Politics
Akpabio Commends Wike’s Strides
Many prominent events dominated activities in Government House last week. Three among them took centre stage. The first was the Thanksgiving service and birthday of the Senator representing Rivers-East in the National Assesmbly, George Thompson Sekibo at Ogu Town in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area.
During the church service in honour of Senator Sekibo, Chief Nyesom Wike addressed the congregation noting that, “Ogu people have been supporters of this administration right from the very beginning. They have always been with us and we shall always be with them.”
With a promise to complete the rehabilitation of the Government Secondary School, Ogu, Chief Wike, after the church service, went to inspect the level of work done at the site. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done by the contractors.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, in a statement penultimate Sunday, congratulated Senator Sekibo on the occasion of his diamond jubilee birthday. Last Monday, the governor in company of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, visited some ongoing projects. The former Akwa-Ibom State governor was excited about Chief Wike’s developmental strides. Impressed with Wike’s efforts, Akpabio enthused, “Performance is not necessarily an issue of the availability of resources. If your state gets N5 billion, do projects of that amount… For Governor Wike, he has judiciously applied the scarce resources available to the state to develop needed infrastructure”.
Last Tuesday, the governor in the company of Senator George Thompson Sekibo visited project sites at the new market in Rumuokoro, the School of Nursing and the Ecumenical Centre. The governor was visibly exasperated by the delay that has overtaken the School of Nursing.
He said, “What I saw at the Rivers State School of Public Health Nursing is quite disappointing. The environment of the school is very unkempt, and the buildings are in bad condition”.
The usual State Executive Council meeting took place last Wednesday with the governor presiding. Shortly after the meeting Chief Wike went on project inspection. After visits to the Pleasure Park, Bonny/Bille/Nembe Jetty and State Ecumenical Centre he told newsmen that “the state is committed to prudent spending to cut waste and misappropriation of scarce resources”.
It was an this promise he explained that his administration was bent on awarding contracts to expatriate and competent, companies who will deliver quality jobs that will stand the test of time.
The governor was briefly in Abuja for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reconciliation meeting presided by former President Goodluck Jonathan, last Thursday.
Last Friday, the governor hosted the African Bar Association Governing Board, the Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers and the Abuloma Chiefs Council.
He tasked the African Bar Association to advocate for the right of Nigerians and defend judges. Wike took exception to the recent persecution of judges by the APC-led Federal Government in the guise of fighting corruption. He commended Abuloma Chiefs for supporting his administration and promised that government will rehabilitate internal roads there.
For Ikwerre Traditional Rulers, Chief Wike called for mobilisation of their subjects to partake in the upcoming voters register revalidation exercise.
On the same Thursday, the deputy governor represented the governor at the Civil Servants Summit on the State Contributory Health Protection Programme. She explained that the scheme was designed to provide accessible and affordable healthcare services for the people.
The deputy governor in a statement also decried the spate of boundary dispute in the state.
Last Saturday, the governor took time to visit project sites at Ogbunabali internal roads rehabilitation exercise. Accompanied by former House Member, Tony Okeah and a prominent lawyer Joe Agi, the governor visited Pleasure Park and Airforce Interchange Beautification.
Kevin Nengia
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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