Politics
Wike Presents 2021 Budget To RSHA
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Wednesday , presented a budget of N448, 660, 773, 476 for 2021 fiscal year to the Rivers State House of Assembly for consideration.
Christened, “Budget of Recovery and Consolidation”, the budget is made up of N305,894,284.061, as Capital Expenditure, while N142,776,489,415 is earmarked as Recurrent Expenditure.
The Rivers State Chief Executive noted that the 2021 budget represented more than 20 per cent increase over the 2020 Revised Budget.
The Governor remarked that the capital budget would be deployed to advance economic growth and social progress by prioritising investments.
According to him, the sum of N82,957,295,248.81, has been provided for the provision of infrastructure, including roads, bridges and completion of flyover projects at Okoro-nu-Odo, Rumuola, Rumuogba, and Port Harcourt GRA junction.
He also assured that his administration would deliver the Ogoni- Andoni-Opobo Unity Road, the Eastern Bypass Dualisation, 6th and 7th flyover projects and the Wakama Road as well as all other ongoing rural road projects in our communities and local government areas across the state.
He regretted that economic challenges of COVID-19 pandemic clearly exposed the state’s vulnerability to food security, hence the sum of N16,107,080,000.00 would be spent on targeted investment in the agriculture value chain in a bid to create employment and enhance collective food security of the state.
Gov. Wike noted that the policy thrust for 2021 budget will be to accelerate economic recovery, drive growth and create opportunities for social progress, human capital development and tackle poverty, build first class infrastructures to accelerate our socio-economic development.
The Governor expressed optimism that measures in the budget would place the state on a stronger economic footing towards achieving the New Rivers Vission for a peaceful, secure, inclusive and prosperous society.
The Speaker, Ikuinyi Ibani, lauded the administration of Gov. Wike for its commitment towards transforming the economy of the state and ssured the Governor that the lawmakers would deligently consider and pass the budget so as to facilitate the continued development of the state.
Rivers State Executive Council, had last Monday, approved the over N448billion for 2021.
Also last week, Governor Wike received commendations for appointing a non-indigen as the Chief Judge of the state.
Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson made the commendation last Thursday during a valedictory court session held in her honour at the Court of Appeal in Benin City, capital of Edo State.
Narrating her experience, Akomolafe-Wilson regretted that despite being married to an Edo husband and having started her legal career in the former Mid-Western State in 2009 when there was an opening for her to be appointed to the Court of Appeal, it was scuttled because she hailed from Ekiti State.
“ This myopic definition of state of origin for a married woman, who has put in several years of loyal service in her husband’s state, can neither serve the ends of justice, nor promote national cohesion and unity”, she said while hailing the Rivers State Governor for being courageous to appoint a non-indigen of his state as Chief Judge of the state.
Within the week under review, Governor Wike joined other prominent political leaders across the country to honour late Madam Abigail Omojolagbe Amope Making, mother of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde at her funeral service held at the Cathedral of St Peter, Aremo, Ibadan.
In a similar vein, Gov Wike also eulogised late Chief Godwin Ngogo Alabraba, elder brother of the Chairman of Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), Chief Ferdinand Alabraba.
Wike who was in the funeral service held Saturday at St Paul’s Nyemoni Lutheran Cathedral, Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, described the deceased as a well respected family and community leader and elder statesman, whose tenure as the Chairman of Abonnema Council of Chiefs was marked by peace and progress.
“ His death is a loss not only to his family and Abonnema community, but also to the entire Rivers State. We thank God for a life’s race well run, a long and eventful life well lived and worthy legacies left behind for us to remember him”, the Gov said.
By: Chris Oluoh
Politics
Senegal: Faye Set To Become Youngest Elected African President As Rival Concedes Defeat
Senegalese politician, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, (44), is set to become the youngest elected leader on the African continent.
While Faye’s main rival, Amadou Ba, from the ruling coalition had said a run-off might happen to determine the winner, at least five of the 19 candidates in the race had issued statements to congratulate Faye as of early Monday.
“For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario, we will go to a run-off,” Ba, a former Senegalese Prime Minister, had said.
But as Faye’s lead got wider, Ba called to concede victory in Sunday’s presidential elections, BBC quoted a government official to have said.
Faye’s lead had spurred his followers to troop out in celebration on the streets of the capital, Dakar, on Sunday.
Reports revealed that millions took part in a peaceful day of voting to elect Senegal’s fifth president after three years of unprecedented political turbulence that triggered violent anti-government protests and bolstered support for the opposition.
Faye is a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector, who also served as the General Secretary of dissolved PASTEF.
He contested the highest political position in the West African country in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko.
Senegalese voters had a choice among 19 contenders to replace Sall, who is stepping down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition leader Sonko.
The incumbent was not on the ballot for the first time in Senegal’s history. His ruling coalition picked Ba, 62, as its candidate.
In a country of over 18 million people, 7.3 million people were registered to vote, and about 71 percent voter turnout was recorded, Senegal’s State TV reported.
Politics
Writing Judgment For Presidential Election Tribunal Allegation, FG Arraigns One
The Federal Government has arraigned one Chike Ibezim for allegedly defaming Babatunde Fashola, former Minister of Works and Housing.
Ibezim is one of three individuals who alleged that Fashola had written the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) that dismissed the petitions by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibezim was arraigned on Monday before a federal high court in Abuja on a six-count charge.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/434/2023, borders on criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, and defamation, among others.
The matter is before Bolaji Olajuwon and has been adjourned till April 15 for continuation of trial.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Ibezim Chike Victor, male with Jackson Udeh, Nnamdi Emmanuel Ibezim and Reportera.ng (body corporate) now at large on or about 05/08/2023 at Abuja, did commit an illegal Act to wit: criminal conspiracy; when you jointly agreed to publish a defamatory statement of false allegations in your online social media, the reportera.ng news, against His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, CON, without justification, you thereby commit offence punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cyber-crime Prohibition, Prevention Act 2015.”
However, Fashola said the allegation was “baseless and defamatory”.
The former minister described those behind the allegations as “agents of destabilisation”.
Politics
Soludo’s Performance Assessment, APGA Tackles LP Chieftain
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has faulted a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Valentine Ozigbo, over his comments that the performance of Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, after two years in office, was “not impressive.”
Mr Ozigbo, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, now a chieftain of the LP, stated during an interactive session with journalists last weekend that he was not impressed about Governor Soludo’s performance and has therefore decided to contest the 2025 governorship election in the state.
He said, “We have seen the leadership of Soludo in two years, and some of you may be impressed, but I am not. After the last election in 2021, I called and wished him well and moved on, and we have never spoken again. My decision was to assess him after two years, and having seen it, I am not impressed, and I want to start holding him accountable.
“I am here to share my thoughts with you, what I think, and no matter how you see what he (Soludo) is doing, you will be more proud when I mount the saddle.
“We need to change the narrative and look for a way to survive. We must fight to rescue Anambra. I am a non-transactional politician. I have several things I can do, but my worry is how we can recover the state and put her on the path of development.
“Zoning is a good thing. But it must be combined with competence to make sense. Don’t pick a renegade just because he is from a certain zone, and don’t pick the best, when you know you can pick one that is better.”
Mr Ozigbo said further, “I respect zoning, and I will be making a case for a single term of four years. Anyone who sees what Alex Otti is doing in Abia State will know that four years is enough time to do a lot of work.
“I will honour that principle of zoning, and I will not need anyone’s push or prompting to do otherwise. I will be ready to do an agreement and do an undertaking that I will do just one term. I also wish to tell you that Peter Obi has been consistent that a southerner who emerges will only do one term.
“It is a settled matter that I intend to run for just one term. I intend to keep faith with the agreement.”
But reacting to the development in a telephone interview with The Tide’s source on Monday, APGA spokesman, Tony Olisa-Mbeki, dismissed Mr Ozigbo’s utterances, insisting he has nothing to offer the people of the state.
Mr Olisa-Mbeki said, “He is a political stooge. What could he possibly bring in? Last I checked, he only managed Transcorp Hotel. Is that a qualification to be a governor in Anambra State? Soludo runs an inclusive government in Anambra; that is why he holds town hall meetings with different sectors. What other approach to governance is Ozigbo talking about?
“Anambra State governance is not for learners like Ozigbo. Ozigbo can’t even give a good lecture; he would be better suited working as a PA to any governor. Ozigbo’s aspirations in the previous gubernatorial contest in Anambra found him trailing in third place under the banner of the PDP, despite the staunch endorsement from former APGA governor, Peter Obi.
“That alone should tell him that APGA is like an apostle’s creed to Ndi Anambra. However, what reforms could Ozigbo propose? Anambra State, under Governor Soludo’s leadership, is a testament to political and socio-economic ingenuity.”
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