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Wike Recommits To Promote Peace In Rivers …As RSG Warns LGs Against Illegal Education Levies, Fees
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that no individual would be allowed to compromise the peace of the state.
He stated that his administration would always take decisive steps to promote peace in the state through key interventions in crisis-prone areas.
He spoke, yesterday, during a meeting between Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Mgbuesilaru Community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Wike said: “My interest is peace in my state. Whatever will bring peace; that is where we will stand. Whoever is causing problems, the state will take it up with that person”.
The governor said that in Kula community, he has no business with Shell Petroleum Development Company operating in the area, outside the fact that the Federal Government has renewed their license and an enabling environment must be created for them to function.
He said: “Like I have told the Kula community, I have no business about Shell operating. But if the Federal Government has given Shell the license, I have a duty to make sure that Shell operates.
“If they did not give Shell and they give the license to another person, I have a duty to protect that person. I have no business with Shell. Mine is to do the right thing and to provide the enabling environment.
“Let nobody claim that he has contact in Abuja or elsewhere. I will not shy away from my responsibility to do the right thing”, the governor assured.
Wike said that he took oath of office to make majority of Rivers people happy, protect lives and property and develop the state.
“There is no single individual I cannot protect. Whether you are PDP, AAC or APC, it is my duty to protect you. Where things go wrong, I must come in”, he said.
On the Mgbuesilaru conflict, Wike said that he invited the community leaders and SPDC officials to discuss the issues and resolve the dispute.
He said: “Before I became governor, I do know that there was a problem at Mgbuesilaru community. I learnt that an agreement was to be signed and there was a fracas”.
In his remarks, Eze Oha Okporo Okwurusi Clan, Eze Morgan Nwenenda Amadi said that the Mgbuesilaru community and Shell had an issue of outstanding rent, which led to a legal dispute that got to the Supreme Court.
He said he was invited as a mediator and eventually worked for an out-of-court settlement between Shell and the community, explaining that rather than work with the genuine representatives of the community, Shell politicised the issue, and thereafter, refused to sign the agreement.
He said an attempt to sign the agreement at Hotel Presidential ended in mayhem.
Amadi said that on June 13, 2019, the community requested the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council to intervene and give the council headquarters for the signing of the out-of-court settlement agreement with Shell.
He said that Shell failed to turn up on June 18, 2019, when the community signed the out-of-court settlement.
Amadi urged the governor to prevail on SPDC to honour the out-of-court settlement and pay the community rent money, which was in arrears of 23 years.
Also speaking, General Manager, External Affairs of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Igo Weli, said that the only interest of the company was to do what was right.
Weli said: “We want our place to grow. We want our place to develop. We want everything to be peaceful”.
He said when the rent issue came up, Shell agreed with Eze Morgan Amadi that it would be nice to settle out-of-court in the interest of the community, adding that the company was committed to the peaceful settlement of the issue.
Meanwhile, sequel to the meetings with local government chairmen, heads of government-owned primary, junior and senior secondary schools and proprietors of private schools, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has warned all LG chairmen and their agents to desist from imposing any other levy or charge apart from tenement rates on private schools across the state.
The governor, who gave the warning in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, also directed all proprietors of private schools to shun all demand notices for payments other than tenement rates, insisting that such payment must be paid into dedicated bank accounts for transparency and accountability.
According to the statement, “The general public is hereby notified that all fees, levies or whatever payments in government-owned primary, junior and senior secondary schools have been abolished.
“To this end, the general public is enjoined to report any government school heads or teachers, who make any demands for whatever payments from their pupils/students to the office of the governor via the named dedicated phone lines,” it added.
Danagogo reminded all concerned that, “All cash payments have been abolished. Proprietors of private schools and the general public are enjoined to report any officer or agent of local government council or any organ or agency of the state government, who demands for cash payment to the office of the governor through the said dedicated phone lines.
“The dedicated phone lines are: 0704-544-4471 (WhatsApp enabled), 0704-544-4472, 0704-544-4473, 0705-269-8118 (WhatsApp enabled), and 0909-065-4112”, the statement added.
The statement clarified that, “The Nigeria Police and the DSS have been notified to arrest and prosecute any agent or officer of local government councils or the state government caught in the act.
“Meanwhile, all proprietors of private schools are to submit their applications for approval/re-certification to the Governor’s Office at Room 312, Wing B, Point Block, Rivers State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt.
“Such applications should be accompanied with your last approval from the Ministry of Education and the approved Building Plan from Ministry of Urban Development,” Danagogo explained.
“Note that, no fee is payable for this application. It is free of charge,” the statement added.
Similarly, the Mayor of Port Harcourt City, Hon Victor Ihunwo, has once again made it clear that tenement rate was the only revenue collected by the council.
Making the clarification in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the council, Bob Abayomi in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Ihunwo directed that, “All payments should be a made to the Port Harcourt City Council Account; United Bank for Africa UBA 1007510998”.
According to the statement, “In line with the directive of the Rivers State Government, the Port Harcourt City Council has only approved the payment of tenement rate by proprietors of private schools in the city and all payments should be made to the council’s account as stated above.
“Proprietors of schools should disregard any demand notice purportedly from the council for payment of any levy asides that for tenement rate, and such persons moving with the illegal notice for payment should be apprehended by the law enforcement agencies and prosecuted.
“The council has abolished all cash payment.
“Business owners and those doing business in Port Harcourt City should henceforth desist from patronising cash payments, as the council will not be liable for any discrepancy as a result of any cash payment during the revenue verification exercise of the council.
“Those selling liquor in the city should cooperate with the liquor license committee of the council and obtain their licenses.
“All enquiries should be directed to Dr Ezebunwo Nyeche in the council’s Secretariat, Moscow Road, Office of the Secretary of Council, or call: 08033097907″, the statement added.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Nigerians were among more than 140 residents injured after Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at the United Arab Emirates, at the weekend.
This raised fresh fears for thousands of Nigerians living and working in the Gulf nation.
The UAE Ministry of Defence disclosed last Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones fired from Iran, describing the attack as a major escalation in the ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the ministry said its air defence units engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones during the latest assault on March 14.
It added that the attacks left six people dead and 141 others injured, including foreign nationals.
“The UAE air defence systems on March 14 engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry stated.
“Since the onset of this blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran,” UAE added.
According to the ministry, those killed in the attacks included citizens of the UAE as well as foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Although the authorities did not specify the exact locations where the casualties occurred, the ministry said the injured victims were from several countries, including Nigeria.
Others affected include residents from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The list also included Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
The Tide reports that this development has sparked concern among Nigerian communities in the UAE, where thousands of citizens live and work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, logistics and trade.
Data from Nigeria’s diaspora commission shows that the UAE remains one of the largest destinations for Nigerian migrants in the Middle East, particularly in the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The Nigerian government had in recent years raised concerns over the safety and welfare of its citizens in the country following diplomatic tensions and visa restrictions affecting Nigerians.
Saturday’s attacks have now heightened anxieties within the diaspora community, especially as the Gulf region faces growing military confrontations.
In its statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the country remained fully prepared to confront any threats to its security.
“The Ministry of Defence remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine state security in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities,” the ministry said.
In a separate update, the ministry noted that its defence systems were still actively intercepting missiles and drones.
“UAE air defences are dealing with Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” it said.
Regional media reports indicate that the attacks form part of a wider escalation of hostilities between Iran and Western-backed forces in the Middle East.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran has continued sustained missile and drone strikes across the Gulf despite protests from neighbouring states.
The strikes were said to be in retaliation for military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iranian positions in the region.
Tehran targeted several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, late on Friday and into Saturday.
The attacks also caused infrastructural damage in parts of the UAE.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that US interests in the UAE would remain legitimate targets.
Iranian state media reported that the group issued the warning after US forces attacked Iranian-controlled islands.
The IRGC specifically mentioned ports, docks and military installations linked to the United States as potential targets.
It also urged residents in the UAE to evacuate areas around ports and military facilities to avoid civilian casualties.
Security analysts say the growing exchange of threats and strike across the Gulf could destabilise the region’s economic and aviation activities if the conflict escalates further.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the five new commissioners sworn-in last Wednesday to put in their best for the development of the State.
Fubara gave the charge during the swearing-in of the commissioners at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
This followed the successful screening of the five commissioners by the Rivers State House of Assembly, last Tuesday.
The five commissioners are Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mr. Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart.
The Tide reports that the governor had sent nine commissioner-nominees to the Assembly for screening, but the Assembly confirmed only five nominees and rejected the nomination of four over various allegations.
Those rejected by the Assembly are Prof. Dantonye Alasia, Mrs. Charity Demua, Mr. Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree.
The governor congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, noting that their thorough screening by the Rivers State House of Assembly was a proof of their capabilities.
He urged them to deploy their wealth of experience in various fields and put the State on a fast lane of development.
“Ordinarily, I am supposed to charge you on your responsibilities and how to operate. But that has been taken care of by the screening at the Assembly.
“I believe that going through one of the most rigorous screenings, it is enough to say that for those of you who succeeded, you are fit and ready to deliver to our dear State.
“So there is no further charge. The screening was the charge, so I wish you the best as I don’t expect anything less than the best from you,” Fubara said.
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday.
Folorunsho said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining, was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority area in Calabar, Cross River State.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
Folorunsho said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Folorunsho reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.