News
Amaechi Assures On Unity Road Delivery …Mourns Five Eminent Rivers Indigenes
Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has assured the people of Opobo community on the early completion of the Ogoni/Andoni/Opobo Unity Road.
Amaechi gave the assurance during the Iria thanksgiving of Mrs Felly K Minimah, wife of the General Officer Commanding the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Kenneth Minimah at Minimah Town in Opobo Nkoro Local Government Area of the State.
The State Chief Executive noted that with construction work nearly getting close to Kalaibiama Town, the project would soon get to Opobo, where it is expected to terminate.
Said he, “I think we are close to Kalaibiama with two bridges and we know how the Opobo creeks are and if you close them, you will have challenges in the future. But the 500 metres bridge is important and that is the major one”.
According to him, once the bridge is crossed, the remaining part of the project will be easy to conclude,” and promised to release more funds this January to fast-track the project.
It would be recalled that the Governor had through his deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru last year challenged the contracting firm, Rivigo JC after being financially mobilised.
Worth over N20 billion, the road is targeted to link about 30 riverine communities in the South-East Senatorial District of the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Amaechi has congratulated Maj-Gen Minima for his elevation in the army.
The Governor remarked, “I don’t think we have had a GOC before but even if we have had it, this is the first time we are having one in recent times. So we have come to honour him by participating in his wife’s Iria thanksgiving service”.
Earlier on, Maj-Gen Minimah had expressed appreciation to the Governor for his transformational agenda in the state.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the Rivers State Chief Executive for the completion of the Unity Road,” I understand there are still one or two bridges remaining and so once that is done, there will be a new dimension to infrastructural development in Opobo,” Minimah said.
Meanwhile, the New Year news of the demise of five prominent citizens of the state has thrown the state into mourning.
Among the late prominent Rivers sons are, HRM, Eze Apara Rebisi, Eze Sunday Woluchem and two time governorship candidate, Chief Eric Aso.
Others are Prof N C Ejituwu, Prof Boma Obuoforibo and Alhaji Ahmed Okiri, a muslim leader.
The Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi has expressed sympathies with the families on behalf of the state Government.
At the family home of Late Chief Aso, Governor Amaechi said the state dearly missed the contributions made by the deceased in his lifetime.
“The State Government is here because of the contributions Chief Aso had made to the development of the state and we want to sympathise with the family”, Governor Amaechi said.
Responding on behalf of the family, Mr Okechukwu Aso, one of the sons of the late politician thanked the Rivers State Governor for the condolence visit, “we thank you for remembering us at this time”.
Mr Aso described his late father as one who had always stood for the truth and always wanted to create an impact on the lives of the less-privileged.
At the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Port Harcourt, Eze Sunday Woluchem, Rt Hon Amaechi urged the bereaved family to take solace in the fact that the late traditional ruler lived a great life.
He said, “be satisfied by the fact that HRM Sunday Woluchem lived a great life and that he would not be forgotten in the history of Rivers State.”
He urged the family to continue with the legacies their late father left, “don’t forget the tenets that he lived with. He was patriotic, he was both an Ikwerre and a state leader and was detribalised”.
A son of the late traditional ruler, Mr Alex Woluchem thanked Governor Amaechi for coming to sympathise with the family at this period of loss.
Also, at the family home of Late Prof N C Ejituwu, Governor Amaechi said the deceased made great contributions in academics and also to the state government when he served on the State Economic Advisory Council.
In his response, nephew to the late academic,, Barrister Edward Ejituwu thanked the governor for the visit. He said the death of Prof Ejituwu even though painful was full of good memories, since he lived a fulfilled life.
On the death of Prof Obuoforibo, Amaechi described his demise as shocking, noting that, “he was a gentleman, an academic and a leader who contributed a lot to healthcare development issues”.
Responding, widow to Late Obuoforibo, Mrs Rose Obuoforibo stated that her late husband loved the state and enjoyed working for the State Government, and thanked the Governor for remembering the family at the period of mourning.
Governor Amaechi was also at the family home of Late Alhaji Okiri, where he conveyed his sympathies and that of the state to the family of Muslim leader.
He described Alhaji Okiri as a leader and patriot who loved the state and his people, while urging the children to continue to promote peace as their late father did.
Representative of the family, Chief Aribitonye Okiri expressed the family’s gratitude to the Governor for the visit stressing that his late father ensured the peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Christians in the state.
Spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Segun Sowunmi, has advised his principal, Atiku, to learn from President Bola Tinubu on how to form a coalition.
The Tide reports that in a bid to wrest power from President Tinubu in 2027, Atiku has been leading the movement by opposition politicians to form a coalition of political parties ahead of the next general election.
Last month, opposition politicians set up a team comprising former Minister of Transpiration, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, to decide whether to float a new party or fuse into an existing platform.
While the main opposition party, PDP, struggles with a perennial leadership crisis, the former Vice President is bent on establishing another political force to take power from the ruling party in 2027.
But Sowunmi, who has been Atiku’s ally for many years, disagrees with his move, saying instead of forming a coalition with another political platform, he should coalesce opposition politicians into the PDP.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Tuesday, Sowunmi, who was Atiku’s campaign spokesperson in the last election, asked his principal to learn from President Tinubu on how to form a coalition.
Sowunmi believes Atiku, having benefitted from the PDP as a former Vice President and getting the party’s presidential ticket twice, should not seek to form a coalition that will not have the PDP as its base.
He said, “I’ve always said to people, people love with their hearts. I love atiku with my bones. But I can’t help him against himself. You can’t run vice presidency on PDP two times with Obasanjo, get presidential candidate on that same party two times. I don’t agree with him that the next best thing is to be shopping for…(a platform) If you want a coalition, why are you not coalescing them into your party?” he asked.
The former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State advised the ex-VP to learn from Tinubu on how to build a coalition without dumping his political party.
“Look at your rival, your friend. You guys started together. At best, even if you want to say he’s building a coalition is he not coalescing opponents into his place”? Sowunmi asked again.
The PDP chieftain, who recently showered praises on Tinubu after he visited him, said the President has an “uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special” regardless of political affiliations.
His words: “That guy (Tinubu) is something oh, he has this uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special. It doesn’t matter whether you are a former foe or a president’s friend, every moment you share with him, I don’t know how he does it, though you’re going to leave the place feeling that you matter, feeling that he gets it, feeling that what you guys are talking about is important. And there’s something about him, when he gives you his word, he will say something like ‘ko le ye’, meaning that to the best of human ability, it will stand.”
Meanwhile, there have been conversations about Sowunmi’s political stance as many questioned his relationship with Atiku, with whom he shares a longstanding political relationship.
Asked about his relationship with Atiku following his meeting with Tinubu, Sowunmi said he doesn’t know if the former Vice President is upset.
“I don’t know whether Atiku is upset or not upset, but I know a lot of our followers are talking a lot of nonsense, and I’m wondering how I became attached to Atiku when I’ve been in PDP since 1999 never leaving,” he responded.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to fix inconsistencies in tax services across its over 300 offices nationwide.
The move aims to make tax processes clearer, more transparent, and easier for Nigerians.
In a statement, Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy to the FIRS Executive Chairman, Mr. Collins Omokaro, said the updated SOP is a key part of the agency’s plan to improve taxpayer experience.
He explained that, in the past, different FIRS offices used different methods, which often confused taxpayers.
“This is about people, experience, and impact. It’s a step towards a tax system that supports voluntary compliance and national development,” Omokaro said.
The new SOP provides a single guide for key processes like registration, payment, audit, and enforcement. This will ensure all FIRS offices follow the same steps, making the system fairer and more predictable.
FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, described the SOP as more than just a set of rules.
“This SOP is not just a technical document; it is a declaration of who we are becoming as a service. It reflects our commitment to transparency and service to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The SOP also supports FIRS’s digital transformation, combining human and technological systems to deliver faster and more reliable services. It will also improve internal efficiency by providing clear guidance and better training for staff.
“With this rollout, every FIRS staff member has a clear mandate: study it, apply it, and embody it. That’s how we’ll earn the trust of Nigerians,” Omokaro added.
The reform is part of FIRS’s efforts to become a more service-driven organisation, focused on clarity, consistency, and national growth. The agency hopes the new SOP will make tax services better for Nigerians and increase public trust in the system.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, says the Federal Government is committed to building a world-class public service in Nigeria.
Walson-Jack made this known in Abuja, on Wednesday, at a World Press Conference ahead of the International Civil Service Conference and the African Public Service Week scheduled for June 25 to 26 in Abuja.
She said a recent study tour to Singapore was part of preparatory activities aimed at positioning Nigeria’s civil service for excellence and attracting global participation in the upcoming events.
“The study tour to Singapore was the first major activity we undertook under the collaboration between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Heads of Service of the 36 states and the FCT,” she said.
According to her, the visit, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), involved 20 State Heads of Service and was designed to benchmark best global practices and enhance Nigeria’s public service delivery.
“The idea was born out of our ongoing collaboration, where we share ideas and knowledge across federal and state levels.
“Singapore was chosen because it is globally recognised for excellence in public service,” she explained.
Walson-Jack noted that the second phase of the tour will involve the remaining 17 heads of service later this year.
She said the tour provided participants with the opportunity to engage with both public and private sector institutions in Singapore, compare administrative practices, and gain insights into global standards.
“It was an eye-opener and a capacity-building opportunity.
“Since our return, several state civil services have begun implementing reforms in collaboration with the federal service, particularly in areas such as capability development and digital transformation,” she added.
Walson-Jack further disclosed that Nigeria would host a reciprocal study tour during the upcoming African Public Service Week, where foreign delegates will engage with various federal institutions.
“They will see firsthand our digitalisation efforts, performance management systems, and other reform initiatives aimed at transforming our civil service.
“We hope the experience will inspire similar actions in their home countries,” she said.