Featured

Exploring Ministerial Retreat On Education

Published

9 years ago

November 15, 2017

Following an alleged directive from the Presidency, the embattled Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has reportedly ordered the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed to sack the police outrider in the convoy of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike involved in last Saturday’s infraction at Nwaja Junction in Port Harcourt with the convoy of Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.
The Tide recalls that the minister had reportedly knocked down the police outrider at the junction during a routine project inspection by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Sources told The Tide, yesterday that the outrider was facing an Orderly Room Trial as at press time at the office of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt.
It was gathered that the SARS personnel in Amaechi’s convoy have already testified against the police outrider following the IGP’s directive on the Rivers CP to investigate the incident.
However, attempts to get the comments of the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, proved abortive as at the time of going to press.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro Felix Obuah has said that the attack on Governor Nyesom Wike’s convoy, last Saturday, while on inspection tour of ongoing construction works in Port Harcourt by security agents attached to the Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, was a deliberate ploy by the minister to instigate crisis in the state.
The Tide recalls that the security details comprised the Army and police led by the Commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state, CSP Akin Fakorede.
Obuah, in a statement in Port Harcourt, the state capital, described the incident as condemnable, act of lawlessness, impunity and primitive, insisting that the untoward action was orchestrated by Amaechi, who has taken it as a task to undermine the office of the governor of Rivers State, using security agencies of the Federal Government, particularly, SARS and the Army.
The state PDP boss expressed surprise that security agents being paid and maintained with tax payers’ money (public fund) could be so loose as to be used at will by people to undermine a sitting governor and Chief Security Officer of the state while the police high command and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government look the other way.
This, according to Obuah, contrasts with the change mantra and anti-corruption war being taunted by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
“A situation where the state chief executive is constantly vilified, aspersed and persecuted for offering his people quality leadership whose achievements only in two years in office surpass all the achievements of the immediate past administration put together for eight years. What else do we need to see, hear or experience to conclude that the APC is evil and does not wish the Nigerian people well? Here in Rivers State, the achievements of Wike are reverberating and have caught world attention, hence, the undertaking to stall his rising political profile by Amaechi and his co-travellers. God will never allow them to succeed”, the state PDP boss prayed.
Obuah, however, thanked Wike for his display of maturity during the incident by not fighting back lest they find occasion to allege insecurity in the state to back up their plot and call for a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He also warned that Wike’s peaceful disposition must not be mistaken for weakness, stressing that Rivers people have been watching with keen interest the conspiracy of the APC-led Federal Government to exterminate the governor because of personal and self-seeking interest.
Obuah, therefore, called on Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to wade into the activities of the security personnel in Rivers State, particularly, the SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede, before it’s too late, because, according to him “to be warned is to be for armed”.
While addressing journalists on the matter, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed claimed that there was no trace of assassination threat against the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi following the incident, last Saturday.
Zaki stated in his office, last Monday, that the essence of the briefing was to intimate the public on the real and ideal situation of the matter.
“I have called this meeting to clear the air on allegations and counter-allegations making the rounds of alleged assassination plot by two notable figures in the country, in the persons of the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, following a minor traffic infraction along Nkpogu roundabout, Port Harcourt.
“For purposes of putting the records straight and in view of the public outcry in the media which greeted these claims, I hereby clarify that “On Saturday, November 11, 2017, at about 1500hrs at Nkpogu junction, while the minister of transportation was passing through Elekahia to Nkpogu, and at Nkpogu roundabout, a police outrider in the convoy of the governor intercepted the black Lexus 750 Jeep the minister was driving just, as it was about negotiating the roundabout. The outrider was there to make way for the oncoming convoy of the governor, which was about 400 metres away,” the commissioner stated.
It would be recalled that the attack, which took place at Nwaja Junction at Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt during the governor’s project inspection, led to the knocking down of the governor’s outrider and attack on the Pilot 1 driver by the SARS men under the instruction of their Commander, CSP Akin Fakorede at the behest of Amaechi.

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (left), with former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and national chairmanship aspirant, Chief Olabode George (middle) and Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Engr. Emeka Woke, during the aspirant’s visit to the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday.

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.

Featured

2027: Be Politically Neutral, Fubara Tasks Traditional Rulers

Published

2 weeks ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State to maintain neutrality, ensure fairness and uphold peace in their domains as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.

The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.

“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.

“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.

Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.

He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.

“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.

On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.

Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.

He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.

He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.

The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.

Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.

The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.