Connect with us

Politics

Coronavirus: Wike Appeals For Sustained Support 

Published

on

As the world continues to wage war against the dreaded Coronavirus, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has appealed to the people and residents of the state to sustain the ongoing fight against spread of the virus.
He made the appeal last week while receiving food donation from Dufil Prima Foods Plc in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Governor said: “ We are aware that the COVID-19 is what we didn’t expect, but as christians, we are prayerful, believing that the situation is not going to last forever. So we are calling on our people to cooperate with the government and remain at home”.
The Governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon Bariere Thomas, assured that the food items donated by the company would get to the less privileged and thanked the firm for responding timely to the situation.
Head of Administration of Dulfil Prima Food Plc, Mr Chinedum Wali, said the company brought the food as token to assist and support the less privileged. One thousand cartons of noodles and five hundred cartons of pastas were donated.
Members of the Rivers State Executive Council, in the week under review announced the donation of their  April 2020 salaries to support the state government’s fight against coronavirus.
Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, disclosed this last Thursday, in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Also in same spirit, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, announced the donation of their one month salary in support of the  Rivers State Government’s fight against the dreaded Coronavirus in the state.
Disclosing the gesture at a press conference Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Ikuinyi -Owaji Ibani, said members arrived at the decision after an interface with the Rivers State Ministry of Health on the fight against the virus.
“As responsible representatives of our various constitutuencies, we resolved that one month salary of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly be deducted by the Ministry of Finance and remitted to the committee set up to fight coronavirus in the state”, the Speaker said.
Ikuinyi-Ibani added that the sacrifice by lawmakers was not to the exclusion of other individual contributions of members in their respective constitutuencies to ameliorate the shocks associated with the pandemic.
“We restate our commitment to the fight against coronavirus pandemic and our full support of all efforts and actions taken by the Rivers State Government to keep our people safe and healthy”, he stated.
Another major event last week in Brick House was the lifting of the curfew placed by the Rivers State Governor Chief Nyesom Wike in some parts of Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The Governor had, in a state broadcast last Thursday lifted the curfew on Education Bus Stop to Agip Junction along Ikwerre Road and Obiri Ikwerre Junction to Ozuoba, Rumualogu and Choba effective from Friday, April 3, 2020.
He had imposed the curfew following the non adherence of traders to the directives placed by the state government.
Governor Wike also  lifted the suspension of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
He said that implementation of the palliatives to cusion the effects of recent directives on the citizens would soon take place.
Last week, the Rivers State Ministry of Housing  Tenders Board officially opened bid for the sale of the uncompleted state government owned 17- storey building, formerly known as the Nigerian Stock Exchange building, in Port Harcourt.
The bidding process took place at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Housing Commissioner, Elder Chinedu Tasie Nwabueze noted that the bidding process was transparent, while civil society, professionals and the media witnessed the event.

 

By: Chris Oluoh

Continue Reading

Politics

Makinde Renames Polytechnic After Late Ex-Gov

Published

on

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of a late former governor of the State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Dr Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer Principal of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, while he also served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Governor Makinde made the announcement at the state interdenominational funeral service held yesterday in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said Dr Olunloyo lived an eventful life, adding that his attainment and personality could not be summarised in one sentence.
“He was not a man we could summarise in one sentence. He was a scholar, a statesman, a technocrat, a lover of culture and, above all, a man of deep conviction.
“While giving the exhortation, I was listening to Baba Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and he said in 1983, Baba became Governor of Oyo State. Though his time in office was brief, his election victory over a popular incumbent remains a powerful testament to the trust people gave him.
“I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday [Wednesday] as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan; that institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.”
Earlier in his sermon, a retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the late Olunloyo as a role model with intellectual inspiration and unassailable integrity.
The cleric said the deceased also demonstrated leadership in most superior quality during his lifetime.
In attendance were the state Deputy Governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Jemibewon; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Mutiat Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Oyo State Exco members; Chairman of Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; Chairman of All Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adeniyi Ajewole; religious leaders and family members, among other dignitaries.

Continue Reading

Politics

10 NWC Members Oppose Damagum Over National Secretary’s Reinstatement

Published

on

Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer.
Others are Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
The group also insisted that contrary to the position of the acting National Chairman, the 100th NEC meeting of the party would be held on June 30 as earlier scheduled.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press briefing by the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, today Wednesday, June 25, wherein he attempted to overturn the resolution of the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which scheduled the 100th NEC meeting for Monday, June 30.
“The acting National Chairman in the said press briefing also reportedly announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume as National Secretary of the party contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which referred all matters relating to the office of the National Secretary to the 100th NEC meeting.
“The pronouncements by the acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday June 30, is binding on all organs, officers, chapters and members of the party and no organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution of NEC.
“Furthermore, the claim by Damagum that Sen Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the party is, therefore, misleading being contrary to the resolution of NEC.
“In the light of the foregoing, the 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, June 30, has not been canceled or postponed.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Presidency Slams El-Rufai Over Tinubu Criticism …Says He Suffers From Small Man Syndrome

Published

on

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following the latter’s scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s administration and his 2027 re-election prospects.
In an interview on live television, Mallam El-Rufai said it would take a “miracle” for President Tinubu to be re-elected in 2027, citing an internal poll that purportedly shows a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president across key regions in the country, including the South-East and the North. He also claimed that President Tinubu’s disapproval rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Onanuga took a swipe at the ex-governor, quoting a harsh assessment of Mallam El-Rufai’s character from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological,” Mr Onanuga wrote, citing Chief Obasanjo’s words. “Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai.”
The presidential adviser emphasised Chief Obasanjo’s remarks that Mallam El-Rufai often tries to elevate himself by diminishing others. “He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends,” Mr Onanuga continued, quoting the former President. “I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.”
Chief Obasanjo, who appointed Mallam El-Rufai as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, did not mince words in the memoir, describing Mallam El-Rufai as suffering from “small man syndrome.”
Mr Onanuga’s post is seen as a direct rebuttal to Mallam El-Rufai’s recent criticism and growing opposition role. The former governor is reportedly playing a central role in forming a new coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In March 2025, El-Rufai officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), intensifying speculations about his 2027 political ambitions.
As the political rift deepens, Mallam El-Rufai remains one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration, while Mr Onanuga and other presidential allies continue to push back against what they describe as “reckless” opposition rhetoric.

Continue Reading

Trending