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Work Against Petro Act Dep Senate President –Amaechi
Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has urged the National Assembly not to allow the new Petroleum Act before it to succeed, because it will further deepen the injustice already done to the people of the Niger Delta.
Governor Amaechi made the call on Monday while declaring open the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African region Conference at the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, Port Harcourt
The governor, who described the new bill as anti- Niger Delta, said it seeks to take away the total royalty of the people of the area without recourse to the environmental hazard suffered by them, adding that such intention would not in anyway represent justice, but impunity.
He advised that in considering the bill, both chambers of the National Assembly should rise above social and ethnic interests to ask the question, “ is the Niger Delta fairly treated in the content of this bill”?
Governor Amaechi lamented that instead of allowing the National Assembly consider the 5%, 25% and 70% allocated to the community, state and Federal Government, respectively as contained in the oil bill earlier submitted to it, a new one which seeks to erode all benefits to host community and states is now under consideration.
The crisis of the Niger Delta, he said, would only be resolved in the parliament, no where else, not even in court, it is only the parliament that can forget ethnicism and solve the problems of the Niger Delta”, Governor Amaechi stressed, and called on the National Assembly to protect the Niger Delta people “from the impunity and marginalisation of the majority, protect us from oppression and suppression of our right’, by enacting legislations that will protect the weak from the strong.
“ I do not support violence, Never!, he noted while emphasising that since the oil was for the common good of all Nigerians, management of the proceeds should be in such a way that communities and states who bear the direct brunt of these exploration should have something to show for it.
The governor recalled that even in the constitution of Boards of management of the oil industry, not one Niger Delta person was involved, noting that such actions were further promoting the under-development of the region and called on those involved to beat a retreat.
He congratulated parliamentarians from the African Region and the Commonwealth for coming in their numbers to deliberate on better ways of bringing the interest of their people to the fabric of their legislature, adding, the success or failure of a democracy rests in the two most important arms of government i.e the legislature and the judiciary ‘, and called for all hands to be on deck in efforts geared towards reversing most of the conflicts in Africa through people-centred legislations.
Also speaking, the outgone chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African zone, Rt Hon Amusaa Mwananwambwa had commended the Rivers State Government for being a good host for the event.
Hon Mwanamwambwa, who is also the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia said the 39th Conference of CPA in Cape Town, South Africa, deliberated on a number of issues, cardinal among which were strings of resolutions and urged members to give quality thoughts to the deliberation in course of the meeting.
Earlier in his welcome speech, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Tonye Harry said the event was duty call to all parliamentarians and thanked Governor Amaechi for the support the state legislature needed to host a successful conference and wished parliamentarians well.
More than 1,000 parliamentarians and support staff from the commonwealth nations are attending the confab in Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Hon Ike Ekweremadu says the reactions trailing the new Petroleum act before the National Assembly from people of the Niger Delta region was “uncalled for”.
According to him, it was wrong for people of the region to express the belief that the original petroleum bill presented to the national assembly has been withdrawn and substituted with a new one, explaining that no new bill has been introduced to that effect.
‘I have told the Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi that no bill was withdrawn, saying that the bill being considered by the national assembly is still the original one sent to them.
Hon Ekweremadu stated this yesterday while addressing newsmen shortly after delivering a lecture titled ‘ the global Economic Crisis: Implications for Africa” at the on-going 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Africa region, holding at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt.
He gave the assurance that the National Assembly would organise a public hearing on the bill where all Nigerians, including the people of the Niger Delta would come to explain their own view in respect of the bill”.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (right) listening to member of Parliament and CPW Representative, Prof Shiela Tlow during the opening ceremony of the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference, in Port Harcourt, last Monday. Photo: Chris Monyanga.
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.
News
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.