Politics

Wike Begins Construction Of Three Flyover Bridges

Published

7 years ago

October 21, 2019

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last week commenced the construction of the three flyover bridges he promised the people of the state in his second term inauguration speech on May 29th 2019.
Agreement for the three flyover bridges contract valued at N21billion was signed in Government House, Port Harcourt last Friday between Rivers State Government and the contracting firm, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
The contracts which Wike described as historic would be completed in 16 months and would also provide employment for thousands of Rivers people within the period of the contracts.
He said that 70 per cent of the contract sum would be paid to the company to enable it complete job according to specified conditions stressing that his administration will not accept any form of variation .The contract papers were signed at the Executive Chambers of the Government House by Rivers State Government team led by the state Attorney -General , Dr Zaccheus Adango, while the contractor, Julius Berger team was led by the company’s Managing Director, Dr Lars Richter.
Governor Wike reiterated that he engaged Julius Berger known for quality construction jobs because his administration owes Rivers people the best quality job.
He disclosed that most of the roads had been awarded for construction in both the new and old GRA Port Harcourt. He also said that the Ikwerre Road and some key roads were to be handled by by major contractors.
The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC , Dr Lars Richter assured that the company would complete the projects in record time and that it would deliver to standard quality.
Another major event that took place in Brick House last week was the visit of the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Army to Governor Wike.
The Brick House landlord expressed regret that the army that has the constitutional role of attending to serious security challenges in the country had chosen to indulge in ballot box snatching as done in Rivers State during the 2019 general election in the state.
The governor noted that the neglect of critical areas of the constitutional responsibility by the Nigerian Army had negatively affected its ability to perform.
He also said: “The Army should be sent to where there are serious security infractions.
“ But the reality today is that every one now has soldiers attached to them while the general security of the country suffers. The role of the Army is to defend the territorial integrity of the country and maintain general security. The army must return to their primary responsibility”.
He, however, commended the army for playing important role in the fight against kidnapping and criminality in the state .
Governor Wike stressed that his administration had given the army, police and other security agencies logistics support more than any state government in the country.
He also decried the N100 billion allocated to the army in 2020 budget, and said it is grossly inadequate.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, commended the Rivers State Governor for supporting Nigerian Army to deliver on its mandate.
Ndume declared that Rivers State is secured due to the collaboration of Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration and the security agencies.
He also commended the governor for the massive infrastructure embarked upon in the state and urged other governors in the country to emulate Wike.
Also in the week under review, the governor inaugurated a committee on Recovery of Government Properties, and the Board members of Rivers State Road Maintenance Agency.
The committee on Recovery of Government Properties which is headed by the Head of Service, Barr. Rufus Godwins , was inaugurated on Monday while the Board of Road Maintenance Agency headed by Prince Timothy Nsirim, was inaugurated last Tuesday.
Last Friday, Wike commissioned Vino Imperium in Port Harcourt. The facility is owned by a prominent Rivers son, Chief Abiye Sekibo.
The Governor said indigenes who invest in the state are those who love Rivers State and people of the state. He said that such investment provide employment to the state and also generate revenue to the state government.

Another major event last week in Brick House was the visit of six state Governors. They are Governors of Adamawa Umaru Fintri, Imo, Emeka Ihedioha, Oyo, Seyi Makinde, Benue, Samuel Orton, Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, and Zamfara, Muhammed Matawale.

Addressing journalists after a close door meeting Friday with Governor Wike , Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal said they were in the state to celebrate with Rivers people the good governance of Governor Wike as he marks the first 100 days of his second term administration.

Chris Oluoh

Politics

Tinubu Flags Off 2027 Re-election Campaign In Kaduna

Published

4 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, launched the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna State, beginning the ruling party’s mobilisation for the 2027 general elections.

The campaign rally, held at the Kaduna Township Stadium, attracted Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, party leaders, federal and state lawmakers, political stakeholders and supporters from across the country.

The flag-off marks the beginning of the APC’s drive to secure a second presidential term for President Tinubu, with the party expected to promote its achievements, defend its economic reforms and outline its policy priorities under the proposed Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda.

Kaduna’s selection for the campaign launch underscores the strategic importance of the North-West, a region with a substantial voting population and considerable influence on presidential election outcomes.

The APC faces a significant challenge in Kaduna, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, defeated President Tinubu in the 2023 election. The rally therefore provides the ruling party an opportunity to strengthen its grassroots structures and regain electoral support in the state.

Addressing supporters, Vice-President Shettima appealed to Northern voters, highlighting President Tinubu’s political relationships with prominent Northern leaders, including Alhaji Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Vice-President’s appeal reflects the APC’s determination to consolidate its support in the North as the party intensifies preparations for the presidential contest.

The Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda is expected to feature prominently in the campaign, providing a platform for President Tinubu to explain his administration’s economic policies and outline plans for another term.

However, the President’s record on economic reforms, rising living costs, petrol prices, employment, infrastructure and insecurity is expected to attract considerable scrutiny during the electioneering period.

Politics

LP ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE WELCOMES POLITICAL RECONCILIATION IN KELGA

Published

4 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer for Ikwerre State Constituency in Rivers State, Hon. Stasi Amadi, has described the ongoing political reconciliation in Ikwerre Local Government Area as a welcome development capable of promoting unity, understanding and peaceful coexistence among political stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi stated this while speaking with newsmen in the area at the weekend, noting that genuine reconciliation remained necessary for strengthening relationships among political leaders and creating an atmosphere conducive for democratic participation.

She said the reconciliation initiative was borne out of goodwill and should not be interpreted as a setback for the Labour Party’s determination to win the Ikwerre State Constituency seat and bring positive changes to the people of the area.

According to her, the party remained committed to its political aspirations and would continue to mobilise support among the electorate through constructive engagement, people-oriented programmes and a determination to provide effective representation.

Hon. Amadi observed that the Rainbow Coalition was a broad political platform capable of accommodating different interests and tendencies, expressing optimism that the arrangement could provide opportunities for participating political parties to secure elective positions.

The LP candidate said the coming together of political brethren should be celebrated rather than criticised, adding that reconciliation would be more beneficial if it encouraged mutual respect, cooperation and a shared commitment to the development of Ikwerre Local Government Area.

She maintained that the leadership of the Rainbow Coalition was focused on achieving positive changes for the people, stressing that the LP would not abandon its political principles or aspirations because of the ongoing reconciliation process.

According to her, political unity should not prevent individual parties from pursuing their legitimate electoral ambitions, but should, instead, encourage healthy competition, issue-based campaigns and a collective commitment to the welfare of the electorate.

Hon. Amadi said the people of Ikwerre deserved a political environment where leaders prioritised development, improved living conditions, employment opportunities and effective representation rather than allowing political differences to undermine the common interest.

She also called on the police and other relevant security agencies to deploy adequate tactical intelligence before, during and after the 2027 general elections to prevent security breaches and ensure that the electoral process was peaceful and credible.

The LP standard-bearer urged security agencies to remain professional, impartial and vigilant in the discharge of their responsibilities, particularly in identifying potential threats, preventing political violence and protecting voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi expressed hope that the reconciliation among political stakeholders would strengthen democratic participation in Ikwerre Local Government Area, while assuring the electorate that the LP remained determined to contest the forthcoming election and pursue a positive political future for the people.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

2027: DICKSON’S EX-ALLY VOWS TO WORK AGAINST NDC INTEREST IN BAYELSA

Published

4 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

A former ally of Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Godpower Keku, has vowed to work against the interest of his erstwhile political leader and kinsman in the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Keku also faulted the duo of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over their consistent presidential ambitions.

Hon. Keku, who is the Commissioner for Culture in Bayelsa State, served as Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State during Senator Dickson’s tenure as governor of the state.

The Tide further gathered that Hon. Keku hails from the same State Constituency, local government area, and Senatorial District as Senator Dickson.

He described Mr Obi as a destroyer of political parties and alleged that the NDC’s presidential candidate does not build parties, but instigates problems and backs out of them when internal wranglings become aggravated to the detriment of any party he belongs to.

According to him, politicians should be grateful to their political parties and remain consistent to avoid being stereotyped as untrustworthy and disloyal members in order to grow politically.

He also alleged that the National Leader of the NDC once affirmed that he would not field a presidential candidate for the party in the 2027 polls, saying Senator Dickson had been reported to have said, during the initial stages of formalizing the registration of his party, that he was only interested in producing Assembly and governorship candidates prior to the entrance of Mr Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso into the NDC.

The ex-PDP scribe, who described himself a “party man”, restated his loyalty to the Governor Douye Diri-led leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and vowed to deliver all candidates of the party in his constituencies.

“I wonder why Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar still want to contest this election. In fact, Obi is the easiest to win in this election. And I’m begining to suspect that it’s either he is a friend of President Tinubu or he is an enemy. One of these two things must be factual, if not why is he still contesting in the 2027 polls?

“What surprises me most in Obi’s behaviour is the way and manner he destroys political parties with his over- ambitious political interest. After destroying one party he quickly moves to another without helping to rebuild the party he helped destroy.

“My brother and friend, Senator Dickson said he wasn’t interested in fielding presidential candidate for the NDC prior to the registration of Obi and Kwankwaso as members of the NDC.

“Dickson had also said he was only going to field States, National Assembly and governorship candidates in the NDC and work with President Tinubu before the entrance of Obi and Kwankwaso into the NDC”, he said.

“For Atiku, he should remember that it’s the turn of the South to complete their eight years of two terms. Buhari, a Northerner just completed eight years of two terms before handing over to President Tinubu, a Southerner.

Speaking on the performance of the Bayelsa State governor, the Commissioner boasted about the achievements of Governor Diri’s administration, stating that the infrastructural and human capital development projects of the governor would campaign for the APC and ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.

“I’m a party man, and even my brother and friend, Senator Dickson would attest to that fact. I don’t betray and don’t relent in my support for any party I belong to. The APC is my party and Dickson is an NDC member. I can’t work for him or any candidate of his party. I have my integrity and interest to protect as a party man.

“We’ll deliver all APC candidates in my political enclave, because, like I said earlier, Dickson himself knows me as a party man”, he stressed.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells