Wike Recommits To Promote Peace In Rivers …As RSG Warns LGs Against Illegal Education Levies, Fees

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that no individual would be allowed to compromise the peace of the state.
He stated that his administration would always take decisive steps to promote peace in the state through key interventions in crisis-prone areas.
He spoke, yesterday, during a meeting between Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Mgbuesilaru Community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Wike said: “My interest is peace in my state. Whatever will bring peace; that is where we will stand. Whoever is causing problems, the state will take it up with that person”.
The governor said that in Kula community, he has no business with Shell Petroleum Development Company operating in the area, outside the fact that the Federal Government has renewed their license and an enabling environment must be created for them to function.
He said: “Like I have told the Kula community, I have no business about Shell operating. But if the Federal Government has given Shell the license, I have a duty to make sure that Shell operates.
“If they did not give Shell and they give the license to another person, I have a duty to protect that person. I have no business with Shell. Mine is to do the right thing and to provide the enabling environment.
“Let nobody claim that he has contact in Abuja or elsewhere. I will not shy away from my responsibility to do the right thing”, the governor assured.
Wike said that he took oath of office to make majority of Rivers people happy, protect lives and property and develop the state.
“There is no single individual I cannot protect. Whether you are PDP, AAC or APC, it is my duty to protect you. Where things go wrong, I must come in”, he said.
On the Mgbuesilaru conflict, Wike said that he invited the community leaders and SPDC officials to discuss the issues and resolve the dispute.
He said: “Before I became governor, I do know that there was a problem at Mgbuesilaru community. I learnt that an agreement was to be signed and there was a fracas”.
In his remarks, Eze Oha Okporo Okwurusi Clan, Eze Morgan Nwenenda Amadi said that the Mgbuesilaru community and Shell had an issue of outstanding rent, which led to a legal dispute that got to the Supreme Court.
He said he was invited as a mediator and eventually worked for an out-of-court settlement between Shell and the community, explaining that rather than work with the genuine representatives of the community, Shell politicised the issue, and thereafter, refused to sign the agreement.
He said an attempt to sign the agreement at Hotel Presidential ended in mayhem.
Amadi said that on June 13, 2019, the community requested the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council to intervene and give the council headquarters for the signing of the out-of-court settlement agreement with Shell.
He said that Shell failed to turn up on June 18, 2019, when the community signed the out-of-court settlement.
Amadi urged the governor to prevail on SPDC to honour the out-of-court settlement and pay the community rent money, which was in arrears of 23 years.
Also speaking, General Manager, External Affairs of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Igo Weli, said that the only interest of the company was to do what was right.
Weli said: “We want our place to grow. We want our place to develop. We want everything to be peaceful”.
He said when the rent issue came up, Shell agreed with Eze Morgan Amadi that it would be nice to settle out-of-court in the interest of the community, adding that the company was committed to the peaceful settlement of the issue.
Meanwhile, sequel to the meetings with local government chairmen, heads of government-owned primary, junior and senior secondary schools and proprietors of private schools, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has warned all LG chairmen and their agents to desist from imposing any other levy or charge apart from tenement rates on private schools across the state.
The governor, who gave the warning in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, also directed all proprietors of private schools to shun all demand notices for payments other than tenement rates, insisting that such payment must be paid into dedicated bank accounts for transparency and accountability.
According to the statement, “The general public is hereby notified that all fees, levies or whatever payments in government-owned primary, junior and senior secondary schools have been abolished.
“To this end, the general public is enjoined to report any government school heads or teachers, who make any demands for whatever payments from their pupils/students to the office of the governor via the named dedicated phone lines,” it added.
Danagogo reminded all concerned that, “All cash payments have been abolished. Proprietors of private schools and the general public are enjoined to report any officer or agent of local government council or any organ or agency of the state government, who demands for cash payment to the office of the governor through the said dedicated phone lines.
“The dedicated phone lines are: 0704-544-4471 (WhatsApp enabled), 0704-544-4472, 0704-544-4473, 0705-269-8118 (WhatsApp enabled), and 0909-065-4112”, the statement added.
The statement clarified that, “The Nigeria Police and the DSS have been notified to arrest and prosecute any agent or officer of local government councils or the state government caught in the act.
“Meanwhile, all proprietors of private schools are to submit their applications for approval/re-certification to the Governor’s Office at Room 312, Wing B, Point Block, Rivers State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt.
“Such applications should be accompanied with your last approval from the Ministry of Education and the approved Building Plan from Ministry of Urban Development,” Danagogo explained.
“Note that, no fee is payable for this application. It is free of charge,” the statement added.
Similarly, the Mayor of Port Harcourt City, Hon Victor Ihunwo, has once again made it clear that tenement rate was the only revenue collected by the council.
Making the clarification in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the council, Bob Abayomi in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Ihunwo directed that, “All payments should be a made to the Port Harcourt City Council Account; United Bank for Africa UBA 1007510998”.
According to the statement, “In line with the directive of the Rivers State Government, the Port Harcourt City Council has only approved the payment of tenement rate by proprietors of private schools in the city and all payments should be made to the council’s account as stated above.
“Proprietors of schools should disregard any demand notice purportedly from the council for payment of any levy asides that for tenement rate, and such persons moving with the illegal notice for payment should be apprehended by the law enforcement agencies and prosecuted.
“The council has abolished all cash payment.
“Business owners and those doing business in Port Harcourt City should henceforth desist from patronising cash payments, as the council will not be liable for any discrepancy as a result of any cash payment during the revenue verification exercise of the council.
“Those selling liquor in the city should cooperate with the liquor license committee of the council and obtain their licenses.
“All enquiries should be directed to Dr Ezebunwo Nyeche in the council’s Secretariat, Moscow Road, Office of the Secretary of Council, or call: 08033097907″, the statement added.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana