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The Tide Attack: Police Assures Better Security
The Rivers State Police Command says adequate security measures will be put in place at the premises of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC) Publishers of The Tide Newspapers to safeguard lives and property within the corporation.
The Divisional Police Officer in-charge Mile 1 Police Division, Mr. Paddy Pagon stated this when he led the deputy Commissioner of Police, and other Officers of the command to the scene of armed robbery attack at the State Newspaper Corporation last Monday.
Pagon said the security arrangement would enhance free movement of persons, especially staff of the corporation whose major duties are at night, and assured of the Police’s readiness to rid the area of criminals.
He used the medium to warn criminals to keep away from the state, especially within Mile 1, Diobu axis, adding that the Division has zero-tolerance for criminal activities.
“They should repent and desist from the acts of criminality or be ready to face the consequences of their actions. As these two armed robbers are gunned down, that is how any of them will be killed if they fail to give up”, he stated.
Speaking to journalists, the General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr. Celestine Ogolo, described the incident as most unfortunate, adding that the armed robbery attack has affected the business of the Corporation.
Ogolo explained that since over 43 years of the establishment of the Newspaper outfit, such incident, had not occurred, and wondered why the armed robbers took such interest in a newspaper house.
He said he received a distress call from one of his staff at about 1.19am informing him of the armed robbery attack, adding that he responded swiftly by calling the Police emergency numbers.
“For over 43 years, we have been in this business without this sad experience. We don’t know what attracted them to the corporation.
“I received a call from my staff at 1.19 am about the robbery incident and quickly called the Police emergency number. The Police quickly arrived the premises on time but unfortunately, the armed robbers shot the Police man. The Police also killed two of the robbers”, he stated.
The General Manager explained that the Management would partner with the Police to ensure that there was absolute security in the area.
On the issue of fencing the premises, Ogolo said the matter would be discussed again with the Commissioner of Information, adding that it had earlier been taken to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development.
Earlier, labour unions in the Corporation had decried the level of insecurity at the Corporation.
The Unions, the Nigeria union of journalists (NUJ), National Union of Publishing, Printing and Paper Products workers (NUPPPPROW), and two others made this disclosure when they met with the General Manager of the RSNC, Mr. Celestine Ogolo, over the incident.
The Unions, while sympathizing with the management and staff of the corporation urged workers to be calm and go about their normal duties, assuring that the unions would work with management to ensure that security of workers was guaranteed.
The union lenders, led by the National Vice President, NUPPPPROW, South-South; Com. Godwin Williams, urged the state government to immediately commence the reconstruction of the corporation’s fence that was demolished by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, adding that workers would not allow any form of insecurity that would put their members’ lives at risk.
It would be recalled that armed robbers, numbering five had stormed the premises of The Tide Newspapers on Monday about 1.19am, and dispossessed staff on night duty of their valuables and undisclosed amount of money.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the armed robbers first attacked the production unit, and made away with the phones and monies belonging to machine operators before gaining access to the first floor of the main building where editorial staff were busy finalizing work on the Monday edition of The Tide Newspaper.
The source further said that the robbers held one of the staff hostage because he appears to have known them, and decided to kill him, adding that the robbers ordered the driver on night duty to take them to the General Manager’s office on the second floor of the building.
According to him, while the driver was taking them there, one of the proof readers on the first floor, opened the door unknowingly, adding that immediately the robbers sighted the staff, they ordered them inside the office.
The staff said that while the robbers were at the proof reading office, the Police arrived and one of the Police Officers, in an attempt to rescue the workers followed the robbers to the first floor and was shot by of one of the robbers before he fired back at the robber.
He said the Police lost one of their officers and also killed two of the armed robbers during the exchange of gun fire.
Six staff members who sustained various injuries were hospitalized after they had been rescued from the armed robbers.
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.