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Wike’s 2nd Term Inauguration: RSG Unveils Activities …Wike Pledges Focus On Security, Agriculture
The Rivers State Government has confirmed that preparations are now in top gear to ensure a befitting second term inauguration of Chief Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State and Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo as Deputy Governor of Rivers State, on May 29, 2019.
It would be recalled that May 29, 2019 would also mark the 4th anniversary in office of the Wike administration.
A statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, yesterday, indicated that the events would start on Thursday, 23rd May, 2019, with a variety night with the governor at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre at 7pm.
“This will be followed Friday, 24th May, 2019 by a novelty football match at Sharks Stadium at 4pm.
“A Thanksgiving Church Service will come up on Saturday, 25th May, 2019 at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium (formerly Liberation Stadium), Port Harcourt at 9am,” the statement said.
According to the statement, “A public lecture and book presentation will hold on Monday, 27th May, 2019 at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt at 10am
“On Wednesday 29th May, 2019, the Inauguration will hold at Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt at 10am while the Inaugural/4th Anniversary Banquet (restricted to invited guests) will take place later in the evening at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt at 7pm,” Okah added.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has advised the numerous beneficiaries of the various Rivers State interest-free loans to be prudent with the money given to them to advance and expand their businesses in order to improve their living conditions.
This advise was given in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
According to Okah, so much was expected of the beneficiaries of the traders and young entrepreneurs loan scheme because the bedrock of any economy was the active participation of small scale players in the economic chain of any society.
The commissioner explained that the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike believed that the private sector should be encouraged and given a boost to drive certain sectors of the economy as it was impossible to engage everybody in the public sector of the state.
“It is for this reason that the state government approved the interest-free N500million doctors’ loan; N100million monthly revolving interest-free loan to civil servants; N200million revolving interest-free loan to traders and young entrepreneurs”, Okah said.
“The successful performance of these loans will give the necessary vigour and translate to a positive economic growth for the good of the people and our state”, Okah added.
It would be recalled that the state government had earlier paid the sum of N500million to women petty traders to support their businesses.
Similarly, the governor had also given some N200,000 to N300,000 to each of the traders at the Fruit Garden Market in D/Line area of Port Harcourt, whose shops were razed by fire late last year.
Some of the traders, who were affected by the inferno got higher grant while he government also gave financial support to those who trade along the road and were not affected by the unfortunate fire outbreak.
Meanwhile,the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that his administration would focus on security and agriculture during his second term.
Addressing journalists after projects’ inspection, last Monday, Wike added that his administration would also continue to develop the education and health sectors.
The governor said, “We believe that security is important and we believe that agriculture is key to making sure that we take our youths away from the streets.
“While we are continuing with education and health, security, agriculture and environmental sanitation will be given priority attention.
“Port Harcourt must not continue the way it is. People trading on the streets make Port Harcourt dirty. Cleaning up the city will be a special project. We will not allow Port Harcourt to continue to be dirty.”
Wike said that his administration would be very decisive on stopping street trading in the state capital and its environs.
The governor said during his first term, the administration started from the beginning because it was laying foundation which was absent at the time he took over.
Wike inspected the Real Madrid Football Academy, Judges’ Quarters and the Fruit Garden Market.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done at the project sites, adding that the projects would be commissioned after his inauguration for the second term.
The governor took out time during the projects’ inspection to interact with school children near the Real Madrid Football Academy and the Fruit Garden Market.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has sacked the Commissioner of Power, Hon Shedrach Chukwu.
The governor directed the sacked commissioner to submit all government documents and property in his possession to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Power.
This was contained in a statement by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, last Monday evening.
It would be recalled that the governor had before now, suspended some commissioners, including those of works, finance, among others, for non-performance.
He had also sacked some for the same reason, warning that his administration would not tolerate appointed officials who were not ready to deliver on their assigned mandates to meet the yearnings of Rivers people.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won all 17 local government areas which results of the governorship election that took place last Saturday have been declared so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State.
The main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained a distant second, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is in third position followed by the Labour Party (LP).
The State Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum, Effurum, Delta State, Prof Akpofura Rim-rukeh, received the 17 LGA collated results from the various LGA Collation and Electoral Officers.
Rim-rukeh, at exactly 6pm yesterday adjourned collation of results till today since no results were available from any of the remaining six local government areas.
“If there are no other results ready from the other local governments, I will close collation for today.
“Collation of results will resume on Monday”, he announced.
The LGAs whose results have so far been collated are: Tai, Opobo/Nkoro, Gokana, Ogu/Bolo, Eleme, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Etche, Khana, Andoni, Bonny, Ahoada East and Okrika, Abua-Odual, Emuoha and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.
By: Opaka Dokubo
Officers of the Nigerian Navy – NNS Victory, in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have allegedly kidnapped over 15 staff of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc in their regional office in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State.
The incident was said to have occurred in the afternoon of March 11, 2023, when 10 men identified to be Naval officials stormed the company’s premises, fully armed and whisked away staff who were on duty.
The Naval officials, it was gathered, carried out the illegal operations at the command of Commodore Vincent Gbaranwi of the NNS Victory Command and Chief of Staff to the Flag Officer in the Command, Rear Admiral Mike Oamen.
The invading officers were said to have stormed the business premises of the electricity distribution company and kidnapped the staff, in protest over the disconnection of Akim Navy Barracks and Atimbo Barracks.
The Naval Command is alleged to be owing the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc over N740million in unpaid electricity bills accumulated over the years, and an additional current monthly electricity bill charge of N22million.
Although, the command is said to have countered the allegation of kidnapping, eye witnesses who saw the incident, noted that no warrant of arrest was presented before the action, and no charge has been brought against the over 15 staff of the company whom the officers claim they did not kidnap but arrested, yet they are still incommunicado as at the time of this report.
However, while the officers executed the alleged kidnap, customers present and other members of staff scampered for safety, abandoning their duty posts, work tools and millions of naira they had collected from responsible customers who came to pay their bills.
Unfortunately, a female staff of the company and a nursing mother, Mrs Abigail Omori, collapsed in the process, and was secretly rushed by the officers to the Reference Hospital, a Naval medical facility in Calabar for treatment.
As at the time of this report, the company has not been allowed access to Mrs Omori and nobody is able to tell her condition.
Following this incident, all PHED sub-stations in Cross River State have been shut down, and the state plunged into darkness, out of palpable fear of arrest or kidnap of its workers by officers of the Naval Command, who had announced that they had orders to shoot any PHED staff found around any electricity infrastructure supplying power to the Naval Command.
Meanwhile, the Regional Manager of PHED, Dr. Gabriel Modupe, confirmed the report and insisted that millions of naira collected by staff before the attack were currently missing.
He explained that efforts had been made to engage the command to pay their electricity bills without success.
The matter has been reported to the Nigerian Police and the Directorate of State Security (DSS), respectively, whose attempts to intervene have proved abortive.
1. Tai LGA:
Registered: 76,613
Accredited: 10,393
A: 34
APC: 295
LP: 13
PDP: 9,276
SDP: 508
Total Valid Votes – 10,227
Rejected: 87
Total Votes Cast: 10,314
2. Opobo Nkoro LGA:
Registered Voters: 59,047
Accredited: 13,376
A: 16
APC: 1,426
LP: 10
PDP: 11,538
SDP: 159
TVV – 13,189
Rejected: 142
Total Votes Cast: 13,331
3. Gokana LGA:
Registered Voters: 145,566
Accredited: 40,702
A: 74
APC: 7,410
LP: 97
PDP: 17,455
SDP: 13,840
TVV: 39467
Rejected: 1235
Total Votes Cast: 40,702
4. Ogu Bolo LGA:
Registered Voters: 61,705
Accredited: 9,295
A: 121
APC: 1,524
LP: 34
PDP: 7,103
SDP: 310
Total Valid Votes: 9,155
Rejected: 140
Total Votes Cast: 9,295
5. Eleme LGA:
Registered Voters: 126,111
Accredited: 14,852
A: 67
APC: 2,662
LP: 544
PDP: 8,414
SDP: 2,251
Total Valid Votes- 14,247
Rejected: 382
Total Votes Cast: 14,629
6. Ikwerre LGA:
Registered Voters- 166,079
Accredited: 24,677
A: 138
APC: 7,503
LP: 895
PDP: 13,716
SDP: 1,447
Total Valid Votes: 24,090
Rejected: 584
Total Votes Cast: 24,674
7. Oyigbo LGA:
Registered Voters: 121,815
Accredited: 16,894
A: 147
APC: 2,793
LP: 2,688
PDP: 9,886
SDP: 796
Total Valid Votes: 16,561
Rejected: 322
Total Votes Cast: 16,883
8. Etche LGA:
Reg Voters: 130,757
Accredited Voters:: 26,933
APC: 6,408
LP: 552
PDP: 16,043
SDP:2,586
Total Valid Votes- 26,320
Rejected Votes- 591
Total Votes Cast- 26,911
9: Khana LGA:
Total Registered Voters 183,626
Accredited Voters: 16,836
APC- 620
LP- 57
PDP- 9,475
SDP- 5,846
Total Valid Votes- 16,535
Rejected 401
Total Votes Cast- 16,836.
10. Bonny LGA:
Registered Voters: 183,094
Accredited: 13,815
APC- 3,285
LP-1,292
PDP-8,032
SDP-559
Total Votes Cast: 13,447
Rejected: 368
Total Votes Cast: 13,815
11. Ahoada East LGA:
Registered Voters 90,694
Accredited 20,607
APC- 2,650
LP- 219
PDP- 14,408
SDP- 2077
Total Valid Votes -20,038
Rejected -523
Total Votes Cast -20,561
12: Omuma LGA:
Total Registered Voters: 65,289
Accredited: 12,058
APC-2,127
LP-52
PDP-8,760
SDP-804
Total Valid Votes- 11,925
Rejected-133
Total Votes Cast- 12,058
13. Okrika LGA:
Registered Voters: 86095
Accredited: 15,466
APC- 2,719
LP-231
PDP-10,342
SDP-82.
Total Valid Votes -15,093
Rejected -333
Total Votes Cast -15,426
14. Andoni LGA:
Registered Voters–143,304
Accredited:-13,697
APC-3,149
LP-84
PDP-8,319
SDP-1,185
Total Valid Votes -13,271
Rejected -426
Total Votes Cast-13,697
15. Abua-Odual LGA:
Registered Voters–97,090
Accredited:-17,132
APC-5,738
LP-391
PDP-9,763
SDP-463
Total Valid Votes -16,676
Rejected -446
Total Votes Cast -17,132
16: Emuoha LGA:
Registered Voters–134,975
Accredited:-29,253
APC- 5,916
LP- 505
PDP- 20,600
SDP- 805
Total Valid Votes -28,591
Rejected -662
Total Votes Cast – 29,253
17. Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA:
Registered Voters–168,205
Accredited Voters:- 32,809
APC- 6,811
LP- 1,267
PDP- 17,729
SDP- 3,450
Total Valid Votes- -31,381
Rejected Votes – 978
Total votes cast – 32,359
The six remaining LGAs where results are being awaited are Ahoada West, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Degema, Port Harcourt City and Obio-Akpor.
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