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AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR EZENWO NYESOM WIKE
The Executive Governor of Rivers State,
His Excellency,
Chief (Barr) EzenwoNyesom Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS Africa
Sir,
I wish to once again commend you for your developmental strides in all parts of Rivers State, particularly in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area (LGA) as well as your recent approval for the construction of Ogu-Wakama road, which will certainly foster economic development especially to the people of Wakama community.
Your Excellency, may I use this privilege of writing you this open letter as a formal means of drawing your attention to the persistent and undemocratic political marginalization suffered by the Wakama people in Ogu/Bolo LGA. It is a known fact that Wakama community played a key role in the creation of Ogu/Bolo LGA by the late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha on the 1st of October 1996, which is over 24years ago, and yet Wakama community cannot boast of ever producing at least an elected LGA council Chairman or House of Assembly member. However, Bolo community has produced 4 chairmen and 2 House of Assembly members, while Ogu community has produced 2 chairmen and 2 House of Assembly members, with the incumbent House of Assembly member from Ogu Community serving his 3rd tenure (12 years). Again, no Wakama Son or Daughter has been given an appointment such as commissioner, Special Adviser (SA), Board member etc from 1996 till date, whereas both Bolo and Ogu Communities have been the ones enjoying these juicy appointments from the State Government to the detriment of other communities in the LGA, even though it is the Governor’s jurisdiction to make or give such appointments.
It is also true that Wakama community is the third largest community in Ogu/Bolo LGA, yet they suffer political injustice than any other community in the LGA in the form of discrimination and marginalisation. In fact, it is perceived as a taboo in Ogu/Bolo LGA for a Wakama son or daughter to contest for the position of a council Chairman or House of Assembly member; this is the level of relegation Wakama Community has been placed by other communities in the LGA; funny enough all the communities in Ogu/Bolo LGA are from Ijaw ethnicity, and they speak the same Wakirike language.
Your Excellency, it will surprise you to know that Wakama Community is more PDP than other communities in Ogu/Bolo LGA. For instance, it is a known fact that, Wakama community has always given its 100% votes to PDP from 1999 till date, and yet the community does not have a voice in decision making in Ogu/Bolo LGA. This is why the Wakama people are least considered in terms of employment, empowerment and appointment within Ogu/Bolo LGA, even when there are intelligent, competent and credible Wakama sons and daughters scattered all over Federal and State Ministries, Parastatals, Agencies, including the Oil and Gas Sector as well as Successful Entrepreneurs.
As we are fast approaching the 2021 Local Government elections, the good people of Wakama Community have started appealing that the LGA council chairmanship position should be given to them at least to correct this political imbalance for once. Key PDP political leaders and stakeholders within the Ogu/Bolo axis have been consulted and still consulting through letters, phone calls and other mediums for their appeal to be considered. However, there are reliable rumours all over Ogu/Bolo LGA that Wakama community can never be considered for the LGA council chairmanship position.In fact, currently, Ogu community has the senator representing Rivers East who is serving his 31/2 tenure (14years), the member representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly who is serving his 3rd tenure (12years), and the Rivers State commissioner for Sports. Likewise, Bolo community has the incumbent LGA council chairman and others with political appointments made by the state government. So, it will be unjust for Wakama community not to be given the Council chairmanship position in the forthcoming LGA elections in Rivers State.
Your Excellency, there is no doubt you are not fully aware of the political injustice suffered by the Wakama people for over 24years after the creation of Ogu/Bolo LGA. Also, you are not aware that a prominent Wakama son ensured that electoral materials were not snatched by hoodlums from other opposition political parties especially during the 2015 general elections, just to secure the 100% votes given to PDP by the good people of Wakama community. In fact, this dogged Wakama son is a prominent financier of PDP party and PDP related political pressure groups including political campaigns in Ogu/Bolo LGA, as well as financially supported PDP aspirants during previous general elections; He has paid his dues for PDP as a faithful and committed party man.
Your Excellency, the said dogged Wakama Son is Chief TamunotekenaAkoWakama, whose capacity and competency has been attested by all PDP Leaders and Stakeholders, and he has made his intention to run for the office of the LGA council Chairman in the forthcoming 2021 LGA elections known to all leaders and stakeholders in Ogu/Bolo LGA. Instead of getting support from PDP leaders in Ogu/Bolo LGA as regards to his LGA chairmanship ambition, he is constantly getting messages from PDP Leaders in the privileged Ogu and Bolo communities that he should drop his ambition, simply because he is from the marginalized Wakama community.
Your Excellency, you can do your findings from the above statements I have made; from Wakama community not producing elective LGA Council Chairmen, House of Assembly members, Commissioners, Special Advisers etc down to the role the LGA council Chairmanship aspirant from Wakama community, Chief TamunotekenaAkoWakama has played in financing PDP in Ogu/Bolo as well as singlehandedly securing PDP votes from hoodlums in Wakama community during 2015 general elections.
Your Excellency, I have no doubt you can effect this much needed change where political oppression and marginalization of other communities in Ogu/Bolo will be put to an end, as everyone in Rivers State and Nigeria at large have known you to be a man who hates injustice and oppression, which you have demonstrated overtime.
The good people of Wakama community have no voice in Ogu/Bolo politics since there is no LGA council chairman, House of Assembly member, Commissioner, Special Adviser, Board member etc from Wakama community to speak for them, and I have seen you as their last hope to grant them the long awaiting LGA council Chairmaship position to be given to them in the forthcoming LGA elections in 2021 for the sake of justice, equity and fair play in the political arena wthinOgu/Bolo LGA.
Yours Sincerely
Jonathan Wakama
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.