News
Dakuku Peterside: The Sad Lamentation Of A Bruised House-Boy
If not for the senseless nature of the APC brand of politics, the 2015 defeated Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Mr Dakuku Peterside would have taken wine to Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for connecting Opobo Kingdom to the rest of Rivers State via the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo-Nkoro Unity Road.
Instead, Dakuku Peterside resumed his forgotten cries of gubernatorial deprivation just to please his Oga, the failed Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Since Dakuku Peterside was instructed not to purchase the governorship form of the Amaechi faction of the APC, Rivers people enjoyed a long spell of rest from Dakuku’s weekly ranting on several radio stations. Everyone has been happy focusing on key developmental projects of Governor Wike, since the lies of Peterside dried out, due to the shock of exclusion.
However, the 48th Birthday anniversary of Dakuku Peterside provided him with a rare opportunity to enter the house-boy mode, just to please Amaechi who has been complaining at different public fora that Dakuku Peterside has been too quiet since he was locked out of the governorship contest.
On this ill-fated day as reported by APC National Paper, The Nation, Dakuku Peterside heaped insults on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. He even had the Dutch Courage to call Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, a bad governor.
A visit to the website of The Nation Newspaper would prove to you that the entire country is tired with political crooks like Dakuku Peterside who have failed to see the reality of mass development in Rivers State.
This is an APC controlled website. Nigerians from all walks of life, including those from other states jointly berated Dakuku Peterside for ignoring the outstanding performance of Nigeria’s best performing governor.
Many of the readers embarked on comparative analysis and concluded without equivocation that Governor Wike will get his second term on a platter of performance.
Lewis Afolabi responding to Dakuku’s House-Boy shout on the roof-top wrote: “Wike isn’t my favourite but you guys are not sincere. You just want to control Rivers State’s money and nothing more. Thank God your pressure on Wike has made him to over perform to the advantage of Rivers masses”.
Badu Eze wrote: “He is far more saintly than Amaechi your boss “.
Smith Ekpeyong said: “Our Governor Wike is a great man, full of great stories of development for Rivers people. Mr Project is a man of vision. Mr Peterside, please show Rivers people your own achievements “.
Uchenna Nwoye noted: “Wike has no rival, no opposition “.
Wisdom Jimmy stated: “Peterside, you will never know peace. Wike is the best governor. What has happened to your President? “
Dakuku Peterside played a major role in the total failure of his Oga, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. As Works Commissioner, Dakuku Peterside had no visible achievements anywhere in the state. He could not even complete the road to his home-town.
He was nominated by Amaechi for the 2015 Governorship Election when the Oga printed only one form, but Dakuku lost woefully. The people said they would have nothing to do with a politician who helped Amaechi divert scarce state resources.
Even at NIMASA, Dakuku has failed to deliver. Instead, funds have been diverted and the House of Representatives has indicted Dakuku Peterside for mass fraud in the parastatal.
It is on record that Dakuku Peterside has not attracted any form of development to Rivers State since he was compensated by Buhari for joining Amaechi to betray the entire South-South by using Rivers funds to finance the APC National Campaign.
Dakuku’s inability to work for the people was the principal reason he was defeated in 2015. Since his godfather has joined other Rivers people to reject him, it is high time Dakuku realised that Rivers politics is beyond him. He should focus on his job and help Amaechi amass wealth at NIMASA, instead of talking carelessly at a birthday party were he had too much to drink.
Peterside should come to terms with the fact that he has been rejected. APC has been rejected and Dakuku’s Oga has been rejected. We are tired of hearing the lamentations of a house-boy who believes in crying wolf to attract attention to himself. Rivers State is happy with Governor Wike and the people will re-elect him in March.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.
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.