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Wike’s Zero Tolerance For Administrative Flops

Published

7 years ago

August 5, 2019

Beyond his serial admonitions to government officials to step up their game with respect to fostering good governance, the Executive Governor of the Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike has demonstrated with action, his commitment to zero tolerance for administrative flops in governance. A key feature of his agenda in that respect is his promptness to respond to public service challenges as and when due. Throughout his first tenure, this trait was clearly manifest in virtually all his engagements, be such in policy articulation, programme implementation as well as project execution. The unmistakable dividends of such a disposition are there for all to see in the quality of service delivery recorded in the harvest of projects and programmes to his credit. Against the determined enterprise of an opposition lobby that was intent to run his administration out of town, Wike prevailed in writing his name in gold as a focused leader that was made of sterner stuff.
In a development that is progressively defining his first term as a learning season, the second term has commenced with tell-tale signs that he intends to run it on a high gear and transform the culture of public service delivery in the Rivers State. This disposition has dawned on some state officials in an uncommon manner, complete with the attendant reverberations. Among the topical instances was the ultimatum given to government operatives were the Andoni Local Government officials and chiefs in June to ensure the release of three kidnapped expatriates working on a development project in the area or face appropriate sanctions. By the same token, he warned other communities in the state that similar response from the government would follow in any instance of administrative incongruences, that put the state in bad light.
Closely following the Andoni case was that of Ogbakiri where a long standing land dispute between the Rumuoro and Okporowo communities was seeding to start another round of inter-communal hostilities between them. Even in this case, Wike read the riot act and left no one in doubt over his disposition towards any flashpoint of crisis across the state. Needless to state that his deft approach to resolution of such avoidable crises in these two cases has rubbed off on many communities that faced similarly incipient tendencies.
However, Wike’s deft and prompt response to public service contingencies manifested in the mainstream public bureaucracy with the recent removal from office of a serving Permanent Secretary in the Rivers State Ministry of Transport, Samuel Eguma, as well as both the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Professor Blessing Didia and the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Magnus Oruwari, over developments that put the Rivers State in bad light. The circumstances of the recently disengaged officers draw strong connection with the theme of the ongoing campaign to reposition the state as launched by the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, with the hashtag “#OurStateOurResponsibiity”, ably driven by the Permanent Secretary, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim.
In its essence, Wike’s actions so far point to his inclination to redirect government business along the state to the proper setting of responsible service delivery. Public service delivery should rightly be seen by responsible officials and operatives in line with the prompt discharge of stated actions and relevant procedures that would promote public good. Hence, whichever government official in Rivers State that does not share this perspective, is technically misreading the governor’s agenda, and has himself or herself to blame in the circumstance of any adverse consequence of such indiscretion.
With due respect to the public officers at various levels across the Rivers State and even the entire country, every position in the country’s public office has extant rules covering the discharge of the associated duties. Failure in service delivery occurs when officers abdicate their legitimate responsibilities and allow public business to suffer. This is the message of Wike’s agenda for his administration as demonstrated during his first tenure and is in continuum with the second term.
It has been severally advocated that much of the seemingly intractable challenges – particularly that of insecurity facing the country today, are simply latter-day manifestations of issues that were left untreated in the past, and have mutated into more odious forms with time. Had decisive action been carried out as and when due in the past, some of these present day challenges would not be around.
In the same vein, present day pubic officers need to appreciate the need for discretion in their service delivery actions, as such will affect society tomorrow. Ensuring rectitude in the conduct of public business today remains the central message of Wike’s agenda for governance. And he could not have been more justified.

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Rivers Capable Of Delivering Massive Votes For Tinubu, Chinda, Others -Fubara …Charges APC, Rainbow Coalition To Embrace Team Work

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the State is capable of delivering massive votes for President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda and other candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 general elections.

Fubara, who stated this yesterday at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Port Harcourt, said the surest path to victory is for the members of the Presidential Campaign Council drawn from the APC and the Rainbow Coalition to embrace the spirit of teamwork.

He said what the state was witnessing in the current political season is a repeat of the successful mobilization done in 2022 and 2023, when a large campaign council worked in unity to deliver victory for him and for President Tinubu.

He added that the present council is bigger, wider and better coordinated and should therefore achieve even better results.

He noted that the beauty of the new council is the fact that some persons who were in the opposition camp during the previous elections are now part of the team, saying their inclusion has made the task easier, provided everyone works as one team and with sincerity of purpose.

The governor thanked the Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council for Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, and other leaders who worked tirelessly to bring the council to fruition, stressing that nothing is impossible especially when people work together for a common purpose.

He expressed optimism that with seriousness and commitment, the state would record a higher number of votes than it recorded in 2023.

Fubara, while congratulating members who made the list, appealed to those whose names were omitted not to be discouraged, as there are still sub-committees to be constituted and the list can still be updated, even as he warned against double loyalty.

He said the state has gone past the stage of division and is now looking to the future and what God holds for Rivers people, expressing confidence that with the strategy already put in place, the APC and the Rainbow Coalition would come out victorious in 2027.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Coordinator of the Campaign Council, Chief Nyesom Wike, while inaugurating the Council, lauded Fubara for finding time to attend the ceremony and other engagements of the Council in spite of his busy schedules.

Wike, who is also the National Leader of the PDP/ Rainbow Coalition, reminded members of the Council that they were chosen based on their capacity to participate in the activities of the group and deliver positive results.

He charged them to work hard to win votes for the candidates of the APC and the Rainbow Coalition for the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly as well as State House of Assembly elections next year.

He disclosed that apart from the Presidential Campaign Council and its sub-committees, the Local Government Campaign Councils will soon be inaugurated to ensure better coverage of the grassroots during the current campaign season.

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.