Politics
Amaechi Hosts Eleme General Assembly
Last week in Government House started on a humanitar
ian note following the donation of skills empowerment equipment to over 200 women and widows by the Obio / Akpor Local Government Council. The wife of Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi and Chief of Staff, Government House, Sir Tony Okocha was at hand to handover the equipment.
Dame Judith Amaechi commended the effort of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Obio/Akpor, saying the party was already on the path to victory. She therefore urged beneficiaries of the scheme to be committed in using their crafts to transform their families and society.
On Monday, last week, Director- General Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr Franklin Nlemm briefed Government House Correspondents on the controversy surrounding the purchase of two Automatic Road Analyser Vehicles (ARAN). He said the development has been misconstrued in some quarters, explaining that the law also empowers the agency to act as a regulatory agency.
According to Mr Nlemm, section 50, sub-section three of the law establishing Bopp empowers the agency to call a contractor to order if he or she deviates from specifications. He insisted that the two ARAN vehicles were acquired by the body to further enhance its mandate in ensuring standards in contract execution, especially roads.
In the long run, he believed that the ARAN would improve capacity of road contract execution and at the same time improve quality and save money for the government.
Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi returned to the state on Tuesday after attending a Town Hall meeting with Rivers State indigenes abroad in the United States of America.
Before the arrival of the governor, Chief of Staff Government House, Sir Tony Okocha had visited Obio/Akpor Council where he unveiled two new vehicles for the police and another one for non-indigenes in the area.
He commended the authorities of Obio/Akpor Council for assisting the police to fight crime in Woji Community, and for providing means of transportation for non-indigenes in APC within Obio/Akpor area.
Governor Amaechi on Wednesday took time from his tight state schedules to inspect ongoing projects in different parts of the state. Later in the evening, he was at a state banguet in honour of a literary icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka who turned 80 recently.
Describing the Nobel Laureate as a “global adviser,” Amaechi said Soyinka has been consistent in the literary world and continues to bring honour to Nigeria despite its current travails.
He said, “I need to thank you (Prof Soyinka) for accepting the invitation by the Rivers State Government to host you to a dinner. The reason for it is basically the achievements that you have made globally not just in Nigeria”.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi who was guest at the dinner also lauded Prof Soyinka, saying Nigerians will not forget his activism as human rights crusader.
Responding, Prof Soyinka thanked the people of Rivers State for the gesture and toasted for democracy, human liberty, freedom, “There for me are the buzz words, believe you me”, he said.
On Thursday, Governor Amaechi played host to the Eleme General Assembly led by the Eleme Monarch, One Eh Eleme, Emere Samuel Ejire and President of Eleme General Assembly, Evangelist Jonah Chujor.
After an address read by Evangelist Chiyor, Governor Amaechi said that government would ensure it brings about lasting peace between Ekporo community in Eleme and Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Area.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
