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RSG’s Task Force On Street Trading, Illegal Markets Begins Work, Today …‘We’ll Support Wike To Restore PH To Garden City Status’
Following the official inauguration of the Rivers State Task Force on Street Trading, Illegal Markets and Motor Parks by the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Wednesday, the Bright Amaewhule-led 460 team will finally commence operation, today.
The team, which draws 20 carefully-selected persons each from the 23 local government areas of the state, has had its members screened and cleared by crack detectives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the task force would cover 13 zones in Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor and Eleme local government areas of the state.
While four teams would cover Port Harcourt City Local Government Area; eight teams would cover Obio/Akpor Local Government Area; just as one team would cover Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
The teams would cover the 13 zones, which include Old Port Harcourt Township/Lagos/Station/UTC Bus Stops; Flyover/Mile 1 Market; Mile 3 Market/Ikoku/Building Materials; and Fruit Market/Garrison/Waterlines for Port Harcourt City.
Others would cover Slaughter/Woji/Oginigba; Rumuokoro Junction; Presidential Hotel/ Rumuola; Rumuokwuta/ Mgbuoba Market/Location Junction; Artillery/Rumukwurushi/ Eleme Interchange/Oil Mill Market; Eliozu Junction Flyover/East-West Road; Choba/UNIPORT/East-West Road; and Rumuolumeni/Rumuepirikom in Obio/Akpor; while that of Eleme would cover Akpajo/Onne/Eleme/Refinery Road.
“All those concerned are advised in their own interest to vacate the streets of Port Harcourt or face the full wrath of the law,” Nsirim warned.
It would be recalled that while inaugurating the task force, last Wednesday, the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike had charged the team to sanitise the streets and return Port Harcourt to its original Garden City status.
Wike had said that the task force was a product of law, following his assent to the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Markets & Motor Parks (Prohibition) Bill No. 8 of 2019, and vowed that the law must be enforced and violators brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
The governor noted that all the operatives of the task force have been profiled by the DSS and the police, while those found wanting have been flushed out.
Wike explained that the reason government sent the task force members to the DSS and the police for screening was for proper identification and to ensure that government did not take people who will put it in trouble, and assured that more appointments would be made into the task force to replace those screened out by the security agencies.
He said: “All of us love the state and we must love it fully. Not in half measures. When we build roads, before you know what is happening, the roads are taken over by street traders and illegal motor parks.
“The task force has the responsibility of cleaning up the streets. Ensure that nobody trades on roads. You must wear your vests and identity cards during your work period”, he emphasised.
He said that mobile courts have been established on a zonal basis, and directed the task force operatives to take arrested street traders, mechanics and illegal motor park operators to the mobile courts were offenders would be tried, jailed or fined.
The work of the members is to arrest offenders and take them before the mobile courts in each of the 13 zones.
Wike warned the task force operatives against extorting money from street traders and mechanics, noting that any operative indicted for bribery would be sacked and replaced.
“We are not inaugurating you to extort money from traders and mechanics. You will start work on Monday, August 26. We have given the street traders enough time to leave the streets. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, should continue the sensitisation announcements.
“We will give each zone two Hilux vans for operations. You must keep Port Harcourt clean. You must make sure that you work in shifts and close by 8pm at night. My interest is to return Port Harcourt to what it used to be”, he said.
“Look at Rumuokoro. We built park for them but they will leave it and come to the road to carry passengers. We buitd market, they will come to the road to trade”, the governor lamented.
He said some of the traders come all the way from the neighbouring states to trade on the roads in Port Harcourt, after which, they heap dirt in the city and move back to their states.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, had said that 460 operatives were recruited from the 23 local government areas of the state, adding that each local government area contributed 20 operatives to the task force.
He said that the street life of Port Harcourt has been compromised by street trading and illegal motor parks, but insisted that the task force would sanitise the roads.
Danagogo said that the state government has taken the biometrics of all the operatives after they were profiled by security agencies, stressing that 13 zones have been created for the operation of the task force.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Bayelsa Line Market Association in Mile 111, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Chief Godwin Nwosu says effort by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration to restore the Garden City status of Port Harcourt is a noble one, and promised that members of his association would support him to succeed.
The association’s chairman stated this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt.
He lamented that Port Harcourt City, which was known for its beautiful and serene nature, had been reduced to a place where anything goes in terms of environmental standard, and called on all well-meaning persons living or doing business in Rivers State to support the clean Port Harcourt initiative.
“There is need to restore Port Harcourt City to what it used to be. There is need to eliminate street trading, illegal motor parks and roadside mechanics scattered all over the city”, he said.
Nwosu, who disagreed with those who attribute street trading to inadequate shops in public markets, said majority of those trading on the streets have shops in the ultramodern markets.
“It is not true that street trading in Port Harcourt is as a result of inadequate shops in the public markets.
“Government has provided markets for traders. When you go to the ultramodern markets, over 500 stalls are empty. Go to Rumuokoro, government built ultramodern market, but it is empty. Go to Rukporkwu, it is empty.
“The owners of the vacant stalls prefer to lock them up and move to the street because they believe that there is higher patronage there”, he said, stressing that by trading on the roads, they put their lives at risk as moving vehicles could run into them.
He accused traders of being responsible for over 70 per cent of the dirt in the city, and urged the task force in charge of street trading to be strict and serious to improve on sanitation in the city.
“The problem with government is that sometimes, they are serious, and sometimes, they relax their efforts. Let government be very serious to fight and achieve clean Port Harcourt initiative once and for all.
“Don’t compromise, deal with offenders and possibly jail them, then, you will see that they will not do it again. But if government relaxes its effort, they will return to the streets to trade”, he said.
The market chairman, who revealed that he was a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, urged those who massively voted for Governor Nyesom Wike to also support his laudable programmes to succeed, noting that “it is not enough for you to vote him into office, only to work against the policies of his government”.
He said the idea of compulsory sanitation for traders every Thursday was in the spirit of keeping the markets and business environment clean, and urged all market operators in the state, especially those in the rural areas to participate in the exercise for cleaner environment.
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Rivers: Impeachment Moves Against Fubara, Deputy Hits Rock …As CJ Declines Setting Up Panel
The impeachment moves against Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, by the Rivers State House of Assembly has suffered a setback following the refusal by the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Simeon C. Amadi, to set up a seven-man investigate panel to probe the governor and his deputy.
Justice Amadi hinged his decision on subsisting interim court injunctions and pending appeals.
Recall that the Assembly members had earlier requested the Chief Judge to set up a seven-man investigative panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Fubara and his deputy.
In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule, the Chief Judge acknowledged receipt of two separate letters from the Assembly, both dated January 16, 2026, requesting the constitution of an investigative panel pursuant to Section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
However, the State Chief Judge explained that his hands were tied by ongoing judicial proceedings directly connected to the impeachment process.
He disclosed that his office had been served with interim injunctions issued on January 16, 2026, arising from two separate suits challenging the actions of the House of Assembly.
The suits include Suit No. OYHC/6/CS/2026, filed by the Deputy Governor against the Speaker and 32 others, and Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026, instituted by Governor Fubara against the Speaker and 32 others.
According to him, the interim injunctions expressly restrain him from “receiving, forwarding, considering and or howsoever acting on any request, resolution, articles of impeachment or other documents or communication from the 1st -27th and 31st Defendants for the purpose of constituting a panel to investigate the purported allegations of misconduct against the Claimant/Applicant for seven days.”
Justice Amadi stressed that obedience to court orders is non-negotiable in a constitutional democracy, regardless of personal opinions about such orders.
“Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law are the bedrock of democracy and all persons and authorities are expected to obey subsisting orders of court of competent jurisdiction, irrespective of perception of its regularity or otherwise,” he stated.
To further underscore his position, the Chief Judge cited judicial precedent, referring to the case of Hon. Dele Abiodun v. The Hon. Chief Judge of Kwara State & 3 Ors. (2007), in which the Chief Judge of Kwara State was faulted for proceeding to constitute a panel despite a subsisting court order restraining such action.
Quoting directly from the judgment, Justice Amadi recalled: “I liken the scenario created by the Chief Judge to the position of a chief priest and custodian of an oracle turning round to desecrate the oracle,” a passage he said highlights the sacred duty of judicial officers to uphold the law.
He added that the judiciary, as “the custodian and head of the judicial arm of the State, ought to abide by the laws of the State, nay the land…”
He further noted that the Rivers State House of Assembly had already filed appeals against the interim injunctions at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, with notices of appeal served on January 19 and 20, 2026.
“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders.
“I am therefore legally disabled at this point, from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant,” the Chief Judge declared.
He concluded by expressing hope that “the Rt. Hon. Speaker and the Honourable Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will be magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday celebrated the Nigerian Exchange Group’s breakthrough into the N100tn market capitalisation threshold, saying Nigeria has moved from an ignored frontier market to a compelling investment destination.
Tinubu, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged Nigerians to increase their investments in the domestic economy, expressing confidence that 2026 would deliver stronger returns as ongoing reforms take firmer root.
He noted that the NGX closed 2025 with a 51.19 per cent return, outperforming global indices such as the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, as well as several BRICS+ emerging markets, after recording 37.65 per cent in 2024.
“With the Nigerian Exchange crossing the historic N100tn market capitalisation mark, the country is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality and rejuvenation,” Tinubu said.
He attributed the stellar performance to Nigerian companies proving they can deliver strong investment returns across all sectors, from blue-chip industrials localising supply chains to banks demonstrating technological innovation.
The President added, “Year-to-date returns have significantly outpaced the S&P 500, the FTSE 100, and even many of our emerging-market peers in the BRICS+ group. Nigeria is no longer a frontier market to be ignored—it is now a compelling destination where value is being discovered.”
Tinubu disclosed that more indigenous energy firms, technology companies, telecoms operators and infrastructure firms are preparing to list on the exchange, a move he said would deepen market capitalisation and broaden economic participation.
He also cited what he described as a sustained decline in inflation over eight months—from 34.8 per cent in December 2024 to 14.45 per cent in November 2025—projecting that the rate would fall below 10 per cent before the end of 2026.
“Indeed, inflation is likely to fall below 10 per cent before the end of this year, leading to improved living standards and accelerated GDP growth. The year 2026 promises to be an epochal year for delivering prosperity to all Nigerians,” he said.
The President attributed the trend to monetary tightening, elimination of Ways and Means financing, and agricultural investments, which he said helped stabilise the naira and ease post-reform pressures.
Nigeria’s current account surplus reached $16bn in 2024, with the Central Bank projecting $18.81bn in 2026, reflecting a trade pattern shift toward exporting more and importing less locally-producible goods.
Non-oil exports jumped 48 per cent to N9.2tn by the third quarter of 2025, with African exports nearly doubling to N4.9tn. Manufacturing exports grew 67 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter.
Foreign reserves have crossed $45bn and are expected to breach $50 billion in the first quarter, giving the CBN ammunition to maintain currency stability and end the volatility that previously fuelled speculation, according to the President.
Tinubu also highlighted infrastructure expansion in rail networks, arterial roads, port revitalisation, and the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways, alongside improvements in healthcare facilities that are reducing medical tourism costs, and increased university research grants funded through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund.
“Our medicare facilities are improving, and medical tourism costs are declining. Our students benefit from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, and universities are receiving increased research grants,” he said.
He described nation-building as a process requiring hard work, sacrifices, and citizen focus, pledging to continue working to build an egalitarian, transparent, and high-growth economy catalysed by historic tax and fiscal reforms that came into full implementation from January 1.
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RSG Kicks Off Armed Forces Remembrance Day ‘Morrow …Restates Commitment Towards Veterans’ Welfare
The Rivers State Government has reiterated its commitment towards the welfare of veterans, serving officers and widows of fallen officers in the State.
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?The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, in a statement by ?Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, SSG’s ?Office, ?Juliana Masi, stated this during the Central Planning meeting of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
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?Anabraba thanked the Committee for their contributions to the success of the Emblem Appeal Fund Ceremony recently held in the State and called on them to double their efforts so that the State can record resounding success in the remaining activities.
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?According to him, the remembrance day events will begin with Jumaàt Prayers on Friday, 9th January at the Rivers State Central Mosque, Port Harcourt Township, while a Humanitarian Outreach/Family and Community Day will be hosted on Saturday, 10th January, by the wife of the governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, for widows and veterans.
?”On Sunday, 11th January, an Interdenominational Church Thanksgiving Service will hold at St. Cyprian Anglican Church, Port Harcourt Township while the Grand-finale Wreath- Laying Ceremony will hold on Thursday, 15th January at the Isaac Boro Park Cenotaph, Port Harcourt”, he said.
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?The SSG noted that one of the highlights of the events is the laying of wreaths by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Heads of the Security Agencies.
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