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Security: Wike Declares Support As Army Launches Operation Crocodile Smile 4 …Kick Starts Rebisi, Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyovers’ Construction …Disregard False Report On CSO To Wike, RSG Warns
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday, warned Nigerian Army against doing the biddings of politicians.
This, was as he pledged to support the Nigerian Army’s Operation Crocodile Smile 4 in the state.
The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army had declared the commencement of Operation Crocodile Smile 4 to effectively combat criminal elements in the state.
However, Wike declared his support while stating that he would continue to work with security agencies for the purpose of securing the state.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj-Gen Jamil Sarham, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike reiterated that the military must restrict themselves to their traditional role of maintaining security.
He said: “I cannot be enemy to security agencies. Without security, there can be no governance. The Rivers State Government supported the first three exercises, we will support Exercise Crocodile Smile 4.
“We should work as partners. We should not work as if there is a problem. I thank you for coming and hope that this will be a new beginning.”
Wike also warned the military against allowing politicians to infiltrate their ranks and compel them to take act outside their traditional roles.
“As I said, we will give you the required support. However, concentrate on your traditional roles. Don’t allow any politician use you.
“Let any politician who wants to play politics, come and face me. The Army should remain on their constitutional role, that will help,” he said.
He explained that the Rivers State Government under his watch played a key role in the establishment of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army.
The governor noted that the state government would continue to partner with the Army to fight crime.
“Rivers State Government played a great role in the establishment of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army. Of all the states, we played a greater role.
“There is no way that the Rivers State Government will not partner with the Army to fight crime. Rivers State Government is willing to partner with the Nigerian Army to fight crime.
“We have always supported Exercise Crocodile Smile. We will support Exercise Crocodile Smile 4”,
Wike described the visit of the GOC 6 Division as historic.
The Rivers State governor emphasised that the N100billion allocated to the Nigerian Army in the 2020 budget is inadequate towards the promotion of security.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Jamil Sarham, had said he was at the Government House, Port Harcourt to seek the support of the Rivers State Government for the forthcoming exercise Crocodile Smile 4.
He said: “The purpose of this visit today is to intimate you of the Division’s preparation for exercise Crocodile Smile 4, and invite you as one of the special guests.”
Sarham invited Wike for the commencement of exercise Crocodile Smile 4, which is a follow up to exercise Crocodile Smile 1, 2 and 3.
He said the exercise would be conducted in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta states.
“Exercise Crocodile Smile 4 is a follow-up exercise to exercise Crocodile Smile 1, 2 and 3. The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army is covering Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states. The pre-exercise flag off will be held on 25th October, 2019.
“The purpose of the exercise is to build on the successes of the past editions by ensuring total security. This will be achieved by identification and clearing of flashpoints of criminal hideouts as well as destruction of illegal oil bunkering camps”, he said.
He added that the exercise Crocodile Smile 4 will also include civil-military cooperation in promoting activities such as medical outreach.
The GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army urged the governor to sensitise Rivers people to support exercise Crocodile Smile 4.
Similarly, hundreds of Okoro-Nu-Odo residents, last Wednesday, trooped out to celebrate Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike as the state government flagged off the construction of a major flyover bridge to resolve the traffic congestion in the area.
The flag-off was performed by the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, in company of the Sokoto State Governor, Hon Aminu Tambuwal.
The Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover Bridge is one of the three bridges to be constructed simultaneously by Julius Berger for the good people of Rivers State.
Performing the flag off of the construction of Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover Bridge, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, described Wike as a man of substance who has raised the bar of good governance in the country.
Mohammed said: “I find it very auspicious because of the recognition to be with the people’s governor, a working governor, and somebody who has raised the bar in governance. It is very satisfying.
“I am not flattering him. He knows me. We were together in the Federal Executive Council, and I know what he can do. When I heard he was coming back again as governor, I knew it wouldn’t be flattering to say that you have gotten yourself a real leader of substance; somebody that can take Rivers State to the next level.”
The Bauchi governor commended the Rivers State governor for embarking on pro-people projects and programmes for the good of Rivers people.
“All the projects and programmes of Governor Wike are touching the communities. He has deepened community relations.
“He has the courage more than all of us as governors to say it the way it should be done. Whatever is being done is not for Governor Wike. It is to leave legacies. He has created the required cash flow and is deploying resources as it should be”, he said.
The Bauchi State governor commended the Rivers State governor for always staying in the state to attend to the needs of the people.
He also praised the governor for building a strong network with Rivers stakeholders to stabilize governance for the good of the people.
“The second thing that I am borrowing from Wike is stake-holding. You can see His Excellency, the former governor and other leaders. They are always with him.
“I have borrowed this from this young gentleman. Honestly, when there is stake-holding, it will reduce tension and pressure. It will relieve us of suspicion”, he said.
Speaking, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike thanked the people of the area for always working together, saying that the name of the new flyover bridge should not be a source of conflict.
“There is no need to fight over the name of the flyover bridge. You have always worked together and you will always work together. We must live together in peace and what is important is that there is a flyover bridge”, he said.
He reiterated that the flyover bridge would create employment for the people in the course of the next 16 months.
“This flyover bridge will create jobs. I have asked Julius Berger to ensure that the sub-contractors for this project are Rivers people. Rivers money for Rivers people”, he said.
Wike warned youths against disrupting the execution of the project, saying that the state government will deal decisively with anyone that hinders the progress of work.
He charged the paramount rulers of the host communities to ensure that they maintain the peace during the construction of the flyover bridge, and added that the countdown to the delivery of the project started three days earlier when the Rivers State Government paid Julius Berger for the project.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr Walter Ndu, said the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover Bridge spans 360metres, with the approach making it 800metres.
He said that the flyover bridge has a roundabout within the bridge, with service lanes, adding that the flyover bridge and the service lanes would be fitted with streetlights.
In his response, the Project Manager of Julius Berger, Engr Daniel Bliss, thanked the Rivers State governor for the confidence reposed in the company, pointing out that they would deliver on schedule.
He said that the process of procurement and acquisition of equipment for the commencement of actual construction work have started.
The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon Solomon Eke, said that the people of the area were happy with the quality of projects of the governor.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has debunked false report published by some online media claiming that the Chief Security Officer to the Rivers State Governor, Mr Promise Wosu, has been sacked.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, yesterday, indicated that the report in its entirety was false and should be disregarded by the public.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
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