News
Amaechi’s APC Accepts Wike’s Olive Branch …Says He’s Captain Of State Ship …SDP Reaffirms Commitment To Work With Gov
The Olive branch extended to opposition political parties in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike may have achieved a breakthrough as the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), last Monday, made a surprise u-turn, accepted the offer, and promised to work with the governor for the interest of peace and good governance in the state.
The Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Andrew Uchendu, at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, on behalf of elected and appointed members of APC in the state, disclosed the resolve of the main opposition party.
Uchendu, a close ally to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is the leader of the APC in the state, expressed the party’s preparedness to make the necessary sacrifice for peace, and urged the governor to show some level of commitment.
The senator noted that although the governor was yet to take necessary follow up actions to his call for peace, but expressed optimism that the offer would put an end to all forms of hate speech; even as he said that keeping the peace and security was necessary as the APC was worried over the rising insecurity in the crude oil and gas-rich state.
According to him, “When two captains are in the boat, one is at the head of the boat paddling, another one is at the end paddling, then, there will be no movement. We want to allow Governor Nyesom Wike to discharge his constitutional responsibility.
“And we are saying we (APC) will join in that boat. Only one captain will be in that boat. That captain is Governor Nyesom Wike. We want to help him to take the boat to the shore. We cannot continue to toil with the lives of our people or take them for granted anymore. We will not!
“A key indicator of good governance is the return of peace and security in our state. We are prepared to make the necessary sacrifice as a political party. As it stands today, life in Rivers State has become brutish and worthless with kidnapping and killings occurring daily.
“Only last week, four youths were beheaded in Ovogo, Emohua LGA. This is the narrative our reformed governor must change,” Uchendu stated; even as he called on the governor to reactivate some programmes that were initiated by the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-led administration in order to solve the problem of unemployment in the state.
While stating that the current cases of killings and kidnappings on a daily basis must be stopped, he said the APC was more than ready to offer areas of immediate intervention aimed at tackling these challenges.
“We can offer some more areas of immediate intervention: revitalization of the C4i Security architecture of the previous administration; rehabilitation of sons and daughters that are roaming the streets of foreign lands because of the cancellation or stoppage of their scholarship awards.
“Re-activation of the Greater Port Harcourt Project and completion of some of the laudable pro-people projects embarked upon by the administration of the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. These done, we can expect to begin to see some changes.
“Although we are yet to see indications of any intent in this direction, we are still resolved not to give up. We believe Governor Wike is very sincere in this initiative. It is for this reason that we want to commend his call for collaboration and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
Similarly, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to work with Governor Nyesom Wike, to restore peace in the state.
The SDP also pledged its unwavering support to Wike in his efforts to develop and move the state to greater heights.
The SDP State Party Chairman, Mr Joshua Worlu, disclosed this in a statement after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party’s office in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Worlu said that the party would join hands with the governor to ensure sustainable peace, security and development in the state.
The chairman, on behalf of the party in the state, congratulated Governor Nyesom Wike over his victory at the March 23 Governorship Election.
Worlu, therefore, urged all Rivers citizens and stakeholders, to join hands with the government to move the state forward.
But barely 24-hours after the All Progressives Congress (APC) accepted the Olive branch extended to opposition political parties in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the former to be sincere with its position.
Describing the position of the APC as a welcome development, the PDP said it would be a thing of joy if the main opposition party in the state join hands with the governor to improve security in the state.
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Darlington Orji, stated this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital, last Monday.
Orji said that Governor Nyesom Wike was determined to work with different political parties and anyone with useful ideas on how peace can be restored in the state.
According to Orji, ‘’Now that the All Progressives Congress has come out, if their position is very sincere, together, we can build a better Rivers State. So, for us, anything that will make our state remain peaceful for investors to come in and bring development, that is where we remain, and that is the vow the governor of Rivers State has taken to make sure that Rivers resources will be used for Rivers people.
“Today, I have no doubt that the press conference that was organised by APC must be on notice. So, for me, it is a welcome development, and we are also using this opportunity as a political party to call on the minister of transportation to please, work together with the governor of Rivers State.
“Bring up your ideas so that together, we can better the lives of our people, together we can fight crime and criminality, together we can stop these killings that are all over the state,” the state PDP spokesman stated.
He further said that to achieve a high level of security in Rives State, the security agencies would need to distance themselves from the political activities in the state.
Dennis Naku
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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