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APC Mourns Late PH Mayor, Condemns Use Of Violence
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the sudden death of the Mayor of Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA), Hon. Charles Paul Ejekwu, as a rude shock and very devastating.
The party, in a statement by the state Chairman, Dr. Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, prayed God to grant Hon. Ejekwu’s immediate family, the Rivers State APC Leader and Chairman of Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Chibuike Amaechi, the entire APC family and Rivers State people in general, the fortitude to bear this great loss and grant the departed eternal rest.
“We hope to do our best to live his principles and stand on our common struggle to emancipate and free our people from the hands of greedy and visionless politicians plotting everyday on how to take our state back to the inglorious past before God decided to send to us Governor Amaechi to secure us and change the politics of our State,” Dr. Ikanya said of Hon. Ejeukwu, who died Wednesday morning in Port Harcourt.
Ikanya said: “Regrettably, instead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respecting the death of this young man who did his best to contribute his quota towards a new Port Harcourt, they rather preferred to continue with their ugly mission of using thugs to cause havoc in their desperation to destabilise the Amaechi administration.
“Like crazed vagabonds, PDP thugs attempted to sabotage and disrupt the Meet-the-People Tour of Governor Amaechi by destroying the canopies and chairs arranged at strategic locations in Obio/Akpor, shooting sporadically into the air, breaking bottles on the roads, destructing property and injuring innocent persons on Wednesday, 13th August, 2014 the very day we lost the Mayor of Port Harcourt to death,” APC said.
Rivers APC commended Governor Amaechi for postponing his Meet-the-People Tour not because of the madness of the PDP tugs and their wicked sponsors but in the honour of the late Mayor Ejekwu.
“By this act, the Governor has once again demonstrated his humane and caring qualities as the people’s leader. As we console him over this great loss, we pray God to continue to guide and inspire him as he submits himself as a tool in the hands of God to emancipate our nation politically. Amaechi should not be deterred by the politics of men who do not know what politics is all about,” the party said.
It called on the security agencies to prevail on PDP to toe the path of peace and discontinue their devilish mission to turn the State into a battlefield.
According to Rivers APC, “PDP wants to create unrest, fear and panic in Rivers State. We are calling on the police and other security agencies in the state to prevail on the PDP to stop attacking APC gatherings.
“We also appeal to our brothers in PDP to allow peace to reign in the state. Even before Governor Amaechi started his visit to the people, the police were properly informed. Despite the presence of the police, these hoodlums still went ahead to cause confusion. The police should confront those that want to turn the state into a battlefield.”
APC urged Amaechi not to be intimidated into abandoning his well-intentioned tour designed to be used to interact with the people and get their views on the services rendered to them.
In his own reaction, Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, a chieftain of APC, described the use of thugs and reintroduction of violence in the politics of Rivers State by PDP as very sad, unfortunate and condemnable.
Okocha said: “I think they resort to the politics of thuggery and violence because they have no ideology, vision for any development of Rivers State, exposing themselves as being bereft of ideas on what modern politics is all about. It is unfortunate that the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, is still living in the past, not knowing that the 2015 elections will be based on ideas and conviction of the people and no longer on the amount of violence one can unleash.
“The earlier he wakes up from his slumber the better for him and those who are following him sheepishly. Rivers State people can now understand what Wike and PDP stand for – violence. I know our people very well as peace-loving people who will not want the reintroduction of violence into our state. The only way to stop this evil is to collectively vote out PDP and all it stands for in 2015 and I am confident that the good people of Rivers State will do just that,” the party stated.
The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has begun the celebration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary with a Juma’at service where prayers were offered for the progress of the state and Nigeria.
Governor Fubara, who advocated for peace and unity of Nigeria during the prayers on Friday at the Rivers State Central Mosque, Port Harcourt, indicated that without peace, the accelerated development of Nigeria will remain in a limbo.
Governor Fubara, who was represented by Alhaji Abdurrazaq Diepriye, therefore urged citizens to remain patriotic.
According to him, “Allah has brought us this far. Without peace, we can not have progress and economic development. I call on all citizens irrespective of creed or tribe to remain patriotic.”
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for restoring peace in Rivers State while also using the forum to appreciate security agencies for their relentless effort in upholding the peace and unity of Rivers State and Nigeria.
The Chief Imam of Rivers State Central Mosque, Imam Ibrahim Yaloo, admonished Moslem faithful to always speak the truth, adding that those who obey Allah will be directed to good deeds and their sins forgiven.
Prayers were offered for Rivers State and Nigeria.
Other activities to mark the 65th Independence anniversary in the state include an Inter-denominational Church Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 28th September and Parade Ceremony on Wednesday, 1st October.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima departed New York on Sunday after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In a statement released on Sunday by the VP media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President is now headed to Germany, where he will hold strategic meetings with officials of Deutsche Bank.
The statement read, “Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed New York, United States, after successfully representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“During his participation at UNGA 80, VP Shettima secured UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ commendation for Nigeria’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat.
“He also showcased Nigeria’s $200 billion energy transition opportunity to global investors and strengthened strategic partnerships with the UK on trade, defence, and migration issues.”
Nkwocha added that the VP delivered Tinubu’s national statement, calling for UN reforms and a permanent seat for Nigeria at the UN Security Council, and “demanded Africa’s control over its $700 billion mineral wealth, and digital inclusion initiatives.”
“He also engaged with the Gates Foundation on healthcare and education expansion, positioning Nigeria as the natural hub for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s $3.4 trillion market.
“VP Shettima was seen off at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, by cabinet Ministers who were part of the UNGA 80 delegation and Nigerian Mission officials.”
The aide noted that Shettima will return to Nigeria immediately after his engagements in Germany.
The Tide source recalls that the VP departed Abuja, yesterday.
He led other Nigerian officials at the Assembly.
As part of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebration, the Federal Government held a special thanksgiving service on Sunday at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja to offer prayers and give thanks for the nation.
The event drew top government officials and security chiefs, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, as well as their spouses.
Other notable guests included Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who led the service chiefs in attendance.
Service chiefs present included the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogala, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mrs Kemi Nandap and Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, among others.00
The service came days after the government unveiled the official theme and some of the activities slated for the 2025 Independence celebrations.
This year’s anniversary is tagged “Nigeria @ 65: All Hands on Deck for a Greater Nation,” as announced by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, in a statement on Wednesday.
“As part of activities to mark the 65th Independence Anniversary, the Juma’at Prayer and the Inter-Denominational Church Service will be held on Friday, 26th September at 1 pm and Sunday, 28th September at 10 am respectively, as well as the World Press Conference on Monday, 29th September at 10 am,” he said.
The Tide source had earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu, alongside former Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, is expected as a special guest at a national discourse convened by the Island Club, Lagos, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
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