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‘APC Govt Has Rendered 20m Nigerians Jobless’
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has forced Nigerians to loose over 20 million jobs across the country.
The governor also said that over 85 per cent of Nigerian youths do not have jobs under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government.
Wike made this disclosure in Port Harcourt, last Monday, during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Rally for Ikwerre Local Government Area at Saint Martin’s Anglican Church field, Omagwa near the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.
The governor, who blamed the Nigerian youths for the lack of jobs in the country, said the youths voted APC into power to cause the unemployment experienced in the country, and charged Nigerians to vote PDP Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as President come February 16, 2019.
He also urged Ikwerre people to vote him as governor of Rivers State while also voting all the PDP candidates at state and national levels to restore the economy.
Describing Atiku as one of the major employers of labour in the country and a job creator, Wike told the mammoth crowd at the rally that APC does not stand to fight corruption in Nigeria as the party itself is the home of corruption in the country.
Wike also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the 2019 general elections in the state and in Nigeria as such may cause problem in the polity.
He charged the leadership of INEC to shun rigging of Rivers State election results as any attempt to rig the election would cause serious crisis.
According to Wike, “Anybody who attempts to rig election in Rivers State, his or her family would be rigged”, just as he insisted that INEC should allow the electorate in Rivers State to vote for the party and candidate of their choice.
Wike openly declared that PDP in the state would not go to court to contest any results, but assured that the party would win the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Accompanied by the state Chairman, PDP, Bros Felix Obuah, former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, Senator Thompson Sekibo, Barrister Boniface Emerengwa and other party chieftains, Wike reminded the people that all the state governors that do not pay salaries to workers belong to APC.
Describing APC as a desperate party, Wike accused the former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of selling off the state Olympia Hotel and the facilities at Abonnema Wharf to his cronies at the detriment of Rivers people.
On the March 2, 2019 governorship election in the state, Wike called on party faithful and all Rivers people not to panic, saying that “PDP has everything its takes to win the poll as the party has prepared for the 2019 elections for over two years in the state”.
Wike also declared ‘Operation Deliver Your Units’ in the 2019 elections across all local government areas of the state, as he appealed to all PDP faithful to ensure they totally deliver their units to the PDP.
While describing PDP as a party that preaches peace and unity, Wike said he completed and commissioned all internal roads in Isiokpo, Omademe, Ipo and Igwuruta communities, including UNIPORT-Aluu and Rumuekini-Aluu link roads in the LGA.
The governor also said that he was not contesting election with anybody in Rivers State as his footprint in terms of projects’ execution speaks volume for his re-election.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Chairman, Ilwerre Local Government Area, Engr. Samuel Nwanosike, had said Ikwerre people would no longer allow the use of armoured personnel carriers and military personnel by some persons in the LGA to rig the 2019 elections in the area.
He assured the governor that Ikwerre people would give the party a landslide victory in the governorship and Presidential elections come February and March, 2019.
The chairman also confirmed to the governor and the PDP family at the rally that for the 2019 election, 480,000 voters registered in the LGA as against 125,000 in 2015 polls.
Nwanosike insisted that over 161,000 voters in Ikwerre LGA have collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) ahead of the 2019 polls in the area.
According to him, “The 181 units in Ikwerre LGA have resolved to vote Governor Nyesom Wike on March 2 and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on February 16, 2019 elections in the country, as the opposition party has no root in the LGA and cannot win election in the area”.
Highlight of the rally was the official presentation of party flags by state Chairman of the party, Bros Felix Obuah to Senator Thompson Sekibo as PDP senatorial candidate for Rivers East and Barrister Boniface Emerengwa as PDP candidate for House of Representatives’ Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency and Hon Anslem Oguguo for the state House of Assembly.
A group of Eminent persons from the Niger Delta region under the aegis of The Niger Delta Watch Dog has warned the Federal Government against yielding to the call to decentralize pipeline surveillance in the region.
The Eminent persons who said this in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt said those calling for decentralization of pipeline surveillance are ignorant of the dangers it poses to the peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
.They argued that the proposal poses significant risk to the peace security and economic stability of the region.
According to the release” While decentralization is often perceived as a means of promoting inclusivity and local participation, in this specific context it poses significant risks to peace, security, and economic stability.
It further said”evidence from community dynamics across the region suggests that decentralization will cause more harm than good, leading to increased conflict, fragmentation of authority, and heightened threats to critical national infrastructure.
“By contrast, the centralized model currently implemented by Tantita Security Services under the leadership of Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo has demonstrated measurable success in stabilizing the region, reducing conflict, and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic lifelines”
While describing the Niger Delta region as the backbone of Nigeria oil and gas, it added that any changes in policy will lead to crisis in the region.
“The Niger Delta region remains the backbone of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, hosting extensive pipeline networks that are vital to national revenue and economic sustainability.
“Given the sensitive nature of this infrastructure, the framework through which pipeline security is managed must prioritize stability, coordination, and conflict prevention.
“Any policy shift particularly toward decentralization must therefore be carefully evaluated in light of the region’s socio-political realities”
It said
The release jointly signed by Chief Idowu Asonja ,Ellington Pokumo the Public Relations officer of the group Comrade Douye kojo Isoun and others,
said decentralization will lead to escalation of Inter-Community land dispute, intensifies rivalry between groups as well as heightens the struggle against Territorial control among others.
“Decentralizing pipeline security will likely intensify existing disputes between neighbouring communities as many communities in the Niger Delta have been involved in conflicts over Land ownership and territorial boundaries as well as Control of natural resources and
“Claims over oil pipelines passing through their territories” adding
“Such instability not only disrupts social harmony but also directly endangers pipeline infrastructure, increasing the risk of vandalism, sabotage, and production losses”
It said the gains recorded so far by the present centralization policy should be preserve as any shifts could wrecked havoc in the region.
“Any policy shift must preserve these hard-earned gains. At this time, decentralization presents a significant risk, while the current system continues to offer stability, security, and economic assurance for the nation.
“It is therefore strongly advised that the Federal Government of Nigeria carefully scrutinize and ultimately disregard calls for the decentralization of pipeline security contracts. “Available evidence and prevailing realities suggest that such calls may not be driven by the broader national interest, but rather by narrow, self-serving agendas that could reignite conflict within the region, this we know the Government does not need” the group said
The Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency (RSIPA), Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, has used the platform of the revived BRACED Commission to unveil investment opportunities and plans in Rivers State.
The BRACED Commission just bounced back and has already held a roundtable in Port Harcourt preparatory to an economic summit in the near future.
The roundtable featured the investment promotion agencies of the cooperating states: Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta states.
Dr Peterside not only chaired the roundtable but made presentations for Rivers State economic landscape.
He hailed the rebound of the BRACED Commission which did well at the onset. “The governors of the region were one and united for one cause. Then, politics came and everything scattered. The agenda is simple, to integrate the economy of the region into one strong bloc.”
He admitted that Rivers State’s investment promotion agency is very young, plus six months in the limbo of state of emergency. “This thus is a very unique opportunity to get resurgent momentum.”
He listed the achievements of RSIPA in the short period since its establishment, saying it has received numerous investment proposals.
“We’ve engaged actively with the private sector, both those currently operating in the state and those intending to invest. We do realize the fact that investment begins from domestic investors. and you have to guide them.
“Through outreach programmes and establishment of a One-Stop-Center (OSC), we have created a streamlined system for addressing investor needs, supporting their business operations. For the first time in Rivers State, prospective investors and small and medium enterprises now have a centralized hub that can address their challenges and find solutions that enable them to thrive.”
He outlined the plans ahead thus: “One of our cardinal focuses at RSIPA is to enhance the operating climate and improve the ease of doing business.
“We are committed to creating a vibrant and business-friendly environment that attracts and retains investment. We are also working closely with other ministries, departments, and agencies to harmonize our activities.
“Collaboration for us is key; we see Rivers State as a single ecosystem where all stakeholders work together to support investment inflow and build a favorable environment for businesses to flourish.”
For the region, he lamented the situation whereby “the carpet is shifting under our feet. The IOCs (international oil corporations) have moved offshore. The issue before us now is how should the region act now. We should target big ticket investment proposals. This is because some proposals will involve other states. There is thus need to collaborate.”
He gave examples of projects that cannot be for one state. “Railway system is not for one state. At the moment, there is no railway line that links Benin to Port Harcourt to Calabar. BRACED can push this agenda.
“There is an oil route from Opobo to Akwa Ibom where Sterling Oil is operating. It’s a route of interest. Governor Sim Fubara wants us to synergise with other states economically. The best time is now because all the governors are now in one political party.”
He called on all the agencies in the BRACED states to sell the idea to their governors.
“Let the governors know that BRACED task is not a competition but as a collaboration. We have the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SSCCIMA), the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), etc. This is the ripest time to strike the iron.”
The Director General of the Bayelsa Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA), Mrs. Patience Ranami Abah, also shook the floor when she presented what she termed ‘Closing the Value Capture Gap’.
She showed how the states will win bigger by playing together to present an economic front.
David Franklin, a deputy director, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Abuja, said investment in people is the beginning of prosperity.
“The South-South is the hub of power of Nigeria due to the hydrocarbon industry, blue economy, agriculture, tourism, etc.”
The Director General, BRACED Commission, Amb.Joe Keshi, in his welcome remarks, said the roundtable was themed around synchrosnising investment frontiers in a strategic framework for south-south economic integration.
The roundtable ended with a communique that recommended setting up a monitoring committee, and other organs to drive integration and investment.
Some of the key resolutions in the Communique issued at the end of the two-day symposium included the call for a BRACED Investment Promotion Charter with a harmonized Regional Investment Promotion Framework and a roadmap.
The Communique called for infrastructure alignment, uniform economic reforms, human capital development plan, and a technical oversight group.
The communique urged state governments, investors, and development partners to collaborate in transforming the BRACED states into a beacon of economic dynamism.
The Defence Headquarters has placed troops on nationwide alert ahead of the Easter celebrations, assuring Nigerians of tightened security.
The DHQ also reaffirmed that ongoing support from the United States is strengthening counter-terrorism operations, with a visible impact expected in the coming weeks.
Addressing journalists during the end-of-the-month briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, assured citizens of heightened vigilance by troops during the Easter celebrations.
Onoja said the Armed Forces had already placed personnel on alert nationwide to prevent any security breach during the holiday period.
He added that similar measures were implemented during previous festive seasons, including Christmas and Eid-el-Fitr, and would be sustained.
“We know that festive seasons usually have heightened security activities. The military command gives instructions to ensure all personnel are on alert. This time will not be different,” he said.
He emphasised that security agencies would not relax despite the celebrations, noting that adversaries often attempted to exploit such periods.
“I can assure you that we will always be on alert, particularly at this period of festivities, because we know that the threats expect us to relax.
“But we are not going to relax. Everything will be okay for this Easter,” he added.
Speaking on the ongoing collaboration with the US forces, Onoja said the impact of the collaboration may not be immediately visible due to the nature of military engagements, but expressed confidence that the benefits would become evident in the coming weeks and months.
He said the U.S. support to Nigeria’s operations had been significant, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing and training, noting that the assistance was being provided on favourable terms to strengthen ongoing counter-threat operations.
According to him, “You are aware that they are bringing intelligence and training support to us, which we need. They are giving that to us on very favourable terms. There are lots of things I cannot say because of confidentiality.”
He added that the intelligence being provided included information on the location of threats and hostile elements, stressing that Nigerian troops would act accordingly.
“All we can say is that these things take time. There is a gestation period when we are conducting military operations.
“You will not see it immediately, but in the next few months or weeks, you will feel the difference in the impact of the assistance that the U.S. is providing,” Onoja stated.
On February 16, 2026, DHQ confirmed the arrival of approximately 100 US military personnel and equipment at Bauchi Airfield.
According to the military high command, the personnel, who are not combat troops, were in Nigeria strictly for technical assistance, training, and advisory roles in counter-terrorism efforts.
However, insecurity has continued to surge in several parts of the country since their deployment, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the collaboration.