Politics
Sports Writers Honour Wike
Government House activities began last week with a note of honour as the African section of the International Sports Press Association (AIPs) announced its nomination of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for the African Power of Sports Award.
AIP African President, Mr Mitchell Obi who announced this when the association paid a courtesy visit to Wike Sunday in Government House said that a badge of honour would also be bestowed on the governor in recognition of his huge investment in sports sector.
Noting that there were other four awardees globally, Obi stated that Wike emerged the first to receive the award in the African continent.
In his response, Wike commended the association for the honour and dedicated the award to the people of Rivers State, promising to sustain his commitment to sports development in the state.
Last Saturday, the governor who returned to the state after a travel that took him away for some days inspected on going projects in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government areas to see the progress of work.
He inspected, the Mother and Child Hospital, Judges Quarters, Doctors Quarters, Produce House, Court of Appeal as well as Arbitration Court.
The governor who was excited and impressed at the progress of work on the projects assured that they would be delivered as scheduled.
On same Saturday, the governor decried the level of abandoned projects in the education sector by the past administration led by Rotimi Amaechi government.
Wike, at a media party with journalists after project inspection revealed that of the 425 school projects Amaechi initiated only about 175 were executed and 250 abandoned.
He said some of the existing school structures were demolished with a promise to students that new ones would be built but the past administration to failed to fulfill the promise, learving the innocent children stranded.
The governor regretted that pupils and students were made victims of bad politics by the Amaechi administration and restated his commitment towards bringing a turnaround in education sector through his massive investment in education.
On a similar note the state commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja said the state governor has intensified efforts in addressing the rot it inherited from the failed Amaechi administration in the education sector.
The commissioner stated this after an inspection visit to state school One and State School Two Olanada, Port Harcourt.
Gogo-Jaja said the government has also improved the teaching staff to meet up recent educational challenges.
While reacting to a protest by students of community secondary school Olanada, Port Harcourt, he said the orchestrated protest has brought to the fore, the unfortunate rot the Amaechi administration left behind after squandering state resources.
He said that the Wike administration has repositioned many schools and their teaching staff for optimal performance.
“If you go to community secondary school, Nkpogu, you will discover that there is no more secondary school at that location. It was on inspection at Government Secondary School Elekahia that I saw three different uniforms on the school compound. We had community secondary school Nkpogu, we had community secondary school and Junior secondary school Nkpogu.
“Amaechi had demolished the community secondary school, Nkpogu and relocated them to Elekahia with a promise to construct a new school at the location. As I speak, there is no single block to show that a school existed there”, he said.
The commissioner said he drew the attention of the governor who gave them approval to reconstruct a new school for the children to return to their original school adding that similar situation exists across the state.
Chris Oluoh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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