Politics
RSG Moves To Complete Construction Of Mile I Market
Last week, Government House was full of activities as
Governor Nyesom Wike hosted federal agencies and ministries and also took out time to visit projects and laid foundation for new ones.
Last Monday, Governor Wike laid the foundation stone for the new Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Secretariat Complex located at the city’s Central Business District, opposite the Port Harcourt City Local Government office.
Wike explained that the state government resolved to construct a new Law Centre for the NBA because of its commitment to enhancing law practice in the state.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Ndowa Lale and his team paid courtesy call on Governor Wike on Tuesday. The governor used the visit to alert the VC of the plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the upcoming re-run election results through-compromised returning officers. He, however, said he would-support the school’s programmes and activities as a former alumnus.
Shortly after the VC left with his team, the governor hosted the Zone 6 Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSCN). Wike, while soliciting for the support of the federal agency in controlling and managing traffic in the state, disclosed plans by his administration to reorganize the state owned Road Traffic Management Agency (TIMARIV).
The governor announced the donation of a tow van and three traffic vans to the state command of the FRSC to further improve on their services to the state.
Immediately after hosting his visitors, Governor Wike proceeded on to outside engagements as he inspected the spate of work on the Igwuruta-Chokocho Road. He urged the people to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the re-run elections as that is the only way to consolidate development in the area.
On Wednesday, the governor played host to the Senate Committee on Niger Delta. The team was led by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and accompanied by the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenitari.
Calling on the Committee to take audits of the various projects executed by the NDDC, Governor Wike underscored the need for states to make inputs, so that projects are not duplicated, for the best interest of the region.
As usual, the weekly State Executive Council held on Wednesday, with the governor presiding. After the meeting, the state Commissioner and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George briefed newsmen on the outcome of the meeting. The Commissioner for Information informed newsmen about the state government’s plans to revitalize the teaching of mother tongues in Schools and its plan to align government programmes in tandem with the expectation of the citizenry.
On Thursday, Governor Wike laid foundation stone for the second phase of the Mile 1 Market complex in Diobu, Port Harcourt. The market which was gutted by fire in 2013 was abandoned by the previous administration and with traders facing hardship due to lack of stalls. But the governor promised that the market would be expanded to check trading on the road side.
On leaving the site of the Mile 1 Market after laying the foundation, Wike proceeded to see the level of work at the Woji/Akpajo Link Road. He urged the contractor to expedite work on the second bridge expected to link Woji East-West Road through Akpajo.
Politics
LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.
