News
Garri Theft: Rivers, Bayelsa Police In Blame Game
The Rivers State Police Command and its Bayelsa State counterpart have disagreed over which command should be held responsible for the theft of four bags of garri (cassava flakes) by policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).
The operatives were said to have snatched the goods from two traders in Mbiama Market, penultimate Tuesday, and fled with them in a white Hilux van.
The Tide reports that Mbiama is located in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State, a border town between the state and Bayelsa State.
A Facebook user, Mashak Uyi, had posted a picture of two FSARS operatives at the back of a Hilux van with the bags of garri.
A woman and two men were seen running after the cops as their van zoomed off.
Uyi, who expressed shock over the conduct of the operatives, said the goods were snatched from the victims at gunpoint.
He added that some soldiers at the scene laughed while the impunity went on.
He wrote, “I was completely bewildered to see men of the FSARS cart away four bags of garri from two traders at the popular Mbiama Market at about 12.21pm today (Tuesday).
“Three of them jumped down from the white Hilux van in a commando style, charging at the two traders in the guise of clearing the road. Rather than clear the road, it was the traders’ four bags of garri that they hurriedly “cleared” to their van.
“Not knowing what their intention was, the traders ran to them to demand money for their goods, but the FSARS men warned them not to come closer than they had or they would be dealt with accordingly. ‘Una no dey fear!’ ‘Woman, you won challenge us abi?’ They charged and zoomed off!
“Sadly, there were soldiers at the spot where this incident happened. All they could do was to laugh.
“I managed to capture them at a distance before their vehicle zoomed off with their loot…it is really shameful,” he stated.
Uyi, an environmentalist, who later spoke with newsmen on the telephone, said the FSARS men headed for Rivers State after snatching the goods.
He said, “I went for an assessment of the flood impacted communities in the Ahoada-West LGA on Tuesday. I was on my way to the local government secretariat on a motorcycle, and on getting to a bridge near Mbiama Market, the Hilux stopped, and three of the FSARS men alighted in a commando style and charged at some traders by the roadside.
“Each of them helped themselves to a bag of garri and a policeman went to pick one more. The traders – a woman and a man – thought they were buying the goods. They rushed to meet them (cops), but they were intimidated.
“When I saw what was happening, I asked the motorcycle rider to stop. I was with a camera and was already taking pictures of the environment before I got there. As they were zooming off, I managed to take some shots.
“Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials were on the road to manage traffic. There was no need whatsoever for what they (FSARS men) did. Foodstuffs at that market are sold at giveaway prices because flood had ravaged the market. If they had begged the traders, they could have even got more than enough for free.”
Commenting on the incident, one Grace Eke, lamented the brazen extortion of residents by FSARS operatives on a neighbouring road.
“At Oyigbo Junction, they are there collecting money from motorists, thereby causing traffic,” she added.
In his comment last Wednesday, Okerhe Ogheneruemu, who also condemned the stealing, said the police authorities could disown the men.
He wrote, “What you will hear in response to this is, ‘They are not our men.’ What a shame!”
While responding to the allegation last Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Nnamdi Omoni, disowned the policemen, saying men of the command could not have engaged in such an unethical conduct.
He said, “That allegation is neither here nor there. How can policemen steal garri? It is not possible. Such an allegation is wrong. Our men are trained and we ensure that they observe professionalism in all they do.”
In his reaction, Bayelsa State PPRO, Butswart Asinim, also absolved the state command’s FSARS of any wrongdoing.
He said, “Mbiama is not in Bayelsa; it is in Rivers. Our men won’t go to Mbiama to operate; we don’t cover the area. Get in touch with the Rivers Command. Even if they are not Rivers policemen, it happened in their (Rivers command) jurisdiction.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.