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Street Trading: Task Force Tackles Hoodlums, Denies Bribery Claims

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The Rivers State Task Force of Street Trading, Illegal Markets and Motor Parks has expressed readiness to tackles hoodlums and hawkers on the streets and roads of Port Harcourt, warning those attempting to resist the law to prepare to face the consequences of their actions.
The task force also dismissed claims in some quarters that its operatives where clamping down on newspaper vendors and collecting bribes from some to shield them from the heavy weight of the law, insisting that members of the task force would never collect bribe from anyone to shirk their responsibilities.
Speaking at a Radio Rivers Current Affairs live programme monitored by The Tide in Port Harcourt, last Saturday, the Special Assistance to the Governor of Rivers State on Task Force on Street Trading, Illegal Markets and Motor Parks, Bright Amaewhule, listed the challenges facing the team, and pledged the commitment of members of the task force to overcome them for the sole purpose of delivering on their mandate in the interest of the state.
Amaewhule, who is also the coordinator of state government task force, specifically explained that one of the initial challenges they had was the aggression and resistance from some racketeers and ad-hoc staff of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) who tried several times to frustrated their efforts as they tried to put an end to illegalities in the state.
He added that the team also had similar challenge at Bori Camp Bus Stop on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, where some hoodlums claiming to be street traders, attacked operatives of the task force, damaged their vehicles with weapons, and then ran into Bori Camp.
The task force chairman noted that with the assistance of security operatives, the team was able to overpower the hoodlums, and apprehended most of them.
Amaewhule said that most of those arrested by the task force for violating the law on street trading, illegal markets and motor parks have been handed over to the mobile courts for prosecution and possible sanctions in line with the extant provisions of the law.
He also dismissed claims by some newspaper vendors that men of task force harassed and collected some bribes to enable them operate.
While debunking the allegation, Amaewhule said that “naturally, in our society today, people would want to frustrate or castigate any good development coming from the government that will promote the interest of the state and positively affect its residents”, adding that the “operatives of the task force will never extort money from anyone in line with the directive of the governor”.
Meanwhile, the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday, held a meeting with operatives of the task force to address some of the challenges facing them while accessing the progress so far made.

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Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

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A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

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Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

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The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

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Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

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