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Rivers PDP Blasts APC For Using Chiefs, Others To Mislead Nigerians …Says Novice Can’t Be Rivers Gov …We Don’t Take Orders From Anybody, INEC Tells APC
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Transportation Minister, and factional leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to stop daydreaming about the governorship of Rivers State as no amount of propaganda and recruiting of hirelings dressed in chiefs or elders’ attire to look respectable can hides their childish inclination and pecuniary interest for the job.
The PDP also advised the APC and AAC to stop daydreaming about governing the state for a third-term by plotting to foist a neophyte to administer the people, stressing that Rivers people have already made their choice.
The state Chairman of PDP, Bro. Felix Obuah, in a statement, stated this following a poorly concocted footage purportedly proclaiming the Action Alliance Congress (AAC) Governorship Candidate, Engineer Awara Biokpomabo as ‘winner’ of the March 9, 2019 Governorship election in the state, and described the video with imaginary figures, as highly malicious and an embarrassment to Rivers people.
The statement, issued in Port Harcourt, and signed by Obuah’s media aide, Jerry Needam, yesterday, said the video footage would achieve nothing but only embarrass its sponsors and producers.
Obuah said Rivers people cannot be deceived by the APC-sponsored footage as it was very obvious that all the characters featured in the video were not people of the state.
He said it was obvious looking at the malicious content of the footage; it was clearly intended to insult the sensibility of Rivers people, adding that the sponsors had failed on arrival as they were embarking on what he called a voyage of discovery.
Obuah added that the footage with fictitious figures, which featured the minister addressing a crowd, was made to look as if it had something to do with AAC, whereas it was actually clips from 2014 APC campaign and the ill-fated Presidential rally of the APC at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in November, 2018.
“Amaechi and his AAC fantasy are only deceiving themselves. You can see that the event featured in that video took place last year when Amaechi had yet no inkling of what lay ahead for the APC in the state.
“In their stupidity, they made the video look as if it was a crowd of AAC supporters living in the fantasy of producing a governor. This is but the height of political 419”, Obuah said.
The state PDP boss advised the APC, which was delisted from the ballot in Rivers State by the INEC, to put its house in order and stop interfering with the electoral process in the state.
“I think that what is sensible for APC to do rather than dissipating energy to brew crisis in the state, should be to channel those energies into putting their house in order and prepare ahead of elections in 2023”, Obuah said.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it would not remove its Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Obo Effanga, saying that it does not take directive from anybody.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, stated this while responding to an enquiry from newsmen, last Monday.
Among other demands, the spokesman for the APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu, had in a statement, last Sunday, said the redeployment of Effanga became necessary to prevent him from skewing the forthcoming supplementary elections in favour of the opposition.
He had alleged that the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, through Effanga, engaged the PDP card-carrying members as local government area collation officers in the last poll and was capable of repeating same in the forthcoming elections.
But when asked if the commission would accede to the demands of the APC, Osaze-Uzzi, said it was the prerogative of the commission to move resident electoral commissioners.
He said, “We have been hearing that for a long time, it is not new. Did we change the REC in Akwa Ibom? The prerogative of moving RECs is that of the commission. INEC doesn’t take directive from anybody. If the commission sees the need to move anybody, at the appropriate time, it will do that and if there is no need, it will keep them where they are.
“It is the complete prerogative of the commission; if and when the need arises, we will make the necessary adjustments. So, we don’t take dictation or pleas from external groups, more so principal players in the game.”
The commission had suspended the collation of the results of governorship and the House of Assembly elections in Rivers State due to violence and disruption of the electoral process.
In a related development, ahead of today’s meeting of stakeholders to decide the way forward in the completion of all activities in the electoral processes in Rivers State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a group, Coalition of Rivers State Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), yesterday, asked the electoral umpire to release the names of the 17 local government areas whose results had been declared collated.
It would be recalled that INEC, in a statement, last weekend, while announcing the report of its Fact-Finding team sent to Rivers State, had revealed that the outcome of the process had already been declared in 17 out of the 23 local government areas in the state before it announced the suspension of the process on March 10.
But rising from a meeting, the coalition of Rivers NGOs, which claimed to be an amalgamation of both indigenous and other NGOs in Rivers State, said INEC should be transparent enough to unveil names of the 17 local councils to inspire the confidence of the electorate, the political actors in Rivers and entire Nigerians in the electoral process in the state.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana & Dennis Naku
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.
The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.
The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.
President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.
The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.
The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.
The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.
Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.
Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.
The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.
“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.
“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.
Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.
He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.
“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.
On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.
Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.
He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.
He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.
The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.
Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.
The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.
He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.
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