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Vote All PDP Candidates, Wike Tells Rivers People …Urges Electorate To Resist Godfathers, Defend Vote …As Wike Uncovers New APC Plot To Scuttle Saturday’s Election
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has charged Rivers people to overwhelmingly vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections and ensure they defend their votes.
This is as the leaders of Rivers South-East Senatorial District re-affirmed their endorsement of Wike for a second term.
They spoke at the Town Hall Meeting between Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and leaders of Rivers East Senatorial District in Bori, last Monday.
Wike urged the people to be peaceful and vigilant to ensure that their votes count.
He said: “Just be vigilant and protect your votes. We have no security with us, but we have the chief security officer of the world on our side.
“If they like they should bring police, Army and thugs from all over the world, we are quite confident that we shall smile on March 9, 2019. Come out and vote for people you can vouch for”.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, would imagine that he can impose a politician without pedigree on Rivers State, just because he is desperate.
‘Has Rivers State gone to the level where someone will point at a person and make him governor? He says he will bring anyone even without record.
“Rivers State is not like any other state. We will not allow a godfather to operate here. Our only Godfather is God”.
He urged Rivers people to adopt a peaceful disposition all through the Governorship and state Assembly elections.
Wike said those who plan to use security forces to kill Rivers people should know that the security personnel will come and go, but Rivers State will remain.
“You are not participating in the elections. Why are you killing our people? You should allow the will of God to prevail. Talk to our children to avoid being used for violence.
“Reject violence as being propagated by the APC”, he said.
He wondered why the APC leadership should resort to the promotion of electoral violence, when they ostracised themselves from the political contest.
“Those who want to shed blood in Rivers State will never succeed. I don’t know why they are plotting to destroy the state. We never caused any problems in the APC. APC fought themselves and pushed themselves out of the race. Now, they want to kill everyone in the state. What is the offence of Rivers people, that we must all die because the APC excluded themselves from the ballot?
“Where are the children of the APC leaders preaching violence in Rivers State”, he said.
The governor said nobody in Rivers State ran for the post of President and Vice President on February 23, 2019, yet, the APC visited deaths on Rivers people.
He berated the minister for playing politics of lies and failed promises.
The governor said that the minister had claimed that he believes in the rotation of positions, yet, he nominated himself as minister, sacked an Ogoni man as the executive director of Finance and Administration of NDDC and replaced him with his kinsman from Ikwerre LGA, and also facilitated the appointment of an Ikwerre LGA indigene as a member of Federal Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission.
The governor commended the people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District for voting for all PDP candidates during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He urged them to step up their votes as his administration will site projects in each of the seven local government areas that make up the district.
Wike called on the security agencies to perform their duties in line with the rules governing elections.
He advised them to conserve their energy to fight Boko Haram and violent crime, saying that those who involved themselves in street protests claiming they will kick him out were merely playing because they have already kicked themselves out of the process because Rivers people have already decided to vote him again for a second term.
The governor said that the Rivers State Government would hold a remembrance service for all those who were killed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections violence at Abonnema.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has charged Rivers people to resist godfathers by ensuring that they defend their votes during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday.
This is as he called on the people and residents of the state to come out and vote overwhelmingly for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidates at the election.
“If they like, they should bring police, Army and thugs from all over the world, we are quite confident that we shall smile on March 9, 2019. Come out and vote for people you can vouch for”.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the Minister of Transportation would imagine that he can impose a politician without pedigree on Rivers State, just because he is desperate.
“Has Rivers State gone to the level where someone will point at a person and make him governor? He says he will bring anyone even without record.
“Rivers State is not like any other state. We will not allow a godfather to operate here. Our only Godfather is God,” the governor said.
He urged Rivers people to adopt a peaceful disposition all through this weekend’s elections, noting that those who plan to use security personnel against the people should know that elections will come and go, but Rivers State will remain.
“You are not participating in the elections. Why are you killing our people? You should allow the will of God to prevail. Talk to our children to avoid being used for violence. Reject violence as being propagated by the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
“In another development, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has disclosed a plot by the APC, in collaboration with some Security agencies to kidnap the INEC boss in Rivers State to scuttle Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.
The Governor made the disclosure yesterday at Rivers West Town Hall meeting held at Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Wike said: “ APC and some security agencies are planning to get some persons in uniform to kidnap the INEC officer.
“ That is their latest plan to see that the election doesn’t take place in Rivers State. Since we have known the plot, it will fail”.
The Governor wondered why some enemies of the state who are not running for the Saturday’s election were doing everything to see that the state did not hold the election.
The charged thousands of people from the eight local government areas that make up the Senatorial District to be vigilant and not allow enemies of the state scuttle the election.
Wike restated that the problems that disqualified APC from the gubernatorial election in the state was caused by members of APC and not him the governor or PDP.
“Anybody who plots violence will see be visited by violence. We are prepared for this election that is why we are campaign, talking to people”, he said.
He noted that the party has delivered its campaign promises to Rivers people, campaigned more than any other party for the election and assured that if reelected, more projects would be executed in the district.
He encouraged the people to come out in their numbers on Saturday to vote for candidates of PDC and not to allow the experience of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to discourage them.
He said the district has three Houses of Representatives, and Senatorial elections which were inconclusive as well as the governorship and state assembly elections on Saturday.
He said: “ Nobody should go and kill anybody because I want to be governor.
“ We should not be violent, but we must protect and defend our votes “.
Governor Wike urged traditional rulers to talk to their subjects to make sure that they are not for violence because it does not pay to take one’s live.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, thanked the governor for the honour done to the Senatorial District by nominating a daughter of the district to be his running mate for a second time.
Anabraba described the governor as a man with u limited capacity for work and embodiment of inspiration and courage.
He said the district has benefited from so many projects and political appointments under the present administration and assured that it would vote massively for Wike as Governor and for other candidates of PDP during Saturday election.
He regretted that the senatorial district suffered violence and military intrusion during last election leading to lost of one soldier and over 20 civilians.
“ We are organising a memorial service for those lost in the election and we wish that our sister local government areas will join us”, he said.
He however assured that the evil plans of APC and security agencies will not make them to fail in their promise to deliver Governor Wike and other PDP candidates in the Saturday election.
Speakers from each of the eight local government areas in the district also commended Gov Wike for the massive infrastructure, empowerment as well as numerous political appointments benefited by the people of the area under Wike’s administration.
They assured that the governor would be reelected and other PDP candidates also delivered
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
