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2019: Rivers Ijaws Endorse Wike …Elect President With Economic Knowledge -Gov

In appreciation of his massive roll out of projects in Ijaw Local Government Areas, Rivers Ijaws have endorsed Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for a second term.
Thousands of Rivers Ijaws, last Monday, trooped to the Government House, Port Harcourt from different Ijaw-speaking local government areas of the state, where they declared their support for the re-election of Wike.
Leader of Rivers Ijaws, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra said that Wike has lived up to the expectations of the people in the last three years.
“The entirety of Rivers Ijaws endorse you (Governor Wike) for a second term. We are happy with your projects and performance”, he said.
Also speaking, Senator George Sekibo said that Wike earned the respect and support of Rivers Ijaws through his dogged support for former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan during his political travails.
He said: “We will never abandon you. Ijaw people see you as their own son. In three years, you have executed projects in all the Ijaw-speaking local government areas of the state.
“From the very first day when we gave you the mandate, we agreed that you should serve the state for eight years. We cannot change that agreement in the middle of the ocean.
“We are here to renew the mandate. We will vote for you again in 2019. Nothing will take you away from the Government House in 2019”.
Similarly, Niger Delta Rights Campaigner, Ankio Briggs assured that Rivers Ijaws would wholeheartedly work for the re-election of Wike in 2019.
Briggs said that once credible polls are conducted in 2019, Wike would coast to victory on the strength of his performance.
Responding, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike thanked Rivers Ijaws for their endorsement and solidarity.
He noted that they have not only indicated support for his re-election, but have demonstrated their support through donations.
Wike said: “This battle, which we have won, we are prepared for it. Any promise that I have made, I will keep to it.
“You must work as a team. A house divided against itself cannot achieve much”, he added.
He warned the people against any consideration for the All Progressives Congress (APC), pointing out that an APC governor would not support restructuring.
Wike berated the immediate past Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for de-marketing Rivers State through falsehood about the security situation in the state.
He said: “It is unfortunate that a minister from Rivers State is de-marketing the state. Since he became minister, what has he attracted to Rivers State, except to de-market the state.
“They talk about security in Rivers State, when there is insecurity in the entire country. Look at the killings in Kaduna and Plateau states. The entire country is facing a security crisis. What the minister is saying is that Buhari should go, and he will go in 2019”.
He said that the attempt by the minister to impose his business partner as governor was merely to siphon state resources for personal reasons.
“You sold gas turbines to your business partner, sold Olympia Hotel to your partner, sold Abonnema Wharf to your partner, and now, you want to sell Government House to your business partner.
“You have federal might, but we have God’s might. In this forthcoming election, we will teach them a lesson. All these Egyptians you see today, you shall see no more!
“God rules over Rivers State. Nobody can conquer this state”, Wike said.
Highpoint of the occasion was the donation of a Toyota Coaster Bus to the Wike Campaign Organisation by the Rivers Ijaws.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Ijaw Peoples’ Forum has endorsed the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for a second term in office.
Speaking at a press conference, last Monday, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Port Harcourt, Leader of the forum, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, noted that Governor Nyesom Wike has lived up to the expectations of Rivers people for the past three years, hence the resolve of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Forum to support him for a second term.
According to him, “As Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has given Rivers people purposeful leadership, and endeared himself to all in many ways”.
Alabraba stressed that the decision of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Forum to endorse Wike for a second term was predicated on his leadership style, which he pointed out, includes “good governance, inclusiveness and transparency, which has effectively mobilized and united the people of Rivers State for progress and development”.
He also observed that Wike earned the support of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Forum when he astutely stood behind President Goodluck Jonathan during his political travails, saying “With deep appreciation, the strong bond of brotherhood amongst the people of the Niger Delta as manifested in the noble role played by Chief Nyesom Wike…who when it became necessary to be our brother’s keeper, rose to the occasion and stood by our Ijaw son, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2015.”
The Rivers Ijaw peoples’ leader noted that they were aware of the clamour for an Ijaw son or daughter as governor, stating that the forum was not averse to that clamour.
According to him, “We wish to make it abundantly clear that the Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Forum whole-heartedly support the concept of an Ijaw son or daughter being a governor, but honestly believe that it must be pursued at the appropriate time and strategically too, through consultation, cooperation and collaboration with other ethnic nationalities.”
He thanked the governor for picking an Ijaw daughter, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo as his running mate for a second term in office.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that Nigerians should work towards electing a president with administrative and economic experience to move the country forward.
He said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has destroyed the foundations of governance and stagnated development across the country.
Wike spoke, last Monday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when the National President and Executive officers of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) visited him.
He said: “We need a man with experience and economic understanding to drive the country forward.
“We must save Nigeria. We have suffered. We must make a statement that we cannot continue like this.
“We must do the right thing and that is the only way this country can move forward. We should no longer have a president controlled by the cabal”.
The governor said that there should be no difficulty in sacking the failed Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, since the incoming President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was also from the North.
“Luckily, the next president is coming from the North. The excuse of North and South is no longer tenable. Nobody should deceive us”, he said.
He berated the APC-led Federal Government for politicizing the fight against corruption by using anti-corruption agencies to fight the opposition.
“Nigeria is stagnated. It doesn’t matter where you come from. As a medical doctor, ask yourself, in the last three years, has the country made any progress?
“This country has never been this divided. You must be healthy in a healthy country. You cannot be well in an unwell country”, he said.
While thanking the doctors for visiting Rivers State, he said that his administration would continue to invest in the development of the health sector.
He directed the State Head of Service to immediately reinstate Dr Sofiri Peterside in the Rivers State Civil Service.
Earlier, the First Vice President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Tijo Kenneth Mingeh, had praised Governor Nyesom Wike for his investments in the health sector.
Mingeh said that the doctors were in the state for the Physicians’ Week 2018 with the theme, “Universal Health Coverage: Leaving No One Behind”.
The NMA leader said that the theme was motivated by the need to improve health for all people and stamp out quackery.
Tonye Nria-Dappa
News
Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit

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
News
Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis

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.
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