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Dame Jonathan, Mark, Others Hail Senator Sekibo
The First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has described the Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army and Defence, Senator George Thompson Sekibo as a true man of honour and a philanthropist, “truly illustrious, humane and humble” who has used his political positions and privileges to share in the burden of the poor both in his Ogu community and Rivers State.
Dame Jonathan who made the remarks during the civic reception and conferment of chieftaincy title of Igo Alabo on Senator George Sekibo by the chiefs and people of Ogu Kingdom in Ogu Town last Saturday said Sekibo had in his quest to add value to life and affect humanity around him, successfully secured for his people projects that are endearing.
The First Lady who was represented at the occasion by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Dr. (Mrs) Precious Gbeneol said the career progression of Sekibo especially in politics was not surprising and urged “all men everywhere to emulate the virtues of this great son of Rivers State.”
She remarked that the unprecedented crowd that graced the occasion was an attestation of the fact that the Senator had represented his people creditably, stressing that “the lesson from this is simply that we must all strive in our little capacities, to live a life of service to God and humanity.”
While urging Sekibo to reciprocate the honour done him by resolving to do more for the people, Dame Jonathan expressed delight that he had discovered the secret of making God’s blessings his lifestyle through gratitude.
Also speaking, the Senate President, Senator David Mark described Sekibo as a consummate lawmaker who had distinguished himself as one of the leading lights of the Senate, going by his incisive and thought-provoking contributions on the floor of the Senate.
Mark, represented at the occasion by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije said Sekibo had earned the respect of his colleagues by his sheer brilliance and knowledge of the law which he had often displayed when contributing to debates in the National Assembly, stressing that “he firmly uses the law as a pair of binoculars by which he addresses issues on the floor of the Senate.”
According to him, his contributions are anchored on the truth, as he does not see issues from sectional perspective but weighs their merits and demerits before making his contributions.
“All his contributions on the floor are original and thought-provoking,” he said, and urged the Senator to soar high like the Eagle (Igo) and catapult Ogu community to greater heights in the leadership of Rivers State and Nigeria because, according to him, “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall O. O. Petrin described Sekibo as somebody with outstanding leadership qualities who has the mind to make things happen, noting that as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army and Defence, Sekibo had been supportive of everything the Military was doing. He said he was convinced that in any committee he (Sekibo) found himself, he would be up and doing.
The chairman of the occasion and Chairman of Okrika Divisional Council of Cheifs, Chief Wisdom Nimi Adoki in his opening remarks lauded Sekibo for his lifestyle and accomplishments, saying, Ogu people had honoured their very best, a true and worthy son.
Adoki said the conferment of the Igo Alabo title on Sekibo was not only a milestone for the Ogu Kingdom but for the Senator’s towering personality whom he noted had been making his people proud by his selfless and dedicated service to mankind, saying, the legacies he had so far left behind would be admired by all.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Ogu Divisional Council of Chiefs, Chief E. M. Ibiorika-Kalaowi Perefi described Sekibo as a grassroots mobiliser and a friend to widows and the needy in his senatorial district and beyond, saying, the prayers of the widows, orphans and the less-privileged had accelerated his political advancement.
According to him, the Senator had through his untiring efforts attracted several developmental projects including sand reclamation to Ogu community, stressing that he was being honoured by the people because of his sound representation, doggedness and patriotic zeal.
In his sermon titled, ‘the Reward of Diligence’ during the inter-denominational thanksgiving service at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Ogu, the Bishop of Okrika Diocese, Bishop T. R. Abere reeled out the accomplishments of Sekibo, saying, “he is a diligent servant,” who has been carrying everybody along and touching positively the lives of widows, the aged and indigent students among others.
In his response, Senator George Sekibo thanked the chiefs, the people of Ogu, security agencies, his constituents and all those who graced the occasion, saying, he was greatly humbled by the honour done him.
He also thanked Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who was represented at the occasion by the State Commissioner for Employment and Empowerment, Dr. Ipalibo Harry for all the support given to him at the critical periods of the 2011 general elections and his re-run election.
Sekibo particularly thanked security agencies for ensuring that his kidnapped wife was released, and expressed delight that the abductors of his wife had been arrested.
According to him, the kidnap and safe rescue of his wife had overshadowed his electoral victory for which reason he thanked God for His goodness to him and his family.
Donatus Ebi
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.