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2nd Term: We’ll Rely On Leaders Within System -Wike …Deal Decisively With Cultist, Kidnappers -Dokubo
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that his second term administration would feature leaders from within the state structure, with a few new officials drawn from outside the system.
Speaking during a Special State Luncheon for members of the Rivers State Second Term Inauguration Committee at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday, Wike assured that he would always involve those who worked hard for the success of the administration, especially those who served in the committee.
Wike said: “Most of you or some of you must still be part of the government, the cabinet and other parts of the administration.
“Those of you who are prayer warriors should continue to pray. Generally, it cannot be outside this area. It cannot be. It will be people within the system and some from outside.
“Don’t feel that we have abandoned you. Not at all! Government House is still open to you”, he enjoined members of the committee.
He commended members of the Second Term Inauguration Committee for delivering a world-class transition from first to second term for his administration.
Wike expressed happiness that the committee worked tirelessly and religiously to deliver quality programmes that shaped the commencement of his second term.
“After the successful second term inauguration, the deputy governor and I decided to host the committee for the wonderful inauguration.
“We were filled with happiness, particularly on the day of the second term inauguration. The only day we had a challenge was the day of the Thanksgiving Service. But the committee made amends”, he said.
Responding, the Chairman of the Second Term Inauguration Committee and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Austin Opara, thanked the Rivers State governor for the opportunity given them to serve the state.
He formally recommended all members of the Second Term Inauguration Committee for different responsibilities in the forthcoming administration, saying that they lived up expectations.
Opara thanked the Rivers State governor for monitoring the preparations and activities of the committee, which ensured that the members delivered.
Also speaking on behalf of other committee members, Prof Ngozi Ordu, expressed gratitude to Governor Nyesom Wike for the opportunity to serve.
She said that members of the committee went the extra mile to ensure the transition into the second term was successful.
It would be recalled that members of Governor Wike’s Second Term Inauguration Committee were drawn from the former Rivers State Executive Council, former Special Advisers, former and re-elected State and National Assembly members, the academia, top class professionals, members of the business community, local government council chairmen, party chieftains, youth groups, women leaders, opposition party leaders and non-indigenes.
Meanwhile, the former militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo says the scourge of cultism and kidnapping ravaging Nigerian society should not be handled with kid gloves but rather, government should deal decisively with those involved.
Dokubo stated this, last Tuesday, in an interview with correspondents in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The activist expressed opposition to the approach of offering amnesty to cultists by government, saying “instead of treating them as criminals”, which they are, “government is encouraging them by rewarding terror merchants through amnesty.
“My advice has always been that cultism and gangsterism have never helped. The root cause of this is the amnesty programme that was introduced.
“How can you pay money to people who are not working? When they brought this amnesty, I rejected it. This amnesty programme is a bad omen.
“Your father’s salary who has been working is N50,000. He has worked for 30 years, his salary is N50,000. Then you, who has refused to go to school, you are a rapist and a common thief, government will now reward you for being a rapist and a common thief, and pay you N65.000, and ask you to stay at home”, he complained.
He stressed that reward for criminality has discouraged people from embracing hard-work and the dignity and reward that go with it since other youths would emulate those who committed these crimes and ironically get sustained reward through amnesty.
Dokubo regretted that the situation has degenerated to the point that before you build house or embark on any project in the communities, you see group of youths asking you to pay them, such that people have abandoned villages as they take refuge in the cities.
“It is so disgraceful that you wake up in the morning, and you see severed head of a fellow human being decorating our streets”, he said, and urged government not to leave any stone unturned to cleanse the society of the evil of cultism and kidnapping.
He advised government to end the present era of entitlement to criminality in the form of amnesty, stressing that those behind the persistent kidnapping, which he called, ‘stealing of human beings’, and cultism were very few in number, and should be decisively dealt with.
“The government should work with the various security agencies concerned with maintaining law and order to make sure that these people who are few are dealt with.
“Once you cage these few people, the society will be very free, and let us not reward terror merchants.
“Our society today is rewarding terror merchants, and people see them as role models, and also follow suit to make money from criminality”, he said.
He noted that until government does the right thing, the scourge would persist, adding that some traditional rulers that attempted advising the cultists and kidnappers against what they do have become victims.
However, the former freedom fighter noted that his community has not faced the effects of criminality because it has a mechanism that checks criminals, and advised other communities to put in place such needed mechanism to check miscreants, instead of the use of entitlement.
“We have told them that this entitlement mentality, forget it, it is not going to work.
“In my community in Oboma, it doesn’t happen. There is no ‘kpo fire’, there is no one stopping you from building house. Government project comes and nobody stops them; everybody is happy, because there is a mechanism to control these people.
Chris Oluoh
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.