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Rivers Guber Polls:Dismiss APC’s Application, INEC Urges Tribunal
Surveyor- General, Rivers State, Mr Noel Elenwo (left), explaining the Port Harcourt masterplan to former Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr Chris Ezike, during the working visit of Nigeria Institution of Surveyors, Rivers State branch to the State Police command in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. With them is Mr. Hebron Wisdom
Photo: Nwiueh Donatus Ken
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Rivers State to dismiss the application of the All Progressive Congress for forensic analysis of materials used for the governorship elections in the state.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 1st respondent, Mr Ken Njemanze, (SAN) who urged the tribunal to dismiss the application at the resumed sitting of the three-member tribunal at the Apo High Court complex, Abuja, said that the petitioner ought to have affected the issue of scanning and cropping when he told the tribunal in his earlier motion about the issue of inspection of materials.
According to Njemanze, there is an 11-paragraph affidavit before the tribunal to support the prayers of his client.
“The second prayer on the motion paper of the petitioner particularly on scanning and cropping of the ballot papers is alia to the Electoral Act.
“Section 151 of the act permitted only inspection and nothing more, therefore, the prayer of the petitioners is not in line with the makers of the act, so the tribunal should dismiss it, he said.
The Counsel to Wike, Mr Emmanuel Ukala also urged the tribunal to dismiss the application by the petitioners.
He said that his client had already filed a 14-paragraph on Aug. 22 to support the prayer and urged the tribunal to abide with its ruling of June 11 on only inspection and not scanning and cropping.
“The ruling of Aug. 19 has closed the issue of inspection, no matter how it was carved in another language, especially the language by the petitioners on the ‘whole wall of defense’.
“The tribunal cannot make another order on inspection.
‘’The issue of scanning and cropping of the materials is new words from the petitioners after it had already move a motion on earlier date similar to this.
“The tribunal cannot go beyond its order of June 11 on inspection of materials, more so, the issue of scanning and cropping arising outside the order of June 11 is now a subject matter in the Court of Appeal.
“All the parties in this matter were as before the Appeal court on Monday Aug. 24.
‘’The court has adjourned to hear the matter on Aug. 31, therefore, the tribunal should leave the parties to resolve the issue at the Appellate court, ’’ Ukala said.
According to Ukala, scanning and cropping of the materials will mean allowing private individuals to have access to such document and that it will pose danger and security to trivialise the issue.
Ukala stressed that scanning and cropping the materials could pose a danger in which the individuals would identify the pattern of voting and the party they voted for.
He also told the tribunal that such an idea was contrary to the principle of democracy which guaranty confidentiality of electoral process.
“The application by the petitioners is contrary to Section 77 of the electoral act, it is inappropriate and does not aid the petitioners application.
“Section 77 of the electoral act does not talk of scanning and cropping, no provision of the electoral act provides for that therefore the application should be struck out.’’
Also, Counsel to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Uche, (SAN) urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioners’ application, adding that the party had filed a 12-paragraph affidavit to support the prayer.
He said that the present application for scanning and cropping by the petitioners after the order June 11 was a complete gross abuse of the process of the tribunal.
According to Uche, Section 151 of the Electoral Act emphasises three times on inspection and not otherwise.
He also maintained that Section 77 was not available to the petitioner and that it only imposes duty on election for public office before a tribunal or court could be sought.
According to Uche, before tribunal or court can come in reference to Section 77, there must be an indication that such public officer could not perform the statutory duty express in the section.
He said that the application by the petitioners for scanning and cropping of election materials was bereaved.
Justice Muazu Pindiga, the Chairman tribunal adjourned on Aug. 28 to further rule on the application and to conduct question and answer for all the parties in the petition.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has urged the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal for Rivers to grants its application for forensic analysis of materials used for the governorship elections in the state.
Earlier, the party and its candidate in the April 11 elections, Dr Dakuku Peterside, had sought the nullification of the election of Governor Nyesom Wike on grounds of alleged irregularities and fraudulent practices associated with the elections.
Moving the motion, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi (SAN), Counsel to APC said that the petitioners sought forensic analysis of the document to proof allegations of falsification and allotment of votes for Wike.
He argued that the earlier order of the tribunal granting his client to inspect the election materials on June 11 would not suffice in proving the case.
Olujinmi alleged that the integrity of the inspected materials had been downgraded and therefore required a forensic analysis to ascertain their authenticity.
He also cited the provision of Section 77 of the Electoral Act as mandating the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to give out the documents relating to the election at any point of demand.
“There is a whole wall of defense with the ruling on June 11, and the application we filed now is different.
‘’What we are seeking for now is to see the ballot papers of the election in question.’’
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.
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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.