Politics
Wike Declares War On Cultists, Kidnappers
Last week, activities in Government House, Port Harcourt
began with a special security meeting convened by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The meeting was held in the Banquet Hall last Monday and in attendance were the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, the State Director of Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, Commander S O G 115,Nigerian Air Force, Air Commander E O E Ebiowei, Commander N N S Pathfinder, Commodore S J Bura and state Commander of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, M L Haruna.
Also in attendance were local government chairmen, traditional rulers, Community Development Committee Chairmen and all youth leaders in the state.
Governor Wike briefed the stakeholders of determination of his administration to fight against cultism and kidnapping in the state and noted that the battle would involve all to be won.
He declared that areas where cultism is entrenched would have their traditional rulers dethroned, not attract projects and all youth groups found to be involved in cultism and kidnapping would be dissolved by the state government.
He said: “ Enough is enough. Nobody arrested by security agencies on cultism will see the light of the day. If you say we will not sleep, you also will not sleep”.
He also stated that any top government official caught trying to work for the release of arrested cultist will face full weight of the law.
Recall that Governor Wike had few days earlier addressed traditional rulers council in the state and Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the determination of his administration to take the war to cultists and kidnappers in the state when each of the groups paid him a congratulatory visit.
The Commissioner of Police , Usman Belel, in his remarks, assured the state of the preparedness of security agencies to fight towards reducing cultism and kidnapping to the barest minimum.
He solicited for the collaboration of other stakeholders by way of information as he promised to treat their information will confidentiality.
Governor Wike hosted the Charge D’Affairs, Embassy of Netherlands, Mrs Marian Van De Cappello, Wednesday in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor attributed insecurity in the country to its politicisation by the federal government, stressing that once opposition states have security challenges, politics is brought into it.
He also accused oil multinationals of encouraging insecurity by patronising cultists for surveillance jobs.
He urged Netherlands government to attract agricultural investors to the state for the purpose of agriculture.
Mrs Cappello congratulated Wike on his reelection victory and also commended his reconciliation between political gladiators in the state , saying the move would enhance peace and development.
Another major event in Brick House, last week was the visit of another high profile personality, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank PLC, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu.
The GMD congratulated the governor on his reelection. He recalled the successful 20 years business translations the bank enjoyed with the state government and reassured the governor that the bank remains committed to even bigger partnership.
Wike informed him that EFCC lacks the legal impetus to investigate Rivers State Government because of an existing judgment by a Federal High Court.
Wike urged the GMD not to open the Bank’s transaction documents to EFCC. He equally urged the bank to consider indigenes of Rivers State for Managerial positions in view of the contributions the state has made in the bank.
Last Monday, the joint House of Representatives Committee on Army , Police , Human Rights and Justice was in Government House.
The leader of the delegation and Chairman, House Committee on Army, Rimande Shawule Kwewum said they were in the state to investigate killings by F-SARs on the basis of a motion by the member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, Hon Kingsley Chinda on the killing of Dr Ferry Gberegbe during 2019 election.
Addressing the delegation,Governor Wike said the Army staged a coup against Rivers State during the election. He said the army acted illegally because they worked to impose a predetermined leadership in the state.
The governor said that F-SARs murdered Ferry Gberegbe, a PhD holder and Chartered Accountant, in cold blood because they wanted to subvert the will of the people.
Chris Oluoh
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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