Politics
Ortom Vows To Arrest Corrupt LG Bureau Staff

Speical Advisers to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, taking their oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday Photo: Chris Monyanaga
Benue State Governor
Samuel Ortom has vowed to prosecute any staff of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs found to be involved in irregularities regarding the payment of workers’ salaries.
Governor Ortom who issued the threat when he paid a surprise visit to the Bureau, said he had received numerous complaints from workers and other concerned citizens bordering on sharp practices by some ICT personnel in the payment of salary arrears.
He directed the Special Adviser, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Titus Zam to investigate and report to him, the allegation that some ICT staff of the Bureau had inserted fictitious names into the payroll to benefit certain individuals who had paid them.
Governor Ortom addressed the ICT staff of the Bureau cautioning them against jeopardizing their future if they allowed some fraudulent individuals to influence them negatively, regretting that the reported cases of fictitious names and other practices in the payment process were sending a negative massage to the people.
“You people have caused this administration serious problems with the manner you have handled the e-payment of the backlog of workers’ salaries. As I have already directed, if anyone is found to be responsible for the irregularities, such a culprit will be made to regret his action. As trained personnel, you must be disciplined and protect your future. My administration has zero tolerance for corruption and anyone working for this government must get that point clear.”
The Governor also directed that names of all workers who were paid manually be included in the e-payment payroll, insisting however that ghost workers must be removed from the system.
Briefing Governor Ortom earlier, the Special Adviser, Titus Zam, said local governments had been given the funds to go and pay all genuine workers yet to receive their salary arrears.
He assured the Governor that the Bureau would intensify monitoring of the process to ensure that every worker got their wages.
Politics
Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension

The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
Politics
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Politics
Alleged Smear Campaign Against Yakubu, CSOs Demand Apology From Uzodimma

During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
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