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RSG Threatens To Acquire Disputed OgoniLand Over Communal Crisis

The Rivers State Government has threatened to acquire a disputed land between Bomu and Lewe communities in Ogoni, if the indigenes of the communities fail to end their communal war.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who gave the hint, said that the state government would be compelled to acquire the disputed land, if the two Ogoni communities fail to end the protracted conflict that has claimed several lives.
The governor made the assertion during the flag off of the reconstruction of Government Secondary School, Kpor in Gokana Local Government Area of the state, last Wednesday.
He noted that after the crisis that culminated in the killing of prominent Ogoni leaders in 1990s, fratricide should have been considered an unpardonable taboo in Ogoni by now.
“Prominent people in Ogoni have died. The few remaining, you want to still kill them. If I were you people, what had happened to Ogoni should have made everybody to be together, to forget about killing one another again. Are you not tired of killing yourselves?”
Wike, who described the communal crisis between the two communities as saddening and regrettable, warned that after meeting with the two communities, and they fail to resolve the dispute, the state government would acquire the land for public use.
“I will meet with the people of Bomu and Lewe. If you don’t agree, I will acquire the land. But I will give you the opportunity first, and if you don’t agree, I will come and take the land and build what I want to build.”
Wike commended Ogoni people for being supportive of his aspiration to govern the state since 2014 when he declared his intention.
According to him, the reconstruction of Government Secondary School, Kpor, was in fulfilment of some of the promises he made to the people of Ogoni during his campaign.
He criticised the immediate past administration in the state for allowing old secondary schools to dilapidate just because they wanted to build so-called model secondary schools that each cost the state, at least, N6billion.
“In this country, we believe that we must destroy to make our own name. These are schools that have produced prominent Nigerians and Rivers people.
“We have the Government Comprehensive School, Enitonia High School, Birabi Memorial Grammar School, County Grammar School, and others. All they do, is to bring down these schools and build their own.”
Wike insisted that only the best quality would be accepted from the contractor, and directed that every fund required for the project should be released in order to speed up the work.
The governor also said that a police station would be built near the school as part of the policy to beef up security around learning institutions where boarding facilities were provided for students.
Performing the flag-off, the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Senator Barry Mpigi, expressed appreciation of Ogoni people for the several educational and road infrastructure projects, including police station provided in the area by the Wike-led administration.
“This school was established in 1976 but it started academic activities in 1979. This school has produced three prominent persons, among the ones we can mention. A professor in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, one of your commissioners and the auditor general in the local government system. Such a school deserves more. People have ignored this. But thank God today, you have remembered this school.”
Giving the description of the project, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, George-Kelly Alabo, said that the event marks another phase of planting of the seed of development characteristic of the Wike administration.
“We have structures here that are dilapidated, and you have graciously approved the reconstruction of this school”, he said.
He explained that 20 structures would be built in the school comprising of two dormitories of 288-capacity each, one for males and another for females (totally 576).
“There will also be two one-storey structures, and each will have 12 classrooms.
“There will be workshops, science and art laboratories, Assembly Hall. Quarters for the matron, principal, vice principal, staff, and of course, external wall works, water and electricity supply.”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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