News
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.
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.