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Wike Seeks Oshiomhole’s Sack Over Diri’s Swearing-In As Bayelsa Gov

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The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has explained that the embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his associates came from a background of armed robbery to steal the mandate of Rivers people, but were strongly resisted, hence Oshiomhole’s bitterness towards Rivers State.
Wike, who stated that he was not a violent politician, emphasised that under no circumstances would Rivers people allow Oshiomhole and his associates to temper with Rivers mandate.
The Rivers State governor called for the resignation of Adams Oshiomhole in view of his failure to stop the inauguration of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as he boasted.
He spoke in an interview at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Saturday.
Wike said: “This is a country where you see people who do not have character, today, they sing a song, tomorrow, they sing another song. I think Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not a character that anybody should associate with.
“First of all, I have never been violent and I will never be violent. However, when you see an armed robber come to your house, will you plead with the armed robber, and say, please, I beg you, leave my house. People think that armed robbers are only those who cart away people’s money. The worst form of armed robbery is when you steal people’s mandate, just like what Oshiomhole is noted for.
“He thinks because he’s in the ruling party, he can use security to steal the mandate of the people. He was taught a lesson, a bitter lesson, and I want to repeat, if you come to steal our mandate, the people will respond accordingly. They will oppose your stealing of their mandate, and so, Oshiomhole thinks that because he is in the ruling party, nobody should say anything or do anything. Stealing is not only when you go to rob a bank. The worse form of armed robbery is when you steal the mandate of the people.”
Wike described Oshiomhole as a politician without character, noting that the APC national chairman was always driven by survival instincts.
He stated that Oshiomhole cannot lay claim to having canvassed for one man, one vote because he was not practising the philosophy.
The governor noted that he stopped attending the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting because Oshiomhole turned it into a forum to bash former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, when he had gone to praise Jonathan at Aso Villa for ensuring credible elections.
“When Jonathan made sure the election was free and fair, Oshiomhole came to the Villa and thanked Jonathan. When Jonathan left office, one of the reasons why I don’t go to NEC meeting is because of Oshiomhole. When he was a member, when Jonathan left, there was no day at the NEC meeting Oshiomhole will not bring Jonathan down. Meanwhile, that was the same man Oshiomhole went to praise for allowing one-man, one-vote. But when the man left, Oshiomhole changed. That is his character,” he added.
Wike said that Oshiomhole became governor through questionable means, emphasising that the questionable emergence of Oshiomhole led to constitutional amendment for governorship matters to terminate at the Supreme Court.
He said: “Nigerians know one matter that led to the amendment of the Electoral Act, where governorship election has to go to the Supreme Court is because of the Oshiomhole matter. So, he cannot come out and say he was clean in terms of electoral process. That will be very bad.
“Oshiomhole said he fought godfatherism and the same time he wants to install himself as a godfather in Edo State. Why is he fighting Obaseki? It is because the man doesn’t take instruction from him. He preaches what he doesn’t practice.”
The Rivers State governor maintained that Oshiomhole lacks the powers to challenge the pronouncement of the Supreme Court.
Wike said that Oshiomhole’s comments questioning his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the unintelligent talk of an illiterate, and declared that he was a strong and unrepentant member of the PDP.
He said the fact that he speaks out his mind at all times does not mean that his membership of PDP was in doubt.
The governor said that he was not at the same level with Oshiomhole, noting that what Oshiomhole was doing was to regain the confidence of APC governors and leaders.
He said: “I will not be a member of their party, I have always been a member of PDP, and they know that. Oshiomhole knows that his party did not even score up to 25 per cent in my state. He cannot tell me that. There is a saying in my place: ‘Somebody who has nothing to say, he says see how you are’. So, Oshiomhole has nothing to say about me. And I want to tell him that his party is probing him about the so-called hospital he says he built. I am not the one.
“So, he should face his problems but shame should be on him that at the end of the day, the PDP candidate has been sworn-in as the governor of Bayelsa State. You can’t come out and open your mouth, and say ‘it will never happen’. Now, it has happened.
“If I were him, I will resign, I will leave. I am not his friend, so, he cannot say ‘my friend’. How can I be a friend to somebody who will say one thing today, tomorrow, he says another thing. In the night, he visits same person, that’s not me. When I want to see you, I see you in the day time. Oshiomhole visits people at night. It is very unfortunate for him, and I pity him. All his efforts to regain his chairmanship have failed.
“All he is doing today is because the governors and some leaders of the party are saying that this man cannot lead our party. Oshiomhole has failed. He is a man who opens his mouth anyhow. And this should be his last time, the moment he goes further; then, he will know that Rivers State is not what he thinks it is.
“We will tell him where he belongs. I will tell him where he goes in the night, and where he goes in the day time.”
Wike said the former unionist was very corrupt, as he used proceeds from workers to build his political career.
He said: “Oshiomhole claimed he was a unionist. He said he worked in the textile industry. Mention one man who works in the textile industry and is as rich as Oshiomhole today. He used to wear ordinary Khaki, today; he wears Safari with diamond buttons. Simply because I said Oshiomhole cannot destabilize this country, who the hell is Oshiomhole to say that nobody can be sworn-in when the Supreme Court has made a pronouncement whether good or bad.”
On Oshiomhole’s parable that he (Oshiomhole) was an antelope, while Wike was a tortoise, the Rivers State governor stated that his pedigree and education were beyond the embattled APC national chairman.
He said: “It’s unfortunate that Oshiomhole will use that word to say ‘a tortoise’ challenging ‘an antelope’. It’s like saying in a country where Chimpanzee can be anything. How can Oshiomhole compare himself to me? I’m well read. I am a lawyer. I am a life bencher. I have my first degree in Political Science, and my second degree in Law. I went to the Nigerian Law School, and I passed very well.
“Let Oshiomhole tell me which university he attended. As a unionist, he enriched himself. How did he become the governor of Edo State, who doesn’t know? It’s just the country that we are in; people who cannot boast of any certificate can be national chairman. Let Oshiomhole tell me one university he attended. I attended the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University and served in old Gongola State.
“How dare he open his mouth and call himself an antelope. Oshiomhole has become an antelope because he is the national chairman of a ruling party. It’s now a ruling party because they told Nigerian lies. Let Oshiomhole come out and tell us his background except that he became a governor through a dubious way and that was what led to the amendment of the Electoral Act that says governorship matter in terms of the election will not end at the Court of Appeal but will get to the Supreme Court. I have become a local government chairman, chief of staff, minister and governor, and by the grace of God, a second-term serving governor.
“Oshiomhole has the audacity to say nobody will be sworn-in in Bayelsa State; causing crisis in the country and nobody wants to call him to order but for people like us in Rivers State. Because of people like Oshiomhole and his style of leadership, his party lost so many areas they ought not to have lost. What made them not to have candidates in Rivers State and Zamfara? It’s because of Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole led to the problem they have in Bayelsa. Oshiomhole takes from two sides. He is not a man of integrity, and nobody should take him seriously.”
Wike added: “It is not my position to say it is right or wrong but Oshiomhole cannot open his wide mouth to say it can never happen, and now, it has happened. What will he do? Don’t destabilize the country. Don’t cause crisis for this country. You may be closer to the President and that is not the way to retain your position as chairman of the party because Oshiomhole doesn’t have the support of most of the governors because of his style of leadership. It is very clear, so, Oshiomhole doesn’t have the right to tell me that I am a man of violence.
“Oshiomhole came from the background of an armed robber to steal the vote of Rivers people and we defended our vote. Oshiomhole is ashamed that we defended our votes, and we still defend our votes till tomorrow. Rivers State is not like his Edo State where he can talk to anybody the way he likes.
“This should be the last time Oshiomhole should open his mouth and talk to anybody in Rivers State. We are not at the same level in terms of education. Rivers State is not like Edo State where you bring down a sitting governor because he wants to install another governor. It depends on the people of Edo State to allow that, but for Rivers State; we won’t allow anybody who wants to be a godfather”, he emphasised.

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Cancer Risk: HYPREP, IARC Launch Human Biometric Study in Ogoniland

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The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and an agency of the World Health Organisation(WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have launched a three-year public health study, to investigate the health impacts of hydrocarbon pollution in Ogoniland in Rivers State.

 

 

Speaking at the kick-off meeting with IARC team at the Project Coordination Office in Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, noted that the initiative is in line with the key recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, which highlighted the need for a long-term, focused medical study to track health impacts across the Ogoni population.

 

 

He said the study is aimed at conducting a comprehensive health risk assessment linked to hydrocarbon pollution; build capacity for local health professionals; and provide clear recommendations for public health responses based on the findings at the end of the day.

 

 

According to him,   community involvement is a cornerstone of the project.

 

“Community leaders, civil society groups, and health institutions must be brought into this process from the onset to ensure trust, ownership, and relevance,” he intoned.

 

He further indicated that the project would prioritise transparency, continuous stakeholder engagement, and ethical compliance throughout the study.

 

 

“HYPREP will provide necessary technical, logistical, and institutional support to facilitate smooth project implementation. The project schedule will be jointly reviewed and finalised, and a steering and technical coordination team will be established to oversee the study.The study is expected to drive policy interventions, public health planning, and long-term monitoring of the Ogoni population’s wellbeing. The outcomes of the project will be credible, actionable, and globally recognised, thanks to IARC’s international expertise and scientific rigor,” he said.

 

The Project Coordinator said the project is expected to bring healing, hope, and progress to Ogoniland and beyond.

 

 

“In addition to the public health study, HYPREP is constructing the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, which will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including cutting-edge MRI machines. This facility will significantly improve healthcare services in the region,” he said.

 

 

Also, IARC leader of the team, Dr. Joachim Schuz, in an interview after the meeting, noted that the study aims to provide concrete evidence of the impact of environmental pollution on the health of the people.

 

“We do not want to be speculating, we need to show it, we need to prove what is going on beneath,” he emphasised.

 

 

He explained that the study would collect blood samples from approximately 4,000 people to measure the levels of hydrocarbon exposure and assess the damage already caused.

 

 

He noted that they would also gather information on the living conditions of the people, including their exposure to pollutants and other health risks.

 

He ,however, urged the people of Ogoniland to participate in the study, which is expected to provide valuable information for public health planning and disease prevention.

 

Schuz further noted that the study is an investment in the health of the people, stressing that it would provide critical information for developing effective public health programmes.

 

“Without this study, we do not have the information to do a proper planning for good public health planning for the benefit of the people in the long run,” he said.

 

 

 

A member of the team, Mr Mike Cowing said samples would be taken from areas where groundwater and crops are contaminated with hydrocarbons.

 

According to information pierced together, the study will include men, women, and children, and will aim to capture the different ways in which hydrocarbon pollution affects various segments of the Ogoni population.

 

 

Another member of the medical team, Ann Olsson noted that children can be affected differently from adults due to their smaller body size and higher exposure levels.

 

She said the  team is working to ensure that the study is a representative of the entire Ogoni population, with a focus on finding solutions to sample representatives from the four local government areas.

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HYPREP Trains Lab Technicians To Standardise Water Quality In Ogoniland

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As part of efforts in ensuring that the people of Ogoni get the right water quality, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has organised a training programme for laboratory technicians working in all its water stations in Ogoniland.

 

At the training held in Port Harcourt, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, who explained the essence of the training programme said it would ensure that laboratory attendants strictly observe standard protocol for water quality test before reticulation.

 

He noted that the training would sharpen their skills for better performance in the supply of quality water to the Ogoni people.

 

“The essence of this training workshop I want to emphasise is for us to be sure that the people who operate the treatment plants in our water facilities know what to do and do the right thing all the time.So, we are taking extra pain to train you on laboratory practices that you will subject the water you give our people to, and our expectation is that you will need to understand this and when you do, make sure we are giving our people quality water.We want to be sure that while you are doing your work, you ensure that the quality of water we give our people meets international standards, meets WHO drinking water standards, and so, we feel that a key component of it is the laboratory management where you will taste the water before and after dosage; and that would guide what you dose and the quality.Make sure that our people get the right quality water to drink and in doing so, ensure that they are healthy because if you drink clean good quality water, you are most likely not to be exposed to water borne diseases, and so, we want you to pay attention,” he said.

 

The Director of Technical Services reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to providing potable water that meets best standards, saying the Project is optimistic that the training would benefit the participants, and urged them to apply the knowledge garnered for the good of Ogoni communities.

 

On his part, HYPREP’s Head of Potable Water, Mr Lucky Ikue, while echoing the views of the Director of Technical Services, harped on the need for standardisation in the quality of water supply in Ogoniland.

 

As it were, participants were guided on water sampling techniques, analysis and use of laboratory equipment, affording them the opportunity to upscale their skills in the collection and test of water samples; perform physical, chemical and microbiological tests, and understand the result, to improve technical capacity, develop and maintain practice in laboratory analysis.

 

The trainees equally explored physiochemical parameters such as chloride, total hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, sulphate and phosphate, microbial hydrocarbon and heavy metal analysis.

 

HYPREP is gearing up for the next round of its water projects commissioning. This month, four water stations would be commissioned in Uegwere-Boue and Taabaa communities in Khana Local Government Area, Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area, and Eteo community in Eleme Local Government Area. This is even as the Project continues in actualising its target of providing more potable water to more Ogoni communities by the end of the year.

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Oborevwori Boosts Digitalisation With Ulesson 500 Tablets To Pupils, Students

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In a move to promote digital literacy and educational inclusion, the First Lady of Delta State, Her Excellency, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, has distributed 500 uLesson tablets to students in public primary and secondary schools across the state.
The distribution, which took place recently at Government House, Asaba, was carried out in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Speaking at the event, Deaconess Oborevwori described the gesture as a meaningful investment in the future of Delta State’s children.
“Again, we are giving students from the Primary, Junior, and Senior Secondary Schools five hundred uLesson tablets, one hundred for Primary, two hundred for Junior Secondary, and two hundred for Senior Secondary schools”, she stated.
She explained that the initiative is part of a broader mission to equip students with the tools needed to succeed in a digital world.
“This is a Renewed Hope Initiative and NDDC educational collaboration,” she noted.
The First Lady expressed hope that the tablets would inspire independent learning and improved academic performance, especially among students in underserved communities.
“It is my earnest prayer that whatever we are giving will multiply a hundredfold in Jesus’ name”, she concluded.
In her welcome address, the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Catherine Onyeme, described the initiative as a reflection of the administration’s commitment to empowerment.
“This is what this government is known for, enriching and empowering the people around us”, she said, calling the effort “a beacon of progress.”
Mrs. Onyeme also addressed traders present at the event, encouraging them to use the support they received with care and purpose.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, highlighted the importance of technology in expanding the horizons of young learners.
“With access to the internet, children can do a lot using this tablet. This gadget will enable them to continue conquering the world”, he remarked.
He also praised the state government’s commitment to security and holistic development.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, also commended Deaconess Oborevwori and the First Lady of Nigeria for their roles in inspiring hope and uplifting the younger generation.
The event featured the distribution of 500 uLesson tablets to students, gas ovens for bakers, grinding machines for traders, and cash grants to support small businesses.
Beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the Wife of the Governor and the First Lady of Nigeria for the support and encouragement.
Albert Ograka, Asaba
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