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APC, PDP Govs Conspired To Seize Rivers -Wike …Inaugurates Audit Panel On LG Accounts
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday alleged that the All Progressives Congress and some governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined forces to take over the state.
However, the governor said his re-election was as a result of God’s miraculous intervention in the face of internal and external conspiracy to truncate the will of Rivers people on March 9.
He made the remarks at a thanksgiving service held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt to mark his electoral victory, noting that God rescued Rivers and its people from internal and external conspiracy.
Among others, the thanksgiving service was attended by former Rivers State Governor, Chief Peter Odili; the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and the Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie.
At the service, the governor alleged that some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worked with the opposition to ensure that the PDP was cheated out of her victory in Rivers State.
He noted that the fight “was not just with the opposition. It was also within our party. When we lost the election in Ekiti State, one of our leaders in the South-West said that Fayose is finished and the next person is Wike.
“Some governors within the party joined forces with the opposition against the State. But then, the will of God prevailed. I was not bothered by what the opposition did, but what some of our party members did was worrisome.
“Some persons working with us in the state betrayed us. They felt there was no way that we would make it. They became agents of the opposition. But God’s intervention rescued Rivers and its people.”
Wike commended the clergy and Rivers women for standing by him and the PDP all through the electioneering, noting that their support ensured that the PDP emerged victorious.
The governor noted that the women of the state “indeed showed so much concern. Some of them were ready to die because of our election. I do not know how to thank them.
“For the first time, I saw women like Aba Women Riot, coming out to say no and we will not agree. Let me assure you that I will not disappoint the Christian community in Rivers State,” he said.
Wike assured the people of Rivers that he would work like a first term governor, delivering on his pledges and that his performance will not be affected by the second term syndrome.
He reiterated that he would remain committed to the olive branch that he extended to the opposition in the State. He said that it was done to promote peace and not out of fear of political fight.
He said that the state government would not abandon the families of courageous Rivers people who died in defence of democracy, praising the PDP Governorship Election Collation Agent, Dr Ferry Gberegbe who was allegedly murdered by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad for defending democracy.
Wike singled out his wife for praise on the positive roles she has played in sustaining his family.
Former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili said without God’s intervention, the people of Rivers would not be on ground for this thanksgiving.
He called on Rivers elders “to unite and work for the restoration of peace in the state. Power comes from God. Hence, all leaders should support Wike to move the state forward.
“Power comes from God. Therefore, we must all stand behind our leader and governor. Enough is enough. It is time to work for the growth of Rivers State,” the former governor said.
Also at the service, Secondus said the states of the Niger Delta were under siege by the authorities during the elections.
He said that it was God that delivered Rivers State, noting that God confounded the army commanders and secular authorities to ensure the victory of Wike.
“It was written in Abuja. They issued several press statements. Security agencies and generals stood, but who can beat the Army of the Lord. They planned to take Rivers State by Force.
“In their plans, they excluded God from their plans. It was the power of God that delivered Governor Wike. When the Army Commanders took over, God intervened,” Secondus said.
He, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to involve the 36 Governors and other relevant stakeholders in any strategy aimed at tackling the worsening security situation in the country.
The PDP chairman explained that the security problems are overwhelming the federal government because it’s detached from the people through its isolationist system of governance.
He lamented that the federal government has lost focus and idea of how to handle the security challenges, saying Buhari “cannot isolate the people he governs and expects necessary cooperation and support needed to tackle issues like security.
“That is why they must try to carry the state governors along if they hope to decisively tackle the security challenges. They were in Abuja playing God sending military saying it will never happen. But they forgot that nobody can surmount the army of God.”
He commended the people of Rivers state for standing up in defence of democracy pointing out that the supreme sacrifice of deaths and other stress they were subjected to during the election cannot be in vain.
Ohuabunwa, currently representing Abia North Senatorial District, urged all PDP senators to work with Wike at all times. He said that they will continue to give him unflinching support to deliver on his mandate.
In a sermon, Ibiyeomie said an attitude of thanksgiving provides a platform for development, saying God deserved gratitude for the blessings He bestows on the State.
The cleric, therefore, prayed for peace to be restored in Rivers State through the direct control of God.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has approved the setting up of a “committee to investigate and audit the financial transactions of the 23 local government councils from May, 2018 to May, 2019.”
The seven-man committee has the state Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo as chairman; with Dr Zaccheus Adango, Barrister Isaac Kamalu, Mrs Bunmi Akaakar, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, and Mrs Inime Aguma as members while the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim would serve as secretary.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, indicated that the committee would be inaugurated by the governor on Tuesday, 28th May, 2019 by 11am at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The statement further directed the affected members of the committee to be seated at the chambers by 10:30am.
The Tide learnt that the setting up of the committee has triggered panic and anxiety among top officers of the 23 local government councils, particularly the elected and appointed officers.
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.
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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
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.