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Rivers Guber: Kula Monarchs Sue For Peace …Urge AAC Candidate To Withdraw Case From Tribunal

In line with the post-election peace initiative by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, the Kula Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers has appealed to the Governorship Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 General Election in Rivers State, Biokpomabo Awara to withdraw his case at the Election Petition Tribunal challenging the re-election of the Governor.
It would be recalled that Governor Wike polled 888,264 votes to defeat the AAC candidate who polled 137,859 votes in an election that was suspended for 3 weeks over allegation of widespread disruption of the electoral process.
The Chairman of the Kula Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH King (Dr) Kroma Amabibi Eleki, Sara XIV, Amanyanabo of Kula and the Secretary HRH King Bourdillon Allen Ekine, Oko XXVIII, Amanyanabo of Opukula (Old Shipping) during a courtesy visit to the AAC governorship candidate in Abuja said it was time to end divisive politics and fighting in Rivers State.
King Kroma Eleki appealed to the AAC candidate whom he referred to as their son to accept the Olive branch offered by the Governor in the overall interest of peace and development of Rivers State.
He said their decision to seek out of court solution to the Rivers State governorship tussle was borne out of a genuine desire to reduce political tension in the state and insecurity occasioned by political activities.
King Eleki said: “Let us work together with the present administration so that there will be peace, harmony and unity in our Rivers State. We cannot continue to struggle, we cannot continue to fight, we cannot continue to argue, that is why we are here to plead with you as your fathers that please let put a stop to what is going on and let us accept the Olive branch stretched out to us by the Executive Governor of Rivers State so that we can work together for the progress and development of our dear state’’
For his part, the Secretary of the Kula Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers King Bourdillon Ekine said the council would also seek an audience with the Governor in order to consolidate on its reconciliation and peace move in the state.
According to King Bourdillon: “Now that Kula has achieve peace, we want him to withdraw his case in court and let there be peace in Rivers State, as there is peace in Kula, peace should also be in Rivers State, that is our mission to Abuja. We want the Governorship candidate of the AAC Engr. Biokpomabo Awara to obey us who are his royal fathers by withdrawing his case from the court and work with the incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike to move Rivers State forward. The Governor is also our son, we are traditional rulers of all, we are the royal fathers of the whole state”
In his response, the AAC governorship candidate Engr. Biokpomabo Awara assured the royal fathers that he would get back to them after consulting with the leadership of his party and other relevant stakeholders in the state on the appeal made to him to withdraw his case at the Tribunal.
Engr. Awara said: “You have given me a task, I have to consult, I will revert back to you after meeting all relevant stakeholders that are involve in this. It is not just about me Biokpomabo Awara, it is about Rivers people, Like I said, I will revert back to you after consulting with the stakeholders, and the needed peace that you want, God being who He is, we will achieve that peace in our dear state”.
Some Kula chiefs who also spoke at the meeting commended Governor Nyesom Wike for showing sincerity in his peace initiative and for promising to involve the opposition in his government.
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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.
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