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Buhari’s Visit ’ll Not Resurrect APC In Rivers -Wike …Says RSG Not Informed Of President’s Visit …As Tinubu Admits Failure Of APC
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed visit to the state may be aimed at reviving the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that is dead in the state.
Flagging off the reconstruction of Egbelu Street and link roads in Rumuodara community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area yesterday, Governor Wike said that the Federal Government has not informed him of the President’s visit and the reason behind his visit.
He said: “I hear they say that the President is coming to our state. I have not been told the President is coming and why he is coming. He has the right to come to any state.
”Maybe, the President is coming to make sure that he will improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers State.
”Apart from Jesus Christ, we don’t know of anyone who has risen a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up”.
Governor Wike charged Rivers people not to be bothered by the politics or otherwise of the visit, because the state is very peaceful.
”Let nobody bother him or herself that the President is coming for security reasons. We don’t have security challenges in the state.
”We have never had herdsmen killings or crisis in the state , except when some criminals tried to disrupt the peace and they were checked. We resolved that challenge. “
He stated that there is no state in this country where kidnappers and armed robbers are not operating. He said if President Muhammadu Buhari is visiting because of kidnappers and armed robbers, then, he should visit all the 36 states.
He, however, noted that as the state that produces the wealth that supports the country,the President is welcome to visit the wealth producers of the nation.
According to him: “Since the administration has abandoned Rivers State for three years, this visit may be a blessing in disguise. The President may use the visit to complete the Port Harcourt International Airport, the neglected East West road, the neglected sea ports and the rejected Port Harcourt-Aba road”.
Speaking on the road projects in Rumuodara community, Governor Wike said the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dandeson Jaja drew his attention to the challenges faced by residents of the populated surburb.
He urged the people to cooperate with the contractors to ensure the completion of the road on schedule.
Commissioner for Works, Dum Dekor said the seven roads will be completed in six months, while the projects will offer employment to 230 youths.
The Works Commissioner noted that the road construction will also resolve the environmental challenges facing the residents.
Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area Caretaker Committee, Prince Noble Amadi praised the governor for key projects across the area, assuring him of total support in 2019.
Meanwhile,the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has admitted that the ruling party has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians after almost three years in office.
He also said that the goodwill which it enjoyed during the 2015 general elections and the inauguration of the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had been squandered.
Tinubu therefore concluded that the APC has a lot of work to do to regain public confidence and solidarity before the 2019 general elections.
The former Governor of Lagos State bared his mind on the state of the party last Wednesday in Abuja when he held a closed-door meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at its secretariat.
The meeting was Tinubu’s first since Buhari appointed him to reconcile all the feuding leaders of the APC in various states of the federation.
In his down to earth assessment of the APC, Tinubu said that the party had faced several challenges since it took over power in 2015, stressing that it needs serious consultations and reconciliation moves to regain the goodwill of Nigerians.
He listed some of the challenges confronting the APC as the disorder in the North Central and North East zones, killings and agitations, as well as intra-party squabbles.
Tinubu said that the expectations of Nigerians had been high since the party won the presidential election in 2015, but regretted that the expectations had not been met.
In a brief chat with journalists before he went for a closed-door meeting with the NWC, the APC leader said that his visit was to consult with the party’s leadership, in line with the mandate given to him by the President, stressing that consultations and reconciliation were required since APC is still the hope of Nigerians for a better future.
He said: “I am here to consult, since you are already aware of the directive and announcement of the President who is the leader of our party and the President of this country.
“First, let me sympathise with our National Vice Chairman for North Central for the various incidents that are happening around that corridor, and may God bring peace to Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the country as a whole, and all other places being affected by the age-old system that we are now facing.
“After the last convention of the party, congresses were held from various wards to elect representatives from the ward, local government and state levels as well as the national level. We worked hard for victory. We have never governed before, but we won the confidence of Nigerians to govern.
“We have a creed to really serve the country; change and reform the country. It is not easy to have those changes implemented like instant curfew. We have to grow and face challenges.
“I sympathise with us and we should equally look at ourselves. Since we won the election, the expectations were very high and the goodwill was extremely high. But where are we today?
“The solution is to seek opinion and advice on the various complexities around some states or if there is any national one, to reconcile, move the party in a cohesive manner and reposition and build the confidence among ourselves”.
According to Tinubu, the challenges faced by the government and the President are enormous, noting that Nigerians were not paying attention to the various statistics that are available and “we have to push that. I won’t touch those areas yet,” he said.
Earlier, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who described Tinubu as a “Peace Ambassador”, said that his visit was significant as the President moves to heal wounds where the party has any, as well as to bring every member of the APC together under a single objective, which is to give the party a runaway victory in 2019.
The Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has assured the commitment of Rivers State government to workers’s welfare and industrial harmony in Rivers State.
The Sole Administrator gave the assurance after meeting with leadership of organized labour unions at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Ibas reaffirmed government’s policy of prompt payment of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees, stating that all local government employees are not receiving the approved minimum wage.
He disclosed that approval has been given for payment of newly employed staff at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the Judiciary, while medical workers in Local Government Areas will now receive correct wages.
Ibas explained that, Government is reviewing implementation challenges of the Contributory Pension Scheme ahead of the July 2025 deadline, adding that Intervention buses have been reintroduced to ease workers’ transportation ,with plans to expand the fleet.
He said specialized leadership training for top civil servants will commence within two weeks, while due consideration is being given to implementing the N32,000 consequential adjustment for pensioners and clearing outstanding gratuities.
Ibas commended Rivers State workers for their dedication to service and called for sustained partnership with labour unions to maintain industrial peace.
“This administration recognizes workers as critical partners in development. We remain committed to addressing your legitimate concerns within available resources,” he stated.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Alex Agwanwor, thanked the Administrator for the steps taken so far with regard to workers welfare while appreciating his disposition towards alleviating the transportation problem faced by workers.
He also expressed appreciation for the government’s openness to dialogue and pledged continued cooperation towards achieving mutual goals.
The Rivers State Government assured all workers of its unwavering commitment to their welfare and called for continued dedication to service delivery for the collective progress of our dear State.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers Council, has called for policies that will improve the economic situation of the country in order to ensure enhanced living standard for workers.
The State Chairman, Mr Alex Agwanwor, made the remark on behalf of the unions affiliated to Labour Congress during the 2025 workers day celebration in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Agwanwor highlighted the demands of the Unions which included the immediate payment of pension arrears, implementation of the N32,000 minimum wage for pensioners, and payment of gratuities and death benefits without further delay.
“We are calling for the regulation and protection of e-hailing drivers, implementation of increments and promotions, and resolution of long-standing issues in the polytechnic sector,” he said.
Agwanwor on behalf of the unions appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinstate the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He stressed the importance of democratic governance and good working relationship with elected representatives.
According to him, the unions expressed disappointment over the imposition of taxes, increase in electricity tariff, and high cost of goods and services, which have further worsened the plight of workers.
“We urge the federal government to take measures to alleviate the suffering of citizens,” he said.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is committed to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential and position the country as a leading force on the African continent.
Shettima stated this when he hosted a delegation from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, led by its Senior Fellow, Dr Rolf Alter, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Wednesday.
He said Nigeria was actively seeking expertise from the global best institutions to enhance policy formulation and implementation, particularly in human capital development.
The Vice-President noted that President Tinubu was determined to elevate Nigeria to its rightful position as a leading force in Africa.
“The current crop of leadership in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready and willing to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian nation on the African continent.
” We are laying the groundwork through strategic reforms, and at the heart of it, is human capital development.”
He described the Hertie School as a valuable partner in the journey.
According to him, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, has track record and institutional knowledge to add value to our policy formulation and delivery, especially in this disruptive age.
Shettima reiterated the government’s priority on upskilling Nigerians, saying ” skills are very important, and with our Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 programme.
“We are in a position to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian people by enhancing their capital skills.”
The Vice-President acknowledged the vital support of international development partners in that effort.
” I want to thank the World Bank, the European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and all our partners in that drive to add value to the Nigerian nation,” he maintained.
The Vice-President said human capital development was both an economic imperative and a social necessity.
Shettima assured the delegation of the government’s readiness to deepen cooperation.
” We need the skills and the capacity from your school. The world is now knowledge-driven.
“I wish to implore you to have a very warm and robust partnership with the government and people of Nigeria.”
Shettima further explained recent economic decisions of the government, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms.
“The removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate regime and the revolution in the energy sector are all painful processes, but at the end of the day, the Nigerian people will laugh last.
“President Tinubu is a very modern leader who is willing to take far-reaching, courageous decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Earlier, Alter, congratulated the Tinubu administration for the successful launch and implementation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy.
The group leader described the development as ambitious and targeted towards the improvement of the lives of the citizens.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his engagements since arriving in the country.
He applauded the zeal, commitment, energy and goodwill observed among stakeholders in the implementation of Nigeria’s HCD programme.
Alter said the Hertie School of Governance would work closely with authorities in Nigeria across different levels to deliver programmes specifically designed to address the unique needs of the country.
He, however, stressed the need for government officials at different levels to be agile and amenable to the dynamics of the evolving world, particularly as Nigeria attempted to successfully accelerate its human capital development aspirations.