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2019: Defend Your Votes, Guber Candidates Task Rivers

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7 years ago

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The Forum of Rivers State Governorship Candidates has called on Rivers people to defend their votes during the forthcoming general elections in the state.
This is as Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike stated that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prevail on vice chancellors of universities to send APC members as ad-hoc staff for the purpose of rigging the polls.
The forum also condemned the threat to violence during the 2019 polls in Rivers State by leaders of the APC, and urged security agencies to call the APC Rivers State leadership to order.
The position of the forum was contained in a communique after its meeting in Port Harcourt, last Sunday.
The meeting was attended by several governorship candidates including Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP.
The communique was read by the forum’s Chairman, Pastor Samuel Ihunwo.
The group called on INEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls in Rivers State in line with the extant laws.
They also called on security agencies not to allow themselves to be used by the APC-led Federal Government to manipulate the elections in Rivers State.
While decrying the planned manipulation of the polls in Rivers State by the authorities, the forum called for peaceful polls in the state.
The forum condemned the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari, and called on the President to reverse the illegal decision.
In an address, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike expressed shock that the APC-led Federal Government was ready to act in extreme ways just to rig Rivers State elections, and assured that the Federal Government would fail.
He said: “The ruling party is manipulating pliant vice chancellors to submit the names of APC members as INEC ad-hoc staff and returning officers.
“Will the elections be credible when the list of electoral officials is manipulated at INEC headquarters in Abuja by the ruling party”.
On the crisis in Rivers State APC, the Rivers State governor said that the APC-led Federal Government was prepared to destroy the judiciary just to gain political advantage, explaining that the Rivers APC crisis was generated by the impunity of the APC leadership.
He stated that the security agencies and INEC were the purveyors of electoral violence because they work to illegally sabotage the electoral process.
The governor said while Rivers people will support violence free polls, they will not allow the manipulation of the process.
“The security agencies are under the obligation to ensure that the will of Rivers people don’t prevails.
“If INEC wants elections to be peaceful and credible, it rests on them. They should conduct polls in line with extant laws and not work for any political party”, he said.

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198 UNIBEN Students Bag First Class

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5 days ago

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November 24, 2025

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A total of 198 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN ) Edo State, bagged a First Class degree out of 14,083 students to be awarded first degree at the institution’s 51st Convocation and Founder’s Day ceremony.
Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, disclosed this on Monday in Benin at a pre-convocation press briefing.
He said 4,217 students bagged a Second Class Upper,  7, 928 got a Second Class Lower, while 578 bagged a Third Class degree.
He said 15 new approved programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) would commence in the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to him, “The wheel of progress is on course and moving steadily in the University of Benin.  This administration is poised to deliver on its mandate of effective, practical teaching, sound learning, result-oriented research and impactful community service.
“We must applaud the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for establishing NELFUND, and by so doing significantly reducing the financial stress of students in the process of acquiring tertiary education.   We enjoin students and their parents to take full advantage of the federal government’s benevolence in instituting the fund.”
Prof. Omoregie disclosed that Nigeria’s Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, would deliver the Founders’ Day lecture with the topic,  “Reforms for a Shared Prosperity”.
The UNIBEN VC said Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, would deliver the Convocation Lecture on the theme, “Making Our Universities Great”.
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Bayelsa Education Fund, British Council  trains tra 1,000 teachers

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5 days ago

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November 24, 2025

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The last batch of 400 public school teachers in Bayelsa State on Monday commenced training under the sponsorship of Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) and the British Council.
This batch will bring to 1000 the number of public school teachers in the state who have benefited in the partnership arrangement.School supplies
The EDTF, British Council and Teachers Training, Registration and Certification Board collaborated in the capacity development programme.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five day capacity building program, Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah reiterated the commitment of the Bayelsa government to training and capacity of teachers in the state.
He noted that the improved teaching methodology in the state was responsible for the state producing the best student in the 2025 West African School Certificate Examinations.
Prof Ebimiowei, Executive Secretary at EDTF, noted that the collaboration is aimed at improving learning outcomes for pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa.
“You will agree with me that until the cutlass is sharpened, it will have no impact on the hands of the farmer and so it is with our teachers., you need to be sharpened very well to give good delivery in your various classes and schools.
“Let me at this juncture appreciate the British Council for accepting to train 1,000 teachers, 50 education managers and 60 trainers for Bayelsa,” he said.
On his part, Chairman of the EDTF board, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah for his supportive role to the fund.
Agbiki urged the beneficiaries to justify the enormous resources invested by the government of Bayelsa by being dedicated within the five days the exercise would last.
He said; “This board will not operate on business as usual but on business unusual as we will push the frontiers outside the box to ensure that we get value for money,” Agbiki said.
 Chairman of Development Partners Committee of the EDTF applauded the commitment of the partners for the successful completion of the programme, urging them to sustain the tempo
Speaking on the programme, Mr Fwanshishak Daniel, Head, English and Schools, British Council noted that the Bayelsa government had shown exemplary commitment to educational development.
He explained that the commitment has enabled the British Council and Bayelsa government to achieve within one year greater milestones that took other states three years to achieve.
He explained that the resources of the British Council have been made available to Bayelsa with the training of 60 resource persons from the state who will in turn train other teachers to improve education.
According to Daniel, the training will lay emphasis on new teaching methods, use of digital tools for self development and access to school amongst others.
Dr Peremoboere Ogola, Acting Chairman of TTRC, which facilitated training, thanked the EDTF for supporting training of teachers in Bayelsa with world class resources of the British Council.
She noted that another batch of newly recruited teachers are currently undergoing training at State government owned University of Africa, Toru Orua, Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa
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RSG INAUGURATES ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMITTEE

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5 days ago

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November 24, 2025

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The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Central Planning Committee to organize the celebration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) in the State.

The committee was formally inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Dr Anabraba who also serves as Chairman of the Committee

highlighted the State Government’s deep appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s fallen heroes who laid down their lives for the nation’s peace and unity.

“These heroes have given their lives for the security and peace of our nation and deserve to be celebrated. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an opportunity to show our gratitude for their sacrifice,” he said.

Dr. Anabraba further extended recognition to all Security Agencies in the State, emphasizing the importance of the event in appreciating their contributions to national security and sovereignty.

The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day, observed on January 15 across the country is dedicated to remember Nigeria’s departed soldiers and honouring the nation’s veterans.

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