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INEC Set For PHALGA 3 Bye-Election, ’Morrow …As Court Fails To Stop Process
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says modalities have been put in place for the conduct of tomorrow’s bye-election for the replacement of the vacant position in the Port Harcourt Constituency 111 in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, Obo Efanga, who addressed newsmen at the INEC office in Port Harcourt, yesterday, disclosed that four political parties have been cleared to participate in the bye-election.
He said the political parties include; Democratic Alternative (DA), Mass Movement of Nigeria (MMN), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Resident Electoral Commissioner also stated that the smart card reader for the election would capture the number of people accredited to vote, adding that there would be restriction of movement from 8am to 6pm on Election Day.
He also disclosed that sensitive materials for the election were intact and would be distributed later.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner was accompanied by Residents Electoral Commissioners, of Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom, including party agents to take delivery of the sensitive materials, AC8A, AC8B, AC8C and AC8E, including ballots papers, which were all sealed.
He assured that INEC would not rest in its oars in ensuring the conduct of a free, fair and credible bye-election in the state.
Speaking with The Tide in an interview, the agent of Mass Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Gospel Nwigbara, expressed satisfaction with the electoral process so far, adding that his party was prepared for the election.
Also speaking, the agent for All Progressives Party (APC), Mr. Michael Ogolima urged INEC to ensure a hitch-free poll.
Meanwhile, an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2015 Legislative Election, Mr. Chima Nnokam has failed in his fresh bid to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting any bye-election to fill the vacant position in the state House of Assembly seat for Port Harcourt Constituency 3.
Nnokam had approached of a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt to seek an order of the court to stop tomorrow’s bye-election in the constituency pending the determination of the originating suit in the court.
The plaintiff is also praying the court to order INEC to issue him certificate of return having come second position during the 2015 legislative election in the constituency since INEC failed to conduct the bye-election within 30 days when the seat became vacant as provided for in the Electoral Act (as amended).
According to him, failure to issue him with certificate of return by the INEC after the expiration of the 30 days would amount the disregard of the provisions of the law.
However, the trial judge, Justice H.I.O. Osohmah, in his ruling on the motion bordering on jurisdiction by INEC and Peoples Democratic Party, refused to give any interlocutory injunction stopping INEC from ing the bye-election for PHALGA Constituency 111 Legislative Election, tomorrow.
Justice Osohmah, in his short ruling, told the parties that when an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain and hear a matter is before the court, he was under obligation to first settle the issue of jurisdiction before proceeding to other issues.
He, however, said the court would hear the application referred to it by the Appeal Court on the next adjourned date.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Don Omealo (SAN) expressed happiness with the court position, adding that INEC does not have any legal constrain in conducting Saturday’s Bye-Election in PHALGA 3 State Constituency Election.
According to him, “the court refused the interlocutory injunction as sought by the claimant,” adding that his client was free to go ahead with the election as scheduled.
However, counsel to the plaintiff in the matter, Eugene Odey (Esq) said he was dissatisfy with the decision of the court but, however, said, he would brief his client on the next line of action.
Odey said it was a known fact in law that when an issue bordering on referral from a higher court to a lower one, the law mandates the lower court to, as a matter of urgency, hear the application, adding that the Judge in his wisdom, acted otherwise.
It would be recalled that the plaintiff, Mr. Chima Nnokam had contested the PHALGA 3 Constituency Legislative Election under the platform of the APC and came second after the PDP candidate, Hon. Victor Ihunwo, who had since vacated the seat following his victory and subsequent position as Mayor of Port Harcourt.
APC has, however, fielded another candidate, Mr. Worlu Dickson, who would contest with other three candidates from other political parties as announced by the INEC.
Taneh Beemene & Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
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.