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Wike Suspends 12 LG Chairmen …Seeks State Assembly’s Ratification …Opposition Leaders Laud Wike’s Inclusive Governance …As Gov Inaugurates 233-Member C’ttee On 2nd Term
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has notified the Rivers State House of Assembly of the suspension of 12 Local Government Council Chairmen.
Wike, in a letter to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, titled: “Notice of Suspension of the Chairmen of Twelve Local Government Councils,’ premised his action on Section 64 (3) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018.
He wrote: “I hereby serve you notice of the suspension of the following twelve Local Government Council Chairmen for security reasons for approval and ratification”.
He listed the council chairmen as Hon. Philemon Kingolo (Okrika); Hon Tom Aliezi (Emohua); Daniel E.O. Daniel (Abua/Odual); Hon Tony Phimoore (Degema); Hon. Lahteh Loolo (Khana); and Hon. Paul Kobani (Gokana).
Others include Hon. Ben Eke (Ahoada East); Hon Samuel Nwanosike (Ikwerre); Hon. Philip Okparaji (Eleme); Paul L. Paul (Andoni); Christian Nwaiwu (Omuma); and Hon Erasmus Victor (Ogu/Bolo).
The governor informed the state House of Assembly that in accordance with proviso (a) to Section 64 (3) of the Rivers State Government Law of 2018, he has directed the vice chairmen of the mentioned local government councils to act during the period of suspension.
Meanwhile,Leaders of opposition political parties in Rivers State have praised Governor Nyesom Wike for involving them in the governance process of his administration, declaring that they will take advantage of his olive branch.
They expressed happiness that Governor Wike has lived up to his pledge by constituting a multi-party committee to commence the transition into his second term.
Former AAC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Mr. Bombar Yeeh lauded Governor Wike for his kind gesture by extending the olive branch to the opposition.
He promised to bring his expertise as a former security officer to bear in collaboration with the government and relevant stakeholders to ensure that peace reigns supreme in the state.
“My contribution is to cooperate with the government of Rivers State to ensure that peace reigns for the progress of all the people in the state. As a former security officer, I will ensure that I work hand in hand with every member of the state to ensure peace which is one of those things the state is looking for is properly restored for the benefit of all,” he observed.
Former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly for Bonny Constituency, Hon. Aye Pepple thanked God Almighty for the all inclusive government in the state spearheaded by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike . He said critical stakeholders will contribute their quota for the overall development of the state.
He lauded Governor Wike for bringing the opposition to join hands with him to engender peace and move the state forward.
“I want to thank God for the politics of inclusion spearheaded by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. We are critical stakeholders in the state and it is time for us to join hands with the Governor to contribute our quota for the development of the State. Rivers State as you know is a very peaceful state. The people must continue to ensure that there is peace by supporting the government of the day”, he said.
Immediate Past Rivers State Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Pastor Samuel Ihunwo noted that over twenty members of opposition political parties were included in the inaugurated State Committee on Thanksgiving, Four-Year Anniversary and Inauguration of the Governor’s Second Term.
He hailed Governor Wike for keeping to his promise, saying the Governor has demonstrated that he is really willing to work and serve the interest of Rivers people.
“I want to appreciate His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for the wonderful gesture. He made a promise and we are here today for the inauguration of the transition and inauguration committee. Over 20 opposition political parties are involved and it’s a very welcome development. I want to tell you that we didn’t lobby, it just came and that is to show that the man is actually willing to work and serve the interest of Rivers State and to fulfil his promise of unity government and I want to say kudos to him”
In his comment, the Governorship Candidate of the Democratic People’s Party, DPP, Emmanuel Nwabriji thanked God for the prevailing peace in the state as according to him without peace, no meaningful development can take place in the state.
He commended Governor Wike for bringing the opposition to join hands with him to develop the state, promising to bring to bear his expertise to ensure that the state become a rally point among the comity of state.
“I want to say a very big thank you to Almighty God for making it possible for peace to prevail. We cannot actually thrive or do anything for greater heights without peace. So now that the peace has returned and in God’s wisdom, His Excellency, Governor Wike has deemed it fit to bring everybody on board and I am involved, am going to bring to bear my experience as a well trained and seasoned journalist, sound administrator and sound professional manager to ensure that Rivers State gets to its eldorado among the comity of states,” he opined.
Also speaking, former Special Adviser to former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Hon. Kuro Briggs lauded the Governor for deeming him fit to be part of his government, promising to contribute his quota to move the state forward.
“First of all, I want to thank His Excellency, the Governor of the state who is our brother for deeming it fit to bringing me on board to be part of this inauguration. Am happy and I will contribute my quota to the state and we believe the state must move forward which is the hallmark of Governor Wike’s government” he asserted.
In a related development, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday, inaugurated a committee for end of first term Thanksgiving Service and inauguration of his second term administration.
The committee, which is made up of 233 members, has the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara as chairman.
At the event which was held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor said some names were omitted in the list.
He said the committee involved many interest groups in the spirit of his avowed all-inclusive government.
He congratulated the committee members, and urged them not to see it as an opportunity of making money, rather as an opportunity to serve the state.
“Please, take it as an opportunity to serve the state very well for the first time”, he said.
The governor stated that the committee was mandated to organise for the Thanksgiving Service for the end of the first term as well as inauguration of the second term of the governor which takes off 29th May, 2019.
Responding to the governor’s charge, Chairman of the committee, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara thanked the governor for finding them worthy of serving as members.
He said, “the governor’s second term is worth being celebrated, and we would not disappoint you”.
Opara promised that the committee would do a job the country would be proud of.
The chairman further remarked that extending membership of the committee to various interest groups was a testimony of the all-inclusive government that the governor promised.
He used the opportunity to congratulate Wike for his re-election victory.
However, the governor has suspended 12 local government chairmen in the state.
The suspension of the council chairmen is with immediate effect.
The council chairmen affected were those of Okrika, Emohua, Abua/Odual, Degema, Khana, and Gokana.
Others were Ahoada East, Ikwere, Eleme, Andoni, Omuma and Ogu/Bolo local government areas.
The affected chairmen were suspended for failure to participate in the inauguration of the committee.
Letters
Obi Should Do More, Discordant Tunes On Minimum Wage, Akpabio’s Unguarded Comment
Obi Should Do More
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, has continued to voice out his opinion on the happenings in the country. On the budget padding scandal currently rocking the upper chamber of the National Assembly, he has told the Senate to provide Nigerians with some explanations on the matter.
He said the claims and counter-claims over the alleged N3 Trillion which was alleged by Senator Abdul Ningi to have been padded into the 2024 budget, requires proper explanation as to what Nigerians must need to know regarding management of the nation’s, insisting that the suspension of Senator Ningi for three months does not address the issue.
The Labour party chieftain had also expressed his concern over the hunger in the country a few days ago. He raised the alarm that Nigerians were spending all their money on food.
It is commendable of Obi to have stood with the masses at this critical time in the nation’s history and be critical of negative happenings in the country and bad government policies. However, Obi should do more than just criticising. It is said that “a tree cannot make a forest”. Therefore, Obi should galvanise all the law makers both on the national and state levels to tow the same line with him, which should be seen as the position of the Labour Party.
In 2023, there was a revolution in the country. People of all walks of life, of various religions and tribes trouped out in support of the labour party because they believed in Mr Peter Obi. People saw the Labour Party as a needed alternative to the two most populous political parties, PDP and APC. Based on Obi’s personality and popularity, some people who ordinarily would not have won councillorship positions in their communities were elected into state and national assemblies. Many of them won the elections for free, spending no shi shi.
Painfully, after assuming the exalted positions, many of them, especially those in the national assembly seem to have forgotten the masses. It is now business as usual. Among the seven senators and 36 House of Representative members of the Labour Party in the National Assembly, which one of them has moved a strong motion about the hardship currently being faced by the masses and how to address it? How many of them stood by Senator Ningi on the budget padding revelation? What out the exotic cars distributed to them, how many of them advised that they should go for less expensive cars and the excess money channelled into developmental projects? It has become a case of one not talking while on the dining table, right?
Obi should be able to organise his party to form a formidable opposition and a party that does things differently, a party that stands with the people. If the labour party elected political office holders carry on the way they have done since they came into office, they will keep de-marketing their party, forgetting that 2027 is just around the corner.
Ngozi Omeje,
Umuahia, Abia State.
Discordant Tunes On Minimum Wage
I have followed the discussion on the proposed new minimum wage with keen interest and I just hope the leadership of the organised labour will be firm enough to represent the workers and refuse to fall prey to the ploy to disunite them.
It is disheartening seeing workers come up with different amounts as the proposed minimum wage. While the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, demanded that South-West states should pay N794,000 the Trade Union Congress, TUC, asked for N447,000. Similarly, workers in the Federal Capital Territory demanded N709,000, while their counterparts in the North-West clamoured for N485,000.
This idea of singing in discordant tunes is not good for strong unionism. I recall my days as a civil servant in Ibadan, Oyo state. That was during the time of Adams Oshiomhole as the National President of the NLC. The labour union was a force to be reckoned with and whenever the workers barked, the government caught cold. The increase in workers’ wages was fought for as body. There was nothing like federal workers going to the left and the state workers going to the right. Of course then, in 2000, the TUC did not exist as a separate body. The entire workers spoke in unison.
Yes, the states did reserve the right to say whether they can pay the national minimum wage or not but the national body of the NLC was carried along in the negotiation. Please, the NLC and TUC should come together and present a common front in the new minimum wage quest and ensure that workers in the states also get a fair deal. If not, some of the greedy governors will continue to subject the workers to hardship.
Pa Micheal Adeniran,
Rumuogba Housing Estate, Port Harcourt.
Akpabio’s Unguarded Comment
“Today, he’s responding to a remark by the Governor that has nothing to do with him. The opposition is urging the Senate president to be mindful of his utterances. How can he turn the burial of late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, wife and first son, such a sad moment, to a political attack?. It’s disappointing. That’s political recklessness taken too far. We, the opposition parties, won’t tolerate such utterances anymore if it continues.”
Above was the response of a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, unguarded remark on Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s comment during the burial of the late Access Holdings Plc GCEO, Herbert Wigwe, wife and first son last weekend.
It is hoped that Akpabio will heed to the advice and learn how to talk in public. Tracing his character as a public servant and political office holder in various capacities over the years, one would notice that the senate president lacks the act of public speaking and carriage.
Was it not recently that he announced that the clerk of the house had sent money to each of the senators’ personal account for their holiday enjoyment only to be called to other and he changed it to ”In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.” What about the “honourable minister off your mic” shameful display.
Whoever wants to die seeking public/political office should go ahead but leave our dear governor alone.
Loveth Opusunju
Minima, Opobo, Rivers State.
Featured
Fubara Promises Rivers Support For Wigwe Varsity …Cautions Political Class On Power Tussle
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has promised the state government’s commitment to supporting Wigwe University.
Fubara disclosed this on Saturday after the funeral service of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, in Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Wigwe, alongside his wife, Doreen, and son, Chizzy, died in a helicopter crash in California near the Nevada border, United States of America.
Also involved in the crash was the Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
The governor said, “I want to say our brother has finished his work, though short. We, as a government, will do everything with the Wigwe Foundation to immortalise one thing.
“It is not the bank, the bank might have a new identity, a new boss to run it, other ventures will also have their names; but one thing that has his name is Wigwe University.
“We will do everything within our power to make sure the dream will continue to live just as he has planned it.”
Fubara questioned the mourners as to why they kept chasing worldly desires, stressing the significance of impacting lives rather than struggling for power.
“This one has to do with the political class, what is all these struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury, what is it all about?
“This is a man who was not a politician, he made his money through our investments, he had the world in his palm financially, he controlled even the political classes; but today, with all the power financially couldn’t control life. Is it not enough to ask ourselves why are we struggling? Why are we not making an impact on the lives of our people?” he queried.
Dignitaries present at the funeral service include the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Sanusi Lamido; Governors Alex Otti (Abia) Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Babajide Sawwo-Olu (Lagos).
Other dignitaries are former governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Peter Obi (Anambra), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Bukola Saraki (Kwarra), and James Ibori (Delta), among others.
Featured
Muslims Begin Ramadan Fasting, Today
Muslims all over the world will begin the 30-day Ramadan fasting, today.
This followed the announcement of the sighting of the lunar moon of Ramadan by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, yesterday.
The sighting of the moon paves the way for the beginning of the Islamic 30-day fasting.
The Kingdom announced on its Twitter platform, @Haramaininfo, yesterday, that the Crescent of Ramadan 1445/2024 has been sighted in Saudi Arabia.
The tweets partly read, “Crescent of Ramadan 1445/2024 has been sighted in Saudi Arabia!
“Subsequently, Ramadan 1445/2024 begins tomorrow, 11 March 2024.
“Taraweeh Prayers will begin in the Two Holy Mosques after Isha Prayers.”
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs had earlier announced the tentative dates of March 11 and March 12, 2024, as the commencement dates for the annual Ramadan fast, pending the sighting of the moon after sunset on Sunday, March 10.
In a statement by the Deputy Secretary General of the NSCIA, Prof Salisu Shehu, the Council urged Muslim Ummah to search for the crescent of Ramadan 1445 on the given date, equivalent to 29th Sha’aban 1445 AH.
The NSCIA also urged Muslim faithful who had credible sightings of the crescent to inform members of the National Moon Sighting Committee.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the Sultan is yet to make an official announcement about the commencement of the fasting in Nigeria despite the announcement from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have also declared today as the first day of Ramadan, according to Emirati state news agency, WAM.
The starting date of the dawn-dusk fasting month is determined by both lunar calculations and physical sightings of a new moon.
Ramadan is observed by more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and is considered a month of fasting and spirituality.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all healthy Muslims. However, young children, sick individuals, travelers, and women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating are exempt.
Muslims have followed the tradition of looking for the crescent moon for thousands of years to determine the start of Ramadan as well as the two major holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
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