Politics
LG Boss Empowers 600
The Ogu/Bolo Local Government Council has empowered over 600 persons from the 12 wards in the area and presented a brand new 16-seater speed boat with 75 horse-power Yamaha engine to the people of Wakama Ama community.
Those who benefitted from the N20,000 cash empowerment include the elderly, men, women, youths and the physically challenged.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the council, Hon. Mary Minaseichinbo said the empowerment programme was to enable the people start some small scale business and to put food on their table as well as to make them have a sense of belonging in the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Government in the State.
Hon. Mary Minaseichinbo enjoined the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money and assured those who did not benefit to keep faith as the exercise would be a continuous one, adding that the present government has passion to put smiles on the faces of the people at the grassroots.
The Ogu/Bolo CTC Chairman urged the people to maintain the prevailing peace in the area in order to attract more government attention, pointing out that no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of rancor, in-fighting and acrimony.
She thanked God for the opportunity and also expressed profound gratitude to the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for finding her worthy to serve her people, assuring that the people of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area would ever be grateful and continue to support him in his future endeavours.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Local government Area, Hon. Arnold Davids expressed delights with the CTC Chairman for the initiative as it was first of its kind in the area, adding that she had set a record and put smiles on the faces of the people and urged her to continue so that the people could enjoy the fruit of their labour.
Meanwhile, the Ogu/Bolo CTC Chairman, Hon. Mary Minaseichinbo has charged the people of Wakama Community to remain untied, focused and sustain their peaceful disposition in order to further attract government attention.
Minaseichinbo who made the call while inaugurating the speedboat for the community at Wakama last week said the gesture was to cushion the effect of the transportation difficulties the community faced and enjoined them to protect and make good use of the opportunity while assuring them of more amenities.
In their separate speeches, the Chairman of the community, Tamunoigbiki Jonathan, the Caretaker Committee Member representing Wakama, Hon. Nelson Obom, PDP Leaders, Hon. Idafubara Minanembo and Mrs Ruth Igbikisika hailed the CTC Chairman, for the gesture which has brought relief and succor to their transportation difficulties they were facing, and promised to be solidly behind the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike who is the leader of the party.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
