Rivers State Government and allowed the rule of law to prevail.
“It is, therefore, very funny that the same person who told the EFCC to leave the state alone in 2010 is urging the same commission to invade the State even when the injunctions have not been vacated. The Rivers State Government assures the transportation minister that the law has not changed and the facts remain the same and so his collusion with the commission to harass Rivers State Government and her officials will not work,” Okah added.
Meanwhile, frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has said that what the state needs was politics of peace and unity, not hatred, acrimony or bitterness.
Abe, who spoke in Port Harcourt, the state capital, during an interactive session with 26 community-based organisations in Port Harcourt Constituency 2, last Monday, said politics of hatred, bitterness and acrimony is already destroying the state.
He said: “The first thing I believe that Rivers State needs is unity. I believe that the politics of hatred, bitterness, acrimony that has characterized our state in the recent past cannot take us anywhere”.
“It will destroy this state and it has started destroying the state. We need to bring people together. We need to learn how to tolerate one another; accommodate divergent views and bring out the best even in reluctant people”.
Abe, who is also the senator representing the Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, declared that it was only God that could decide who would be Rivers State Governor in 2019, and not the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“A lot of people have been telling me what my former boss, the former governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, said about me, and I said I will not respond. But I will simply go down memory lane to remind Rivers people of few things.
“First is that when I was commissioner for information under Dr. Peter Odili, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was aspiring to be governor of Rivers State and it caused a big problem in the politics of that time between him and Dr. Peter Odili. I was a commissioner in Odili’s cabinet, but I stood with Amaechi. Practically, at a time, I was the only person in Odili’s government that Amaechi was still talking to.
“I remember one day that I had a serious argument with Dr. Odili over Amaechi. We argued to a point, and I said to Dr. Odili; Sir, can I tell you something? He said, tell me. I said, whoever God has said will be governor of Rivers State will be governor of Rivers State, and there is nothing Dr. Peter Odili can do about it.
“When I went to apologise to him, he told me not to apologise. He said, Magnus, what you have said is true
“It is to the eternal credit of Dr. Peter Odili that he allowed me to serve out my term in his cabinet. He never came out publicly to call me a traitor or a betrayer because he respected the fact that I chose to stand by my friend.
“I have said the same thing to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and I want to repeat it here. Whoever God has said will be governor of Rivers State will be governor of Rivers State and there is nothing Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi can do about it,” the senator said.
Abe denied insinuations that he was being sponsored by Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to cause crisis within the APC in the state, insisting that he was only fighting for his rights.
The governorship hopeful added, “Secondly, I have heard insinuations that I am being sponsored by Nyesom Wike (incumbent governor of Rivers State) because I decided to fight for my rights, not only as a citizen of my state but as a member of my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I remember when he also fought for his rights and he took the PDP, of which we were both members to court, up to the Supreme Court; he fought for his right and we stood by him. I did not remember that Dr. Odili came out to accuse him that he was a betrayer or being sponsored by anybody.
“He knew that he was fighting for his rights and he wanted to be governor and he respected that struggle.
“Today, I want to repeat, I am fighting for my right. I want to be the governor of Rivers State. I will fight in any way that is constitutionally allowed, and whatever God says at the end, I will accept in good faith.
“So, I will continue to refer to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the leader of our party in Rivers State. He is the only member of the party that is a former Governor and a member of the caucus of our party. I refer to him as leader to send signals to all our members no matter how aggrieved they may be that we should be ready to work with him any time he decides that it is appropriate to allow justice to prevail,” Abe added.
Meanwhile, the former governor of Rivers State, and the current Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuieke Rotime Amaechi has debunked the statement credited to Senator Magnus Abe, that he was the leader of his party in the state.
It would be recalled that Abe had asserted that “Amaechi still remains the leader of All Progressives Congress in Rivers State”.
Amaechi dismissed the claim, last Monday, during the APC rally at Rumeme Civic Centre in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
‘I am not Magnus Abe’s leader. Those I helped to climb politically are now working against me. They claimed that the president had endorsed them; let me tell you, the president will only campaign for those the party has chosen.
“No Rivers man is as close as I am to the president‘’ he boasted, saying “let me make this known to you that Magnus Abe is not working for APC, he is working for Governor Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State”.
“Everyone has the right as a citizen to vie for any position so far he is qualified”, Amaechi said.
The division started when the Ogoni born senator declared to contest as the Governor of the state.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana & Emeka Sabastine Igbe

News

Group Advocates Indigenous Language Sustainability, Calls for Policy Action

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2026

The Tide

A pan-Nigeria organisation committed to the promotion and preservation of indigenous languages, Indigenous Language and Culture Promoters (ILCP), has called for the deliberate development and compulsory teaching of indigenous languages in both primary and secondary schools across the country.

The group made the call during its maiden Congress held in Bori, Rivers State, which was convened to examine challenges hindering the official adoption and effective teaching of Ogoni languages in schools.

Speaking at the Congress, the Executive Director of the organisation, HRC Mene Magnus Edooh, Amb.P, emphasised the critical role of indigenous languages in preserving a people’s culture, values and history. He warned against the gradual extinction of native languages, noting that language loss equates to identity loss.

“Years ago, Latin was a language of global relevance, but today it is largely extinct. We do not want Ogoni languages to suffer a similar fate. As a people, we cannot afford to lose our identity through the death of our languages,” Edooh said.

He explained that the Indigenous Language and Culture Promoters was established to collaborate with language stakeholders to ensure that children and younger generations remain connected to their mother tongues. The organisation also appealed to governments at all levels, as well as relevant institutions and individuals, to take strategic actions aimed at promoting and sustaining Nigeria’s indigenous languages.

Also speaking, the newly appointed Director of Media and Information, Prince David N. Gbarato, questioned the rationale behind government reluctance to accord indigenous languages their rightful place in national development policies.

According to him, “People with well-developed languages are people with well-developed indigenous systems and affairs,” stressing that language development is fundamental to cultural and societal advancement.

The Congress further served as a platform for the ratification of key officers of the organisation and featured the participation of representatives from various indigenous language groups and other language stakeholders, all of whom echoed the call for renewed commitment towards safeguarding Nigeria’s linguistic heritage.

News

Rivers Boundary Commission Steps In to Resolve Okoloma–Ban-Ogoi Land Dispute

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2026

The Tide

As part of deliberate efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and prevent communal conflict, the Rivers State Boundary Commission has intervened in the long-standing boundary dispute between Okoloma (Afam) Community in Oyigbo Local Government Area and Ban-Ogoi Community in Tai Local Government Area of the state.

The intervention followed a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Commission at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Friday, January 16, 2026. The meeting was aimed at setting up a technical committee that will work towards an amicable and lasting resolution of the land dispute between the two neighbouring communities.

Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of the Rivers State Boundary Commission, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, stressed the importance of peace, dialogue and mutual understanding in resolving boundary-related disagreements. She urged all parties to approach the process with sincerity and restraint, noting that sustainable peace can only be achieved through constructive engagement.

Prof. Odu advised the communities to emulate the peaceful disposition and leadership style of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by presenting their grievances and petitions without bitterness or rancour, assuring them of the Commission’s commitment to fairness and justice.

She also expressed satisfaction with the presence of the Chairmen of Tai and Oyigbo Local Government Areas at the meeting, describing it as a clear demonstration of their resolve to maintain peace and harmony between the affected communities.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Dr. Okechukwu Akara Nwaogu, and his Tai Local Government Area counterpart, Hon. Mbakpone Okpe, reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring peaceful coexistence among their people. They emphasized that peace is critical to attracting development and investment to the area.

Both council chairmen commended the Rivers State Boundary Commission for its proactive intervention, expressing optimism that the establishment of a technical committee would pave the way for a fair and enduring resolution of the dispute.

News

Fanfare, Pageantry As Ohiauga Community Honours 31 Eminent Personalities with Maiden Leadership Awards

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2026

The Tide

Ohiauga Community in Igburu Clan, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Saturday, December 27, 2025, witnessed an unprecedented spectacle of celebrations, fanfare and cultural splendour as it honoured 31 distinguished personalities for their outstanding leadership qualities, selfless service and immense contributions to the growth and development of the community.

The historic event, which took place at the Ohiauga Community Town Hall, marked the maiden edition of the Ohiauga Leadership Awards and saw 27 illustrious sons and daughters of the community, alongside four non-indigenes, decorated with various honours in recognition of their unwavering commitment to the socio-economic, political and infrastructural advancement of the area.

From the early hours of the day, the once serene and seemingly sleepy community was transformed into a beehive of activities. The atmosphere was electrified with excitement as the sound of music echoed from different corners of the community. Everywhere was colourful, lively and festive, as men, women, youths and children, young and old, trooped out in large numbers, beautifully adorned in elegant traditional and modern attires.

The favourable weather further added glamour and grace to the occasion, enhancing the beauty and splendour of the event, as the people, stakeholders and visitors savoured every moment of the celebration.

Adding royal splendour to the colourful ceremony was the presence of the Eze of Igburu Clan, Eze Igburu IV of Igburu Land, His Majesty Eze Kenneth Nwabochi, who arrived at the venue in full royal regalia, accompanied by his retinue of chiefs, elders and other palace officials. His presence was a clear testament to the significance of the occasion and underscored the unity and collective resolve of the people to celebrate excellence and service.

One after the other, the award recipients stepped forward amid thunderous applause, cheers and admiration from the audience. These were men and women whose years of dedication, sacrifice and contributions have helped place Ohiauga Community on the map in terms of political relevance, socio-economic growth and self-help-driven development.

Indeed, Ohiauga Community today boasts of notable achievements credited largely to community-based initiatives, including a relatively good road network, stable and uninterrupted electricity supply powered through solar infrastructure, and other basic amenities that have improved the quality of life of its people. The honoured individuals, it was observed, have played significant roles in achieving these milestones, leaving their unmistakable footprints on the community’s development journey.

By honouring them, the community made it clear that the awards were not meant to signal retirement from service, but rather to encourage the recipients to intensify their efforts and continue to give back to their fatherland. Community leaders noted that although progress has been recorded, Ohiauga still faces serious developmental challenges that require sustained commitment and collective action.

Prominent among these challenges is the absence of a functional healthcare facility. The only cottage hospital project in the community, allegedly initiated by Total Energies Limited several years ago, was said to have been abandoned, leaving residents without adequate medical care. The community strongly appealed to the Rivers State Government to intervene and revive the project in the interest of the people.

The education sector was also not spared. The Ohiauga Community Primary School, according to the community, is allegedly in good shape, with a conducive learning environment, but lacks enough classroom teachers, as there is only one government-employed classroom teacher. To fill the void, the community reportedly employed five additional teachers from its meagre resources and currently bears the responsibility of paying their salaries.

These realities, stakeholders explained, provided further justification for the decision to celebrate and honour individuals who have consistently demonstrated commitment to the welfare and development of the community.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Ohiauga Maiden Leadership Awards, Pastor (Dr) David Chizor Nwaoburu, described the event as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering peace, unity and development, while recognising and rewarding excellence and service.

According to him, the award ceremony was designed to honour eminent personalities who have distinguished themselves in public and private life, and who have continued to make meaningful contributions to the growth of Ohiauga Community.

Dr Nwaoburu, who was himself among the award recipients, said the recognition was intended to motivate the honourees to do more for the community and not to rest on their achievements. He urged them to continue to serve the interests of the people wherever they find themselves and to remain ambassadors of peace and development.

He further reiterated the need for government intervention in the abandoned cottage hospital project and the posting of teachers to the primary school by the state government, stressing that community development in Ohiauga has largely been driven by self-help efforts.

Among those honoured at the event were Pastor (Dr) David Chizor Nwaoburu; former Bursar of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Dr Davis Ojima; the Registrar of the institution, Dr Chinonye A. Ajie; Dr Obi Chukwuma Ebenezer Jular; Elder Kemmer Mark Godwin; Dr Nwokoji Chukwuemeka; Mr Nduka Louis Odiegba; Dr (Chief) (Mrs) Ojima; Comrade Chimezie Igwela; Engr Gideon Eke; Chief (Prof) H. A. Ajie; Hon. Sule Igwela; and Dr Obi Nwaoburu.

Others included Prof. (Mrs) Jennifer Igwela; Dr Charity Ajie; Eric David Orukwo; the Paramount Ruler of Ohiauga Community, HRH Dr Amb. Bright Abali; Mr Chukwudi Lloyd Reuben; Comrade Wisdom Adieme; and the member representing ONELGA Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Nwabochi.

Also recognised were Comrade Kelvin London Oji; Pastor Smart Brass Maduagu; Chief (Hon.) K. O. Igwela; Harmony Igwela; Comrade Onyemaobi Igwela; and Late Elder Nwaba Maduagu, who received a posthumous award in recognition of his lifetime contributions to the community.

The four non-indigenes honoured for their dedicated services and goodwill towards the community were Hon. Marculey Ogolo; Hon. ThankGod Chibor; Comrade Kingsley Ogu; and Pastor G. Oreke, who was specially recognised as the only dedicated government classroom teacher at Ohiauga Community Primary School.

Reacting to the honour, the Registrar of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Dr Chinonye A. Ajie, described the award as a step in the right direction and a thoughtful gesture that encourages service and excellence. He called for harmonious relationships among all segments of the community and pledged his continued support towards education, job creation and collective development.

Former Bursar of the university, Dr Davis Ojima, also expressed gratitude to the community for recognising his contributions, assuring that he would remain committed to promoting peace, unity and sustainable development initiatives in Ohiauga.

Business mogul, Mr Nduka Louis Odiegba, said being honoured by one’s own community carries special significance, describing the recognition as the most cherished among the many awards he has received. He pledged to intensify his contributions to the welfare and development of the people, noting that “charity must begin at home.”

In his royal remarks, the Eze of Igburu Clan, His Majesty Eze Kenneth Nwabochi, emphasised the importance of peace, unity and the preservation of cultural values, describing the maiden Ohiauga Leadership Awards as a timely initiative aimed at strengthening communal bonds and fostering collective progress.

Giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the awardees, Mr Chukwudi Lloyd Reuben, thanked the community for finding them worthy of recognition, and commended the leadership and merit award committee for the excellent packaging of the programme. He urged the awardees to continue with their good work to the community, as the merit awards were a clarion call for more community development involvement and a wake up call for others to emulate the leadership qualities exhibited by the awardees.

Overall, the maiden Ohiauga Leadership Awards ceremony lived up to its billing, serving not only as a platform to celebrate excellence and service but also as a rallying point for renewed commitment to the development of the community, amid resounding jubilation, merriment and cultural pride.