Politics
Gov Wike To Commission More Projects
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has promised to inaugurate more projects initiated and completed by his administration.
The Governor who disclosed this in his state broadcast on New Year, said the projects inauguration would commence Monday, 4th January, 2021.
Among the projects lined up for commissioning are the Eteo -Sime-Nonwa-Kira Road, Sakpenwa-Bori Road, Eleme-Afam-Oyigbo Road, Abonnema Ring Road, and Forces Avenue-Olumeni-Harley streets.
Also to be inaugurated are the Mother and Child Hospital, the Real Madrid Academy new building, and the Okoro-nu-Odo flyover.
He pledged the resolve of his administration to create a more robust business environment that will stimulate email growth, empowerment and create tangible jobs for people of the state in 2021.
Gov. Wike expressed dismay over non-adherence to COVID-19 protocols particularly as it concerns wearing of face masks, avoidance of large gathering and social distancing and regular use of hand sanitizer by most persons in the state.
The State Chief Executive also disclosed that enforcement of the ban on illegal motor parks and street trading would commence Monday and warned those flouting the state government law on such illegal activities to stop forthwith as any one caught would face the wrath of the law.
Also last week, Governor Wike declared open the 113th Quarterly General Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council .
At the event which held last Thursday at Secretariat of the council, Gov. Wike said his administration would continue to work with the traditional institution in its efforts to advance community development.
“ What we ask of you in particular is to take the lead in mobilising your communities to key into our plans and reap the benefits of development as a shared commitment to serve and responsibility to the people”
Gov. Wike commended the Chairman of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja for his leadership.
In his welcome address, King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja appealed to the Governor to consider appointing traditional rulers as judges of Customary Courts in the state.
“ Given the customary nature of issues adjudicated at the customary courts, traditional rulers with verse knowledge in the culture and tradition of the people can sit as judges”.
Also within the week under review, Gov. Wike graced the ceremony marking the 150 years of the establishment of Opobo Kingdom held in Opobo town last Monday.
At the event, Gov. Wike expressed delight that the people of the kingdom and their friends could drive by road to attend the function.
He assured the people of Opobo Kingdom that the state government would expedite action towards ensuring the completion of the Opobo axis of the Ogoni- Andoni-Opobo Unity Road by January, 2021.
“ When that road is completed, it will bring development. I am glad that I made a promise to the people of Opobo. We believe that by ending of January 2021 that we will come back to Commission the road”, he said.
Gov. Wike donated N50million to support the building of a befitting palace for King Jaja of Opobo.
Also last week Gov. Wike held a meeting with the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Mele Kolo Kyari after which the Governor ordered the immediate reopening of Kidney Island Port Harcourt for the operators.
A release by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, disclosed this and said further discussion to resolve the underlying issues would continue.
Politics
Alia Denies Calling For Ganduje’s Resignation
Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has denied calling for the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.
The Tide source reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor had called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of the APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the national party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories,” Kula said.
Politics
LP Re-Elects Abure As National Chairman
The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
Other serving officers of the party were also returned unopposed.
Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize an all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.
Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.
“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
Politics
Suswam Blames External Forces For Problems In PDP
Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is being undermined by external forces which have rendered the party ineffective as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam stated this during a live television interview on Wednesday.
He lamented that the party had since after the 2023 general elections failed to live up to expectations of Nigerians as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam, who blamed the current PDP leadership for the ineffective state of the largest opposition party in the country, said unless there is an overhaul of its leadership, the party would “go nowhere” because the current leadership has lost focus.
He said, “I think there are subterranean forces inferring in the party and they are determining what is going on in the party. And the leadership is acquiescing to it.
“Subterranean suggests that people are trying to control the party from the outside. They are controlling the party from the outside and they are keeping the party in a comatose state.”
The Benue senator accused the party of refusing to call a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to help resolve some of the issues arising in the party.
He regretted the inability of the party to resolve the fallout of the 2022 presidential primary election which saw a group of five governors work against the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the inability of the Iliya Damagum-led leadership to discipline erring party members worsened the situation.
Senator Suswam said it was wrong for the party not to have sanctioned the G-5 governors and their allies who openly declared that they would remain in the party and work against its interest.
“They were not sanctioned which made others become emboldened to act anyway they wanted. PDP has been weakened since then,” he said.
He said no serious organisation does that, stressing that, “A serious organisation would apply sanctions” based on the laid down rules as contained in its constitution.
He further accused the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, of occupying the position which belongs to the North-Central zone, following the removal of the substantive chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from the zone.
Amb. Damagum, who was the Deputy National Chairman (North), hails from the North-East zone but was, as permitted by the party’s constitution, made acting chairman after Ayu’s removal by a court order.
The party’s law provides that the deputy chairman from the same region as the chairman takes over in the event of the latter’s removal from office.
Senator Suswam further lamented that “PDP is comatose now, and nothing can happen now,” adding that it was regrettable that politicians are now preferring to hold talks with smaller parties and not the PDP.
Noting that the PDP was at the precipice, Senator Suswam said, “Until we provide that leadership, PDP will not be a viable platform. We need to overhaul the leadership of the party. There is no pretence about it, everybody in PDP knows it. Without discipline and reconciliation, the party goes nowhere.”
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