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Professionals, PDP-GSF Endorse Wike For 2019
Rivers professionals under the aegis of Rivers Professionals for Wike (RIVPROW) have endorsed Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for a second term.
The Rivers professionals announced their endorsement of Wike during their solidarity visit to the Rivers State governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
Leader of RIVPROW, Mr Enemi Alabo George said that professionals in the state were satisfied with the performance of Wike, hence their decision to support his re-election.
He said: “As professionals, we subscribe to your vision. We are willing to work for the success of the New Rivers Vision.
“You were elected by Rivers people and you have proved to be a good governor. Professionals have resolved that they want to be part of the process and to add value.”
He added that the professionals are ever ready to make their contributions to ensure that Wike continues to succeed in the state.
George stated that the policies of Wike have led to the growth of the economy of the state and the emergence of growing small and medium sized businesses.
Responding, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike charged professionals to be directly involved in politics in order to shape the direction of the society.
He said it is unwise for professionals to allow hooligans to hijack the governance structure, noting that the society would suffer for professionals staying away from politics.
“Professionals cannot give their destiny to those who don’t know anything. Professionals must show interest in politics to churn out quality policies.
“Don’t be afraid. You have the tools to make contributions for the development of the society. Don’t hand over Nigeria to hooligans”, he said.
The governor challenged Rivers people who are well-to-do to contribute their quota to the growth of the state.
He wondered why some politicians continue to fight the administration instead of attracting development to the state.
“When I talk about Rivers people, I mean indigenes of Rivers State, people born in Rivers State and people who live and do business in Rivers State.
“If they allow the ports to work, jobs will be created in the state. If the airport is working, more jobs will also be created”, he said.
He berated the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government for failing the country, noting that the administration only intimidates Nigerians with insecurity.
He assured Rivers professionals that his administration would work with them by creating more employment opportunities for them.
Wike said that the state government would, in the coming weeks, employ 7,000 professionals into the state civil service and 14,000 teachers into the state education sector.
Highpoint of the solidarity visit was the presentation of the communique endorsing the governor by an official of RIVPROW, Golden Tamuno.
The group also presented a condolence letter to Wike through the Secretary, Prince Nyekwere.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Head of Service, Barrister Rufus Godwins and Commissioner of Sports, Boma Iyaye.
Also, the Rivers State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party-Grassroots Support Foundation, has endorsed the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for second term in office based on his sterling leadership qualities, commitment to grassroots development and prudence in the management of state resources for the good of Rivers people.
Addressing newsmen shortly after an indoor meeting of the group, the Rivers State Coordinator of the group, Comrade Bala Abiye, revealed that the endorsement was unanimously approved by the members of the group after considering the innumerable result-oriented projects executed by the governor since inception in 2015.
The state coordinator said the PDP-Grassroots Support Foundation, a non-profitable group affiliated with the People’s Democratic Party, could not afford to ignore the relevance and performance of Governor Nyesom Wike in sustaining democracy and good governance.
He opined that the governor, so far, had delivered government of transparency and accountability which had transformed the trajectory of governance from the woeful performance of the past.
According to him, the Wike-led administration has proved to all and sundry that it was delivering in her campaign promises and making lives of Rivers people much better through quality projects and programmes.
X-raying some of his achievements, Abiye said the governor was truly ‘Mr. Projects’.
“Everyone in Rivers State will agree with me that our jubilee governor is working. He started working on his very first day in office”, the state coordinator stated.
“Let me remind you that on the day of his inauguration on May 29, 2015, Wike declared ‘Operation Zero Potholes’ and had completed 23 out of the 26 strategic road projects inherited from the previous administration in the third year in office”, he said.
Abiye, confirmed that the group also saw on record the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of several roads, schools and hospitals, reclamation of lands, agricultural development and provision of other critical infrastructure across the state.
On human development and empowerment, among several others, the Wike-led administration, early this year, awarded a five-year full scholarship to 100 Rivers State indigent students to study medicine and surgery and other medical-related courses in one of the reputable indigenous medical universities.
“This, the governor promised, would continue for the next five years. Many other scholarships have also been awarded to several indigene students in different tertiary institutions”, Abiye said.
Abiye reiterated the commitment of the group, to work together with the governor and other pro-PDP organizations, stakeholders, countless members of the party and all well-meaning Rivers people in ensuring that ‘Mr. Projects’, was re-elected and returned as the governor of Rivers State come 2019.
Also speaking, Secretary of the group, Comrade Mbaba Smart, described the governor as Nigeria’s democracy icon who defends Rivers people.
His stout defence of democracy, according to him, has prevented the country from sliding into full-blown dictatorship.
Mbaba further disclosed that one of the greatest achievements of Wike was the creation of access to justice in the state.
“At inception, the governor opened the courts which had been closed down for two years by the past APC-led administration. Wike also swore-in the first female state Chief Judge and President of Customary Court of Appeal, and granted financial autonomy to the judiciary,” he said.
Commending the efforts of the governor, the Legal Adviser of the group, Barrister Tamunotoku Obelemabo, said the Wike-led administration has allocated a cumulative sum of over N12billion of the yearly budget to the relevant line-ministries to implement various youth and women development.
According to her, the administration has so far created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs through projects, family empowerment, among others.
“Just recently, the Rivers State Government has started the process of recruiting 10,000 teachers and 4, 000 non-teachers into all the state-owned schools”, Obelemabo added.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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