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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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Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

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In a renewed effort to deepen Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced the commencement of its Zonal and National Public Hearings across the country.

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.

The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.

The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.

It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.

“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.

The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.

 

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Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

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Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has stirred fresh political controversy by dismissing claims that President Bola Tinubu was highly instrumental to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence in 2015 after the merger of political parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.

He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.

Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.

In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.

According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.

“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.

“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.

“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.

“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.

In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.

“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.

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Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi

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Former Presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, has accused Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, of spreading false information about Nigeria’s debt profile, claiming it is deterring foreign investors from the country.

Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.

Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.

“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.

“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.

To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.

“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.

“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.

“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.

 

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