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We ‘re Committed To Peace Building -Wike …As Commission Ends Sitting In PH
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that his administration is committed to the peace process he initiated for the development of the state.
Speaking during a solidarity visit by selected clergymen of Ikwerre extraction to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike said that the state government needs peace to entrench development across the state.
The governor said: “We are sincere about the peace process that we initiated. We are not playing politics with the peace process. It is for this reason that the Honourable Attorney General entered a ‘nolle prosequi’ for some persons.
“Government needs peace to entrench development in different parts of the state. However, we are committed to peace that is not against the interest of the state. We are not working for conditional peace”.
Wike said that he will continue to work for the entire state, which he sees as his primary constituency.
“As a governor, I am from a particular ethnic group, but I am not a governor for only that ethnic group. I am a governor of Rivers State.
“So, my interest is for the entire state. But somebody must come from somewhere”, he added.
The governor thanked the clerics for their role in the promotion of peace and reconciliation. He enjoined them to continue to build peace across the state.
He said that the success recorded during the elections prove that the prayers of Rivers clerics worked for the people.
Earlier, the Leader of the selected clergymen of Ikwerre origin and President of Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide, Rev Canon Simeon Achinewhu congratulated the governor on his re-election.
Achinewhu, who is also an academic professor, said: “Your re-election for a second term is a general acceptance by the good people of Rivers State that you performed creditably well in your first tenure.
“We join the good people of Rivers State to appreciate you on your performance in your first term and pray that God will give you more wisdom to perform even better in your second term”.
The group lauded the Rivers State governor for initiating a peace and reconciliation process by extending the Olive branch after the elections.
“We commend your courage for extending the Olive branch for total peace and reconciliation in Rivers State. We pray to God to touch everybody concerned to accept this Olive branch and fully participate in the process of reconciliation and total peace in Rivers State”.
The Ikwerre clerics assured the governor that they would work towards bringing all interest groups together for a joint solidarity visit to the Government House.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commission of Inquiry investigating the invasion and attack on the state Judiciary Complex, last year, yesterday, completed its public sitting in Port Harcourt, with a firm promise that its recommendations would be based on the evidences given by witnesses who testified during the proceedings of the commission.
The Chairman of the commission, Justice Simeon Amadi, stated this during the last sitting of the commission at the state Judiciary Complex in Port Harcourt.
Amadi, who is also a serving judge with the state Judiciary, said the commission tried to reach out to all parties whose names were mentioned in the matter through electronics and print media.
He averred that some of the persons who were invited by the commission refused to honour the invitation on their own volition.
The chairman reiterated the commission’s earlier resolve to be fair and give equal opportunities to all affected persons and groups, adding that the commission remained a fact finding one, and therefore, not set up to witch-hunt anybody.
“We tried to ensure that everybody mentioned in the allegation was invited for fair hearing and to give equal opportunity to all.
“But a lot of the people decided not to appear before the panel, we shall visit the premises to inspect the damaged items within the Judiciary Complex to ascertain the level of damage as well as know the items replaced and those still pending”, he added.
Amadi thanked all the people who attended the proceedings of the commission for the cooperation they accorded to the panel, and assured that their report would capture all the correspondences taken from the witnesses.
Earlier before the commission rounded off its sitting, it also grilled the former mayor of Port Harcourt City, Prince Orukwem Amadi-Oparali and the Registrar of the state High Court, Mrs V. Kobani Esq.
While the state High Court Registrar, Mrs V. Kobani, who had earlier testified before the commission was recalled for further cross-examination and clarifications, the former mayor, Prince Amadi-Oparali was admitted into the witness box to give his evidence as the mayor of city at the time of the incident.
Kobani while submitting the list of unrecovered items during the judiciary invasion told the commission that the judiciary archive containing both government and private information was damaged by the hoodlums during the rampage.
She told the panel that there was never a time the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike drove Justice Chinwendu Nworgu into the Judiciary Complex on that day.
On his part, the former mayor of Port Harcourt, Prince Orukwem Amadi-Oparali told the commission that the thugs, who invaded the judiciary on that day, were supporters of the two contending factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state loyal to the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnu Abe, respectively.
He disclosed that he could not establish the identity of the leaders of the protesters because the crowd was much but stressed that his main concern alongside some members of the State Executive Council who were there at the time of the attack, was to ensure that the court was open, which they succeeded in facilitating.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”