News
Fresh Plan To Withdraw Money From ECA’ll Be Resisted, Wike Warns FG

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) endorsement of fresh withdrawal of fund by the Federal Government from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) would be contested in court.
The governor wondered what happened to the $1billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account in 2017 on the stance that it would be used to fund the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
Wike stated this when he played host to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, who was on courtesy visit to him at Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
The Rivers State governor said he would not support the plan for a fresh withdrawal, except Rivers State was given its 13 per cent share from the account.
“Yesterday, I was told that the governors agreed that they will take money from the Excess Crude to support military. What of the one they took before, the $1billion that they gave to the military?
“Now, again! This one, I’ll tell my Attorney General; you will have to prepare, we will go to court. I will not support that one except they’ll give us our 13 per cent first from that Excess Crude Account”, the governor said.
Wike told the Emir of Kano how his late father and other leaders in their time worked so hard in promoting love, peace and national unity among Nigerians.
He expressed regrets that the current political and religious leaders were not building on those successes.
The governor said they were rather reducing every relationship, appointment, policy and programme of government to political and religious considerations.
Wike insisted that Nigeria belongs to everybody, and no one section can assert itself over the other.
He said that that was why he had provided conducive environment to all ethnic groups in Rivers State to coexist.
“It is important that where we are now, everybody, particularly traditional rulers, should know that they have major role to play in ensuring that peace reigns in this country.
“This is the first time in Nigeria when we have so much ethnic divide, so much religious divide. It has never happened like this before. After the civil war, people had seen Nigeria as one country. We had seen ourselves as the same people but what we are facing today is a different thing.
“We are not even talking about the issue of insecurity, but the issue of ethnicity, and religion, which have taken centre stage in our life, which is not supposed to be.”
The governor accused heads of security agencies, particularly the Inspection General of Police of politicising security by posting Commissioners of Police to the state on the orders of a politician in the ruling party.
In his response, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, said his visit to Rivers State, the heart of the Niger Delta, was part of his fraternal tour to national leaders and traditional institutions across the country.
The Emir urged Wike and other regional leaders to continue to ensure that the region remains a welcoming environment for all Nigerians to thrive.
He said Kano and Rivers states face similar challenges, and encouraged political leaders to make the current challenges a bit more bearable for the common man.
“We have, therefore, made it a point every time we meet with
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
-
Opinion21 hours ago
Get Rid Of Wastes In PH
-
Business19 hours ago
NCDMB, Dangote Refinery Unveil JTC On Deepening Local Content
-
Business21 hours ago
Replace Nipa Palms With Mangroove In Ogoni, Group Urges FG, HYPREP
-
News22 hours ago
Police Rescue Kidnapped Victim As Suspects Escape With Gunshots in Rivers
-
Politics21 hours ago
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF
-
Opinion21 hours ago
How Reliable Is AI
-
News19 hours ago
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others
-
Politics21 hours ago
Keyamo Inaugurates Ganduje As FAAN Board Chair