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Nsirim, Nwuke Broker Peace In Rivers NUJ …Parties Agree To Hold Election, ‘Morrow
The various factions in the lingering conflict over the 2021 7th Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), last Friday, resolved to sink their differences and allow the conference billed to produce elected officers for the union to hold tomorrow.
The peace meeting held at the instance of the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, in his office, in Port Harcourt, also resolved to allow peace reign and that the election of officers of the union scheduled for tomorrow will hold as planned.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim said parties also resolved that all those who took the National President of the NUJ to court over the state council election must withdraw their cases latest by 12noon, today, to enable the peace committee to send a resolution to the National Secretariat about the election.
“This meeting also agreed that the list that will be used for the election next week Tuesday (today) will be the 2018 delegates list that was used in 2018 for election.
“After exhaustive celebration, we have all collectively agreed that NUJ, Rivers State Council is one family. We have also collectively agreed that peace should reign in the council.
“It was a family meeting, and we have agreed there is no victor, no vanquished. All we seek is a state council that will be an umbrella for journalists to excel in their chosen profession.
“A state council that will promote the ideals of objectivity and constructive criticism; a state council that promotes agenda setting; a state council that will ensure that journalists in Rivers State are not deprived of their rights as practicing journalists.
“So, we believe that by this time next week Monday (today), we have sent a communication that all of us that are here will sign to the National Secretariat for the election to hold,” he said.
Nsirim also conveyed the assurance of the national president of the union to the effect that if the case is withdrawn from the court, he would allow the election to hold, using the 2018 delegates’ list.
He, therefore, appealed to all the contending parties to desist from making inflammatory utterances on the NUJ social media platforms in other not to fuel another round of crisis amongst members of the union.
“We are going to sanction members from any camp that will post any information that will stir up acrimony. Anybody that posts any information that will stir up acrimony will be collectively sanctioned.
“So, let all the parties, please, maintain the peace that we have achieved at this meeting”.
He urged eligible members to come out and vote for the candidates of their choice.
“It is a secret ballot. There should be no violence. Let us play by the rules”.
He thanked a veteran and former commissioner, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke; and the Vice President, South-South of the union, Mr. Opaka Dokubo for their efforts in brokering peace, hoping that after Tuesday, NUJ, Rivers State Council, would come back as one family, “and all of us will begin to enjoy as the family that it used to be in the past.”
Speaking, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, described the meeting as a very great day for the union came to understanding to hold election after several months of disagreements.
He thanked both sides in the struggle for power in the union for the concessions, noting that their resolve had paved the way for a new dawn in the union.
“Let me specifically thank the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim for the support that he has given in other to ensure that we have a breakthrough.
He also admonished all potential voters to prepare to exercise their franchise on Tuesday, remarking that above all, there are no losers, rather, the victor was the union.
Also speaking, the Vice President, South-South of NUJ, Mr. Opaka Dokubo expressed the readiness of the national president to see the conduct of the election on the scheduled date.
He advised the leadership of the contending camps to ensure their followers conduct themselves in a peaceful manner to achieve a hitch-free election, tomorrow.
The Chairmanship candidates, Mr. Stanley Job Stanley of the Consolidation Team; and Mr. Paul Bazia-Nsaneh of the Restoration Team, pledged their commitment to the resolutions reached at the meeting.
The meeting, which lasted for more than two hours, was also attended by members of the Caretaker Committee and that of the Credentials Committee for the election.
By: John Bibor
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.