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Wike Charges Residents To Be Vigilant

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Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has charged residents of the state to be vigilant and to report any suspicious movement to the security agencies for immediate actions.
Governor Wike gave the charge during an emergency State Security Council meeting held last Saturday, at Government House Port Harcourt, following the attacks on police personnel in parts of the state last week.
Governor  Wike who condemned the wicked acts , stated that no amount of cruel resort to barbaric attacks would make the state succumb to secessionist agenda.
Governor  Wike also called on traditional rulers and Council Chairmen in the state to end the habit of administering their people from Port Harcourt, the state capital,  but rather relocate to their respective localities.
The governor who gave the charge during a solidarity visit to him at the Government House, last Tuesday by the traditional rulers, political and opinion leaders of Ekpeye nationality, explained that by residing at their locations of jurisdictions, they would be able to monitor activities properly and take appropriate actions.
The governor further reminded those with secessionist agenda to  look elsewhere, stressing that the Rivers State remains an autonomous entity that cannot be annexed.
He assured that his administration would leave no stone unturned in protecting the state against such incursion.
He disclosed that as part of measures to stamp out criminality in Ahoada West and Ahoada East Local Government Areas, the state government had placed a bounty on two notorious gang leaders, VIP and Comasi .
The leader of the delegation, Prof.  Dulu Appah, had expressed gratitude to the governor for the numerous developmental projects sited in the area.
He said: “ Indeed, for us the people of Ekpeye ethnic nation , we  make bold to say without fear of contradiction that the democratic dividends we have enjoyed during your administration has made us the envy of other ethnic  groups in the state”.
Another major event last week in Brick House was the approval for the award of contracts for  the ninth flyover project in the state  as well as  the construction of Sir Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Center.
The State Executive Council in a meeting presided over by Governor  Nyesom Wike, also approved contract for the dualisation of of the first phase of Ahoada-Omoku road and  the construction of Omerelu internal roads.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof Princewill Chike who addressed newsmen after the meeting  last Wednesday, explained that the Sir Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Center would cost the state the sum of N25.9 billion and the job would be handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Limited. He said that the project would be sited at Rumuokwuta, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, who also addressed newsmen after the meeting, the ninth flyover would be sited at Rumuepirikom in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area.
The flyover project would also  be handled by Julius Berger at the cost of N6.6 billion. The job would be delivered in 12 months. Within the week under review, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt conferred on  Governor Wike the “ 2019/2020 Good Governance Award”.
Vice President of the club, Rotarian Obiageli Ejezie who led the  delegation to Government House Port Harcourt, said the honour was in recognition of Governor Wike’s outstanding achievement in project execution in the state.
Also last week, the Rivers State Chief Executive hosted the South-South Zonal Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) .
PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih, who led the delegation said they came to thank the Governor for hosting the last  Zonal Congress of the party where they were elected.
By: Chris Oluoh
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Kogi Gov’ship Election Petitions Stolen By Gunmen – Police

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The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that gunmen attacked the secretary of the state governorship election tribunal, Mr David Umar Mike on Monday in Lokoja and made away with sensitive petition documents on the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.
The state police command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya,  disclosed this in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The police authorities said the attackers of the state governorship tribunal secretary carted away all the petition documents filed by five political parties at gunpoint.
According to the police authorities, the documents carted away from Mike include, petitions filed by four (4) Parties: Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Party (APP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) as well as two (2) Record Books/a Bag containing his personal item.
The police added that the incident happened just before the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office at about 13:20hrs on Monday, while victims were on their way to the tribunal venue at the state High Court complex, Lokoja.
Police said, “On Monday, 04/12/2023 at about 1820hrs, one Mr David Umar Mike ‘m’ Secretary to Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal along with Labode Apreala (f) Confidential Secretary and Hassimu Adamu Assistant Secretary, came to State Criminal Investigation Department, Kogi State Police Headquarters and reported that on the said date, three of them left their Hotel rooms in Lokoja about 1300hrs, heading to their Office at the High Court Complex driving in his (David’s) Peugeot 406 Car.
“That just before the CBN at about 1320hrs, one SUV vehicle which had earlier overtaken him blocked his car with two other SUVs following behind.
“All of them surrounded and blocked him as he attempted to reverse. That he saw about seven hooded men all heavily armed and dressed in black attire who shot severally into the air and dragged him and his two other colleagues out of their car, ransacked the car and made away with all the petition documents.”
SP Aya added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Onuoha Benthrand, had ordered for a thorough and diligent investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, the police command has advised the general public to avoid statements that may prejudice ongoing investigation into the matter even as the command appealed to anyone with useful information on the incident to provide same to the command.
SDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had traded words over the attack on Monday with both sides pointing an accusing finger at each other.
While the SDP alleged that the attack was perpetrated by hired political thugs, the APC said it was staged.

 

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Benue LGs Dissolution Lawless – Senate Minority Leader

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The Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, has condemned the recent dissolution of local government chairmen in the state by Governor Hyacinth Alia, describing it as “lawlessness”.
In an interview on live television, Wednesday, Senator Moro expressed his disapproval of the Governor’s action, stating that it was a violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
He maintained that the governor did not have the power to unilaterally dissolve elected officials, and such actions could only be taken through due process and legal means.
He said, “Let me say clearly from the beginning, the constitution doesn’t provide for caretaker. Two years plus ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Ekiti State that sacked council chairmen that the governors do not have power to sack local government council and constitute caretaker committees.
“And even went further to say that the state houses of assembly do not have power to dissolve councils and that the state governors do not hide under laws made by the state assembly to dissolve elected councils.
“How can you now say you are investigating 23 local governments, 276 council wards and all of them have been found corrupt? If you find somebody, prosecute him.
“The issue now is that the action that the State House of Assembly has taken which they said he followed is wrong. What is wrong is wrong.
“This is the lawlessness that is taking place in Benue State. Is that correct? We must rise up against this thing.”

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Third Republic Lawmakers Demand Unpaid Salaries, Allowances

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Former lawmakers elected in the Third Republic, on Wednesday, demanded the immediate payment of their unpaid salaries and allowances to make ends meet.
The lawmakers made the plea while leading a delegation of the Third Republic Forum to present an award of selfless service to an alumnus of the Third House of Assembly and current member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State, Frederick Agbedi.
A member of the group, Basil Okafor, said President Bola Tinubu, who was elected Senator on the platform of the Social Democratic Party belonged to the set now battling to have their entitlements paid to them
“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an octopus in battle, has fought from 1992 till date to make input and he is today the President. We have a lot of problems that we now think that having a President who is one of us, having members of the House of Representatives and multiple Senators, that some of these problems can be addressed. We have problems with our claims and salaries that were not paid at that time. We have problems that we are seeking the face of this government to see how they can help us resolve.
“And we know that having Agbedi here, he can help us coordinate his fellow members to champion this cause and the press should also help us in any way to highlight some of these problems that are facing us because we are the old boys of this current government,” he said.
He noted that the rules governing the activities of the 10th House were put in place by the Third Republic lawmakers, adding that the current lawmakers now only amend the rules to meet current realities.
Also speaking, the National Organising Secretary of the group, Hajiya Amina lauded Agbedi for his contribution to the development of the Nigerian society.
“We are here this afternoon to honour our own, the man called Fred Agbedi. He is a man who represents the interest of his people, who even represents the interest of women and fought for the creation of the Ministry of Women Affairs. He is women-friendly,” she said.
Stressing the difficulty the Third Republic lawmakers are facing owing to unpaid entitlements, she said, “Many of us have died. When we came here, we were 593, but over 250 have gone. Most of the women are dead.
“Yesterday (Tuesday) was 31 years since we were sworn in as members of this parliament. Our grandchildren can now vote and be voted for but we still have problems.
“If Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe have been honoured and recognized, we were the foot soldiers. We were the delegates that voted them into power. What about us? Why can’t we be honoured and our standing salaries paid?
“Some of us are half dead. I am also half dead because my engine is knocked. I am just trying to make life easy for myself. We are calling on the government and the President to help us.”
While thanking his guests for the honour done to him, Agbedi called on the Federal Government to quickly pay up the salaries and allowances owed to the ex-lawmakers saying, “All their entitlements should be given to them. Even the President, Bola Tinubu will benefit from this.”

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