News
Sheriff Apologises To Aggrieved PDP Stakeholders

L-R:Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs Ayotunde Adesugba and the Chief Medical Director, National Hospital Abuja, Dr Jaf Momoh, at a news conference on Stephen-Johnson Syndrome in Abuja on Friday
The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has apologised to aggrieved stakeholders of the party over statements credited to him by his personal aides and associates.
Sheriff, who gave the apology at a media briefing in Jalingo yesterday, said “as a well cultured and astute politician, I would never make any comment that would ridicule the party.”
He added that it was not in his character to join issues with highly respected elders of the party, noting that he never authorised any of his aides or political associates to react to issues raised by aggrieved elders of the party.
Sheriff said that the aggrieved members of the party reserved the right to complain about issues affecting the party which they considered inimical to the progress of the PDP.
He, therefore, urged any aggrieved member to bury the hatchet and join hands with the present leadership to rebuild the party and restore the confidence of Nigerians in it.
He also noted that the PDP as the main opposition party in the country could not afford to have a divided house, and appealed to members to work for the unity of the party at all times.
He explained that the present leadership of the party was poised to lend a listening ear to all shades of opinions with a view to strengthening it to face the challenges ahead.
He maintained that the battle for 2019 general elections had started in earnest, adding that the party could not afford to remain divided if the desired goal was to be achieved.
He said “under our leadership and the support and encouragement of stakeholders and supporters, PDP will definitely bounce back in 2019.”
Meanwhile, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Abba Moro, has made a passionate appeal to the leaders of the party to embrace dialogue and come together on a roundtable to resolve the current crisis rocking the party.
Moro, who was the Minister of Interior in the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, made the appeal to the PDP leaders and stakeholders in a statement he issued in Abuja.
According to the ex-Minister, this is the time for the PDP members to be united more than ever before, instead of engaging in unnecessary battles that could cause serious damage to the fortunes of the party.
“Frankly speaking, we do not need any form of disunity and infighting in our great party at the moment. We should not in any way be seen at this point to be divided in the party.
We must remember that a house divided against itself can never stand. Any attempt to allow divisions and factions will certainly spell doom for the PDP, which ordinarily should be the voice of the people now and the alternative platform for them come 2019, especially as the current administration of All Progressives Congress, APC, has clearly disappointed the citizens in the manner and way they are carrying on with governance.
I am, therefore, appealing passionately to the leaders of our great party (party executives on one hand and the elders on the other hand) to sheathe their swords of war and resort to dialogue which, for me, is the best option for an amicable resolution of the contending issues. Staying united is the only way we can be truly formidable in playing the strong opposition role expected of us by the Nigerian people who are suffering untold hardship under the APC regime,” the former Minister averred.
He added: “We should not forget so soon how internal wrangling and divisions in the PDP that were not properly managed then made some of our prominent members to break up from the party, a development that can be said to have been responsible for our loss in the last general election, not essentially because we did not perform as a party in government.
“The people of our dear country, Nigeria are waiting for us to return to power in 2019 because they have seen the difference in what we offered them and what the present APC government is offering them now. And so, in the interest of our party and the entire Nigerians, we must not be seen to be on bad terms for whatever reasons. We must put our house in order and forge ahead harmoniously.”
News
Rivers NIPR Gets New Executive

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Rivers State Chapter, has inaugurated a new Executive Council to pilot the affairs of the institute for the next two years.
The new Executive Council was elected during the maiden edition of the Rivers Public Relations Week and Annual General meeting held last Friday, in Port Harcourt.
The re-election marked a historic moment as members of the chapter converged to chart a new course for professional excellence, ethical standards, and the advancement of public relations practice in the State.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the institute, Ayodeji Emmanuel Afelumo, at the weekend.
The Registrar and Secretary to the NIPR Governing Council, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, who swore in the officers charged them to redouble their efforts in upholding professional integrity and excellence in public relations practices.
The officers re-elected for the second term include Rev. Francis Asuk as chairman, Dr. Parry Saroh Benson (Vice Chairman), Mr. Felix Tamuno (Secretary), Alhaja Ayo Odungweru (Treasurer), and Edna Alete as Financial Secretary.
Those with fresh tenure are Dr. Helen Chimezie who was elected as the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Ayodeji Emmanuel Afelumo (Public Relations Officer), and Mrs. Ngowari Oba as Welfare Officer, following the tenure expiration of the former officers.
In his acceptance remarks, Rev. Asuk expressed gratitude to members for their confidence and pledged to uphold the ideals of the institute, promote professional development, and foster partnerships that would further enhance the visibility of public relations in Rivers State and beyond.
The Rivers Public Relations Week is the first of its kind organised by a State chapter of the institute and it provided a platform for practitioners, scholars, and stakeholders to engage in knowledge-sharing, networking, and discussions on the evolving role of public relations in governance, business, and society.
The statement added that the Rivers State Chapter of the NIPR looks forward to a new era of purposeful leadership, innovation, and impact under the stewardship of its newly inaugurated executive council.
News
Falana Gives Ken Saro-Wiwa, Others Clean Bill Of Health …As Activist Decries Marginalisation Of Ogoni People p6 lead

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana(SAN) has apparently exonerated the slain writer and environmental rights activist, Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa and his eight Ogoni kinsmen of the murder charge which led to their execution by hanging by the Gen Sani Abacha military junta on November 10, 1995.
This is even as a human rights activist, Evangelist Caroline Nagbo, has decried the spate of marginalisation against Ogoni people in Nigeria and Rivers State, saying, in spite of the struggles, sacrifices and contributions of the Ogoni people, they have continued to be marginalised, particularly in politics.
Falana, who bared his mind in a keynote address during the 30th Anniversary of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Lecture at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt on Friday, said the Ogoni nine never committed the crime for which they were hanged by the Federal Government.
On her part, Nagbo noted in a goodwill message at the event that despite the Ogoni people’s contributions, struggles and sacrifices, they continue to face exclusion and intimidation.
She decried a situation where people who hated Ken Saro-Wiwa during his lifetime, equally hate Ogoni people, because they consider them as very intelligent, stressing that instead of giving them political power, stooges are rather favoured.
According to her, Ogoni people must continue to speak out and agitate for their rights.
Nagbo further noted that the name of Ken Saro-Wiwa always evokes environment, minority and politics, emphasising that the legacies of the late environmental rights activist have continued to inspire and motivate the Ogoni people, and highlighted the significance of his birthday, which coincides with the Ogoni struggle for self-determination, environmental justice, and human rights.
She said the Federal Government’s treatment of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s memory and the Ogoni people is a reflection of the country’s flawed political system, and criticised politicians for their absence at events commemorating Ken Saro-Wiwa’s birthday and even illegal execution, attributing it to the marginalisation and intimidation faced by the Ogoni people.
“If you identify with Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni struggle, you are the enemy of the state, and that is marginalisation and intimidation,” she said.
Nagbo further lamented that despite the Ogoni people’s contributions to the country’s struggle for democracy, they are yet to be adequately rewarded.
“Politically, up till now, an Ogoni individual has never been a Governor, and they are not ready to give it to us, even in the next 30 years.The same thing they did to Ken Saro-Wiwa is the same thing they are doing to the Ogoni sons and daughters. They are manipulating it,” she said.
Nagbo praised the consistency of fiery human rights lawyer, Femi Falana(SAN), in championing the cause of the Ogoni people, saying, even Ken Saro-Wiwa was known for his consistency.
The keynote speaker, Mr Femi Falana actually chronicled the circumstances surrounding the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his kinsmen on November 10, 1995, saying, they never committed the offence for which they were executed, and,therefore, deserve not only the recent pardon granted to them by the Federal Government but also exoneration and apology from the government.
Falana accused the state and Shell of masterminding the murder of four Ogoni sons, with the intent of roping in Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni activists, saying, the execution of the Ogoni activists was premeditated.
According to him, when it was clear that the then Abacha military junta had already made up its mind to kill Ken Saro-Wiwa and others, the legal team defending them had no option than to withdraw from the trial in order not to give it legitimacy.
The human rights lawyer said the Ogoni people must be united today more than ever before to fight for their rights, stressing that the move for resumption of oil production in Ogoniland can only be justified when the ongoing cleanup of Ogoniland has attained an appreciable level.
He also applauded the siting of the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland, but insisted that the university must employ Ogoni people to justify its establishment.
Falana said the time has come for the people of the Niger Delta region to demand accountability from the political class at all levels of governance in the region, saying, they are constitutionally empowered to find out how the 13 percent derivation funds and other funds are utilised.
According to him, the three percent fund stipulated and specified in the Petroleum Industry Act(PIA) is supposed to go directly to oil and gas bearing communities in the Niger Delta.
He also sympathised with Umuechem people for what befell them during the military regime, and decried a situation where oil companies failed in providing social amenities to the people, in spite of benefiting from the oil and gas deposits in their land.
He promised to set up a think tank of lawyers to advocate and ensure that oil and gas host communities in the country, particularly in the Niger Delta are provided social amenities.
Also, human rights and environment campaigner and one of the organisers of the event, Mr Celestine Akpobari thanked Femi Falana, Dr Nimo Bassey and other dignitaries and participants for gracing the event, which he described as the celebration of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s legacies.
He said the rush for the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland does not make any economic sense, and likened it to mopping the floor while the taps are open.
At the event, the panel of discussants consisted of Prof KialeeNyiayana of the University of Port Harcourt; Prof Lucky Akaruese of the University of Port Harcourt; Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education; and Leader of Ogoni People’s Assembly, Rev Probel Williams, while the moderator was Dr EmemOkon.
The discussants gave a good account of themselves, as they did not only dissect the keynote address presented by Femi Falana, giving more insights into it, but also did justice to the questions posed to them by the moderator, bordering on Ken Saro-Wiwa and his legacies, among other issues.
By: Donatus
News
Unveiling of $400million Otakaikpo crude oil Export Terminal; Monarch Hails Tinubu …lists Economic Benefits Of The Project

The monarch however decried inconsistent payment of the statutory 3 percent opex by the JV and expressed the hope that priority will be placed on the payment of the outstanding 3 percent for 2024 to the community HCDT.King Ikuru also urged the company to instruct the JV to provide electricity to the host community and stressed the need for Ikuru to be connected to the energy source as Otakaikpo marginal oil field.
-
News23 hours ago
FUBARA ASSURES COMPLETION OF EMOHUA-OGBAKIRI-EGBELU ROAD PROJECT IN DEC ……..Inspects Ongoing Work On 19.7km Buguma-Abalama-Tema-Degema-Abonnema Road
-
Politics22 hours ago
Obi Insists On Faith In New Nigeria During Rome Pilgrimage
-
Business23 hours ago
Monarch Hails Tinubu Over $400m Otakaikpo Export Terminal Unveiling … Lists Economic Benefits
-
Education22 hours ago
2025 Book Reading: TotalEnergies Commits To Unlocking Potentials, Career Choices In Students
-
Maritime1 day ago
FG Reaffirms Commitment To Stronger Port State Control, Regional Maritime Cooperation
-
Niger Delta22 hours ago
Oborevwori Felicitates Asagba Of Asaba, On First Coronation Anniversary
-
News18 hours ago
Rivers NIPR Gets New Executive
-
News23 hours ago
Rivers Gov VISITS SCENE OF SECRETARIAT FIRE, PLEDGES IMMEDIATE REHABILITATION