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S’South PDP Leaders To Constitute Presidential Campaign Team … As Wike Tasks INEC, Police On Credible Polls
South-South leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resolved to ensure that the zone remains under the control of the party after the 2019 general elections.
Addressing journalists after the South-South PDP zonal meeting in Port Harcourt, last Saturday, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced that the meeting resolved to constitute the South-South PDP Presidential Campaign Council.
He said: “ We have resolved to set up a presidential campaign council in South-South and then take a date for the Zonal Presidential Campaign Rally.
“South-South is the Stronghold of the PDP and we want to retain that. All the states in the Zone must continue to remain under the PDP”.
The governor noted that the meeting worked out modalities for the success of the party during the forthcoming elections.
“We have set up modalities for the success of our party in the governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in 2019”, he said.
The meeting attracted governors, State PDP Chairmen, National Assembly members, Speakers of Houses of Assembly and Former Federal Lawmakers from the South-South.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has called on the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commit themselves to credible polls in the interest of the nation.
Wike said it is the negative actions of the Police and INEC who manipulate the Electoral Process that make it difficult for politicians to be held accountable by the electorate.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6 Calabar, Wike said that politicians take advantage of the illegal electoral system to deny the people good governance.
”Don’t allow yourselves to be used negatively to influence the Electoral Process.
”Please, save Nigeria so that we can continue to remain united beyond 2019. The greater interest of the nation is paramount. You people make politicians not to be accountable.
”If votes count, every politician will sit up. Here, our votes don’t count. People rely on Police and INEC to get into office”.
The governor noted that the illegal actions of the police and INEC generate violence in the political space.
”Violence is caused when security agencies lay the scene for the rigging of elections. INEC manipulates the process and it leads to violence.
”Our major problem in the country is the Police and INEC. It is the duty of the police to stop the crime of rigging”, Wike said.
He assured the Police that the State Government will always support them with the logistics and funding to fight crime.
Earlier, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6, Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi assured the Rivers State Governor that the police will perform their responsibility professionally to ensure credible polls in 2019.
He said that officers and men are receiving the required training to be neutral and professional during the polls.
He commended the Rivers State Governor for his logistical and financial support which has assisted the police in carrying out her duties.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6 informed Governor Wike that the Zone will arrange a peace accord for security agencies, political leaders and INEC ahead of the 2019 elections.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.