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Don’t Skew Electoral Act To Suit Personal Ambition, Wike Tells NASS
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly would be mere charade if the card reader was not to be used to determine the validity of every vote cast.
The governor observed that several attempts to achieve a credible electoral reform had been marred by overriding personal ambition of persons with vested political interests within and outside the National Assembly.
Wike, who made this assertion during an interview on Channels TV in Port Harcourt, said because most National Assembly members were often preoccupied with the next election, they tend to skew the Electoral Act amendment to benefit their interests and that of their political parties.
“Why didn’t the President sign the last amendment to the Electoral Act? Because APC as a party had informed the President that if you sign this Electoral Act amendment, you are likely to lose the election. Therefore, don’t sign it. And, of course, the President did not sign the Electoral Act amendment.
“I am not carried away by the antics of the National Assembly. They all know what will make the country to move forward. One, make the election to be transparent by ensuring that all votes are counted. You can achieve that by allowing the card reader to function, so that the figures recorded on the card reader should tally with the transmitted figures.”
On the appointment of new service chiefs, the governor advised them to shun politics, and concentrate on strategy that would enable them to expeditiously end insurgency in the country.
Wike noted that lots of Nigerians had lost confidence in the former service chiefs, thus, the clamour for President Muhammadu Buhari to sack them.
The governor, who applauded the President for eventually listening to the cry of the citizens, advised the new service chiefs to preoccupy themselves with mapping out strategy that would improve the security architecture of the country.
“They must understand that the challenges are enormous, and so, they have a lot of work to do. They should not concern themselves with politics. Part of the problem we had with the former service chiefs, was that they were involved in politics. Instead of concentrating on the security of the nation, they were very much involved in politics. Nobody can deny that fact. The moment you politicise security, then, you are bound to have problems.”
Wike accused former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai of political bias.
To buttress this, he cited the arrest and detention of recruits of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, who were undergoing training at the National Youth Service Corps’ Orientation Camp at Norwa, Tai Local Government Area in Rivers State by the Nigerian Army on the directive of the then Chief of Army Staff.
“So many states were setting up their own security outfits, the Chief of Army Staff (General Buratai) allowed it. He never for one day said, ‘look, we cannot allow this’. But, he allowed it. When Rivers State by law set up the Neighbourhood Watch to give intelligence to security agencies, the former Chief of Staff, came into politics. Even when we wrote to the Army, we wrote to the police. The police and Department of State Services were the ones training the people.”
He urged the new service chiefs to bear in mind that though they were appointed by the President, their oath of office and oath of allegiance was to obey the Constitution of Nigeria.
The governor described as erroneous President Buhari’s claim that the security situation in the country has improved far beyond what the situation was when he assumed office in 2015.
“Things have gone very bad. Everybody knows that insecurity has reached the level where everybody was saying change the service chiefs. If it was good, nobody will call for their sack. Even in his party, the APC said the insecurity has gotten to a level we cannot bear again.”
Wike pointed out that despite the withdrawal of $1billion, estimated to be above N450billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to procure arms to fight the insurgents, security has continued to deteriorate.
Speaking on the issue of community policing, the governor noted that both the Federal Government and the police high command were playing politics with the scheme.
“If you want this country to move forward, it is important that the respective governments must take control of security apparatus of their states. I know the local governments, I know the communities, I know the families. So, I should be able to say this is what we should do in policing these areas. Therefore, the need for community policing is necessary, but what is the problem is that the Federal Government comes up to say, they will support community policing, but where have they supported it.
“The police itself will say, oh, we are interested in community policing. Let me tell you what happened in my state. They said they want to do community policing, and they called traditional rulers to seek their cooperation.
“Do you know every name submitted by traditional rulers, local governments, the police changed everything. It became political.”
Wike disclosed that a committee has been set up to work out a possible framework for the establishment of a South-South security outfit.
According to him, when the committee is done, the chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum will announce the outcome.
On the rumour that he intends to run for the office of the president in 2023, the governor said his political detractors were behind the recent circulation of his posters in Abuja.
“Since December last year to this period, we are commissioning projects. So, people are now believing that with the commissioning of projects, he may have intention to run for president.
“They have money to print posters for me. I thank them for telling Nigerians that they want me to run for president. No Nigerian can say I have ever met him, discussed with him that I want to run for President. That does not mean I am not a qualified person, but I have never come out to say I want to run.”
The governor said though it was his constitutional right to aspire for the office of the president, but his present interest was the delivery of dividends of democracy to Rivers people.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.