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Integrity Group, Coalition Restate Amaechi’s Indictment
The Integrity Group has described as untrue, allegations by its Executive Director, Livingstone Wechie, on a national television, last Monday, that it had disowned documents tendered before the Senate that linked the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, with mismanagement of resources of Rivers State while he was governor of the state.
A statement signed by Secretary of Integrity Group, Uyi Meshak, in Port Harcourt, and made available to The Tide, clarified that there was no time the body took such decision, stressing that the action of Wechie, was not only embarrassing but an act of betrayal.
“Mr Wechie was wrong that we agreed to disown a document that we collectively signed and tendered to the Senate, the EFCC and other agencies on the mismanagement of Rivers State funds and assets by the former administration,” the statement noted.
“After we tendered that document to the Senate and the legal fireworks that followed it, which is now before the Supreme Court, we have never sat to either withdraw the said petition, disown it, nor discussed it further, since it would be subjudice.
“The Integrity Group is incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and therefore, a legal entity. It is not only embarrassing to all other trustees but a complete betrayal by Wechie to distance himself from a document that we not only authorised but also thoroughly investigated before we signed. It is also a complete deviation from the noble cause to cleanse the society,” the group added.
The group wondered how Wechie suddenly realised that the documents it tendered to the Senate and the anti-graft agency were allegedly forged.
Similarly, the Coalition of Concerned NGOs, CBOs and CSOs, has disassociated itself from the frivolous comments made by Livingstone Wechie.
A statement signed by President of the coalition, Comrade Christian Obi, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, said, “We want to state categorically that he has not only destroyed his career but has also destroyed his purported fight against corruption.
“Wechie obviously lacks the moral standing and credibility to speak on or involve himself in any public conversation or debate aimed at eliminating corruption in the society. He has abused the word ‘Integrity’,” the coalition stressed.
Obi described Wechie as “a sunken ship who acts against the values, beliefs, and principles that define integrity”, and advised Rivers people, and indeed, all Nigerians to ignore Wechie’s ranting, and support the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration’s efforts to reposition the state under the NEW Vision Agenda.
“We urge all NGOs, CBOs, and CSOs to always stand by the truth and profess peace and equity at all times”, Obi added.
Meanwhile, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has withdrawn membership of Wechie from the association, who until recently had signed statements of the organisation as Deputy Director, Relations Organisation, South-South.
Chairman of the rights body in Rivers State, Sotonye George, said that the decision of CLO was based on Wechie’s action in recent times, which according to him, was against the tradition of the organisation.
“Based on the recommendations of the disciplinary committee, you are hereby informed that your membership in this organisation has been nullified,” George wrote in the letter addressed to Wechie, and made available to The Tide, in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.
This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.
The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.
The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.
From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.
Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.
From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.
The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.
The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.
The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.
Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.
He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.
This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.
Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.
He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.
The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.
Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.
Chinedu Wosu
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