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Dev Projects Spread, My Focus – Wike …Says Fake Video Clip, A Diversion …PDP Fingers Abe, Others As Masterminds
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says the focus of his administration is to spread projects across the state by ensuring that no senatorial district is left behind.
The governor stated this last Saturday when he conducted selected journalists and line editors of national newspapers on a tour of projects across Rivers East and Rivers South-East Senatorial Districts.
He pointed out that the distribution and execution of projects have set the state on a platform of growth where every senatorial district feels the impact of good governance.
The governor explained that the people of Rivers State deserve quality projects, hence, the commitment to quality at all project sites.
Wike expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on all the roads visited, pointing out that he will continue to monitor the projects to ensure that people get value for the money invested by the government.
Commenting on the roads inspected across the two senatorial districts, Commissioner for Works, Iheanyichukwu Harrison, explained that all contractors are compelled to respect best practices to ensure the durability of the projects.
Speaking on the school projects, Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, said that the Wike-led administration through the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction of prominent schools in the three senatorial districts of the state was repositioning the education sector.
The governor led the line editors on the inspection of the reconstructed Igwuruta-Chokocho Road, dualization of Saakpenwa-Bori Road, reconstruction of Obiri-Ikwerre Airport Road, reconstruction of Ogbunabali internal roads, reconstruction of Aluu Road, Omuchiolu-Agbada 1 Flowstation Road, Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, and Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta.
The projects tour also covered Federal High Court Complex being funded by the Rivers State Government, Ozuoba-Rumuoparali Road, Igbo-Etche Road, Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu Road and Ulakwo-Afara-Nihi Road.
It would be recalled that earlier last Friday, Wike had led some online publishers and bloggers on a tour of different set of projects.
Meanwhile, the Governor has declared that he will complete all ongoing projects to ensure that the economy of the state remains buoyant.
Speaking during an inspection tour with journalists and bloggers, Wike said projects execution under his administration was targeted at the empowerment of the people.
The governor said that his administration will never abandon any projects because his blueprint targets projects that would be completed within 18 months to two years.
He noted that most projects were not completed during the immediate past administration because officials of that administration inflated contracts.
Wike assured that his administration remains focused to rebuilding the state, pointing out that development projects and programmes critical to his dream of a NEW Rivers.
Speaking after the inspection, Publisher of NewsAfrican Magazine, United Kingdom, Mr Moffat Ekoriko, said that he was impressed by the development strides of Wike.
He said that the quality of the projects will improve the landscape of the state and attract tourists to the state.
In her remarks, Legal Adviser of BusinessDay, Theodora Kio, urged the governor to continue with the development strides of his administration.
Wike took the journalists and bloggers to projects located in Port Harcourt City, Obio-Akpor and Eleme Local Government Areas.
The prominent projects visited include: Second Nkpogu Bridge/Road, Land Reclamation in Nkpogu/Ogbunabali, Woji-Akpajo Road/Bridge, dualization of Elelenwo-Akpajo Road, Restoration of Brick House at the Government House, Port Harcourt Pleasure Park, and the new Government House Chapel.
In another development, Governor, Wike has stated that the contrived audio clip being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) was produced to divert public attention from the massive electoral fraud by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), police and military killings that marred the rerun elections.
He said that the audio clip was fabricated using audio software, pointing out that he never spoke with any electoral officer or anyone for that matter, either in person or over the phone seeking to influence the elections.
The governor spoke during an interactive session with members of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Port Harcourt.
He said: “When you look at certain things, you just laugh. At no time did I speak to any electoral officer, let alone issue threats to any electoral officer.
“There is nowhere I spoke to an electoral officer, threatening him or her as the case maybe. I never spoke with anybody, I never threatened anybody. Nobody can say that he sat with me or that I threatened him or her. Let any electoral officer come forward to say that Ì call him or her on phone.
“I never spoke to anybody. It is totally not correct. The major issue is, did the police participate in rigging election? Did the Army participate in rigging election? Did INEC compromise? The police is denying somebody that was captured on video. That is what they are trying to cover up”.
The governor said: “Face the reality and stop chasing shadows. Let them show me. What is audio clip? What can’t this government do? I don’t have an orderly, I don’t have a chief security officer, I don’t have a camp commandant. All were taken away before the election.”
The governor stated that rather than bring the SARS Commander, Mr Akin Fakorede, to justice for his criminal activities captured on video during the rerun elections, the police authorities have arrested the policemen who accompanied him to stop Akin Fakorede from swapping Rivers East Senatorial District results sheet.
“They have now arrested and detained the policemen who accompanied me to the collation centre to stop that criminal. Even Akin Fakorede who was caught on video, has been released so that police can bungle it.
“What kind of country is this? And you are telling me that they are circulating a contrived audio clip. You caught a man on camera committing crime, but you have swept it under the carpet”, Wike said.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State says it has uncovered the characters behind the concocted Sahara Reporters audio which has attempted to blackmail the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
A statement by the state Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, said the major character in the senseless and laughable drama was Senator Magnus Abe, whom the party accused of having boasted on a radio programme a day before the fake and concocted audio clip was posted, that the audio was in the offing.
The statement, which was signed by the PDP chairman’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, described the audio clip as extremely ridiculous, adding that when the false, defectively conceptualized audio against the governor came up on Sahara Reporters a day after Abe first broke the news, it became very clear that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator was behind the charade.
The PDP said it will hold Abe and other APC leaders who falsely concocted and manufactured the audio culpable for the consequences of their action.
Obuah also said that the few misguided youth who went to the Rivers State Police Headquarters and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the name of protest in Port Harcourt last Friday was part of the well-orchestrated plan by the APC to attack the security of the state, cause instability and undermine the prevailing peace in the State.
The PDP chairman described the desperation of the APC leaders as shameful and condemnable, adding that the APC was instigating youth to take up arms against the government of Rivers State and continue to create a state of insecurity.
He noted that the insistence by the so-called APC protesters that the two police officers implicated in the killings and snatching of election results in the just concluded rerun elections must not be transferred out of the state, was a confirmation of the conspiracy between the APC and the police, Army and SARS to subvert the electoral process.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has unveiled plans to permanently relocate the dumpsite along the busy Port Harcourt Airport–Obiri-Ikwerre Road, describing the current location as both a public health threat and a damaging first impression for visitors arriving in Port Harcourt, the State capital.
The Governor made this known on Tuesday during an inspection of a proposed replacement site, which is a disused burrow pit near Bambo Estate, off Eneka Road in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The location is being assessed as a potential permanent dumpsite for the State.
Governor Fubara, who was conducted by the Board Chairman, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Dr Samuel Nwanosike, and its Managing Director, Dr Ibimina Wokoma, expressed concern about the environmental and health challenges posed by the existing site, which sits along a major entry point into the State.
“The kind of environmental hazards that we are facing there along the Airport–Obiri- Ikwerre Road; the smell on that road being the entrance into the State, we felt it’s not proper,” he said. “So, we are making alternative arrangements so we can have a permanent refuse dumpsite that meets acceptable standards.
“He added that the government would move swiftly to formalise ownership of the land and complete construction work on the access road to make the new site functional.“We have not concluded the issue of the burrow pit, but the access road, I think the government is doing something about it.
So, I will make sure that everything that needs to be done to ensure government owns this burrow pit is done,” he stated.
Governor Fubara also commended the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) for what he described as a more assertive and improved approach to managing refuse across the State.In addition to the dumpsite inspection, the Governor also visited the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters located in Elimgbu Town, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, to assess the extent of ongoing construction work on the facility.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Benibo Anabraba, to uphold the dignity of his office, protect the interest of the State, and discharge his duties with honour, respect, and responsibility.
Governor Fubara gave the charge during the swearing-in ceremony of the new SSG, held on Monday at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.
Describing Anabraba’s appointment as an act of divine favour, the Governor said positions of leadership are not attained by our own human effort but by God’s grace in our lives.
“Let me first congratulate you. I’m using the word ‘congratulations’ because a few of us, not by our power but by the special favour of God, find ourselves in exalted positions. It’s not because we are the best, but only by His grace.”
Governor Fubara noted that the Office of the Secretary to the State Government is one of great honour, occupied by only a few since the creation of Rivers State, and urged the new appointee to serve with humility and dedication.
He, however, expressed confidence in Anabraba’s capacity to deliver, citing his past record as a principal officer of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“This position is a rare privilege. Guard that office with honour. Discharge your duties with respect. Protect the interest of Rivers State. When you leave office, let it be with honour, and that only comes through responsible service.
“I know you’re a dedicated person. This opportunity is not for show or display of power. It’s a call to duty,” he cautioned.
The Governor emphasised that the current administration is focused on restoring confidence of the people because peace has been achieved in the State.
He enjoined the new SSG to align with the vision of the administration and contribute meaningfully to the collective progress of Rivers people.
“We are emerging from a very difficult period and must reassure our people that we mean well for them, especially now that peace has returned to Rivers State. By the grace of God, do your work well. Help us succeed in this assignment that God has given to us,” the Governor added.
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Nigeria’s First Lady Flags Off Renewed Hope Health Initiative In Rivers …Targets Measles, Rubella, HPV Vaccination For Children, Women
The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reiterated her commitment to expanding vaccine coverage nationwide, declaring that the ongoing Measles and Rubella vaccination campaign in Rivers State will surpass all previous records in scope and success.
Speaking through the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Tinubu made this statement during the flag-off ceremony of the Measles, Rubella, and HPV Vaccine Sensitisation Campaign, organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
The campaign, implemented by the RHI in collaboration with the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, C-WINS, and international partners including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and Vaccine Alliance, aims to protect millions of children and women from preventable diseases.
“We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the measles vaccine coverage achieved through this campaign exceeds that of the past,” Senator Tinubu affirmed. “Through technical and financial support, this partnership will ensure that by February, 2026, well-trained staff are deployed across communities to vaccinate all eligible children.”
Rivers State is among the Fourth Stream of Phase One states participating in Africa’s largest-ever health initiative, targeting over 106 million Nigerian children for vaccination against Measles, Rubella, Polio, and HPV. The local rollout is expected to commence in February, 2026, reaching children aged 9 months to 14 years across all 23 local government areas.
Senator Tinubu highlighted the risks of the targeted diseases, describing Measles and Rubella as “highly contagious and potentially deadly,” noting that Rubella can cause severe complications for unborn babies, if contracted by pregnant women.
“The best way to prevent both diseases remains vaccination,” she emphasised.
Narrowing down to efforts by the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the State Task Force on Primary Healthcare, led by Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, she noted how instrumental it has been in ensuring comprehensive outreach through an inter-sectoral approach involving education, women affairs, information ministries, traditional and religious leaders, and the security sector.
Senator Tinubu urged parents and caregivers to cooperate fully with health workers.
“The Measles-Rubella vaccine is safe, effective, and free in all our health centres. Please, ensure your children are vaccinated at the right time to protect them from these deadly infections.
“Let us all play our part in spreading awareness. Together, we can safeguard the health and future of our children,” she said, before formally declaring the sensitisation programme open.
In her goodwill message, Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, commended the Renewed Hope Initiative for its sustained impact in Rivers State, noting that the Measles, Rubella, and HPV Sensitisation Programme marks “a significant step in promoting public health awareness, particularly among women and children.”
She highlighted the particular benefit to the girl-child through HPV vaccination, calling it “an investment in their future health and empowerment.”
The Rivers State Coordinator of WHO, Prof. Giwa Abdulganiyu, praised the collaboration between RHI and the State Government, describing the campaign as “a worthy step in the right direction,” and reaffirmed WHO’s continued partnership in achieving health for all.
Earlier, the RHI Rivers State Coordinator, Mrs. Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, welcomed guests, and reaffirmed the initiative’s goal of reducing the incidence of Measles and Rubella in the state.
“These diseases have the potential to cause emergencies and great distress in families. Today’s flag-off represents our collective determination to raise awareness and prevent such tragedies,” she added.
